A Path Appears

June 30, 2014
“It’s time to rethink what a charity should be,” write award-winning husband-and-wife journalists Kristof and WuDunn (coauthors of Half the Sky) in their latest collaboration, which will be the basis of a PBS series. Such is the tone of this broadly inclusive and multifaceted account of possible solutions to today’s “overwhelming and unrelenting” social problems. Heartening anecdotal sketches of both givers and receivers in the “charity industry” are engaging and informative, and Kristof and WuDunn hope to provoke serious thought about the role of charity in today’s world. They applaud “innovators who are using research, evidence-based strategies, and brilliant ideas of their own to prevent violence, improve health, boost education, and spread opportunity at home and around the world.” Of particular note is Kristoff and WuDunn’s endorsement of “social entrepreneurship” and for-profit organizations as the most promising models for change. Readers may quibble with their points of emphasis, but Kristof and WuDunn’s commitment and passion for substantial action is inspiring. The book’s appendix includes a valuable list of organizations that work in education, crime and violence prevention, family planning, public health, and other fields. Agent: Anne Sibbald, Janklow & Nesbit.

August 15, 2014
A primer on "finding innovative and effective ways to give back," from Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Kristof and WuDunn (Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, 2009, etc.). In their fourth collaborative effort, the husband-and-wife team addresses how ordinary people can participate in "a revolution in tackling social problems, employing new savvy, discipline and experience to chip away at poverty and injustice." While big-name charitable givers such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates garner the headlines, the authors cite surprising statistics showing that poor and middle-class Americans collectively donate more to charity than the heavy hitters. Small, targeted donations can make a major difference in the lives of children by providing clean water and inexpensive medications-e.g., deworming an African or Asian child for a cost of only 50 cents per year. Kristof and WuDunn cut across ideological barriers in their discussion of how to address poverty in America, and they reject the notion that charitable giving is an alternative to government intervention; both are needed. "Let's recognize that success in life is a reflection not only of enterprise and will power but also of chance and early upbringing," they write, "and that compassion isn't a sign of weakness but a mark of civilization." They make a strong case for the importance of early intervention in the lives of children, as well as prenatal assistance and guidance to mothers. These challenges are especially evident on Native American reservations, where fetal alcohol syndrome is prevalent. Using anecdotes to illustrate their case, the authors squarely face the problems inherent in charitable giving, and they examine how clever-sounding projects may look good on paper but prove ineffective in the field. Noting that "the ability to empower others [by] giving is self-empowering," they warn that social entrepreneurship must be accompanied by practical business experience and careful management; this means monitoring outcomes as well as initiatives. The authors deliver a profound message that packs a wallop.

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Starred review from August 1, 2014
Altruism: what inspires it, sustains it, and channels it in the most effective direction? Does it take a special breed of person to care deeply and give generously? Continuing their selflessly indefatigable brand of personal-issue journalism that opened the world's eyes to the horrors of female repression and gender inequities in Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2009), the authors now address dozens of other domestic and international challenges, from violence in Chicago to water scarcity in the Congo, from lack of education in Ethiopia to teenage pregnancy in Tacoma. Their vibrant portraits of ordinary citizens who are motivated to effect real and dramatic change present a rallying call to action and a voice for the power of volunteerism. Each serves as an electrifying role model for doing good, whether it is the relatively simple act of writing a check or the more substantial commitment of uprooting one's life for a chosen cause. In an arena where, sadly, cons and scams abound, the authors' meticulous research into the most worthy charities gives welcome guidance on how and where to contribute securely and responsibly. This is a slow-go read in the most positive sense; it is hard not to constantly put down the book in order to further investigate the many exemplary causes that are profiled.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

April 1, 2014

Joint Pulitzer Prize winners for their coverage of China, New York Times op-ed columnist Kristof and his wife, WuDunn, a former Times reporter and founder of a firm dedicated to promoting the idea of blending charitable mission into for-profit work, are known for their crusading work on human rights. Their three books include Half the Sky, a huge New York Times best seller on women's rights worldwide, which spawned a Half the Sky movement and a PBS documentary. Here they examine individuals who are making a difference, aiming not simply to get us to contribute time, skills, and/or money to their efforts but to parse which approaches and initiatives really work. The forthcoming four-part PBS documentary amplifies the message. With a 200,000-copy first printing.

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