Welcome to The Charity Report Book Shop. We've built a special store just for you, chock full of big idea books for people working in the charity sector. With every title having been reviewed by a member of our Literary Hub Panel, we are bringing you the best of the latest books important to people trying to make the world a better place. Take a look below for new and recent releases, and scroll through 2019 books, which are organized alphabetically by author in the following sections: Biography & Memoir, Environment, Indigenous, LGBTQ, Media & Marketing, Management & How-To, Philanthropy, Racism, Trends & Theory, Wealth & Inequality, and Women Focused. To purchase a book, just click on the link or the book cover. And check back often. We are adding new releases every week. Happy browsing!
The Charity Report Book Shop
2020 Reviews
No Justice in the Shadows: How America Criminalizes Immigrants, Alina Das, Bold Type Books, April 14, 2020, 272 pp., $33.12
Reviewed by Evan Adamson, "A hard but necessary read, No Justice in the Shadows by NYU law professor, Alina Das, uses perusal stories to encourage empathy, while also stressing the fundamental rights for immigrants under American constitutional law."
The Power of Disability: 10 Lessons for Surviving, Thriving, and Changing the World, Al Etmanksi, BK Business, February 5, 2020, 216 pp., $23.46
Reviewed June 9, 2020 by Wanda Deschamps: "It is perplexing that the world still suffers from such a limited understanding of disability.
Taking a Break from Saving the World, A Conservation Activist’s Journey from Burnout to Balance, Stephen Legault, Rocky Mountain Books, May 5, 2020, Paperback, 168 pp., $19.80
Reviewed June 2, 2020 by Maryann Kerr: "If you have suffered burnout, you will find some solace, wisdom, and practical advice on how to avoid it from this sysmpathetic title by Legaullt"
A for Anonymous: How a Mysterious Hacker Collective Transformed the World, David Kushner, Koren Shadmi (artist), Bold Type Books, March 31, 2020, 128 pp., $19.85
Reviewed May 4, 2020 by Evan Adamson: "The Guy Fawkes masks made popular by V for Vendetta, are used as a tool to obfuscate the identity of the hacker and a symbol of the unity of the collective."
I Overcame My Autism: And All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder, Sarah Kurchak, Douglas & McIntyre, April 1, 2020, 240 pp., $24.95
Reviewed April 28, 2020 by Wanda Deschamps: "By publishing her memoir, Sarah sets herself apart within the autistic community and its allies. And a voice she is--biting, humorous, insightful and candid. She bills her book as an 'anti-instruction guide.'"
The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, Robert B. Reich, Knopf, March 24, 2020, 225 pp., $31.68
Reviewed April 20, 2020 by Mal Warwick: "Everyone who follows politics in the United States, is aware that the American system is rigged. In their presidential campaigns ... Robert Reich wants to explain to all of us how things have gotten so far out of kilter. And that’s the timely task he’s taken up in his latest book."
Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars Public Transit in the Age of Google, Uber and Elon Musk?, James Wilt, Between the Lines, April 22, 2020
Reviewed April 8, 2020 by Adya Afanou: "In this war, public transit is losing and, in turn, we all are. But the issue goes beyond the simplistic ‘bus and train vs car’ or ‘privileged vs under-privileged’ rhetoric, and goes to the heart of a debate about transportation.”
Had I Known: Collective Essays, Barbara Ehrenreich, Twelve, March 24, 2020, 384 pp., $32.84
Reviewed March 18, 2020 by Diane Hill: "... an overview of political and social problems in the U.S: including the growing anti-science movement, the false safety of gated communities, class and race issues within a broken mental health system and more .
Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats, Maya Goodfellow, Verso Books: December 17, 2019, 272 pp., $21.62
Reviewed March 6, 2020 by Joanne Linka: "[exploring how] racism was woven into British society…yet there is a collective denial about the bloodiness of its empire .”
Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats, Maya Goodfellow, Verso Books: December 17, 2019, 272 pp., $21.62
Reviewed March 6, 2020 by Joanne Linka: "Maya Goodfellow explores how racism was woven into British society, and how there is a collective denial about the bloodiness of its empire .”
Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership, Ed Gordon, Hachette Books, January 20, 2020, 272 pp., $22.38
Reviewed February 26, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Gordon is conductor for this impressive choir, a book started in 2012, just after Treyvon Martin had been killed by a "neighbourhood watchman." He noted when he started the book Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald and Sandra Bland were still alive.."
Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership, Ed Gordon, Hachette Books, January 20, 2020, 272 pp., $22.38
Reviewed February 26, 2020 by Gail Picco: "US TV personality, Ed Gordon is conductor for this impressive choir, a book started in 2012, just after Treyvon Martin had been killed by a "neighbourhood watchman." He noted when he started the book Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald and Sandra Bland were still alive.."
If I Go Missing, Brianna Jonnie (Author), Nahanni Shingoose (Contributor), Neal Shannacappo (Illustrator), Lorimer, December 3, 2019, 64 pp., $24.95
Reviewed April 15, 2020 by Evan Adamson: "Emotive writing and beautiful imagery aside, if you know anyone who has a lack of empathy for Indigenous communities, please ask them to read this book."
Unleashed: The unapologetic leader’s guide to empowering everyone around you, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss, Harvard Business Review Press, June 2, 2020, 240 pp., $37.01
Reviewed September 2, 2020 by Sharon Broughton, "For nonprofit leaders Unleashed offers a compelling blueprint for successful leadership in a methodical way
Juneteenth, Ralph Ellison with preface by Charles Johnson, Vintage International, 408 pp., Kindle, $13.99
Reviewed June 19, 2020 by Gail Picco. "Ellison takes Juneteenth's name from the day when news of the end of the Civil War finally reached Galveston, Texas via arrival of the Union Army in 1865"
Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back Edward Segal, Nicholas Brealey, June 16, 2020, 256 pp., $25.95
Reviewed May 12, 2020 by Sharon Broughton: "This book would be a great tool to help leaders prevent, prepare for, respond to, manage and bounce back from a crisis. Consider it as a gift for your senior team, and workshop some of the ideas with your staff group ... to help build confidence ." i
Rachel Maddow: A Biography, Lisa Rogak, Thomas Dunne Books, January 7, 2020, 288 pp., $37.10
Reviewed May 8, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Make no mistake, the Joan of Arc of cable news, the one challenger to Fox’s top spot is Rachel Maddow, a lesbian woman whose only nod to being on a prime time television is a a bit of eye shadow, a bit of lip glass, a swish of mascara and a “$20 jacket” over her usual t-shirt and jeans."
The Reality Game: How the Next Wave of Technology Will Break the Truth, Samuel Woolley, Public Affairs, January 7, 2020, 272 pp., $35.00
Review January 14, 2020 by Gail Picco : "For charities trying to make effective choices around social media, the information in this book allows them to see that work through the framework of democracy and rights as opposed to likes and re-tweets .."
Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life, Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein, Little, Brown Spark, April 7, 2020, 256 pp., $16.99
Reviewed April 24, 2020 by Roger Ali: "By painting a picture of a messy desk, piled with paper, unopened letters, unread books,, Kondo starts with what many of us can relate to—a mad search for a file and being unable to find it."
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath, Avid Reader Press, March 3, 2020, 320 pp., $36.97
Reviewed January 28, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Heath wants to convince us we 'should shift more of our energies ‘upstream’: .And how we can—and we should—stop dealing with the symptoms of problems, again and again, and start fixing them' in a systemic way..............."
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot, Mikki Kendall, Viking, February 25, 2020, 288 pp., $26.22
Reviewed March 29, 2020 Nicole Salmon: '[Kendall] provides a prescriptive call to action on how feminism can shift from focusing exclusively on a narrow list of issues where the benefits largely accrue to white women..."
Northwest Resistance: A Girl Called Echo Katherena Vermette HighWater,February 25, 2020, 48 pp., $18.87
Reviewed March 6, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Echo Desjardin is no ordinary 13-year-old Métis girl. She is a time traveller. And though Echo’s time travel doesn’t lighten her load, she does get a front row seat in her own history..."
