Give: A Guide to Discovering the Joy of Everyday Giving
Linda R. Harper, Ph.D.
Review by Taryn Fryer
I wanted to read Give in order to learn how to give more authentically. In many ways the book was what I expected in terms of learning to give according to your values and to give freely in every sense of the word. Had that been all there was, I would have been satisfied with the book and then put it down and promptly forgotten about it.
This book rose above my expectations for two main reasons. The first of these was the importance of giving to oneself. I think many people, myself included, tend to put self-nurturing last on their ever increasing to-do lists. What Ms Harper does beautifully is to challenge this notion that “spoiling” ourselves is somehow wanton. She reminds, or in some cases teaches, us that only when we are kind to ourselves, when we allow ourselves time to replenish and heal and even maybe have a little pampering are we in any way able to give to others. And the better we treat ourselves, the better we will be equipped to give to others. I found this to be a very powerful message and one that I have already started to incorporate into my daily habits.
The book also looks at various types of inauthentic giving and that’s where it started to get uncomfortable. I certainly recognized some of the not-so-pleasant aspects of my personality in one of the types, and it was not entirely pleasant reading! Whilst I identified a lot more with one of the types, there were ideas and suggestions that resonated with me in each of the chapters. By saying this was an uncomfortable read, by no means am I implying any criticism of the book. When I read these types of books, I want to be made uncomfortable, to be provoked, to have my actions challenged (albeit gently, which is exactly how Ms Harper does it) as it is these feelings that can provide the impetus for lasting change.
On the strength of this book, I will definitely read more by Ms Harper . . . On an Amazon style review, I would give this 4 stars.
Book Hub, Inc. 
Wow!
I”m so excited you posted this! I really hope it encourages more people to read the book as it contains a lot of wise and practical advice that can be readily implemented.
Cheers!
I sincerely know that some had chosen the path of sustained growth by reading more and more; I am also encouraging us not to relent. It is a great path to thread upon.
Reblogged this on Retro Food For Modern Times and commented:
Hi there, I am baking bread for the first time in my life today, and as I have a little break whilst waiting for my dough to rise, I thought I would share this.
A few weeks ago, the good folks at Book Hub put out a call for people wanting free books…who doesn’t was my response! Free books? That’s even better than free booze! You don’t get those nasty hangovers if you read a bit too much! The book I selected was Give by Linda R. Harper Ph.D. I really enjoyed the book and I wrote a little review for Book Hub which they posted on their blog the other day. Here is it, and if you read the book, I hope you find it as interesting and thought provoking as I did!
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