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Everyday Generosity: Becoming a Generous Family in a Selfie World
In Everyday Generosity, Drew and Brad take parents and their kids on a fun ride into a whole new the lifestyle of generosity. Providing tangible takeaways to become more others-focused, they teach parents and kids alike simple actions that will make a big impact on families everywhere. Within these pages you will learn
How we all have something to give regardless of our age.
Everyday giving experiences that will encourage, inspire, and motivate you to give.
The Ripple Effect- A single decision can change the trajectory of your family... and the world!
Everyday Generosity is a roadmap to the generous life. It's not just about money, but your thoughts, words, time, influence, attention and stuff. Through modeling, encouraging, and engaging your kids in the conversation of generosity, you will create a legacy for generations to come.
How we all have something to give regardless of our age.
Everyday giving experiences that will encourage, inspire, and motivate you to give.
The Ripple Effect- A single decision can change the trajectory of your family... and the world!
Everyday Generosity is a roadmap to the generous life. It's not just about money, but your thoughts, words, time, influence, attention and stuff. Through modeling, encouraging, and engaging your kids in the conversation of generosity, you will create a legacy for generations to come.
152 pages, Hardcover
Published November 28, 2018
13 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 9, 2019
A beautiful theology written in language so simple even an adult can understand it! A teenager speaks to the hearts of young and old alike. His message: generosity is a choice, one we must make every moment of every day. Though his target audience is adolescents, “Everyday Generosity” is written for everyone. With specific examples that anyone can emulate, Drew Formsma also wisely addresses the pitfalls of the generous lifestyle that can cause even the most magnanimous people to recoil, and instructs on how to dust ourselves off and get back on the giving horse. He speaks to the far-reaching effects of choosing to give generously of not just our money, but our time, talents, attention, and words as well. Drew points out that one person consistently modeling the generous lifestyle has the power to change lives, filling them with the joy that is only found in self-forgetfulness. As a parent, this book is the spark I’ve been looking for to ignite my passion for raising an outwardly focused child; it starts with me. The book does become a bit circular and repetitive, but that can serve to drive its message deep into the heart of those who might resist or look for excuses - if you let it.
January 3, 2019
When I closed the book 33 highlight markers poked out from the pages. It was that good!
16-year-old Drew guides the reader through examples of the power everyday generosity can make in our lives, our family’s lives, and the world.
Drew calls out his “iPhone Generation” to make changes and become known as the “Generous Generation.”
Generosity is beyond giving money and Drew uses colorful stories to point out seven ways to live a generous life: being generous with our thoughts, words, money, time, influence, attention, and possessions. He models with his own life it is always the right time to be generous regardless of age or income.
Young in years but mature in wisdom, Drew’s book encourages us all to let generosity become a way life. Imagine our world if we follow Drew's advice to, “Become more aware of your surroundings. Make the decision to look beyond yourself and your needs and to look to the needs of others.”
Read this as a family and experience a deeper closeness and joy as you live out Everyday Generosity.
16-year-old Drew guides the reader through examples of the power everyday generosity can make in our lives, our family’s lives, and the world.
Drew calls out his “iPhone Generation” to make changes and become known as the “Generous Generation.”
Generosity is beyond giving money and Drew uses colorful stories to point out seven ways to live a generous life: being generous with our thoughts, words, money, time, influence, attention, and possessions. He models with his own life it is always the right time to be generous regardless of age or income.
Young in years but mature in wisdom, Drew’s book encourages us all to let generosity become a way life. Imagine our world if we follow Drew's advice to, “Become more aware of your surroundings. Make the decision to look beyond yourself and your needs and to look to the needs of others.”
Read this as a family and experience a deeper closeness and joy as you live out Everyday Generosity.
January 8, 2019
I just loved this book. Drew is such a smart young man and opened my mind to new ways to be generous. Generosity isn’t just about money. It’s also about words, actions, time, resources, wisdom, influence - anything you can give. Drew says, “Generosity isn’t just about money; it’s about seeing beyond yourself and doing for others.”
December 31, 2018
How refreshing to hear such maturity and selflessness from such a young author! He thoroughly explains the benefits of living generously, gives real-life examples, and provides practical, realistic steps for other young people and families to develop a mindset focused on giving. I intend to share this book with my youth group kids at church! I believe they will be inspired!