The Skin We're In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power, Desmond Cole, Doubleday Canada, January 28, 2020, 256 pp., $27.74
Reviewed February 26, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Desmond Coles' The Skin We're in is a must-read for anyone interested in ... how racism permeates our political and social structures from former Toronto Star columnist."
Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging, Tessa McWatt, Random House Canada, March 24, 2020, 224 pp., $24,70
Reviewed February 26, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Tessa McWatt’s story is a singular tour through the lives of generations of men and women who contributed to McWatt’s racial identity. She calls her background, “the forced intimacy of four continents of which I was the symbolic child, the miscarriage of colonialism.”
Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health, Melanie Siebert (Author), Belle Wuthrich (Illustrator), Orca Book Publishers, April 20, 2020, 186 pp, $24.95
Reviewed May 1, , 2020 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis, "hildren and youth with multiple adverse childhood experiences, like physical or emotional neglect,. She sees young people at their most vulnerable and, shares their stories as well as her lived experience...................."
2019 Titles
Biography & Memoir
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks, Random House (April 16, 2019), 384 pp., $26.06
Reviewed October 29, 2019 by Juniper Locilento: "David Brooks, who describes himself as a cross between a journalist and an academic, has set for his topic nothing less than the meaning of life."
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s will to Survive, Stephanie Land (forward by Barbara Ehrenreich), Hachette, Jan 22, 2019, 277 pp, $20.77
Reviewed July 25, 2019 by Gail Picco: "When 28-year-old Stephanie Land unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she decides to have the baby. As she used food stamps at the grocery store, customers pointedly say 'you’re welcome,' as if they were themselves paying for her groceries."
How to forget: A Daughter's Memoir, Kate Mulgrew, William Morrow, May 21, 2019, 352 pages, $17.99
Reviewed August 29, 2019 by Maryann Kerr: "Mulgrew, as one of eight children and the eldest daughter, tells a compelling and captivating story about growing up Irish and Catholic in middle America where her large, boisterous family was led by a charming, iconic patriarch and a mother who was unlike any other in Iowa."
Well, that Escalated Quickly Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist, Franchesca Ramsey, Grand Central Publishing, May 22, 2019, 256pp., $18.10
Reviewed December 20, 2019 by Nicole Salmon: "The rise from a modest online following to being internet famous,"
Let Her Fly: A Father’s Journey, Zluddin Yousafzai with Louise Carpenter, Back Bay Books, November 28, 2018, 176 pages, $17.99
Reviewed August 29, 2019 by Roger Ali: "As a liberal and progressive son, husband, father and leader, Yousafzai breaks all the norms of his time, profoundly impacting on his family, students, country and people around the world."
Conversations with Buddha: A Fictional Dialogue Based on Biographical Facts Joan Duncan Oliver, Watkins Publishing, November 12, 2019, 128 pp., $16.90
Reviewed February 14, 2020 by Lucy White: "Practically speaking, the Buddha’s teachings are about training the mind."
Conversations with Dickens: A Fictional Dialogue Based on Biographical Facts, Paul Schlicke, Watkins, Nov 12, 2019, 118 pp, $16.95
Reviewed February 7, 2020 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "Dickens was one of the few authors to use orphans and convicts as lead narrators or prominent figures in his novels (e.g.Oliver Twist) or to explicitly mock prevailing economic philosophy of his time."
Out of the Shadows, Timea Nagy with Shannon Moroney, Doubleday, May 30, 2019, 368 pages, $24.70
Reviewed August 29, 2019 by Juniper Locilento:"When I thought of human trafficking, I pictured lost young women. Glassy eyed. Too thin. But I pictured it as an ‘elsewhere’ problem, not one that was happening in my own backyard, literally. But the author wrote about locations I’m familiar with – Highway 27, Richmond Hill, Brampton."
