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The Power Of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back – An Extraordinary Teen-Inspired Memoir of Downsizing and Discovery
It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen had a “eureka” moment. Seeing a homeless man in her neighborhood at the precise second a glistening Mercedes coupe pulled up, she said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.”
Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up like so many of us in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. So when Hannah was stopped in her tracks by this glaring disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do something. As a family, they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too.
Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up like so many of us in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. So when Hannah was stopped in her tracks by this glaring disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do something. As a family, they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
47 people are currently reading
1331 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Salwen
6 books7 followersKevin Salwen was a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal for more than eighteen years. He has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta and works with the U.S. Olympic Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
May 13, 2015
Just to start off, I want to be clear that I think the idea of a family moving into a less expensive home and using half the money from the sale of the larger house to do good in impoverished areas of Africa is a great idea. Really. I think it's a wonderful thing. That's why I picked up the book at the library.
However ... oh man. This book ... it just turned my stomach. Why? Because they were so eager (read: wanted instant gratification) to go out and do good, flying to Africa and showing these people just how much good they could do for the have-nots; yes, they were SO eager they didn't even wait until they had sold their house to start spending their money (800 thousand dollars). Let me spell this out just a little. A family decides to sell a $2 million home to buy a $1 million home so they can put about a million dollars toward charity. But then, instead, they end up owning a $1 million home AND their original $2 million home, paying for both of them, while at the same time going to Africa and spending almost another million. Then they come home, and man, if the economy isn't saggy and their big ol' house still hasn't sold. That's not the power of half. That's the power of double.
It just made me sick. What is the REAL message they are sending to their kids? It seems like this: When you have as much money as we do, you can pretty much do anything and still live in luxury; you don't have to be responsible or wait for anything. You can have anything you want anytime you want it.
To add to this amazing lack of understanding about financial responsibility, the tone of the book is smug and condescending. I don't know how many times the dad boasts about how they are just the most normal family in the world and that you couldn't pick them out from anyone else. Um ... just how insulated are they? When is the last time they had a meaningful relationship with someone who made 30 thousand dollars a year? It seems like they have completely lost sight of what "normal" might be.
So, did they do a good thing? Yeah, I think they probably did. They helped some communities and they drew together as a family working toward a common goal. Does it show The Power of Half? Nope. It shows the power of shifting instant gratification from buying for their own pleasure to buying for others. And then going on to do TV interviews and touring and books and all ... you know, because they're just so darn humble.
Here's the weirdest thing. The book that I checked out from my library, it cost, according to the back cover, $26. Yeah, twenty-six actual dollars for a poorly-written book about a project that was badly planned. Oh, but the outrageous price is "redeemed" by a logo saying that $1 of the proceeds from each book will go to a certain charity. Woot. A buck, huh? Sounds to me like they're trying to make some money off this book. Maybe they're still "suffering financially" from the power of double?
However ... oh man. This book ... it just turned my stomach. Why? Because they were so eager (read: wanted instant gratification) to go out and do good, flying to Africa and showing these people just how much good they could do for the have-nots; yes, they were SO eager they didn't even wait until they had sold their house to start spending their money (800 thousand dollars). Let me spell this out just a little. A family decides to sell a $2 million home to buy a $1 million home so they can put about a million dollars toward charity. But then, instead, they end up owning a $1 million home AND their original $2 million home, paying for both of them, while at the same time going to Africa and spending almost another million. Then they come home, and man, if the economy isn't saggy and their big ol' house still hasn't sold. That's not the power of half. That's the power of double.
It just made me sick. What is the REAL message they are sending to their kids? It seems like this: When you have as much money as we do, you can pretty much do anything and still live in luxury; you don't have to be responsible or wait for anything. You can have anything you want anytime you want it.
To add to this amazing lack of understanding about financial responsibility, the tone of the book is smug and condescending. I don't know how many times the dad boasts about how they are just the most normal family in the world and that you couldn't pick them out from anyone else. Um ... just how insulated are they? When is the last time they had a meaningful relationship with someone who made 30 thousand dollars a year? It seems like they have completely lost sight of what "normal" might be.
So, did they do a good thing? Yeah, I think they probably did. They helped some communities and they drew together as a family working toward a common goal. Does it show The Power of Half? Nope. It shows the power of shifting instant gratification from buying for their own pleasure to buying for others. And then going on to do TV interviews and touring and books and all ... you know, because they're just so darn humble.
Here's the weirdest thing. The book that I checked out from my library, it cost, according to the back cover, $26. Yeah, twenty-six actual dollars for a poorly-written book about a project that was badly planned. Oh, but the outrageous price is "redeemed" by a logo saying that $1 of the proceeds from each book will go to a certain charity. Woot. A buck, huh? Sounds to me like they're trying to make some money off this book. Maybe they're still "suffering financially" from the power of double?
October 29, 2010
This book was a mixed bag for me. On one hand I admire the family for taking the initiative at the behest of their 14-year old daughter to attempt to make a difference in the world. On the other hand, the tone of sacrifice was annoying. The Salwens made the decision to leave behind their 6,500 sf, 2 million dollar house for a "smaller", "non-descript" house. In doing a little research I discovered that this new home was valued at nearly 1 million dollars with nearly 3,000 sf., and I don't know if wood floors, granite tops and a seperate TV/game room actually qualifies a house as non-descript. This family continued to have their children in very expensive private schools, take family vacations that the average person can only dream of and have the children participate in expensive club sports leagues all while carrying two houses because the first one takes two years to sell. To my mind there wasn't a whole lot of actual sacrifice. Did they do something a little non-traditional (not only moving, but giving away $800,000)? Yes. Did they do something that most people of their ilk wouldn't do? Maybe and probably. My only wish is that this story had been told in a less self-serving way because really it is a great, inspirational story.
The whole saga begins to unfold when Hannah, the 14-year old daughter, notices the juxtaposition of a street corner panhandler on the streets of Atlanta and an obviously wealthy man driving a Mercedes. She queries her father about how the persumably homeless man might be better off if the Mercedes driver drove a less expensive car. A valid question. Joan, the matriarch of the family, poses the question of sacrificing something from Hannah's own life, perhaps their large, stately home, at dinner one night, with the idea being they would use part of the proceeds to fund a charitable project. Hannah is eager and eventually the entire family is on board. The story unfolds as they move, make decisions about how and where to use their $800,000 and travel to Ghana to offer "support" to the people there.
Hannah sounds like a fine young woman, however I can't help but wonder if she really answered her initial question. Her life is still pretty fantastic compared to the majority of Atlantians and I can't help but wonder if she and her family couldn't make an even bigger difference by making some real sacrifices. Perhaps it isn't fair of me to ask this of the Salwen's since I'm not doing it myself, but then again they did write the book claiming major sacrifice on their part.
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Oh, and I can't help but ask what was up with the constant references to product names: Land's End polo, Hamilton Beach coffee maker, Under Armour shirt, Eggo waffle, Scion, REI wicking pants?? Was it a way of saying "look, no BMW or Ralph Lauren or Miele here? Or did they get paid for putting these names in? It was a little odd.
The whole saga begins to unfold when Hannah, the 14-year old daughter, notices the juxtaposition of a street corner panhandler on the streets of Atlanta and an obviously wealthy man driving a Mercedes. She queries her father about how the persumably homeless man might be better off if the Mercedes driver drove a less expensive car. A valid question. Joan, the matriarch of the family, poses the question of sacrificing something from Hannah's own life, perhaps their large, stately home, at dinner one night, with the idea being they would use part of the proceeds to fund a charitable project. Hannah is eager and eventually the entire family is on board. The story unfolds as they move, make decisions about how and where to use their $800,000 and travel to Ghana to offer "support" to the people there.
