Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading

by Chris J. Anderson

**Picked by Bill Gates for his summer reading list**

Recent years have been tough on optimists. Hopes that the Internet might bring people together have been crushed by the ills of social media. Is there a way back?

Chris Anderson, the head of TED, believes that we can turn outrage back into optimism. It all comes down to reimagining one of the most fundamental human generosity. What if generosity could become infectious generosity?

• how a London barber began offering haircuts to people experiencing homelessness - and catalysed a movement

• how two anonymous donors gave $10,000 each to 200 strangers and discovered that most recipients wanted to 'pay it forward' with their own generous acts

• how TED itself transformed from a niche annual summit into a global beacon of ideas by giving away talks online, allowing millions access to free learning

In telling these inspiring stories, Anderson offers a playbook for how to embark on our own generous acts - whether gifts of money, time, talent, connection, or kindness - and to prime them, thanks to the Internet, to have self-replicating, world-changing impacts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Leadership, Audiobook

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2024

About the author

Chris Anderson has been the curator of TED since 2001. His TED mantra—“ideas worth spreading”—continues to blossom on an international scale, with some three billion TED Talks viewed annually. He lives in New York City and London.

Reviews

[Bejinha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is the owner of TED Talks, and this book could have been an 18-minute talk. It probably was, and the fillers were added by the Penguin team.

However, the worst aspect of this book is that it advocates for generosity and charity as means to improve the world. I disagree. Donating the crumbs that fall from the tables of the wealthy is not how we will make things better, but rather how we will help maintain the status quo. That’s what it has being done.

Charity is when one takes more money than he needs and only gives back a portion, and only to those he chose, on his own terms. It doesn't change the system.

If someone wants to truly make a difference, instead of making donations to fill the gaps that the government has chosen not to address, it would be better to work alongside people to tackle the injustices that caused the disparity in the first place.

[Sivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 57%.

This is like the opposite of Digital Minimalism since it's all about how the Internet can spread infectious generosity, but it honestly just felt like a list of Anderson's favorite YouTube videos.

Also, I think Kate Honey, Anderson's research assistant, should have probably been listed as a co-author. In the acknowledgements, Anderson writes, "This book has been co-created by a host of talented, generous souls. Kate Honey spent months researching dozens of stories, turning a dry concept into a hopeful reality. Kate is brilliant, wise, and kind, and has contributed to the book in numerous ways." Months? Dozens? Turned your book idea into a reality? I get a feeling her "numerous ways" contributed a lot .🧐 I actually don't know of course, just a little hypothesis.
By the time I stopped reading she is also cited twice as having interviewed people from the "infectious generosity" stories.

[Momma Leighellen’s Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect book for me to start off my 2024 with.

I already knew I wanted this year to be different. I had already completed a 21 days of prayer and fasting. I had recently read the book Filterworld. I knew I wanted to live + create differently in these online spaces this year. I wanted to make an impact, be more joyful, spread more good news.

In Infectious Generosity, Chris Anderson - leader of the Ted Talks enterprise - walks us through all the ways generosity is contagious, all the good it brings, and the ways it can truly change the world. He provides loads of data and case studies, as well as real life examples of people he has met along the way.

It's inspiring and yet not at all overwhelming. He reminds us that it's not just MONEY that makes us generous. We can be generous with our time + talents, we can be a good listener, we can help share things we know. We can live a life of gratitude that can transform us.

[simona.citeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carte tradusă la Ed. Publica cu titlul Generozitate infecțioasă

Mi-a plăcut felul în care m-a făcut să mă simt povestindu-mi despre impactul pe care îl au mici gesturi de generozitate și cum acestea produc mari schimbări.

Vorbește atât despre generozitatea financiară cât și despre împărtășirea resurselor, timpului și cunoștințelor.

Eu am sărit peste părțile adresate oamenilor cu adevărat bogați și am citit capitolele cu care am putut rezona.

