Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward

by Keith Maginn

In mid-July of 2011, Keith Maginn, and his friend, Emily, set off from Cincinnati, Ohio, on a 3,000-mile road-trip through several southeastern states. The pair stopped in Memphis, New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville and smaller towns in between. Goodwill Paying It Forward is a travelogue detailing a philanthropic experiment in this incredible country the two call home.What makes their trip unique—and Maginn’s book fresh—is that sightseeing wasn’t their sole purpose. Emily and Keith were determined to spread kindness as they worked to make a difference in the lives of others along the way. They gave their own money to hand-picked strangers, who then had to pay the money forward to someone else. Goodwill Tour is the narrative of the places Emily and Keith visited and the people they met on their journey. It is an ode to the United States and, even more, a tribute to its people. From Beale Street to Bourbon Street and Graceland to the Biltmore Estate, from feeding the needy in downtown Charleston to brainstorming ideas with a female Buddhist monk to help abused teens and high school dropouts in North Carolina, readers will enjoy riding shotgun on the trip as they relive the experience of these life-altering events, and contemplate how people changed as a result.Supplemented by quotes from Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Douglas Brinkley’s The Majic Bus and Try Giving Yourself Away by David Dunn, this book satisfies two longings at to have a fun, interesting journey and to motivate readers to have an impact on the people around them. With so much negativity in the news and so many struggling in a beaten-down economy, the public is crying out for a feel-good, transformative book like Goodwill Tour. Many have driven around the country for adventure; countless others serve their community. Maginn and his friend set out to accomplish both at once. Their pay-it-forward mission will touch and inspire readers to take the trip that they’ve always dreamed of or to have a positive effect in the life of a loved one, an acquaintance, or even a complete stranger.

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2013

About the author

Keith Maginn feels writing to help and inspire others is his life's purpose. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the youngest of four children, Keith attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, as an Evans Scholar. After earning his bachelor's degree in sociology, he relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee, to work for AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity.

After spending ten years in Tennessee, Keith returned to Cincinnati, where he enjoys being surrounded by family and friends. Writing is his passion, and he also likes sports, meditation, yoga, reading and live music. In addition to writing, Keith currently flies around the world as a flight attendant.

Keith released TURNING THIS THING AROUND, an inspiring self-help memoir of overcoming personal struggles, in December 2010. In January 2013, he self-published GOODWILL TOUR: PAYING IT FORWARD, detailing a 3,000-mile philanthropic pay-it-forward road trip through the southeastern United States. (EXTRA)ORDINARY: INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE, released by KiCam Projects in August 2016, tells seven inspirational stories of people the author knows personally. A spin-off of book three, (EXTRA)ORDINARY: MORE INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE, highlights ten remarkable individuals from all over the world and was released in October 2017. (All four books are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com or at keithmaginn.com.)

Email: maginnka@gmail.com
Website: keithmaginn.com
Twitter: @Keith_Maginn

Reviews

[Lara Girdler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philanthropy as defined by Webster’s dictionary is “goodwill to fellow members of the human race, especially: active effort to promote human welfare; an act or gift done for humanitarian purposes; an organization distributing or supported by funds set aside for humanitarian purposes” ("Merriam-Webster Dictionary", 2014) I believe that each of us possesses the ability to be philanthropic however few of us actively seek outlets to that inner ability. Personally in the last eight or so years of my life I’ve tried to help the animal world by being a foster parent to homeless dogs and puppies, before that when we lived in Maryland I was active with a volunteer Fire-Rescue Department as a trained Emergency Medical Technician and Instructor to new members of the department. While I did not nor have I given money, I did donate my home (to the animals), time and energy (the fire department), many others have actively sought out means to donate money. Some do it as a tax deduction, while others do it for the pure joy of seeing others benefit from the gifts given out.

I’ve watched on numerous occasions the television show Secret Millionaire where an independently wealthy individual goes ‘undercover’ in communities that are run down and derelict seeking out opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community, unknown to those they are working with that they are independently wealthy individuals they learn the stories of those they work with and at the end of the week they ‘donate’ money to the people and organizations they’ve worked with – I wonder oftentimes if those millionaires are doing the program to either promote themselves and their businesses, looking for a tax write-off, or just because they want to give back after having been blessed with good fortune. From the responses of some of those going undercover I can tell there’s been an inherent change in them after doing the community service and giving back – but at the back of my mind I always wonder…

Well Keith and Emily did more than just wonder, they took the leap of faith in both each other and the cities they visited to do what the show Secret Millionaire is trying to accomplish – they went to several cities, volunteered where they could, crashed on friends’ guest bedrooms, couches, and in hotels and found people deserving of a small donation, $200 max. All around the Southern states they went on this journey and discovered more about themselves, the cities, and the country as a whole by placing themselves in the paths of those they worked with and donated to. I can’t help but wish I could go on my own journey of philanthropy traveling the country in an RV camping and working when necessary, volunteering with organizations and giving back…this book took me on a virtual journey with Keith and Emily and through their eyes the reader will see the Southern states as they’ve never seen them before!