Hannah sounds like a fine young woman, however I can't help but wonder if she really answered her initial question. Her life is still pretty fantastic compared to the majority of Atlantians and I can't help but wonder if she and her family couldn't make an even bigger difference by making some real sacrifices. Perhaps it isn't fair of me to ask this of the Salwen's since I'm not doing it myself, but then again they did write the book claiming major sacrifice on their part.
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Oh, and I can't help but ask what was up with the constant references to product names: Land's End polo, Hamilton Beach coffee maker, Under Armour shirt, Eggo waffle, Scion, REI wicking pants?? Was it a way of saying "look, no BMW or Ralph Lauren or Miele here? Or did they get paid for putting these names in? It was a little odd.
October 30, 2022
I think you get all you need to get out of this book by reading the summary on the inside if the book jacket.
With a 15-year-old daughter as the instigator, a wealthy Atlanta family decides to sell their mansion and downgrade to a house half the size (at 3500 sq. ft. still twice the size of any place I ever lived) and donate half the selling price to charity. This ends up being an $800k pledge to The Hunger Project.
Big surprise: they realize they don't miss the bigger house at all. 800k is a totally inconceivable amount of money to the vast majority of us, but to this family it doesn't end up being a sacrifice at all. This, I think, is the big disappointment in this book. Even though their house doesn't actually sell for two years (bad timing with the economy), the family is still left completely unscathed (other than having to temporarily dip into the kids' college fund -- which is paid back when the house sells). Their "sacrifice" isn't much of a sacrifice at all because it has no consequence for them. They have the luxury of making such a huge charitable donation and not even feeling it -- which I think makes them totally disconnected from the average person reading their book. I was not connected to the unrealistic/flawless family in the least.
Overall, I found the book incredibly slow and cheesy. The whole book is them talking about what they want to do. And then when they end up doing it, it's very anticlimactic: they take a trip to Ghana to see what's going to be done with their money -- it's like someone visiting a wing at a University or Museum that was named after them because of a large donation they made.
The only slightly redeeming part of the book was when at the end, the author addressed some of the criticisms that they received via internet posts. He stressed that the real reward of the whole process was how their family was strengthened as a unit and as individuals. I think that's wonderful. We should all be striving to strengthen our families, and doing that through service is great. The book itself: not so great.
With a 15-year-old daughter as the instigator, a wealthy Atlanta family decides to sell their mansion and downgrade to a house half the size (at 3500 sq. ft. still twice the size of any place I ever lived) and donate half the selling price to charity. This ends up being an $800k pledge to The Hunger Project.
Big surprise: they realize they don't miss the bigger house at all. 800k is a totally inconceivable amount of money to the vast majority of us, but to this family it doesn't end up being a sacrifice at all. This, I think, is the big disappointment in this book. Even though their house doesn't actually sell for two years (bad timing with the economy), the family is still left completely unscathed (other than having to temporarily dip into the kids' college fund -- which is paid back when the house sells). Their "sacrifice" isn't much of a sacrifice at all because it has no consequence for them. They have the luxury of making such a huge charitable donation and not even feeling it -- which I think makes them totally disconnected from the average person reading their book. I was not connected to the unrealistic/flawless family in the least.
Overall, I found the book incredibly slow and cheesy. The whole book is them talking about what they want to do. And then when they end up doing it, it's very anticlimactic: they take a trip to Ghana to see what's going to be done with their money -- it's like someone visiting a wing at a University or Museum that was named after them because of a large donation they made.
The only slightly redeeming part of the book was when at the end, the author addressed some of the criticisms that they received via internet posts. He stressed that the real reward of the whole process was how their family was strengthened as a unit and as individuals. I think that's wonderful. We should all be striving to strengthen our families, and doing that through service is great. The book itself: not so great.
August 31, 2018
On the one hand, it is hard to criticize this book. I mean, a family selling their 2 million dollar house to help their 14-year-old goal of funding schools in Africa? Yay! I'm not heartless.
But on the other hand, this book got seriously irritating. I think it is the author's journalist writing style. He thinks we care that in one random meeting while journaling his daughter uses a blue pen, and then a black pen when that one runs out. Scintillating details. In fact, these odd details glitter throughout the story (she wore a magenta top, he drank such and such coffee.) Maybe they are supposed to make the book more relatable, but I think it overall just contributed to the biggest flaw in this book:
It is all about Kevin Salwen and his family.
Which would be fine if I cared about Kevin Salwen and his family. But I don't know him. His journey may be interesting, but it is not personally inspiring. I'm glad that he opted to teach his kids about sacrifice in a big way, but honestly, this wasn't a story of sacrifice. It wasn't a story of Africa. It wasn't even really a story about giving.
It is the story of one family and how they got to go to Africa, eat out a lot, and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
As a side note, perhaps the reason I found this book so...uncompelling was that the author skirts around why we care about helping the poor. It doesn't appear to be religious for him, though perhaps something of his wife's Midwestern values bleeds through. It seems more of a, "I have lots of money and I feel like I should give back" attitude. Which is great! Do whatever you want to do, dude. But without a more compelling reason, I don't find the sacrifice (or in this case, selling a two million dollar home to go live in a one million dollar home) worth writing home about.
But on the other hand, this book got seriously irritating. I think it is the author's journalist writing style. He thinks we care that in one random meeting while journaling his daughter uses a blue pen, and then a black pen when that one runs out. Scintillating details. In fact, these odd details glitter throughout the story (she wore a magenta top, he drank such and such coffee.) Maybe they are supposed to make the book more relatable, but I think it overall just contributed to the biggest flaw in this book:
It is all about Kevin Salwen and his family.
Which would be fine if I cared about Kevin Salwen and his family. But I don't know him. His journey may be interesting, but it is not personally inspiring. I'm glad that he opted to teach his kids about sacrifice in a big way, but honestly, this wasn't a story of sacrifice. It wasn't a story of Africa. It wasn't even really a story about giving.
It is the story of one family and how they got to go to Africa, eat out a lot, and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
As a side note, perhaps the reason I found this book so...uncompelling was that the author skirts around why we care about helping the poor. It doesn't appear to be religious for him, though perhaps something of his wife's Midwestern values bleeds through. It seems more of a, "I have lots of money and I feel like I should give back" attitude. Which is great! Do whatever you want to do, dude. But without a more compelling reason, I don't find the sacrifice (or in this case, selling a two million dollar home to go live in a one million dollar home) worth writing home about.
July 10, 2015
I feel responsible for encouraging all of you to pick up this book!! I expected an unrealistic, preaching story about a wealthy family that gave up everything they had to live in a tent with little food and no electronics. But it wasn't. They worked hard for their money and they like nice things. They continued a realistic lifestyle while giving more. Their example is totally doable for me and for anyone - to whatever extent you want. (Volunteer, donate, research causes, put down devices at dinner, walk instead of drive, explore politics, expand education, etc.) The Salwens found a project that they were excited about and saw it through to the end. Their point is not that everyone should do the same - but that everyone can do something. And it can make a difference in someone's life. It's on the high school summer reading list so I hope it inspires a few DG teens to think about how much they have and what they could do without. For my life, I signed up for the July Literacy DuPage training session. Can't wait to start giving my time as a tutor! "What family wouldn't trade stuff for togetherness? In a world where we often have excess, what would happen if we all chose just one thing in our lives that we have enough of and gave away half? Magic. Think about it: cutting in half the number of weekly lattes, the hours spent online, the excess blood in our bodies."
