The Giving Myths
by Stephen B. McSwain
Published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing
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Reviewed by Claire Bonello
Stephen McSwain makes a compelling case for the beneficial effects of giving rather than receiving. He argues that there is something essentially flawed with the modern-day ethic of material accumulation at all costs.
Very often an obsession with wealth-making leads to a closing off to the warm and generous facets of the human spirit. Riches are not commensurate to happiness.
The author examines whether such statements are true bringing up factual examples to illustrate his arguments. He then goes on to dispel some widely believed myths about the concept of charity.
By using clear and rational arguments, McSwain shows readers how it is not necessarily true that charity should be a private matter. He also explains how we can extend the scope and amount of our charity beyond the tithe system described in the Old Testament. There are helpful hints about overcoming the fear of giving and of finding out how much we can give and in which direction our charity should be channeled.
The final chapter explains the book’s central thesis fully – It is in giving that we receive. By freeing ourselves from the shackles and wealth-centered lives, we can finally have the life we want – one that is richer and full of exciting possibilities.
Armchair Interviews says: Helpful way to look at charity and how giving benefits us.