B Y   B R Y A N S C H A A F

R E A D I N G L I S TFor Making a Difference

Everyone can make a

difference for their

own community and

other communities

around the world – but

it can be daunting to

get more involved if

you do not know

where to start. This is

an initial reading list

for humanitarians,

volunteers, and

activists.

Get inspired!

Everyone around the world is asked, daily, to help

meet the needs of another. From friends to beggars

to co-workers, everyone is seeking the time,

resources, or emotional support of others. While most

of us take the time to do what we can, a lot of us

worry we are giving too much. Can you handle the

emotional burden? Can you keep up financially? Do

you have the energy to add more to your to-do list?

Are you choosing to help in a way that is effective?

This book tells true stories of compassion and

change, and uses these stories as well as advice to

help steer you through these waters. It employs

psychology, spirituality, and common sense to help

you listen to yourself and to the voices of those you

are helping, and to connect with others on a deeper

level…not just by doing, but by being who you are.

H O W C A N I H E L P ? S T O R I E S A N D R E F L E C T I O N S O N

S E R V I C E , B Y R A M D A S S & P A U L G O R M A N

Each year more than $60 billion is spent globally on

foreign aid. Assistance has and will continue to make

a difference in the lives of many. However, there is a

dark side. International aid does not always help,

sometimes it does great harm. This book uncovers

and discusses the shortcomings of aid, from political

corruption to inefficiency in organizations. While the

book is a little dated and written by a disillusioned

author, it is an essential and unflinching read for

understanding that we have responsibilities to ensure

that the funds we give to charity are empowering

communities and helping them become more, rather

than less, self-reliant.

T H E L O R D S O F P O V E R T Y : T H E P O W E R , P R E S T I G E , A N D

C O R R U P T I O N O F T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I D

B U S I N E S S B Y G R A H A M H A N C O C K

This book centers around the idea of people going

into the realms of charity, philanthropy, and

humanitarianism motivated by emotions, and

assumptions, rather than data. Good intentions are

wonderful, but can be misguided. This book speaks

to a practical approach, backed by data, in order to

make an enormous impact with our work, regardless

of resources. When you start with evidence and

careful reasoning, and then use the heart to

motivate, the ability to achieve results increases

exponentially. The author’s background is in

economics rather than altruism or NGO’s, which

leads to a few spurious conclusions and a lack of

broader perspective, but the thought process

outlined in the book is valuable for any person

wanting to help others effectively.

D O I N G G O O D B E T T E R B Y W I L L I A M M A C A S K I L L

On questions from individual carbon footprint to the

ethics of buying luxuries when others can’t afford

food, this book is the classic introduction to applied

ethics. Found in classrooms around the world, this

text’s provocative questions are just as important to

people who are thinking deeply about the ways that

he or she is currently living. The arguments are

provocative, and some find the book’s ideas

polarizing, however each position that Peter Singer

takes is well-reasoned and explained thoroughly. The

ethics of daily living are often unexamined, and can

cause friction for those that are trying to do good in

their lives. This book is often cold, devoid of

spirituality, religion, or upbringing as a means to

determining decisions, but is invaluable for helping

the reader think deeply about the effects of one’s

own life.

P R A C T I C A L E T H I C S B Y P E T E R S I N G E R

If you are looking to create a future with meaning,

this book is essential reading. With real-world stories

of entrepreneurs looking to impact change in the

world, this book is inspiring and educational. If you

are unfamiliar with social entrepreneurship, this book

is a perfect crash course. If you are familiar, this

book’s real-life anecdotes (focused on companies

who aim to aid education, health, protection, and

access to electricity and technology) are the perfect

motivation tool to get your own endeavor up and

running. Though not as much a how-to as the title

would imply, there is a well-balanced list of resources

for potential social entrepreneurs and mapping of

the examples given in the book..

H O W T O C H A N G E T H E W O R L D : S O C I A L

E N T R E P R E N E U R S A N D T H E P O W E R O F N E W I D E A S B Y

D A V I D B O R N S T E I N

THE MOST GOOD YOU CAN DO: HOW EFFECT IVE ALTRU ISM IS CHANGING IDEAS ABOUT L IV ING ETH ICALLY BY PETER S INGER

BAND-A ID FOR A BROKEN LEG: BE ING A DOCTOR W I TH NO BORDERS (AND OTHER WAYS TO STAY S INGLE ) BY DAMIEN BROWN

MOUNTA INS BEYOND MOUNTA INS : THE QUEST OF DR . PAUL FARMER , A MAN WHO WOULD CURE THE WORLD BY TRACY K IDDER

THE TH IN BLUE L INE : HOW HUMAN ITAR IAN ISM WENT TO WAR BY CONOR FOLEY

STRATEGIC G IV ING: THE ART AND SC IENCE OF PH I LANTHROPY BY PETER FRUMK IN

THE LAST HUNGER SEASON: A YEAR IN AN AFR ICAN FARM COMMUNITY ON THE BR INK OF CHANGE BY ROGER THUROW

W A N T M O R E ?

AND V IS I T BRYANSCHAAF .COM FOR MORE ON HUMAN I TAR IAN ISM ,

PH I LANTHROPY , SERV ICE , AND CHAR I TY