Resources

Books

Reference books are always useful. In this list some books have been reviewed whilst others are listed as recommended reading.

Book Review
Biographies of philanthropists generally tend to fall into one of two categories. The dullest, and unfortunately the most common, are those that are more hagiography than biography, in which the author’s admiration for the subject obstructs their ability to give...
Book List
This book is a sequel-of-sorts to Kass’ highly successful first edited anthology of writings about philanthropy, ‘The Perfect Gift’, which gained sales outside the usual academic audience. This volume includes a selection of readings from the classics to the contemporary,...
Book List
The subject of this biography, Bill Cook, is said to “epitomize the American success story”. From the early days of conducting business from the spare bedroom in his apartment, Cook built up a global multi-billion dollar business. So far, so...
Book List
Although two decades old, this book is a gold-mine of inside information on America’s million dollar donors. Whilst the hyperbolic language occasionally grates for readers on this side of the Atlantic, the author understands big givers, provides useful insights into...
Book List
Billed as a ‘down to earth’ guide to giving, this book explores the act of giving (financial and otherwise) and offers advice on whom to give to, when to give and how much. The authors are both described as ‘inspirational...
Book List
This biography of Eglantyne Jebb (1876-1928), co-founder of Save the Children, is published to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the charity Save the Children in 2009 and the 20th anniversary o
Book List
In January 2008, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bill Gates delivered a speech in which he argued that many of the world's problems are too big for philanthropy – even on the scale