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November 26, 2020Mixed feelings. On one hand, it's an incredible story of an epiphany that a family of four has together to give away a full 50% of all the family's assets - and they agree to act on it. A rare event and uncommon tale. They share the details of their logical and critical approach, resistance, struggle, serendipity, adjustment, and the very real growth that they go through individually and collectively. It's a marvelous story! Fantastic! Inspiring! It's a hugely important message- that now is always a good time to reevaluate whether or not your reality matches your values.
On the other hand, I didn't love... the tone and form of Hannah's instructional interjections. And it seemed to drag on. So did their experience, granted - it was plagued by setbacks before reaching culmination.
On the other hand, I didn't love... the tone and form of Hannah's instructional interjections. And it seemed to drag on. So did their experience, granted - it was plagued by setbacks before reaching culmination.
January 18, 2010
While on the whole I thought that this was a worthwhile book with an important message, there were things in it that didn't sit well with me. Maybe I am being overly critical, which is more than likely, but the order of events in the story of the Salwen's adventure to make a difference in the world seem backward to me.
I admire this family for what they set out to do but for some reason it's difficult for me to understand why they did it the way they did. They decided to sell their two million dollar home and give half of the proceeds to an effort of charitable relief. Wow, that is amazing, Kudos to them.
They did extensive research and deliberating on what organization they would support and where they wanted to their funds to be spent. Yet they pledged $800,000 based on the asking price of their home, not the selling price. They also visited the place where they would be helping long before their house ever sold or they ever gave any money.
As it turned out the economy went into a recession and their house sat on the market for two years before selling at a substantially lower price than their asking price. At the time their first payment was supposed to be paid to the relief organization they had not yet sold their home and decided to take funds from their daughter's college fund. I guess maybe it doesn't matter the particulars of their generosity but for some reason I just couldn't get past what seemed to me like the horse before the cart.
The other issue that didn't sit well with me was Kevin Salwen's repeatedly mentioning the brand name of many different items in the narrative of their story; Land's End polo shirt, Hamilton Beach coffee maker, Eggo waffles. I wondered if those companies were going to be paying him for endorsements? I also wondered if this book was written primarily as a vehicle for making up the difference between their estimated half and the real half of the proceeds from the sale of their home.
While I do think that this was a huge and wonderful thing the Salwen family has done and they learned and gained so much along the way, it still seemed to me that they hadn't really quite stepped off that consumerism tread mill they talked so much about. They come from a position of wealth and privilege and yet by the end of the book they still seem somewhat unaware of their relative wealth compared to others.
I also thought the Salwen's seemed to be distancing themselves from the people they wanted to help. There isn't one anecdotal story about a single individual who was or will be helped by the Salwen's money.
This book touched on some really important points about philanthropic efforts. You can't just throw money at complex problems and expect simple results. Poverty, hunger and homelessness are complex issues. I liked that this book addressed that.
That notwithstanding I found this story to have it's heart in the right place. I think that Hannah Salwen is an amazing and special girl and I won't be surprised to learn that she grows up to be the kind of person who focuses her life on making a difference in the world, just like the amazing people peppered throughout this book who are doing wonderful things to make a difference in the lives of others; Joan Holmes, Carol and John Coonrod, Dr. Naana Agyemang-Mensah, and Dr. Speciosa Wandira just to name a few. They inspire me to do better and more.
I admire this family for what they set out to do but for some reason it's difficult for me to understand why they did it the way they did. They decided to sell their two million dollar home and give half of the proceeds to an effort of charitable relief. Wow, that is amazing, Kudos to them.
They did extensive research and deliberating on what organization they would support and where they wanted to their funds to be spent. Yet they pledged $800,000 based on the asking price of their home, not the selling price. They also visited the place where they would be helping long before their house ever sold or they ever gave any money.
As it turned out the economy went into a recession and their house sat on the market for two years before selling at a substantially lower price than their asking price. At the time their first payment was supposed to be paid to the relief organization they had not yet sold their home and decided to take funds from their daughter's college fund. I guess maybe it doesn't matter the particulars of their generosity but for some reason I just couldn't get past what seemed to me like the horse before the cart.
The other issue that didn't sit well with me was Kevin Salwen's repeatedly mentioning the brand name of many different items in the narrative of their story; Land's End polo shirt, Hamilton Beach coffee maker, Eggo waffles. I wondered if those companies were going to be paying him for endorsements? I also wondered if this book was written primarily as a vehicle for making up the difference between their estimated half and the real half of the proceeds from the sale of their home.
While I do think that this was a huge and wonderful thing the Salwen family has done and they learned and gained so much along the way, it still seemed to me that they hadn't really quite stepped off that consumerism tread mill they talked so much about. They come from a position of wealth and privilege and yet by the end of the book they still seem somewhat unaware of their relative wealth compared to others.
I also thought the Salwen's seemed to be distancing themselves from the people they wanted to help. There isn't one anecdotal story about a single individual who was or will be helped by the Salwen's money.
This book touched on some really important points about philanthropic efforts. You can't just throw money at complex problems and expect simple results. Poverty, hunger and homelessness are complex issues. I liked that this book addressed that.
That notwithstanding I found this story to have it's heart in the right place. I think that Hannah Salwen is an amazing and special girl and I won't be surprised to learn that she grows up to be the kind of person who focuses her life on making a difference in the world, just like the amazing people peppered throughout this book who are doing wonderful things to make a difference in the lives of others; Joan Holmes, Carol and John Coonrod, Dr. Naana Agyemang-Mensah, and Dr. Speciosa Wandira just to name a few. They inspire me to do better and more.
November 9, 2011
I'm amazed at some of the negative reactions to this book. I certainly am part of the 99% and am pinching my pennies to manage my retirement within a few years, but I struggle, on my income, with many of the same feelings that this rather wealthy family in Atlanta have about how to deal with their own acquisitiveness and how to make good decisions about donations to charity. They are human beings, even though they did own a mansion on Peachtree Street. Reading this book is a good way to get a bit of personal insight into how a charity like the Hunger Project is run on the ground in Ghana. And it's an illustration of the larger point made by books like Dead Aid and The White Man's Burden, that simply giving money to countries or individuals, or responding to crises rather than persistent structural problems, can create more difficulties than it solves.
Where I think Kevin and Hannah Salwen succeed is in being real. I hardly noticed the details about brands - I think it is just Salwen's way of trying to make his writing more punchy. He and his wife are a bit wonky and they are compulsive researchers to a fault - but then, this had good results, so if it doesn't make the snappiest reading, and occasionally feels a bit preachy, I will cut them some slack. I liked the fact that they attempted to be honest about their own idiosyncrasies and differences.
The part of this book that has been ignored is the human benefit that they derived from their own giving, and that we could all derive if we found our own "power of half..." or even our own power of "quarter" or "eighth" or "tenth." It seems quite clear that they don't mean "give up everything" -- but they were taken deeper into sacrifice when they realized that they would have to use savings to meet their commitment to Ghana. And they did it, in the midst of recession. That was appropriate for them. Something else might be appropriate for me.
I know that I am afraid to consider this level of giving more deeply. And yet their book calls me to it. They choose not to stay in the village in Ghana, because they know the villagers would give them more than they could afford to give. "They cannot conceive of our level of stinginess. Sharing is just the way it is in these villages -- their generosity is their enormous strength." What would our country be like if we were less wasteful and less stingy?
Salwen's words about American parents' enormous concern for their children's self-esteem ring true also - that in our constant desire to praise (even for the smallest accomplishment) we may have "created either the most self-confident or the most self-absorbed people on earth." Achieving something worth doing, as a family, IS a secret sauce worth working for. In the end, the house sale was never the point - "Our home was just a tool, a mechanism for us to rely on as a unit to make a little difference in the world."