Este un titlu accesibil, ușor de abordat.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars; expected more from this; lots of respect for Chris Anderson and his mission to spread 'ideas worth spreading', but besides the historical notes on the TED movement, this was a pretty bland and somewhat boring work on the myriad blessings of generosity; a certain magnanimity of spirit, a willingness to keep and maintain a 'giving' attidude as your default stance in life. Be sure to check out the excellent guide on presentation skills by the same author; TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking.

[Patty (IheartYA311) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book with an important message. This book was formatted well, inspiring, and easy to understand. I loved the parts that focused on nonmonetary generosity. Even an unexpected smile at a stranger can cause a ripple effect of kindness!

I won an advance uncorrected proof (otherwise I would have shared many fundamental quotes) from Goodreads. The opinions expressed above are my own.

[Sadie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda feel like this was partly written using genAI.

Telling people (literally prescribing every single person a generosity goal) how to give is actually wild to me. Obviously good intent so I write this with peace and love.

Author, head of TED Talks, had a lot of religious guilt after an experience when he was 15 of someone who shared with him “ugh helping people is hard but it’s worth it”. That sparked an obsession/ guilt around generosity I guess.

Some ideas on scaling non profits were interesting but overall this reading experience was like a book-length article written by a self-righteous Buzzfeed media writer in 2015.

[Rachel Lauto · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at, like, 38%. The book version of a meeting that could’ve been an email. I had high hopes based off the concept, but really felt that it would have made a much better 10-minute talk than a full-length book. After a while I opted to abandon it and turn my attention to something better.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about posting inspirational things on social media. Meh

[Lydia Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Chris Anderson, is the head of TED, so it makes sense that this book reads like a very long TED Talk. It's a breezy, comfortable read with a profound sense of hope supported by numerous examples of individuals taking their own acts of generosity and amplifying them in different ways. As a member of a small nonprofit, I found much in this book to admire and perhaps emulate. Anderson's enthusiasm for the topic is evident on every page, and it's welcome in a media world that rewards cynicism.

I think this book could easily have been twice as long, to give many examples of generosity more in-depth attention, or to show a program from more angles, or to show some unintended negative consequences with suggestions for how to avoid them in the future. As it is, it's a good survey that feels very surface-level.

I have a concern on the brief section on ending anonymity on the internet. Anderson acknowledges that "people living under repressive regimes" have a need for internet anonymity, but doesn't mention victims of violent crimes, especially domestic violence. Survivors of DV may need to use the internet anonymously in order to get services and will likely need anonymity to prevent their abusers from tracking them down. I don't know how to balance transparency with personal safety and security of personal information, but I think it's too important not to address.

This was a giveaway of advanced uncorrected proofs, and there are some errors that need fixing, probably most notably on page 151 of my copy where the reader is directed to a "list of resources on page xx.. " Page xx exists, but the list of resources begins on page 225.

Overall, this was a well-written and informative book that has the potential to inspire readers to make a positive difference in the world and to find ways to make that generosity spread beyond local areas.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Infectious Generosity advocates many nice sounding, mostly impractical liberal ideas but seems to forget the obvious fact that for every giver there is a taker getting something for nothing.

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking book that inspires generosity, kindness and positivity in an effort to focus on inspiring stories rather than negative headlines.

Key thoughts:
- assume good intentions
- don’t judge until you know someone’s story
- find common ground
- give the gift of knowledge
- make connections to help others
- create a chain reaction of kindness (amplify these actions by sharing and expressing thanks)

This book leaves the reader reflecting on ways to be kind, be generous and make their community or the world a better place!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message is great in this book. All should read. However, as a read itself is just ok

[Cheryl Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking in a good way

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I had reservations about this book. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a lot of “toxic positivity”. There are a few times where the writing comes off that way, and I don’t agree with all of his arguments. That being said, I think the author does a decent job justifying the points he wants to make and overall advocates for each of us to do our part to make this world a better place.