December 31, 2018
This book is a very simple and practical guide for young people (and their parents) to get them started on a life of generosity. It provides loads of inspiring stories, examples, as well as benefits and risks. I particularly loved the fact that the book highlights a multi-generational family legacy of everyday generosity, and provides inspiration and practical tips to begin this in our own families.
(I received a copy of the book for review)
(I received a copy of the book for review)
April 19, 2019
This is truly and amazing book. This is something as a parent is so needed as I raise my kids. Drew shares how generosity is so much more than just money but with your time, influence, wisdom and so much more. If you want to be encouraged and inspired grab a copy of this book! I bought mine off of Amazon and I am going to buy more to give away! Great job Brad and Drew! Great JOB!
January 10, 2019
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the premise of this book and was initially excited to read it. Everyone wants to complain about the Millenial generation instead of taking the time to mentor them and set an example of generosity, sacrifice, and old-world values. And here comes a book from a young man meant to encourage parents and teens to think less about themselves and more about others. However, after beginning the book, I quickly realized that both he and his father were much more concerned about their own needs than those of others, and what they need more than anything is to be praised for being generous and feed their own egos. Some stories that I found particularly disheartening include the dad sending a pair of shoes like his own to a doctor that lacked faith, who could obviously afford his own pair, with an attached note telling him that now he was one step closer to being like him. If you see yourself as being better than those who are not Christians than obviously, you do not understand how grace works. In another story, the dad offers to pay for someone's nursing home bill and wasn't sure how he was going to pay for it, but she miraculously died before he had to pay the first bill. What? I was expecting the story to end with God providing the money, an experience I have had many times in my life. I realize that the author is very young, and I hope that with some maturity he will gain both humility and spiritual insight. I had planned to share this book with my children and teens that I work with, but after reading it I feel that it gives a very poor impression of Christians. I cannot in good faith recommend this book. I feel that it will cause Christians to misunderstand grace and think that it is works-based and cause non-Christians to find yet another reason to turn away from God. I have never given a poor review before, and have struggled with this, but I feel any book of this nature should be held to a higher standard and should be scripturally sound.
I loved the premise of this book and was initially excited to read it. Everyone wants to complain about the Millenial generation instead of taking the time to mentor them and set an example of generosity, sacrifice, and old-world values. And here comes a book from a young man meant to encourage parents and teens to think less about themselves and more about others. However, after beginning the book, I quickly realized that both he and his father were much more concerned about their own needs than those of others, and what they need more than anything is to be praised for being generous and feed their own egos. Some stories that I found particularly disheartening include the dad sending a pair of shoes like his own to a doctor that lacked faith, who could obviously afford his own pair, with an attached note telling him that now he was one step closer to being like him. If you see yourself as being better than those who are not Christians than obviously, you do not understand how grace works. In another story, the dad offers to pay for someone's nursing home bill and wasn't sure how he was going to pay for it, but she miraculously died before he had to pay the first bill. What? I was expecting the story to end with God providing the money, an experience I have had many times in my life. I realize that the author is very young, and I hope that with some maturity he will gain both humility and spiritual insight. I had planned to share this book with my children and teens that I work with, but after reading it I feel that it gives a very poor impression of Christians. I cannot in good faith recommend this book. I feel that it will cause Christians to misunderstand grace and think that it is works-based and cause non-Christians to find yet another reason to turn away from God. I have never given a poor review before, and have struggled with this, but I feel any book of this nature should be held to a higher standard and should be scripturally sound.
January 10, 2019
This book encouraged me and was a delight to read. As a former English teacher, I couldn’t get over the fact that Drew was just 16 years old when he wrote this book. He shares how his dad and him wanted to reach more people with their message since they cannot speak everywhere, which in itself is an incredible picture of generosity. The teenage years are full of busy and academics and part-time jobs, but I’m grateful Drew took time to share his perspective on generosity.
The authors make clear that this book’s intended audience is for pre-teen and teenage kids. Because of that, it’s written in casual language and a lot of the examples of generosity are unique to that age. However, I gleaned as much insight and wisdom even as an adult. There are a few times adults/parents are addressed specifically on how to raise generous kids, which makes it accessible to all.