Where I think Kevin and Hannah Salwen succeed is in being real. I hardly noticed the details about brands - I think it is just Salwen's way of trying to make his writing more punchy. He and his wife are a bit wonky and they are compulsive researchers to a fault - but then, this had good results, so if it doesn't make the snappiest reading, and occasionally feels a bit preachy, I will cut them some slack. I liked the fact that they attempted to be honest about their own idiosyncrasies and differences.
The part of this book that has been ignored is the human benefit that they derived from their own giving, and that we could all derive if we found our own "power of half..." or even our own power of "quarter" or "eighth" or "tenth." It seems quite clear that they don't mean "give up everything" -- but they were taken deeper into sacrifice when they realized that they would have to use savings to meet their commitment to Ghana. And they did it, in the midst of recession. That was appropriate for them. Something else might be appropriate for me.
I know that I am afraid to consider this level of giving more deeply. And yet their book calls me to it. They choose not to stay in the village in Ghana, because they know the villagers would give them more than they could afford to give. "They cannot conceive of our level of stinginess. Sharing is just the way it is in these villages -- their generosity is their enormous strength." What would our country be like if we were less wasteful and less stingy?
Salwen's words about American parents' enormous concern for their children's self-esteem ring true also - that in our constant desire to praise (even for the smallest accomplishment) we may have "created either the most self-confident or the most self-absorbed people on earth." Achieving something worth doing, as a family, IS a secret sauce worth working for. In the end, the house sale was never the point - "Our home was just a tool, a mechanism for us to rely on as a unit to make a little difference in the world."
March 14, 2010
I liked the idea of this book more than I liked actually reading the book. The family made a dramatic and admirable choice, but the book itself fell flat and the style of the writing wasn't appealing to me. Both father and daughter use at least one inspirational quote per chapter with the same construction: "As Joe Schmoe said, 'Inspirational quote here.'" Surely at least the father, an experienced journalist, could do a little better than that. Still, kudos to the Salwens for committing themselves to making a difference in such a big way.
August 23, 2010
The inspiring story of a family who sells their house, moves into one that's half as expensive, and gives the entire difference to a charitable project in Africa. The book documents the family's decision-making process and the many unlooked-for, positive transformations that resulted.
Why do so many people recoil when they hear this story? The authors assume that others feel criticized in the face of such a generous act, and I'm sure that's part of it. Readers gasp at the lavishly appointed house for sale, which goes on the market at almost two million dollars. (One of the kids can take an elevator to her room.) It becomes easy to dismiss the project as a freak of the rich instead of adapting it to the probably different scale of our own lives.
But I can't really blame those readers. Kevin Salwen doesn't seem to understand that we're not like him, when he writes, "Almost imperceptibly we rushed into our Accumulation Years. You know them, don't you? You earn more, you live larger. The bigger house, the more spacious apartment. Then, of course, the stuff to adorn that growing space. There were nicer vacations--travel to Alaska, Bermuda, Italy. We bought our first pieces of original art, cashmere sweaters at Christmas."
Actually, we don't know them, most of us, and it's this tone that gets in the way of connecting with such a cool message. Particularly hard to swallow were the pages about feeling "the pinch" of their new quarters, which, by my math, must have been around a million-dollar house. It's a shame. The book could have done a lot more good with a different touch.
Why do so many people recoil when they hear this story? The authors assume that others feel criticized in the face of such a generous act, and I'm sure that's part of it. Readers gasp at the lavishly appointed house for sale, which goes on the market at almost two million dollars. (One of the kids can take an elevator to her room.) It becomes easy to dismiss the project as a freak of the rich instead of adapting it to the probably different scale of our own lives.
But I can't really blame those readers. Kevin Salwen doesn't seem to understand that we're not like him, when he writes, "Almost imperceptibly we rushed into our Accumulation Years. You know them, don't you? You earn more, you live larger. The bigger house, the more spacious apartment. Then, of course, the stuff to adorn that growing space. There were nicer vacations--travel to Alaska, Bermuda, Italy. We bought our first pieces of original art, cashmere sweaters at Christmas."
Actually, we don't know them, most of us, and it's this tone that gets in the way of connecting with such a cool message. Particularly hard to swallow were the pages about feeling "the pinch" of their new quarters, which, by my math, must have been around a million-dollar house. It's a shame. The book could have done a lot more good with a different touch.
October 13, 2011
I read the first 30 pages of this book before going to bed and went to bed pissed off. This morning I figured out why. This book is ridiculous. I can't even take it seriously nor can I finish it. This author and his family are so out of touch with what is happening under their very noses. I literally had to read twice how they were going to sacrifice their 6000 square foot home for something half that and that they pledged to spend 800,000 dollars on work for someone else. Are you fricking kidding me? And we are supposed to praise them for it? I am sorry but I don't know anyone with a 6000 square foot house or 800,000 dollars to spare. They should not be cutting their consumerism by half but by about 7/8th and then I'll take their advice. I get that they earned it, yada yada. But you don't need to brag about it, really. I skimmed the rest of the book looking for a nugget of something I could relate to. When I got to the paragraph that "downsizing" was a problem for them because they no longer had a walk in closet for all their clothes and their treadmill had to be put in the cold garage now, I shook my head in disgust. I refuse to praise those who believe they are transforming by "downsizing" to what most of us can only dream about it. This author has no idea what true downsizing is that is forced on so many right now. Try living in a real neighborhood and sparing your last five bucks for a stranger's meal and going without diapers for a week and then I'll read your book. Thank goodness I borrowed this and didn't contribute to their downsizing fund.
August 5, 2010
I'm a firm believer of "if you're not enjoying the book that you're reading, stop reading it." I read about half of this book and decided it wasn't worth my time or energy to continue reading it.
I think it's great that this family was willing to change their lifestyle in order to help others, but they really annoyed me. Kevin, the author and father of the family, was always referring to poor people as "these people," which for some reason I find really offensive and it seems like they're unable to relate to those that they wanted to help provide assistance to. In addition, it always seemed like they were focusing on what they had and it came across as if they were bragging. For example, the author would describe his house or possessions as "the mahogany mantel" or "the white linen chair covers with gold trimming" or "Joesph's Macbook." Obviously you're wealthy, we understand that!
Although the book was annoying, I liked how the daughter Hannah, had written some suggestions as to how to give back, etc. It felt slightly more down to Earth. However, I shut the book when the family was trying to narrow down their decision as to where to donate their money to and they were watching a video about malnourished kids in Africa. Hannah was outraged because there were flies flying around a child and she wanted the people who filmed the video to swat the flies away from him. I didn't even know how to respond to that sentence in the book!
I think it's great that this family was willing to change their lifestyle in order to help others, but they really annoyed me. Kevin, the author and father of the family, was always referring to poor people as "these people," which for some reason I find really offensive and it seems like they're unable to relate to those that they wanted to help provide assistance to. In addition, it always seemed like they were focusing on what they had and it came across as if they were bragging. For example, the author would describe his house or possessions as "the mahogany mantel" or "the white linen chair covers with gold trimming" or "Joesph's Macbook." Obviously you're wealthy, we understand that!
Although the book was annoying, I liked how the daughter Hannah, had written some suggestions as to how to give back, etc. It felt slightly more down to Earth. However, I shut the book when the family was trying to narrow down their decision as to where to donate their money to and they were watching a video about malnourished kids in Africa. Hannah was outraged because there were flies flying around a child and she wanted the people who filmed the video to swat the flies away from him. I didn't even know how to respond to that sentence in the book!
February 26, 2011
An easy read, not especially well-written, that oozes the self-satisfaction of the author. Initially, I thought the premise was an inspiring idea: a family sells their home to donate half its value to a charitable cause. I still think the idea is inspiring but the tone and particulars of this book disgust me. This family typifies the scourge of American culture, i.e. blithe over-consumption, until they try to assuage their guilt by doing something less typical However, even this step, what would be a major sacrifice for most families, doesn't really affect their lifestyle in the end. So what is the message? Sure, it is amazing to be rich people who can afford to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars to a good cause and still be rich afterward but what is the point of writing a self-serving book about it? Does the author really thing that most people are in the same position and will follow suit? He tries to make the pitch that anyone could do what they did but it would certainly be easier to do it when you can still pay cash for a million dollar house and send your kids to private school after you've done your good deed. It would have been so much more classy if they had completed on their "family legacy" in private rather than writing a book about how amazing they are. Ugh. Skip it.
March 14, 2010
I loved the concept of the book, and the process this family went through. It is challenging to think about and apply in your own life. The reason I didn't give it a higher rating was twofold--although inspirational, the family's plan comes off as not very well thought out when they commit money they don't have (the house doesn't sell initially), which feels irresponsible. The other irritant throughout the book is the constant name-brand-dropping--mentioning food brands, clothing brands, car brands, etc pervasively. It got to the point where you wondered about corporate sponsorship--I hope, however, that it was just to show that they were normal (albeit millionaire) Americans like the reader. And it was interesting to see how their service and goals ended up full circle, realizing that writing checks has its own worth :-)
July 19, 2015
What can I say? I powered through this one. Aside from the cheesiness, the writing style was very contrived. Lots of useless details--Hemingway would have ripped it apart.
July 28, 2025
challenging... I love the heart behind the story. The idea that if everyone would live giving how much better of a place this world would be. This is the story of how the Salwens attempted to live out their values and I appreciated their story. The writing style is somewhat quirky and the story drags out with lots of details, but I am left challenged to inspire my family to live intentionally giving. While reading the book, and doing a little Google research, I was mind boggled at times by the amount of wealth and ease they had before and that even when living by half their standard of living far exceeds my own. Does that justify me or condemn them? absolutely not! We all carry the weight of the resources we have been given and how we will use them for selfish gain or to impact the world around us... Tho living with a fraction of what the Salwens have, I have carried the weight of observing those with less look in wonder at the richness I have. The Salwens challenge rings loud.
March 20, 2010
the story of a family who sold their home, downsized and gave half the profit of the sale to The Hunger Project. while the family who authored this book had significantly more money than the vast majority of the rest of the world, the concept is still applicable to the lives of others - taking half of what you have - be it time spent watching TV, playing computer games, money spent on hobbies, etc..., and donating that to a cause(s) you feel are worthwhile. i really enjoyed reading about their journey, their struggles with feeling out of place in a society which generally promotes accumulation and upgrading, not the reverse.
this book also provided excellent insights into which charities do good works, and which are just putting a bandaid on solutions, and why, despite the trillions of dollars that have been donated throughout the years to fight hunger in Africa, the situation is no less severe than it was 50 years ago. many suggestions are included throughout the book about ways to volunteer and donate, including ways for young children (http://www.learningtogive.org/)
i also liked many of the quote scattered throughout the book:
"He who does not live in some degree for others, hardly lives for himself." - Michel de Montaigne
"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." - Kahlil Gibran
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about." - Charles Kingsley
"To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight." - e.e. cummings
this book also provided excellent insights into which charities do good works, and which are just putting a bandaid on solutions, and why, despite the trillions of dollars that have been donated throughout the years to fight hunger in Africa, the situation is no less severe than it was 50 years ago. many suggestions are included throughout the book about ways to volunteer and donate, including ways for young children (http://www.learningtogive.org/)
i also liked many of the quote scattered throughout the book:
"He who does not live in some degree for others, hardly lives for himself." - Michel de Montaigne
"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." - Kahlil Gibran
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about." - Charles Kingsley
"To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight." - e.e. cummings
June 12, 2012
Should be titled great parenting skills 101.
Mr. and Mrs. Salweh, both from humble backgrounds have become affluent business people/teachers/journalists. They live in a $2 million home, and buy their son a new $200 bat each baseball season. But they also work with Habitat for Humanity and donate a small % of their income to charity each year, and they're happy with that. That is until their teen daughter, Hannah, decides that their family needs to do more to help heal some of the inequality she sees after volunteering at a homeless shelter.
The family embarks on a journey to sell their house, move to a smaller one, and donate half the profits to helping the less fortunate. But that's the easy part. How to help becomes the big question. Its not as simple as handing out a million hamburgers to the hungry. They search for a lasting way to enhance peoples' lives.
Along the way is a wonderful undertone of a family growing up and growing together. Parents give the now-old-enough kids more authority in the family dynamic, lead them through real world values and budgeting, and watch their social skills expand as they give speeches or learn the handshake of people in a small African village.
Written by journalist/father Kevin Salweh, the book maintains a positive attitude and encourages readers to give half-- maybe not half their house, but half their time or half their 'treasure' -- to helping others. At the end of each chapter is a short "Hannah's take" segment, targeting charitable activities teens can do alone or with their family.
Mr. and Mrs. Salweh, both from humble backgrounds have become affluent business people/teachers/journalists. They live in a $2 million home, and buy their son a new $200 bat each baseball season. But they also work with Habitat for Humanity and donate a small % of their income to charity each year, and they're happy with that. That is until their teen daughter, Hannah, decides that their family needs to do more to help heal some of the inequality she sees after volunteering at a homeless shelter.
The family embarks on a journey to sell their house, move to a smaller one, and donate half the profits to helping the less fortunate. But that's the easy part. How to help becomes the big question. Its not as simple as handing out a million hamburgers to the hungry. They search for a lasting way to enhance peoples' lives.
Along the way is a wonderful undertone of a family growing up and growing together. Parents give the now-old-enough kids more authority in the family dynamic, lead them through real world values and budgeting, and watch their social skills expand as they give speeches or learn the handshake of people in a small African village.
Written by journalist/father Kevin Salweh, the book maintains a positive attitude and encourages readers to give half-- maybe not half their house, but half their time or half their 'treasure' -- to helping others. At the end of each chapter is a short "Hannah's take" segment, targeting charitable activities teens can do alone or with their family.
July 7, 2010
(I listened to the audio book, which I recommend) Cool that the family is from Atlanta. Amusing that they consider a 3,000 square foot house to be small and nondescript. True that they did majorly downsize, so to them it did seem small (to me, however, I would stress about cleaning something that big). Motivating that they as a family got involved in charity, and they emphasized the fact that you DON'T have to give half to make an impact. Interesting that I don't think theirs was a completely altruistic decision, but what ever is? Encouraging that a family so deeply engrained in consumerism could step back, acknowledge their part in the stereotype and then choose to do something about it.
One of the deepest things about the book is how they realized Americans, in general, just go through life buying things and spending money with no real goal as individuals or families for that money they are going through. I was happy that they "woke up" to that reality; and their decision, unique to their family, was to go drastic and give up half. I don't proclaim to be free of the consumerism big, and neither did this family, but I think this would be a good read for most American families today, if only to make them conscious about their habits.
One of the deepest things about the book is how they realized Americans, in general, just go through life buying things and spending money with no real goal as individuals or families for that money they are going through. I was happy that they "woke up" to that reality; and their decision, unique to their family, was to go drastic and give up half. I don't proclaim to be free of the consumerism big, and neither did this family, but I think this would be a good read for most American families today, if only to make them conscious about their habits.
May 4, 2019
Now I must decide: Shall I review this book by looking at it as Half Full or Half Empty?
That's easy for me. I'm a Half Full kind of gal.
