Book Review - Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton

In Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, Bill Clinton explains why he chooses to give.  Clinton gives because he understands that not everyone has the same opportunities that he does.  By giving, he hopes to help other people meet their potential.  Everyone has the capacity to give.  Doing so will change the world because it allows people to recognize their common humanity.   Clinton’s purpose in this book is to encourage everyone to give, whether by sharing time, money, or skills or by supporting ethical business, beginning a social enterprise, or forming an NGO.  To meet this purpose, Clinton tells stories about people who give.

Giving begins with the idea that equal intelligence and energy exist but equal opportunity, investment, and organization does not exist.  This means that billions of people do not have the chance to lead fulfilling lives and that millions of people who shouldn’t die, die every year.  An adequate solution is found only by the joining of effective governance and effective citizenry. 

Clinton outlines nine things to give.  The first four suggestions are tangible, while the remaining five chapters are more abstract.  Most of the chapters begin with big ideas (big as in Bill Gates in the chapter about money) and then become more realistic for the rest of us.  Regarding money, Clinton suggests that we can contribute to a large foundation that is trustworthy, create our own smaller foundation, or find an organization that pools small donations.  A person can give time through career choice, dedicating a retirement to a cause, or by designated finite portions of time for volunteering.  There are a couple of ways to give away things.  First, you can give away things that you already own that are needed by others.  Second, you can donate large items for fundraising.  Giving away skills is an interesting idea that allows people to “transfer” the knowledge that they have to provide someone with an empowering new ability.

Next, Clinton presents more abstract ideas.  Clinton discusses “giving” a person or group reconciliation with someone else.  He provides examples of areas that have witnessed extraordinary violence – Northern Ireland or Rwanda for example – and suggests ways that people can mediate between opposing sides to help bring about cultural healing.  Without such healing, a culture cannot move forward.  This is also true for individuals.  Some organizations help ex-cons re-enter the workplace, while others help people devastated by natural disasters.  Both provide an opportunity to start moving past a devastating life event and give the gift of “new beginnings.”  Clinton then discusses “gifts that keep on giving.”  This is related to the previous chapter in that it suggests ways to provide an item, such as an animal, that will continue to produce benefits.  He dedicates an entire chapter to Heifer International and its efforts to promote literacy and agriculture.  Clinton also discusses what he calls “model gifts.”  This is when a person or organization shares what it has learned with other people who can follow a workable example rather than starting from scratch.  Finally, Clinton discusses how giving can support good ideas.  In this case, a person has an innovative plan that can help others but does not have the money to implement such a plan.  At this point, a financial backer can provide the needed funds to bring the idea to fruition. 

Clinton’s next chapters are about bigger picture ideas.  First, he discusses how the for-profit marketplace can support positive change.  He focuses on the energy market, fair trade, and hiring practices.  Second, he discusses some of the business practices in the business world that are applicable to the non-profit sector.  Such organization can help NGOs reach more people.  Third, he suggest a partnership between government and citizens, where the government is responsible for laws, regulations, programs, and grants, while the citizen is responsible for actively pursuing good governance. 

Clinton concludes by asking: How much and why should I give?  His answer is straightforward.  How much? Whatever we can.  Why?  If it catches on, the “impact would be staggering.”

Does Bill Clinton encourage his reader to give and does he provide help in doing so?  Giving is encouraging.  Clinton knows he is weird.  Former U.S. presidents are few.  One thing that Clinton does to make this book for everybody – rather than just himself, Carter, and the Bushes – is balance the big things with the normal things.  The clearest example of this is the THEA foundation.  At the time of writing, this foundation is run by Clinton’s friends David and Linda Leopoulos and provides art scholarships in memory of their daughter.  The Clintons provide financial support.  Clinton then writes, “You may be reading this and thinking, ‘Well, I have a great giving idea, but I don’t have a friend who was president or who’s a successful Washington lawyer.  What can I do?’”  He immediately follows this with a story about the Making Headway Foundation.  It raises $800,000 a year to support families who have a child with cancer.  The founders of Making Headway are otherwise average people, who are parents of cancer survivors.  While the book does highlight the work of Clinton, Bill and Melinda Gates, Bush, Bono, and Carter, stories such as the Making Headway Foundation allow readers to see tangible examples of how people who are not famous give.

Clinton’s realism stands out and provides guidance on how to give.  The chapter “Giving Things” ends with a story about the tsunami in Sri Lanka.  People’s generosity was remarkable.  Unfortunately, so many items were given that they remained on an airport tarmac because there were not enough people to distribute the items to those in need.  Clinton uses this story to suggest that before giving, people learn what a situation requires and find out what is the best way to help.  Otherwise, what is given may not be able to meet its purpose.  Such realism helps the focus move from the giver to the receiver.

I found the book helpful.  After immersing myself for two years in academic study about social justice and doing good, it is difficult to switch from a theoretical mindset to a practical one.  Clinton writes his book for lay people rather than experts.  By doing so, this book is a how-to a guide rather than a treatise.  Clinton gives me a very practical book and that is a good thing.