Five out of Five Stars for Goodwill Tour: Paying it Forward.

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**

Citation:

1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio...

[Vonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of us dream about going on road trips either solo or with a friend. Many others also dream about being able to make a difference in the world even if it's one person at a time. In this book, Keith Maginn was able to do both. This was an uplifting book about Keith and his friend Emily embarking on a quest to visit a few parts of the United States as well as helping out strangers.

I very much enjoyed the concept behind Keith's and Emily's mission. It made me think about how I could contribute to society, even if it's at a small scale. What I liked best was how Keith encouraged the reader to go out and explore right at the beginning:



"I hope this book inspires you to do something special. Maybe you will finally take that trip that you've always dreamed of; perhaps you will strive to have a positive effect in the life of a loved one, an acquaintance or a complete stranger. Either way, I challenge you to just get out and do it."


Wow! I absolutely loved how he began with this note because it not only inspired me right away to travel, but he also prepared me to the type of adventure I was going to read in this book.

It was amazing to read how much of a difference he and Emily were able to make in a few days. Though they did not have a lot of money, the little they gave really helped out the people in need. It was also fascinating to read how many other people were eager to be part of the "Pay-it-Forward" project. These people graciously accepted Keith's and Emily's contributions and gave the donations to someone deserving. It was wonderful to know how many good-hearted people were out there.

As much as I enjoyed the journey that Keith described, I do admit that I wanted more. I wanted to read more about his emotions and his thoughts: to read more in detail about the travels. I wanted to hear from Keith instead of him citing other works to describe what was happening. Though the quotes that were used were excellent, it would have still been nice to hear from Keith himself. The preface, the letters, the afterward, and the scene with the first person they donated to were the perfect examples on the emotions and thoughts from Keith that I was expecting from this book. These were my favorite parts because I felt emotionally connected to the situations and I felt quite inspired. I wanted more of these.

Overall, this was a short book but it still had its punch. I absolutely love the idea behind this trip and I loved the idea of how small acts could still make a big difference. I expect to read more amazing adventures from Keith in the future.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review is posted here:

http://chicklibrarycat.blogspot.com/2...

Keith and Emily are friends who decide to take a trip across the USA and make good things for other people. Always thinking that giving more means receiving more, they both set up a goodwill tour: giving money to the people that need it most, but have to use it for a good cause for someone else. With less than enough money with them, they start their journey. Travelling across the country, the visit different places and meet different people. In the very same time, they both have to overcome their own differences.

Mr. Maginn writes well and describes his journey seen with his own eyes. He doesn't put make up on the story, but writes also about bad things that happened, not just good ones. The story is also fullfilled with famous quotes and citations about good will and helping others, maybe more that it should be. The simple gesture of giving money made some people to believe in good things again, and their thankful letters are also included in the book. The entire journey is well wrapped into nice and well-packed short memoir.

What I missed the most in this memoir were the photographs. Reading about so many different places and different people, I needed to see those places, to see the people who became part of the Goodwill Tour. Mr. Maginn describes what he sees, and he describes it well, but somehow I think that the photos would make his narration more vivid. That's just my opinion. I am not American and I've never seen Savannah nor New Orleans, so photos would make this adventure closer to me. I know that the point of this memoir is helping other people, not just travelling and visiting different places. I hope I'm not asking too much.

Overall, I enjoyed this adventurous goodwill journey. Starting a journey like this, with not enough money in the pocket, is a brave decision. I admire these two friends who don't know each other for a very long time to start something that takes a lot of courage and compromises. So, Goodwill tour is well packed story not just for travelling, but for courage and changing lives. I hope that there will be more tours like this in future.

My opinion: 3.5 / 5.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While many of us dream of taking an unscheduled road trip and many of us dream of making the world a better place, author Keith Maginn did both. With his friend Emily, he traveled through the Southeastern US with stops to volunteer and give away money to deserving strangers. In Goodwill Tour, Keith tells their story and the stories of those they helped.