Mistakes to Run With, Yasuko Thanh, Hamish Hamilton, April 2, 2019, 272 pages, $24.95
Reviewed July 25, 2019 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "Mistakes to Run With, Yasuko Thanh’s first non-fiction book, is a brave self-examination into her journey from an underage sex worker on the streets of Vancouver to an acclaimed, full-time fiction writer."
Environment
The Geography of Risk: Epic Storms, Rising Seas, and the Cost of America’s Coasts by Gilbert M. Gaul, Sarah Crichton Books, September 3, 2019, 304 pp, $38.00
Reviewed on October 9, 2019 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "The high cost of disaster capitalism.
On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal , Naomi Klein, Knopf Canada, September 17, 2019, 309 pp., $24.75
Reviewed on October 9, 2019 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "Klein’s book is alarmist. But it’s an alarm that many of us have been ignoring as our house is crumbling around us, on fire and burning."
No one is too small to make a difference, Greta Thunberg, Penguin UK, July 30, 2019, 80 pp., $7.45
Reviewed January 21, 2020 by Gail Picco: "It’s the kind of book we can keep in our back pocket and look at every day to help us see the difference between right and wrong. You can open No one is too small to make a difference to any page and find an epistle for the future."
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming, David Wallace-Wells, Tim Duggan Books, February 19, 2019, 384 pp., $23.76
Reviewed October 9, 2019 by Juniper Locilento: "We like to think we are the smartest species to have roamed the Earth, the actions outlined in this book strongly suggest otherwise."
Indigenous
This Place: 150 Years Retold, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Brandon Mitchell, et al., Forward by Alicia Elliott, Highwater Press, May 17, 2019, 296 pp., $36.00
Reviewed by Gail Picco, October 4, 2019: "a beautiful resource that as an opportunity for Canadians to see Indigenous children and youth as the heroes of their own stories. The graphic format underlines their valour."
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, Alicia Elliott, Doubleday Canada, March 26, 2019, 240 pp., $24.75
Reviewed August 15, 2019 by Diane Hill: "White Canadians who harrumph at the use of the word ‘genocide’ to describe our country’s treatment of Indigenous communities ignore the historic proofs all around us. In A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, Alicia Elliott’s description of the process is devastating..."
Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance, Edgar Villanueva, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, October 16, 2018, 240 pp. $25.36
Reviewed October 4, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Edgar Villanueva argues that, at its core, philanthropy is colonialism. There’s the haves and the have-nots, the us and them, with us being mostly “white saviours” with money.
Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips and Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality, Bob Joseph, Page Two Books, May 9, 2019, 208 pp., $19.75
Reviewed October 4, 2019 by Christopher Barry: "A practical guide to respecting cultural differences, improving personal relationships and organization interaction."
From the Ashes: My Story of being Metis, Homeless and Finding My Way, Jesse Thistle, Simon & Shuster, August 6, 2019, 368 pp., $19.80
Reviewed August 15, 2019 by Sharon Broughton: "It took 37 years, and more hardships than most will ever experience, for Jesse Thistle to be reunited with his Metis-Cree heritage, culture, language and traditions, a connection lost when he was three years old."
Carpe Fin: A Haida Manga, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Douglas & McIntyre, September 19, 2019, 128 pp., $29.65
Reviewed April 15, 2020 by Evan Adamson: "While the wording is deceptively simple, the images coupled with the narrative drives a story that makes Alice in Wonderland seem like a trip to the grocery store."
LGBTQ2
Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place (A Transgender Memoir), Jackson Bird, Tiller Press, September 24, 2019, 320 pp, $33.99
Reviewed December 18, 2019 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "Throughout high school and early university, Jackson dealt with his gender dysphoria by presenting as a popular “pretty girl,” the “best girl that [he] could be,” dating heterosexual boys. But though he felt socially accepted, it felt like he was playing a deceptive game, “a game that I was winning.”
Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising That Changed America, Martin Duberman, Blume, June 4, 2019 (2nd edition), 432 pp., $23.76
Reviewed December 18, 2019 by Krishan Mehta: "While there are a plethora of films and resources about Stonewall, Duberman’s book occupies a special place in the canon because it uniquely and deliberately draws on the perspective of six individuals to create a personal and nuanced account of what happened that morning."
