The Power Of Half: One Family's Decision To Stop Taking And Start Giving Back (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
The Salwens are a family that have, shall we say, more money than my family does. Urged on by their idealistic daughter, they decide to do more to help others. Specifically, they sell their 2-million-dollar house, move into a smaller one-million-dollar house, and donate the difference to charity. Due to the tanking housing market, they end up donating $800,000, not the full million, to the Hunger Project in Africa. Then, hoo boy, did they get criticized, for being rich in the first place, for still being comfortable after their donation, for being "smug" or "self-satisfied," or for giving in the wrong way to the wrong place. Oh, people, they did a good thing. Take it down a notch. The most important thing is that this family cared about poverty, and wanted to actually do something, which is more than many others. People, we are supposed to care about poverty. We are supposed to try to do something. Although most of us don't have mansions to sell, we can still care, and we can still do something, whatever we can. I admire them for encouraging their children to follow the empathic impulses of their hearts, instead of just telling them, "Hey, that's the way the world is." One of the really amazing things in the book is how the family ran their family like a corporate meeting, complete with brainstorming sessions, whiteboard charts, making lists, researching options, and voting. That's almost more unbelievable to me than that people would give a large amount to charity. As far as the book goes, I think it was a really good long article stretched out to make a short book. I had one jarring issue with the writing. We had been told at some length how the house had not sold. Then turn the page, and the family is on the plane to Africa. Wait? Did I miss them selling the house? No, they came back to that afterward. I would have preferred a smoother, chronological telling. But I quibble. The message of the book is, as I said, care, and do something. At the urging of their then 15 year old daughter Hannah, the Salwen family sold their home, moved into a smaller one, and took half of the proceeds from the home sale ($800,000) and donated it to a charity. They spent many months debating which charity to choose and every step they took they decided as a family. The whole process brought them closer together, a by product they had not really expected.Kevin Salwen was a journalist and the book read as such. It was pretty matter of fact and dry, really lacking the heart that I would have expected from such an unusual story of giving. It was hard to get through the book which really bummed me out. The Extreme Makeover feel goods never happened. The fruits of their donation were not realized by the time the book was published so the book felt unfinished as well. Great idea, poor writing execution.
What do You think about The Power Of Half: One Family's Decision To Stop Taking And Start Giving Back (2010)?
Great concept, (this family did a very benevolent thing) but not great writing.
—pat
This book definitely had some good ideas and if they can do it, go for it!
—Mit8302
Wonderful message, and the additions by Salwen's teen daughter add depth.
—Justmesadie
We listened to this as a family on a trip.INSPIRING.
—Haitsh