Half Full it is then.
You probably already know the story. Fourteen-year-old Hannah Salwen saw a homeless man and a shiny Mercedes and had an idea which she shared with her family. If her family would sell their enormous house, they could give half the money from the house to the poor and would make the world a better place. The family decided to do what Hannah had suggested and the money was given to villagers in Ghana. The book elaborates on this story, related by Hannah's dad, including interjections by Hannah herself. A lovely tale of sacrifice and thoughtfulness and caring.
My Half Empty self is screaming. Sorry. Just a minute.
Okay, I'm being forced by my Half Empty self to mention that the book falls into my personal genre, Books-That-Make-Better-Magazine-Articles-Than-They-Do-Books. Do you get the picture? It runs on, we'll say. Also, I'm being asked to share the fact that the Salwen house was a two million dollar house. We're not talking about a 3-2-2 in the suburbs. Is it really sacrifice to move down to a 3,000 square foot house?
This book was obtained from the public library.
That's easy for me. I'm a Half Full kind of gal.
Half Full it is then.
You probably already know the story. Fourteen-year-old Hannah Salwen saw a homeless man and a shiny Mercedes and had an idea which she shared with her family. If her family would sell their enormous house, they could give half the money from the house to the poor and would make the world a better place. The family decided to do what Hannah had suggested and the money was given to villagers in Ghana. The book elaborates on this story, related by Hannah's dad, including interjections by Hannah herself. A lovely tale of sacrifice and thoughtfulness and caring.
My Half Empty self is screaming. Sorry. Just a minute.
Okay, I'm being forced by my Half Empty self to mention that the book falls into my personal genre, Books-That-Make-Better-Magazine-Articles-Than-They-Do-Books. Do you get the picture? It runs on, we'll say. Also, I'm being asked to share the fact that the Salwen house was a two million dollar house. We're not talking about a 3-2-2 in the suburbs. Is it really sacrifice to move down to a 3,000 square foot house?
This book was obtained from the public library.
March 13, 2011
I was very moved by this book, and found it successful in what it set out to do--explain a family's decision to sell their house and donate half to the Hunger Project. The tone was appropriate, not self-serving but honest. It's not the whole picture, one assumes, but no memoir of this sort ever is, and I found what was included--the description of decision points and attitudes to be open and sincere. I'm not surprised that many of the ratings for this book focus on the family's wealth, but most bypass the authors' own admission that they are very well-off financially and remain so in their reduced circumstances (they sold an enormous $2 million dollar home for a smaller, but still plentiful 3000 sq foot $1 million dollar one in Atlanta). The inclusions of the daughter's point-of-view on what projects other families can do together is helpful and her tone is also honest, very much that of a teenage girl who enjoys TV and texting but is focused on giving and taking stock of what she has and what others do not. I found the whole book to be inspiring and helpful in thinking about my own life choices, and I think anyone who reads it with an open mind rather than a judgmental opinion will find much to admire in its pages.
March 14, 2010
Ok - so I saw this family on CBS Sunday morning, and immediately downloaded the book. Why? Because they are a seemingly "normal" (we'll come back to that) family who is doing something awesome.
And the book lived up to its promise. The family went to Africa, did good, came home, and learned some wonderful life lessons.
Similar to "Nickel and Dimed" - I wonder - is it really possible for ALL of us to do something like this? And, again, the answer is Yes and No. Most of us aren't blessed with the fantastic nest egg and consulting skills that this family had. But, the message is loud and clear, we can all do more with less. We live in excess. And most of us don't do much as a family unit.
But this family is special - and for that I am extremely in awe of this story. They had a lot going in their favor, which you could argue ran counter to their goal. I'm so curious to see how the story turns out - what will Hannah and Joe turn out to be? And what does the family do next? Their entire effort was for one project - now what? I certainly hope they keep us posted
And the book lived up to its promise. The family went to Africa, did good, came home, and learned some wonderful life lessons.
Similar to "Nickel and Dimed" - I wonder - is it really possible for ALL of us to do something like this? And, again, the answer is Yes and No. Most of us aren't blessed with the fantastic nest egg and consulting skills that this family had. But, the message is loud and clear, we can all do more with less. We live in excess. And most of us don't do much as a family unit.
But this family is special - and for that I am extremely in awe of this story. They had a lot going in their favor, which you could argue ran counter to their goal. I'm so curious to see how the story turns out - what will Hannah and Joe turn out to be? And what does the family do next? Their entire effort was for one project - now what? I certainly hope they keep us posted
April 18, 2010
When Kevin's daughter Hannah challenged her (already philanthropic) family to do something really meaningful for the disadvantaged and needy- Kevin and Joan came back with a challenge of their own, "Do you care enough to sell your house, trade down and give away the difference?"
Hannah's response kicks off the adventure that is relayed in this book. It is crisp non fiction writing displaying skills that Kevin honed at the Wall Street Journal interspersed with Hannah's thoughts about giving.
This is a great book for people who want to reflect on philanthropy and what is possible for each of us.
Kevin introduces us to his charming family and many provocative and compelling ideas.
I would recommend this to community service classes, high school One Book programs, and families that want inspiration to share.
Kevin is straight up- I paraphrase: No one is crazy enough to sell their house; this is the story of the process we went through to complete the project we chose.
It is the process and the reflection that is so intriguing about this book.
Hannah's response kicks off the adventure that is relayed in this book. It is crisp non fiction writing displaying skills that Kevin honed at the Wall Street Journal interspersed with Hannah's thoughts about giving.
This is a great book for people who want to reflect on philanthropy and what is possible for each of us.
Kevin introduces us to his charming family and many provocative and compelling ideas.
I would recommend this to community service classes, high school One Book programs, and families that want inspiration to share.
Kevin is straight up- I paraphrase: No one is crazy enough to sell their house; this is the story of the process we went through to complete the project we chose.
It is the process and the reflection that is so intriguing about this book.
October 18, 2017
ไม่ต้องรอให้รวยเป็นมหาเศรษฐี เราก็สามารถส่งต่อสิ่งดีๆ ให้ผู้อื่นได้ โดยเริ่มจากการทำชีวิตตัวเองให้เรียบง่ายก่อน ถือเป็นเรื่องราวดีๆ ที่ทำให้เราหันกลับมามองเป้าหมายของงานอาสาสมัครเปลี่ยนไปจากเดิม อันที่จริง การให้สิ่งของ เงินทองอาจไม่ใช่ทางออก แต่ก็สามารถผลักดันให้เกิดหลายๆ สิ่งตามมาได้ แต่ใครๆ ก็ทำ ที่เราชอบในหนังสือเล่มนี้คือทัศนคติของการใช้เวลาไปทำงานอาสาเพื่อผู้อื่นต่างหาก ทุกวันนี้เราทุกคนต่างทำตัวให้ดูยุ่ง มุ่งสะสมข้าวของต่างๆ ทยานไปสู่ตำแหน่งงานที่สูงขึ้นเพื่อชีวิตจะได้ดูยุ่งยากกว่าเดิม สุดท้ายก็พลาดรายละเอียดมากมายระหว่างทาง ถ้าเราลองมองมุมกลับดูบ้างจะพบว่าพื้นฐานชีวิตไม่ได้ต้องการอะไรมากมายขนาดนั้น เราสามารถตัดหลายสิ่งที่ไม่จำเป็นออกไป โดยที่ยังใช้ชีวิตได้สบายๆ เหมือนเดิม การสละบางสิ่งเพื่อค้นพบบางอย่างช่างเป็นประเด็นที่น่าสนใจจริงๆ :)
January 1, 2016
SUMMARY: It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen had a “eureka” moment. Seeing a homeless man in her neighborhood at the precise second a glistening Mercedes coupe pulled up, she said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.”
Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up like so many of us in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. So when Hannah was stopped in her tracks by this glaring disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do something. As a family, they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too.
REVIEW: The Salwen family had a wake up moment when they determined that they had been caught up in the new normal of American consumerism-bigger, better, more. They were a typical upper middle class family who gave to charity, helped out at the homeless shelter and soup kitchen; but when they looked around them and saw all the stuff they had, they realized there was more they could do. I really enjoyed this book because so many of us find ourselves in the same situation with more clothes than we really need, more stuff than we have to have, and caught in the competition of keeping up with the Joneses. If we made a choice to consume less and use that money to help a specific cause or a given charity and start teaching our children early to give and help and most importantly do research on what charity and work together as a family then the family becomes more connected . It is a win-win situation. The most important point that this books makes which I have believed for a long time is that just giving money to those that need help is basically throwing dollars down the drain. $2.3 billion has gone to Africa most of which was lost to government corruption and never reached the people who needed it. It is much better to work with projects which are aiding the people in becoming self-sufficient. Basically the old saying 'Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime." Look for projects that provide microfunds, schools, etc so that the people can decide what they need and how best to use it. Overall a very interesting and thought provoking book. I know that I will be looking at Christmas time for projects to involve my grandson with Gigi and Grandpa such as Operation Christmas Child and Heifer International.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "Don't get me wrong; money is not a bad thing. Far from it. But spend, spend, spend becomes a brutal way to raise kids; they start to believe that everything is replaceable or that everything costs the same amount. An ever-escalating standard of living becomes the New Normal, something they grow accustomed to."
"Nobody made a greater mistake then he who did nothing because he could only do a little." (Edmund Burke as quoted)
"We want to be interconnected through giving, but sometimes we tilt way too far to the selfish side, or we don't know how to share."
"Selflessness is a selfish act of the best kind. Giving nourishes and connects us. I know that because the people who have come into our lives have made us more complete...in a community of the giving, the sharing, the caring.
Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up like so many of us in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. So when Hannah was stopped in her tracks by this glaring disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do something. As a family, they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too.
REVIEW: The Salwen family had a wake up moment when they determined that they had been caught up in the new normal of American consumerism-bigger, better, more. They were a typical upper middle class family who gave to charity, helped out at the homeless shelter and soup kitchen; but when they looked around them and saw all the stuff they had, they realized there was more they could do. I really enjoyed this book because so many of us find ourselves in the same situation with more clothes than we really need, more stuff than we have to have, and caught in the competition of keeping up with the Joneses. If we made a choice to consume less and use that money to help a specific cause or a given charity and start teaching our children early to give and help and most importantly do research on what charity and work together as a family then the family becomes more connected . It is a win-win situation. The most important point that this books makes which I have believed for a long time is that just giving money to those that need help is basically throwing dollars down the drain. $2.3 billion has gone to Africa most of which was lost to government corruption and never reached the people who needed it. It is much better to work with projects which are aiding the people in becoming self-sufficient. Basically the old saying 'Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime." Look for projects that provide microfunds, schools, etc so that the people can decide what they need and how best to use it. Overall a very interesting and thought provoking book. I know that I will be looking at Christmas time for projects to involve my grandson with Gigi and Grandpa such as Operation Christmas Child and Heifer International.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "Don't get me wrong; money is not a bad thing. Far from it. But spend, spend, spend becomes a brutal way to raise kids; they start to believe that everything is replaceable or that everything costs the same amount. An ever-escalating standard of living becomes the New Normal, something they grow accustomed to."
"Nobody made a greater mistake then he who did nothing because he could only do a little." (Edmund Burke as quoted)
"We want to be interconnected through giving, but sometimes we tilt way too far to the selfish side, or we don't know how to share."
"Selflessness is a selfish act of the best kind. Giving nourishes and connects us. I know that because the people who have come into our lives have made us more complete...in a community of the giving, the sharing, the caring.
April 22, 2021
ReedIII Quick Review: A true family adventure thoughtfully documented with an excellent summary and a practical call to action. Delivers an important message about how we can and should make a difference to others.
March 7, 2013
What happens to a family when one member has a “Eureka Moment” so bold and so loud that it causes the family to live up to its own definition? For the Salwen’s of Atlanta, GA, when the daughter connected the dots between “what I have” and “what is needed,” it caused them to sell their historic, 6500 square-foot, multi-million dollar home and strive to give half of the proceeds to a project that could cause a long-lasting change in a small part of the world.
Kevin and Joan Salwen were successful professionals (he a journalist, she a consultant with Accenture at the onset of this adventure) raising their children, Hannah and Joseph, to be grateful for their affluence and to “give back” to their community by volunteering. As Kevin and Hannah sat at a congested intersection, Hannah noticed an individual asking for food on one side of their car and a Mercedes Coupe on the other. Hannah had a moment of connection, stating, “if they had a less nice car, he could eat.” Before she got home, “they” became “we” and the question was, “how can we be a family who DOES something (about the world’s problems) instead of a family who only talks about them?” The family eventually decided they would sell their landmark home, move into a smaller (by 3000 sq./ft.) house and using half of the proceeds from this sale in some endeavor that would effect a meaningful, positive change on an issue of the world.
In researching the “where and how” of such a project, the Salwen’s were to learn much about actually helping others. They learned that over 2 Trillion dollars has been spent on “helping” projects in Africa in the last fifty year with little or no change to show for it. “Giving help” and most mission trips do far more harm than help. Lasting aid requires those who are being “helped” to have buy-in to the change instead of giving them handouts (which cause dependency and disenfranchises instead of empowers). Projects that have lasting affect are those which are long-term with meaningful commitment from the community to which they are enacted. After completing their research, the family selected to work in Ghana with The Hunger Project, a non-profit whose mission is to end world hunger by empowering “locals” to find solutions to their own issues and helping them to do so. The project would be to fund, for a five-year cycle, two (after receiving a matching grant, the two became four) “epicenters” in a cluster of villages that houses the community's programs for health, education, food security and economic development. By the book’s end, the project was just beginning so the outcome is still in development.
There were several points of deep thought for me in reading this short, well-written “report.” There is mention of religion in the book, but only anecdotally, the actions taken by the Salwen’s were rooted in a deep ethic of community, i.e. they wanted to help because there was a need. Their tremendous gift, by the author’s admission, did not change their life-style, they are still affluent. They challenged, by the discoveries they made in their research, their readers to confront how they can address the needs they (the readers) have found in their world. This is a book worth reading – engaging writing, the end uncertain but a hint of how a family can make a difference.
Kevin and Joan Salwen were successful professionals (he a journalist, she a consultant with Accenture at the onset of this adventure) raising their children, Hannah and Joseph, to be grateful for their affluence and to “give back” to their community by volunteering. As Kevin and Hannah sat at a congested intersection, Hannah noticed an individual asking for food on one side of their car and a Mercedes Coupe on the other. Hannah had a moment of connection, stating, “if they had a less nice car, he could eat.” Before she got home, “they” became “we” and the question was, “how can we be a family who DOES something (about the world’s problems) instead of a family who only talks about them?” The family eventually decided they would sell their landmark home, move into a smaller (by 3000 sq./ft.) house and using half of the proceeds from this sale in some endeavor that would effect a meaningful, positive change on an issue of the world.