Management & How-To
The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up, Dana Brownlee, PMP, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, February 26, 2019, 176 pp. $28.89
Reviewed October 25, 2019 by Maryann Kerr: "The bosses Brownlee is hoping to help with are those who are well-intentioned but, perhaps, just average managers. Brownlee calls them “difficult” and points out this is a relative term."
The Complete Project Manager: , Randall L Englund and Alfonso Bucero, BK Publishers, 2nd ed, 376 pp., August 6, 2019, $51.60
Reviewed Sept 20, 2019 by Christopher Barry: "an important reference for every project manager in the charity sector."
Nonprofit Management 101: A complete and practical guide for leaders and professionals – 2nd edition, Edited by Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Laila Brenner, Wiley, August 30, 2019, 576 pp, $41.58
Reviewed September 20, 2019 by Sharon Broughton: "'Earned wisdom from 55 leading experts,' this 576 page tome is non-profit management boot camp in a book."
The Intelligent Leader: Unlocking the 7 Secrets to Leading Others and Leaving Your Legacy by John Mattone, Wiley, October 15, 2019, 208 pp., $29.68
Reviewed November 18, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Mattone would like you to consider your character and your values as you consider your leadership-- courage, loyalty, honesty and gratitude."
So You Want to Start a Podcast: Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Story, and Building a Community That Will Listen by Kristen Meinzer, William Morrow, August 6, 2019, 224 pp, $22.69
Reviewed September 26, 2019 by Cindy Wagman, "it's like sitting down with a trusted mentor ... and getting the real lowdown on how to be successful in podcasting. She’s both friendly and frank. She tells you what to do, and very clearly, what not to do."
Winning Grants Step by Step: by Tori O’Neal-McElrath, Lynn Kanter, Lynn English, Jossey-Bass; 5th edition, July 30, 2019, 144 pp, $37.12
Reviewed September 26, 2019 by Joanne Linka: "... a must read for anyone starting out as a grant writer and for anyone who feels daunted and overwhelmed by the task of writing a grant."
The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How to lead people and places that thrive by Quint Studer, Wiley, October 1, 2019, 288 pp., $33.65
Reviewed November 18, 2019 by Roger D. Ali, MBA, CFRE: "Studer provides practical tips that resonates with my own leadership journey to be a good follower and influence others."
Believership, The Superpower Beyond Leadership Volume 1: The Experience, Mike Vacanti, Dog Ear Publishing, September 10, 2019, 150 pp., $26.41
Reviewed February 4, 2020 by Maryann Kerr: "The root of Vacanti’s approach is in imagining the sense of belonging you might feel when you are able to express your full and unique humanity at work."
Lean Impact, Ann Mei Chang, Wiley, October 30, 2018 304 pp., $34.09
Reviewed June 5, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Chang writes that, while she understood that she wasn’t an expert on poverty, healthcare or human rights, she firmly believed “the same techniques for innovation [that] have fueled dramatic progress in Silicon Valley can be the basis for creating radically greater social good.”
Gwynne’s Grammar: The Ultimate Introduction to Grammar and the Writing of Good English, N.M. Gwynne, Vintage Publishing, November 26, 2019, 288 pp., $21.00
Reviewed January 29, 2020 by Diane Hill: "Grammar as blood sport."
The Only Grant-Writing Book You’ll Ever Need 5th ed., Ellen Karsh & Arlen Sue Fox, Basic Books, November 5, 2019, 448 pp., $28.29
Reviewed January 28, 2020 by Joanne Linka: "A comprehensive guide like this one that covers the grant writing process from the inception to the final report with a multitude of tips, definitions and guidelines for how you can be most successful."
Noise: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus, Joseph McCormack, Wiley, December 5, 2019, 304 pp., $29.70
Reviewed by February 11, 2020 Nicole Salmon: "The point of this book is to set off an alarm: the world is going deaf. We’ve gone far beyond the promise of the information age and are now so consumed by it that is threatens our existence."