The book is hands-on in teaching what generosity is. It breaks down that we can be generous not just with our money, but our time, thoughts, possessions, words, influence, etc. They talk about not only the immediate smiles and gratitude that come from giving, but also the psychological effect giving can have on the brain. I also enjoyed how it focused on the receiving end of generosity as well—that we need to allow ourselves to receive someone else’s generosity, just as we want others to receive our acts of goodness. There are lists of ways to “Get Started Now” and quick anecdotes of friends who have experienced generosity.
The book did get a little repetitive at the end, which I think works—we need to be told multiple times how to be other-minded people! All in all, I can’t wait to start implementing aspects of this book in my own life. I highly recommend the read!
The authors make clear that this book’s intended audience is for pre-teen and teenage kids. Because of that, it’s written in casual language and a lot of the examples of generosity are unique to that age. However, I gleaned as much insight and wisdom even as an adult. There are a few times adults/parents are addressed specifically on how to raise generous kids, which makes it accessible to all.
The book is hands-on in teaching what generosity is. It breaks down that we can be generous not just with our money, but our time, thoughts, possessions, words, influence, etc. They talk about not only the immediate smiles and gratitude that come from giving, but also the psychological effect giving can have on the brain. I also enjoyed how it focused on the receiving end of generosity as well—that we need to allow ourselves to receive someone else’s generosity, just as we want others to receive our acts of goodness. There are lists of ways to “Get Started Now” and quick anecdotes of friends who have experienced generosity.
The book did get a little repetitive at the end, which I think works—we need to be told multiple times how to be other-minded people! All in all, I can’t wait to start implementing aspects of this book in my own life. I highly recommend the read!
February 13, 2019
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked the premise of this book and really wanted to love it, but I had trouble with the tone. It had some great suggestions for teens and young people, but at times the generosity described in the stories seemed a bit self-serving/ego-centric. I don't think this was the author's intent, and I think this could change with growth and maturity, but I would caution parents to read this along with their children as a way to spark honest discussion about the reasons we give. Teens/preteens reading the book may not have the maturity to pick up on the ego involved in some of the stories shared; I think there was an overemphasis on the author's insistence that he was "blessing" others, and I know that sometimes when I have been on the receiving end of someone with that attitude, it felt condescending. I think it's a great start for discussion, but I would definitely want to point out to my child the place of privilege the author's perspective comes from, as well as the potential for our giving to stem from pride and ego rather than true selfless love in response to the love of Christ.
January 27, 2019
This book is all about living a lifestyle of generosity. It spurs us to think about giving in a variety of ways to help others and reach beyond ourselves. Giving happens in all areas of life and stretches far beyond dollar bills.
This book is written by Drew Formsma, a sixteen-year old young man, and I think that’s totally awesome! His father, Brad Formsma is the founder of I Like Giving and has a great book with the same title. Drew began speaking at events with his father when he was fourteen.
If you like giving or want fresh inspiration about giving, I highly recommend both of these books. They’re both great reads for kids too, whether reading them on their own or together as read-alouds.
Each chapter is titled as a question.
A few of them….
Chapter 1. What is Generosity?
Chapter 3. Where Do I Start?
Chapter 6. Do I Have to be Generous?
Chapter 7. What Do I Really Have to Give at My Age?
I received a copy to review and all opinions are my own.
This book is written by Drew Formsma, a sixteen-year old young man, and I think that’s totally awesome! His father, Brad Formsma is the founder of I Like Giving and has a great book with the same title. Drew began speaking at events with his father when he was fourteen.
If you like giving or want fresh inspiration about giving, I highly recommend both of these books. They’re both great reads for kids too, whether reading them on their own or together as read-alouds.
Each chapter is titled as a question.
A few of them….
Chapter 1. What is Generosity?
Chapter 3. Where Do I Start?
Chapter 6. Do I Have to be Generous?
Chapter 7. What Do I Really Have to Give at My Age?
I received a copy to review and all opinions are my own.
March 14, 2019
My favorite chapter of this book was on receiving generosity from others. I think that really is an overlooked issue when it comes to giving. The author does a good job of describing what receiving poorly looks like, explaining why it is a problem, and encouraging the reader to do a better job of receiving generosity well. I also liked the idea of being generous with more things that just money, such as with your influence, time, etc.
The book was written by a teenager and I think would be best received by other teenagers. As an adult reader I did not find it as compelling as I imagine they would. The talk of school and friendships connects better with people in that same age group. I don't think I would highly recommend it to my peers, but I know some teenagers who would enjoy it. I fully support the encouragement of generosity and I am glad there is this resource for people to learn more.