Of note - I listened to this book on audio.

[Nellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come later. For now: Read this book.

[edit] This book is unbearably naive.

Doesn't the author understand that I don't have money? That I don't have time? Why isn't he insisting on implementing new tax laws so that the 1% can pay their fair share instead of expecting the rest of us to give all that we have?

All valid concerns and questions that I had as well. At points, I even found the author grating and unrealistic.

Here's the thing, though: his unflinching optimism eventually wormed its way into my heart, and I realized, with gritted teeth, that he's right. He's so, so right.

A few years ago, I read a very eye-opening article or post online about greed and individualism and the idea that "I don't owe the world anything". The truth of the matter is this, though: I owe the world everything I can possibly give.

No one made it completely on their own. We didn't always feed or clothe ourselves, and we most likely still don't grow all our own food or make all of our clothes. Artists painstakingly create the art we enjoy. Doctors study for years to ensure they can take care of our health. Teachers work tirelessly to give us knowledge. Some of it is our own doing, but not all of it. We are constantly helping each other, and, no, it doesn't matter if we're being rewarded for it through a paycheck or praise.

What matters is we're doing it and we're not doing it alone.

The system would collapse, otherwise. Humanity would not reach the heights that it has, otherwise. You would not be here, otherwise.

Think about that of Dr. Margaret Mead and her answer as to when we know civilization began: a healed broken femur.

We take care of each other, no matter the inconvenience. That is humanity.

And that invites a question: what am I doing in return for all of the generosity that's been bestowed upon me? That's gotten me here?

The answer is simple: I need to give back.

As the author outlines, it doesn't have to be monetary. We can be generous with our time by sharing our skills with those eager to learn and improve their own lives. We can be generous with our actions, opting to express our love of the people in our life through acts of service. And we can, most importantly and most easily, be generous with our words by uplifting and supporting others.

It does not matter what others are or aren't contributing. It only matters if you are.

So much of our generosity hinges on whether or not other people are being generous because we don't want to be left without, but, like we addressed earlier, no one would have anything if someone wasn't out there in the world being generous right now. It may not seem like it, but how often has it been drilled into us to be humble about our good deeds? To keep quiet about our generosity because it otherwise doesn't count?

But it does! It does count! And, like the author explains to us, it's a good thing when people know we are generous because it inspires them to be the same! By that logic, I'd say our generosity is worth even more when we are loud and proud about it!

It's hard to overcome. I know it makes me, personally, feel guilty and prideful, but we have to talk about it because we are at a point in history where much of what is presented to us in media and the internet is sensationalized negativity, and like with generosity, it only breeds even more negativity, ramping up hatred and divisiveness. A lack of willing generosity is tearing us apart. The only way to combat it is by being unbearably naive and gratingly optimistic. It's painful and embarrassing and it sometimes feels like you're losing but you have to do. You have to do it.

I will start. I donated $1,000 to my local humane society last year in a challenge to give away as much as I spent on frivolous things for myself. I didn't give away as much as I should have, but it was a start, and I intend to do even more this year. I want to give away more, and I want to earn my degree so I can fight to keep public libraries free and open, and I'm going to look into convincing my friends to do a volunteer project with me this year. Maybe I'll even base it on a catchy theme in hopes that others take up the challenge. I'm going to post about all of it in the hopes that generosity will be as infectious as this author claims it is, and I'm also going to rejoin social media and share at least one positive news story a week to my feed.

I have felt hopeless many times recently about the fate of the world, but it is my world just as much as it is those who are being less than generous and I will not willingly hand it off to them. I have to fight for it. We all do.

[Leonardo Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ainda seguindo a lista de recomendações de 2024 do Bill Gates, fiquei positivamente surpreso com o “Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading", onde o Chris Anderson apresenta um olhar otimista sobre a generosidade humana, mostrando como pequenos atos podem ter um impacto significativo no mundo.
O livro não se limita a teorias abstratas, ou exemplos que não são replicáveis. Chris Anderson oferece dicas práticas e exemplos reais (daí é legal assistir aos TED Talks) de como ser mais generoso com tempo, atenção e dinheiro.
Um dos momentos mais legais da leitura foi encontrar a história do artista Mundano, meu colega de ESPM, como um exemplo de generosidade contagiante. Acompanhar sua trajetória e ver seu trabalho reconhecido internacionalmente me encheu de orgulho e reforçou a importância de usar nossos talentos para impactar positivamente a sociedade.
Recomendo "Infectious Generosity" para quem busca inspiração e dicas acionáveis para cultivar a generosidade.

[James Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't exactly sure whether to give this book a three or a four star; however, in the spirit of Infectious Generosity, it's got to be promoted to a four.

I really enjoyed reading this. While I didn't learn anything new, it was a positive and refreshing read of how we can all make the world a better, more positive and inclusive place. This isn't limited to big gestures; it's about the power of the small, positive and consistent actions which go on to shape such an empowering and fulfilling vision of the future.

This book embodies a lot of the principles that I try to live my life by, so I thank it for expanding on them in a bit more detail.

Could it have been shorter? Yes, but was it still a nice read overall? Yes.

[George Scholey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge fan of TED and Chris Anderson, and you genuinely can’t knock the message he’s trying to get across. It’s entirely refreshing and optimistic as he discusses the power of the internet in spreading generosity on a global scale (despite coming across outlandish at parts) and makes philanthropy feel beautifully accessible. The passion is palpable in his writing and it’s very readable (it actually reads a lot like the structure of a TED talk). Ultimately, though, I found the call-to-action slightly bizarre and felt it could have been shorter to avoid repetition. Worth a read, though!

[Jay Batson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book at a time when "self care" (self-centeredness), or "pay attention to me" (influencers) abounds in world culture. The way I see the core message of the book is "It's not about you; it's how can you step way outside your comfort zone and be generous - with your time, attention, love, care, financial and other resources - to others in preference to yourself." A great quote from the book: 'Are you a net giver or a net taker'?"

I'm pleased in another sense: It's my (considered christian) opinion that our culture has given up on the Millennia of accumulated acceptance that Godly principles are valuable. Unfortunately, the world is trending post-religion (which is one of the drivers for selfishness / self-attention). While the author (Chris) doesn't advocate to a return to faith, he does cite Alain de Botton, an athiest, who argues that “…we should be wary of throwing out all the accoutrements of religion, even if we no longer believe its fundamental stories." Continuing, "Isn't it odd, for example, that pretty much every religion recommends that its followers meet at least weekly to be reminded of their religious and moral duties? Perhaps humans need those regular nudges to increase their chances of doing the right thing." And "Now that we've let much of that (church-going) go - certainly in most Western nations - is it a suprise that civic duty is also in decline?" Hear hear. The effort to push the boundaries of how much of religion can be dispose of has pushed those boundaries too-far, and we lose so much life-value in doing so. (And of course, my recommended solution is to go back & do the hard work to revisit Christian faith, and see that there's actually a there there.)