I was a bit nervous starting this because it had no Goodreads reviews. This meant that my opinion would be the only opinion and what if I didn’t like it? I would feel pretty bad. So I was thrilled when I could tell within the first few pages that this book was going to blow me away. The author’s description of family car trips and his longing to just drive around the country really resonated with me. The writing reminded me of classic adventures like The Swiss Family Robinson in which the writing is plain but still has a poetic ability to speak to the human spirit.

My only complaint about this story is that it included many quotes and many descriptions of food for such a short book. In general though, the author’s use of quotes and detailed descriptions worked for me. I liked that the author included a number of e-mails he and Emily exchanged. I also enjoyed the personal idiosyncrasies, the rough patches, and the small details he shared. Together these things brought the story to life and made me connect with the author and Emily as real people. I feel a bit strange saying that about non-fiction since it is real, but fiction or non-fiction, not every author can achieve that!

Actually I lied… I do have one more complaint. I wanted more! I loved the way the author wrapped up, with thoughtful but not sappy reflection on his trip and the people they helped. I thought the whole thing had great emotional impact and packed a punch for such a small book. That said, I enjoyed this book enough that it could have been twice as long and it only would have made me happier.

This review first published on Doing Dewey.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of what I call a “travel quest,” travel with a measurable goal of some kind, is one I understand. It may be something many have done, for example visit all fifty of the United States, or much less common (one book I read recently involved riding a bicycle around the world). Goodwill Tour involves what at first blush seems a relatively simple quest, to visit a list of cities and give money to strangers with the proviso that these people would pass the money on to someone in need, paying it forward.

Of course, even the simplest trips can have complications (just working out the logistics and specifics of this trip from a high level idea and in a short time, was impressive). Following the author, Keith, and his friend, Emily, on the trip was fun and inspiring. I enjoyed hearing about their experiences doing some of the typical touristy things in each city, but obviously what is unique about this book is their struggle to find the right recipient for their money. It turns out to be more difficult than you’d think since they attempted to vet the person chosen. In several cities we also get a glimpse at the characteristics of the city off the typical tourist trail as Keith and Emily interact with residents and charitable organizations.

While I enjoyed reading Goodwill Tour, I have one quibble that, depending on the reader, might cut the other way. This was several sections that quoted other travel books (most of which I’ve read and are good) to illustrate something. They served their purpose, but there were times when I wished the author had told us in his own words rather than relying on others so much.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Marilou George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Keith Maginn gave us a poignant glimpse into his personal life in “Turning This Thing Around,” and with “Goodwill Tour” it is apparent that he has such appreciation for the help and guidance that he received, he has decided to pay it forward. One of his dreams has been to take a road trip with no destination and no specific time frame in mind. He enlists his friend Emily and although they only have 3 months for their adventure they plan on traveling 3,000 miles through Southeastern US.

The truly amazing part of their journey is that they set out to volunteer where needed and meet people along the way to help monetarily if need be. It is an enlightening story of two people totally invested, not in themselves, but in the needs of others.

I enjoyed meeting the people that they met and the circumstances of their lives as well as the places they visited. Their journey should be an example of how each of us, in our own individual way, can pay it forward. There is always joy in helping others in any way we can simply by putting the effort into being more in tune with the gratitude we have for our own lives and those that have helped us along the way.

This story is one that will encourage and uplift you. When you give of yourself to others in need, even in the smallest of ways, you will always receive back more than you have given.

[Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did I enjoy this book: I thought I was signing up for a feel-good, make-me-want-to-volunteer-somewhere travelogue, but, when half-way through the book Maginn had only actually “paid it forward” once, I decided to be officially disappointed. I loved Maginn’s first book, Turning This Thing Around (you can read my review HERE), but felt that this book was more of a “here’s a book about a road trip I took while I was unemployed” than a “here’s a book about the awesome things I did for other people while on a road trip.” I guess I was expecting Maginn and Emily to spend more time “Good willing” than “Touring.”

Would I recommend it: Pick up a copy of Turning This Thing Around, but go ahead and pass on Goodwill Tour.

As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

http://everyfreechance.com/2014/04/re...

[Victoria Brinius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting book for me, because I have also read the author's other book/ memoir called "Turning This Thing Around". I know why he wants to help others and I know his past. I loved that he way "paying it Forward" and that he was helping others. The author and his companion met real people and helped them. If we all just helped one person then the world would be a better place. The way that they helped was not always hard, but it mattered when it needed to. Some of the people they helped have never known such kindness and some were so close to giving up, if not there already. The United States is a melting pot of people and so many interesting people were found on their travels. This is a great book to give hope. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review from the author, however all opinions are my own.