In researching the “where and how” of such a project, the Salwen’s were to learn much about actually helping others. They learned that over 2 Trillion dollars has been spent on “helping” projects in Africa in the last fifty year with little or no change to show for it. “Giving help” and most mission trips do far more harm than help. Lasting aid requires those who are being “helped” to have buy-in to the change instead of giving them handouts (which cause dependency and disenfranchises instead of empowers). Projects that have lasting affect are those which are long-term with meaningful commitment from the community to which they are enacted. After completing their research, the family selected to work in Ghana with The Hunger Project, a non-profit whose mission is to end world hunger by empowering “locals” to find solutions to their own issues and helping them to do so. The project would be to fund, for a five-year cycle, two (after receiving a matching grant, the two became four) “epicenters” in a cluster of villages that houses the community's programs for health, education, food security and economic development. By the book’s end, the project was just beginning so the outcome is still in development.
There were several points of deep thought for me in reading this short, well-written “report.” There is mention of religion in the book, but only anecdotally, the actions taken by the Salwen’s were rooted in a deep ethic of community, i.e. they wanted to help because there was a need. Their tremendous gift, by the author’s admission, did not change their life-style, they are still affluent. They challenged, by the discoveries they made in their research, their readers to confront how they can address the needs they (the readers) have found in their world. This is a book worth reading – engaging writing, the end uncertain but a hint of how a family can make a difference.
May 15, 2017
This book has some obvious strengths and some perhaps less obvious shortcomings. Here are some of each, starting with the positive:
1. The emphasis on family. Much of the book is devoted to the development/interrelationships of the author's family. This is presented honestly with plenty of healthy examples.
2. The untypical choice that this family makes to give substantially from their resources to help others with far less.
3. The education of the family, and consequently the reader, about the nature of poverty and the choices available in doing something about it.
All really good, positive things. And now, for the flip side.
1. People in America are told by nonprofits that they can help developing world poverty problems best by giving money...and not being personally involved with projects they provide the cash for. This happened to the Salwens. They did go further in that the nonprofit they carefully selected set up a likewise carefully selected tour of similar projects for them to view in Africa. The family was insulated from a deeper personal connection with their project. They had to speculate on the good they hoped their money would do.
Nonprofits can do better than this, but don't feel they have to. They should strive to tie their donors to the beneficiaries better. It's tough to do that, given time restraints, language and cultural differences. It's tough but necessary. Otherwise, the following happens...
The daughter's initial motivation for this whole life-changing series of events occurred because she saw a guy in a Mercedes drive on by a homeless man on the street. In Africa, she and her family were driven in a Land Cruiser past poor people on the streets.
Right back to poverty under glass.
Granted, there is evidence in the book that the Salwens only wanted a certain degree of personal involvement...but didn't get as much as they'd wanted.
2. The Salwens were rich and privileged people. They moved out of a literal mansion into a still quite nice house and had a LOT of money to give away as a result. Millions of people, if they attempted something similar, would move into substandard housing to say the least. And few of them have the pull to get their stories told on the Today Show.
Helping the poor is not a privilege of the rich, though this book makes it seem so. Of course, the Salwens can only tell their story and it's a good one insofar as it goes. Nevertheless, their story is more applicable to rich people than to average families.
A rich auto manufacturer is quoted about how much harder it is 'give something back' than it is to earn it. This is spoken by a man who clearly hasn't pushed a mop and bucket around the floor in the middle of the night.
I am glad the Salwens followed their hearts and I wish others like them would too.
Perhaps a different story could be told by another; a middle or lower class Hispanic or black family making sacrifices at their material level for others who are less fortunate.
Maybe that story has already been told, and I just haven't run across it yet.
1. The emphasis on family. Much of the book is devoted to the development/interrelationships of the author's family. This is presented honestly with plenty of healthy examples.
2. The untypical choice that this family makes to give substantially from their resources to help others with far less.
3. The education of the family, and consequently the reader, about the nature of poverty and the choices available in doing something about it.
All really good, positive things. And now, for the flip side.
1. People in America are told by nonprofits that they can help developing world poverty problems best by giving money...and not being personally involved with projects they provide the cash for. This happened to the Salwens. They did go further in that the nonprofit they carefully selected set up a likewise carefully selected tour of similar projects for them to view in Africa. The family was insulated from a deeper personal connection with their project. They had to speculate on the good they hoped their money would do.
Nonprofits can do better than this, but don't feel they have to. They should strive to tie their donors to the beneficiaries better. It's tough to do that, given time restraints, language and cultural differences. It's tough but necessary. Otherwise, the following happens...
The daughter's initial motivation for this whole life-changing series of events occurred because she saw a guy in a Mercedes drive on by a homeless man on the street. In Africa, she and her family were driven in a Land Cruiser past poor people on the streets.
Right back to poverty under glass.
Granted, there is evidence in the book that the Salwens only wanted a certain degree of personal involvement...but didn't get as much as they'd wanted.
2. The Salwens were rich and privileged people. They moved out of a literal mansion into a still quite nice house and had a LOT of money to give away as a result. Millions of people, if they attempted something similar, would move into substandard housing to say the least. And few of them have the pull to get their stories told on the Today Show.
Helping the poor is not a privilege of the rich, though this book makes it seem so. Of course, the Salwens can only tell their story and it's a good one insofar as it goes. Nevertheless, their story is more applicable to rich people than to average families.
A rich auto manufacturer is quoted about how much harder it is 'give something back' than it is to earn it. This is spoken by a man who clearly hasn't pushed a mop and bucket around the floor in the middle of the night.
I am glad the Salwens followed their hearts and I wish others like them would too.
Perhaps a different story could be told by another; a middle or lower class Hispanic or black family making sacrifices at their material level for others who are less fortunate.
Maybe that story has already been told, and I just haven't run across it yet.
July 20, 2016
My husband and I are reading this together. We want to be more intentional with our time and resources when it comes to giving back, and I thought this would be a good way to get the ball rolling. I found that the authors were sincere and ambitious with their own family project. A young teen's observation about seeing a Mercedes and a homeless man on the same street corner kicks off a family's journey to sell their McMansion in order to help a community in Ghana become more empowered and self-reliant. I love the idea that the family did a ton of research and that the charity they chose to work with was all about getting the local community to help themselves and then supporting those efforts. It makes more sense to me than the more popular model of throwing money at a problem (without understanding the local culture, etc.) and then wondering why they don't see more positive results moving forward.
The author has a curious habit of describing things that don't need describing (he mentions things like the lime green club chairs their family has several times, for instance) or throwing in brand names for no apparent reason (his son's Under Armor shirt; His Eddie Bauer travel bag.) I usually don't mind this in fiction, if it fits the tone and theme of the work (for instance, if it's a story about over-consumption, etc.) but I couldn't figure out what purpose it served in the context of this book, unless it's to show how privileged the family was in comparison to the people they were giving to. Since that's a given, I found it somewhat affected and off-putting, especially since it is prevalent. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book and will use it as a springboard to start my own family project. I especially need to give props to Hannah Salwen. Here's a young woman who has it all and decides to give some of what she has to benefit others. That kind of selflessness is a rare trait and one I appreciate and aspire to.
The author has a curious habit of describing things that don't need describing (he mentions things like the lime green club chairs their family has several times, for instance) or throwing in brand names for no apparent reason (his son's Under Armor shirt; His Eddie Bauer travel bag.) I usually don't mind this in fiction, if it fits the tone and theme of the work (for instance, if it's a story about over-consumption, etc.) but I couldn't figure out what purpose it served in the context of this book, unless it's to show how privileged the family was in comparison to the people they were giving to. Since that's a given, I found it somewhat affected and off-putting, especially since it is prevalent. Aside from that, I enjoyed the book and will use it as a springboard to start my own family project. I especially need to give props to Hannah Salwen. Here's a young woman who has it all and decides to give some of what she has to benefit others. That kind of selflessness is a rare trait and one I appreciate and aspire to.
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