Bedtime Stories for Managers, Henry Mintzberg, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, February 5, 2019, 200 pp. $21.78
Reviewed October 25, 2019 by Mo Waja: "In Bedtime Stories, Mintzberg uses short, pointed narratives to drive home realties of the nature of management practices that too many experience, and far too few question, in a work that approaches the concept of ‘Management’ with an ironic humour that, at times, tastes a little more bitter than sweet."
The Intrepid Nonprofit, Tim Plumptre, Friesen Press, 307 pp., June 2019, 304 pp., $37.00, $34.12
Reviewed July 4, 2019 by Maryann Kerr: "Plumptre takes us on a journey that encompasses both a 30,000-foot view of the non-profit sector and a granular one. Bringing more than three decades of experience to the task, he has filled several roles at all levels."
The Talent Revolution: Longevity and the Future of Work, Lisa Taylor and Fern Lebo, Rotman-UTP Publishing April 9, 2019, 248 pp., $29.39
Reviewed February 4, 2020 by Maryann Kerr: "Taylor and Lebo’s Future of Work is not the future at all. It is our present reality, a testament to the idea that the future has arrived."
Media & Marketing
Stop Being Reasonable: How We Really Change Our Minds by Eleanor Gordon-Smith, Public Affairs, October 22, 2019, 240 pp., $29.28
Reviewed November 28, 2019 by Cindy Wagman: "... equal parts story-telling and philosophy, [this book uses] stories of those who have changed their minds or beliefs to explore what can (and what doesn’t) compel us to do so. At the heart of it is the simple truth that humans are not rational."
Helping the Good Do Better: A White Hat Lobbyist’s Winning Strategies from the Front Lines of Social Change by Thomas F. Sheridan, Twelve Books, 304 pp., June 2019, $32.16
Reviewed on July 4, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Given charities are now able to spend as much as they feel necessary on non-partisan political activities, the timing is right for anyone working in a charity who would like to hone their advocacy and government relations skills."
Communication: How to Connect with Anyone by Gill Hasson, Capstone, November 5, 2019, 208 pp., $19.12
Reviewed November 28, 2019 by Christopher Barry: "[Hasson's focus is assertive communication] that encourages each person to take part in a shared process; one that helps promote a genuine connection between people; a connection that involves respect and trust, confidence and sympathy between individuals."
Philanthropy
Giving Done Right: Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count, Phil Buchanan Public Affairs, 256 pp., April 2019, $30.65
Reviewed November 28, 2019 by Cindy Wagman: "Phil Buchanana's main thesis is that for businesses to thrive, they need to build an authentic relationship and understand community impact."
Cap in Hand: How Charities are Failing the People of Canada and the World, Gail Picco, Civil Sector Press, February 6, 2017, 250 pp., $30.11
Reviewed by John English: "Having spent most of her life involved with the sector, Gail Picco knows the problems and senses the opportunities. Her book is an eloquent plea to establish a Canadian charitable sector that is “modern, problem-solving and dynamic” rather than the “moribund,” status quo oriented, and tax-break driven model that disappoints and disillusions all of us.”
Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better by Rob Reich, Princeton University Press, 256 pp., November 2018, $33.35
Reviewed July 4, 2019 by Juniper Locilento, MPNL, CFRE: "While he concedes that “private funding of what individuals believe to be in the public interest is legitimate ... Reich objects to the current design of most tax-subsidized giving, giving in perpetuity, and rigid respect for donor intent."
Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give, Jean Shafiroff (Author), Georgina Bloomberg (Introduction), Hatherleigh Press, March 16, 2016, 288 pp., $18.00
Reviewed February 7, 2020 by Gail Picco: "The book gives us an insight into a segment of philanthropists that is not necessarily the newly-minted trope of the ultra-wealthy business man wading in to fix the problems that rampant capitalism has created."
Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, Anand Giridharadas, Knopf, 304 pp., August 28, 2018, $31.67
Reviewed on June 5, 2019 by Gail Picco: "In a world conquered by market thinking, Giridharadas writes that we’ve come to a point where philanthropy has to be a “win-win” for the donor and the recipient."