Regardless of your faith position, this book is useful for people broadly. For me, I feel somewhat comfortable that I'm already practicing many of the principles in the book, and am already experiencing deep rewards. Examples:
- I've spent over a decade volunteering my time to help startup companies get off the ground as part of the Techstars accelerator. Techstars plasters #GiveFirst all over the walls, which arises from its "Mentor Manifesto" which expressly says "Give first, and expect nothing in return." Brad Feld wrote in detail about all 18 elements of the Manifesto (and I actually wrote the last 2 detailed items; and in fact, the Mentor Manifesto quite interestingly parallels many of the suggestions the author makes in this book!) But the other side of that coin is that you can be amazingly surprised at what you get in return if you simply go in without expectation of transactional return. I can't tell you how many founders have told me their lives, and their company changed for the better as a result of me & the other mentors simply offering our time, attention, and support. The returns to #giveFirst are immeasurable and wonderful.
- I'm not bashful about my christian faith, and my wife & I happily give 10%+ of all our income / gains away as tithe. We have a trust that we use to be intentional about direct giving to all kinds of places, such as Biologos which provides resources & community for scientists / physicians / ... who want to deepen their Christian faith yet live surrounded by skeptics. Having a trust do it allows us to give anonymously, which keeps a check / balance on our motivation. We have a core mission to our trust: To give generously when a need is placed in front of us upon which we think we can have a meaningful positive effect, especially when the target of the giving supports the effort to "teach someone to fish for themselves after first giving them a fish to eat". And similar to the Techstars experience above, our assessment of the impact we have feels we're doing it right.

So, reinforcing an assertion in the book, we receive happiness from the mere act of giving, and giving not just a little bit; going beyond the token gift.

But, importantly, it's not just about money. I love that the author speaks of simply "shifting (your) attention away from yourself, to others." I LOVE stopping talking, and making space to hear people's stories without even responding to them; just let people speak. Sometimes it's taking time to ask a waiter/waitress at the end of a shift when you sense that they just wish somebody would listen to what's happening in their life right then, and not trying to "match" it with my own story. Listening to people talk deeply about themselves has become a It's a huge joy for me. Interestingly, I've tried to encourage others to do the same, but it's been difficult; it's so easy now for person A to use "asking questions of person B" as a launching pad to give person A a platform to talk about themselves. We are indeed a self-obsessed world now.

So all-in-all, I'm really happy to see that the author has taken time to bring into one place a set of principles about giving of one's self & resources that are increasingly important, and increasingly disappearing from our culture. I particularly like the specific list of bullets on how to model generous behavior (on P152) and the "annual checkup" on P207). I'm adding the latter to my annual personal review! I support pretty much every suggestion, and can easily recommend this book to others.

Rated 5 on my scale (see https://startupdj.com/book-rating-rules)

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring and optimistic read. Author provides applicable tips to living a life dedicated to generosity and philanthropy. Certain tips are slightly outlandish but for the most part they are attainable and give hope.

[Téa Cushman]

I like/agree with the principle of this book and was interested to hear about the examples of exponentially expanding small acts of generosity. In general, it was a good reminder to give more of my time and resources to others and simply approach each day with a mindset of putting something good into the world. I will say however, Anderson’s approach to financial generosity was very reactive and somewhat sympathetic to the mega wealthy which I just can’t get behind.

[Jackie Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful reminder that cultivating a mindset of generosity has the power to transform both our lives and the lives of those around us. Love the focus on how harnessing our collective energies can be such a force for good!

[Molly McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by the head of TED totally read like a long engaging TED talk! I’d love to will this all into reality. A super fast, engaging, hopeful read

[Danielle Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, I didn’t feel like there were that many practical ideas in here

[Joel Hollingsworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this. The title was compelling, but the content just didn't live up to the promise of the title.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

i agree with the concepts in this book but i think it’s ultimately more important for people working in large corporations or with a ton of money to read - there isn’t much advice to the ordinary person that i thought was very unique or compelling or accessible. it also made me cringe that the audiobook reader man kept stifling his laughter bruh this isn’t funny

[Mike Horrocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read on just how one single person can make a difference. Definitely finish the book feeling a little bit more inspired to do good.

[Plantpowerlupie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good premise, but it just wasn’t what I expected. It was mainly focused on using the internet, social media, AI, group think, and companies etc to further generosities. Nothing wrong with that if it’s doing good in the world, but I was just hoping for more of a hands on personal generosity book I guess…

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book explores the idea that generosity can change the world and offers a "why, how and what if" approach to the subject, and how to move forward.

Maybe a little "bright-sided" for my tastes but it's worth a look.