(I received a free copy of this book as part of the launch team.)
The book was written by a teenager and I think would be best received by other teenagers. As an adult reader I did not find it as compelling as I imagine they would. The talk of school and friendships connects better with people in that same age group. I don't think I would highly recommend it to my peers, but I know some teenagers who would enjoy it. I fully support the encouragement of generosity and I am glad there is this resource for people to learn more.
(I received a free copy of this book as part of the launch team.)
January 8, 2019
I found this book to be a good topic. It reads fairly simply, with good suggestions to live life generously.
I'm not sure who the book's audience is, though.
The best way to foster this behavior in young people is to have it modeled by the parent(s) consistently.
If this book was written to parents, I found it repetitive and written to a younger age group.
If this book was written to young people, I have a hard time believing a teen would read it cover to cover, due to its repetitive nature.
Perhaps it's more appropriate for a youth group study, a Sunday school class, or family reading.
I have not read Brad Formsma's book, I Like Giving. From what I gleaned from this book, it seems to be a teenager's version of dad's book.
I was given a free copy in return for my honest review.
I'm not sure who the book's audience is, though.
The best way to foster this behavior in young people is to have it modeled by the parent(s) consistently.
If this book was written to parents, I found it repetitive and written to a younger age group.
If this book was written to young people, I have a hard time believing a teen would read it cover to cover, due to its repetitive nature.
Perhaps it's more appropriate for a youth group study, a Sunday school class, or family reading.
I have not read Brad Formsma's book, I Like Giving. From what I gleaned from this book, it seems to be a teenager's version of dad's book.
I was given a free copy in return for my honest review.
January 10, 2019
This book is a helpful book in teach and encourage youth (and their parents) how to be generous. I appreciated the broad definition of generosity which included being generous with thoughts, words, time, influence, attention, possessions as well as money. There are ways to get started with generous living for kids and for adults. Written by a teenager the book provides simple helpful ways to incorporate generosity into everyday life and gives examples of this in real life. I did find the book a bit too repetitious.
I was given a copy of this book to review
I was given a copy of this book to review
February 15, 2019
An excellent book that every person should read. The author is a young man full of wisdom and practical words we can all learn from. Generosity begins at home and extends to the world around us. Helping others without expecting anything in return is key to showing kindness and making the world a better place. The author learned from the example of his family. What a wonderful book to read and give as a gift! I know I will read this one again. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.
March 15, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. It had numerous examples and practical application ideas for the whole family. I especially liked that my children can read this. Kids will easily be able to relate to this book as it is written by a 16 year old. He is able to speak to the younger audience and has enough experience giving to speak to adults as well. Highly recommend for families looking to grow in kindness and generosity.
March 16, 2019
If generosity is new to you or to your tween/teen this is a good primer. This book contains a lot of stories and practical examples of what has been done and what could be done.
It is an easy read and the concepts are light and accessible.
It is written by an inexperienced author and the occasionally comes out in the both style and content. But again, for a beginner book and beginner on this subject it would be a good match.
It is an easy read and the concepts are light and accessible.
It is written by an inexperienced author and the occasionally comes out in the both style and content. But again, for a beginner book and beginner on this subject it would be a good match.
May 20, 2019
A beautiful well written book on generously living. I absolutely loved it definitely something to think about!
December 16, 2018
Very little substance here beyond the feel-good message of giving is good. This book feels very much like vanity press to support a budding speaking career. I can't recommend the book.
January 11, 2019
The book was the perfect breath of fresh air I needed. Thank you Drew and Brad for sharing your totally practical stories that are so inspiring. I can totally see how generosity could be the key to a happier world. As a mom I want to install my kids with the idea that it is better to give than receive. I was stretched to think bigger on the word giving. I used to just think money but now Drew and Brad have opened the way to words, actions, wisdom, attention and influence. Wow so many ways to give. It starts with ME. Thats truly the take away. As a parent I need to model the generous lifestyle to my kids. LOVE IT. Totally recommend it!
March 19, 2019
A book on generosity and if you let it you can begin to find ways you are able to think of others more than yourself. We need more of this in it world today.
I received an advanced copy.
I received an advanced copy.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews