Doing Well and Doing Good: Money, Giving, and Caring in a Free Society [Paperback]

Os Guinness (Author)

Book Description

Series: Trinity Forum Study Series | Publication Date: March 2001

Ever since the first coin was minted in the seventh century B.C., money has been central to human society as one of the elemental forces driving the affairs of individuals and nations. But in spite of mankind's preoccupation with the making of money, little attention has been paid to the meaning of money in modern society. Modern society has also overlooked questions about the culture of giving and caring.

What motivates one to give? Why should someone care for those outside his or her own social circle-especially for the poor dwelling on the fringes of society? How a society answers questions such as these is critical in determining the character of that society. And yet, these are questions that modern societies have largely ignored. Doing Well and Doing Good addresses this blind spot, exploring the big ideas that shaped the rise of the unique Western tradition of giving and caring by examining selected writings from some of the most influential thinkers of Western society. Sometimes controversial, often challenging, always illuminating, the issues of money, giving, and caring are vital themes that stand at the crossroads of many issues in contemporary society. They are topics that no responsible citizen or leader in a free society can afford to ignore.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latest installment in NavPress's Trinity Forum Study Series, this impressively wide-ranging examination of charity and philanthropy is actually a collection of excerpts edited by Guinness. Beginning with selections from ancient Greeks and ending with several from 20th-century intellectuals and entrepreneurs, Guinness leads readers through his study of the nature and history of wealth and giving. In his introduction, Guinness makes no secret of the series' evangelical Christian perspective, but claims to "open its programs to all who share its aims." While Guinness generally does an admirable job of writing for a diverse audience, his overly sympathetic view of Judeo-Christian theories of giving and overly critical perspective on other traditions occasionally offend; his assertion that Jewish and Christian giving never expects anything in return, while virtually all other traditions do, flies in the face of biblical and historical examples too numerous to count. Despite his efforts to include a few liberal voices (most notably Robert Reich), Guinness's preference for conservative thinkers such as Marvin Olasky and S. Humphreys Gurteen is unmistakable. Moreover, his negative, dismissive assessment of welfare programs in the United States seems unwarranted; in assuming that his readers agree with him that these programs have failed, he will no doubt alienate more than a few. Fortunately, study questions at the end of each section, along with a leader's guide at the end of the book (written by series editor Karen Lee-Thorp), invite readers to form their own opinions.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Dr. Os Guinness is a senior fellow of The Trinity Forum in McLean, Virginia. A graduate of Oxford, he has written and edited more than fifteen books including The American Hour (Free Press), Invitation to the Classics (Baker), The Call (Word) and Time for Truth (Baker). His interactive seminars with The Trinity Forum led to the writing of When No One Sees and Steering Through Chaos (both NavPress). A former resident of England and Switzerland, Dr. Guinness lives in McLean, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Navpress Publishing Group (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576831612
• ISBN-13: 978-1576831618
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

OS GUINNESS (DPhil, Oxford University) was born in China, raised and educated in England, and moved to the United States in 1984. He directs the Trinity Forum and is a former fellow at the East-West Institute in New York. His books include The American Hour, No God But God, and The Dust of Death.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough discussions of timeless topic, July 15, 2007

By 

Bobby Newman (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doing Well and Doing Good: Money, Giving, and Caring in a Free Society (Paperback)

Os Guinness has given us a through review of ideas surrounding giving, charity, empowerment and "entitlement." Readers who are familar with Guinness may be somewhat surprised in that although Guinness is a Christian author and this book was sold through a Christian book outlet, and there are discussions of the Good Samaritan and the Widow's donation, there is no more discussion of Christianity (or religion in general) than one would find in a similar book by any secular scholar. I think this actually improves the book, showing the universiality of the ideas without knee jerk reactions. The book gives an even handed discussion, noting Carnegie's philanthropy, for example, while also noting the dangerous and inhuman conditions under which his employees toiled. Couldn't Carnegie have built a few less libraries and paid his workers a bit more? They didn't want a library, they wanted to not have to fear for their lives at work and put in six day, 60-80 hour weeks for poverty-level wages. That notwithstanding, Carnegis is allowed to express himself in his own words, and an even-handed treatment was offered all around. The theme that comes through the book most strongly is the idea of helping and empowering versus merely giving. Do we teach a person to fish and teach him/her how to make the equipment, or do we just give them a fish? Guinness is very clear that we must do the former. Discussions of Habitat for Humanity and the relative successes and failures of various strategies for soliciting chairty in the "entertainment age" are very striking. The only topic I felt was missing was a discussion of Milton Hershey and his efforts to create community and how he endowed his residence/school for orphans. We come close with a discussion of Ford and the subsequent disaster that the Ford Foundation became from the Ford family's perspective, but I sentimentally would have loved to see tribute given to Milton Hershey and an exploration of his ideas/actions (see Michael D'Antonio's fine biography of Hershey). Guinness has given us an important work, one worthy of study in terms of deciding how to best give of one's self.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very difficult read, but excellent and profound examination of the issue, August 28, 2006

By 

Dan Panetti "Worldview Director" (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doing Well and Doing Good: Money, Giving, and Caring in a Free Society (Paperback)

Os Guinness gives the reader a very thought-provoking examination of the role of money in society by exploring the idea and issue of the poor and their needs as well as the wealthy and their responsibility. Guinness first examines the role of money in societies as a tool for business and industry while at the same time being an object of desire and worship. The Christian reader not only gets to examine the historical and cultural significance of money, but also will be challenged to personally examine their own views and values of the role of money. Next Guinness looks at the concept of giving - and asks the penetrating questions about the motivation behind giving and the positive as well as the negative results of giving to others. Finally, Guinness examines the modern rise of philanthropic endeavors - the business behind giving that has grown into an industry to rival any other economic producer! Guinness asks probing questions about modern giving - will the private sector be able to meet all the needs of a modern society without the aid of the government, does modern giving remove the giver from the receiver too much, why do the less-fortunate give a greater percentage of their income, and does giving today really remedy the social problems it seeks to address?

Doing Well and Doing Good is a rather difficult read, but well worth the time and effort to examine such a complex and interesting subject that really needs to be thought through by Christians today, especially those Christians with significant resources who are wishing to make a difference by being good stewards of what has been given to them. Guinness doesn't leave a stone unturned in his historical examination of this issue and leaves the reader with much to contemplate and consider.