Empowerment Dialogue: A New Approach to Fundraising, Ken Ramsay, Civil Sector Press, 2016, 106 pp., $31.95
Reviewed November 7, 2019 by Joanne Linka: "Empowerment Dialogue by Ken Ramsay is a terrific book for fundraisers who have just started their careers and for veterans too. It is especially helpful for those fundraisers who are terrified of “the ask,” this approach gives the steps leading up to the ask that make the actual ask almost redundant… certainly not the big scary beast of a conversation that some fundraisers think that it is."
Empowerment Dialogue: A New Approach to Fundraising, Ken Ramsay, Civil Sector Press, 2016, 106 pp., $31.95
Reviewed November 7, 2019 by Joanne Linka: "Empowerment Dialogue a terrific book for fundraisers who have just started their careers and for veterans too. It is helpful for those fundraisers who are terrified of “the ask,” this approach gives the steps leading up to the ask that make the actual ask almost redundant… certainly not the big scary beast of a conversation that some fundraisers think that it is."
Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance, Edgar Villanueva, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, October 16, 2018, 240 pp., $25.36
Reviewed October 4, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Villanueva discusses how, as wealth accumulates at the top 1% of society, the motives of philanthropists trying to whitewash their reputations by giving away small portions of their wealth are being questioned."
Racism
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, Vintage; 2nd ed. Edition, March 14, 1995, originally published 1956, 608 pp., $21.78
Reviewed February 25, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Ellison proffers indelible insight on the surgical nature of racism and the hardening of manhood in a world where urban sidewalks are trenches and the air is filled with metaphorical mustard gas. Being invisible saves you just as it erases you."
Diversity Beyond Lip Service: A Coaching Guide for Challenging Bias, La'Wana Harris, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, May 28, 2019, 176 pp., $25.65
Reviewed January 23, 2020 by Joanne Linka: "She clearly defines what diversity and inclusion are and how privilege, unconscious bias, intersectionality, micro aggressions and code-switching and covering are all parts of the conversation."
Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business, Pamela Newkirk, Bold Type Books, October 22, 2019, 272 pp., $30.28
Reviewed January 23, 2020 by Roger Ali: "Pamela Newkirk shines a bright light on the diversity industry, gives examples of successes and asks tough questions about what has been effective and why progress has been slow. She has devoted a significant portion of her life to journalism and higher education, both fields in which people of colour are radically.”
The 1619 Project, edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, August 16, 2019, 99 pp., USD $5.00
Reviewed February 26, 2020 by Gail Picco: "The sweep of The 1619 Project is extraordinary. It reframes the growth of the “greatest country on earth” from one built on the idea of freedom, natural rights and equality to one built on the back of the slave trade, from which continue white people continue o benefit."
We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood, Dani McClain, Bold Type Books, April 2, 2019, $29.14
Reviewed August 15, 2020 by Nicole Salmon: "McClain’s page-turning narrative reveals the fear, joy and hope associated with raising a black child in a world designed to strip away at their very humanity by painting a picture of them as dangerous, aggressive and criminal in need of being controlled and tamed."
Trends & Theory
Good Economics for Hard Times, Dr. Abhijit Banerjee and Dr. Esther Duflo, PublicAffairs, November 12, 2019, 432 pp., $33.36
Reviewed Dec 20, 2019 by Christopher Barry: it argues that slow growth is nothing new, but what makes it particularly worrying is the fraying of the social contract that we see across all affected countries. We seem to be back in the Dickensian world of Hard Times with the haves facing off against the increasingly alienated have-nots, with no resolution in sight."
Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything: A Theory of Human Misunderstanding by Bobby Duffy, Basic Books, November 26, 2019, 304 pp., $29.21
Reviewed December 5, 2019 by Cindy Wagman: "Duffy explores some very common misbeliefs and uncovers the [mental shortcuts] behind them, to help us uncover our own biases and how they shape our perception of the world."
Ingenious: The Unintended Cost of Human Innovation, Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson, Harvard University Press, October 15, 2019, 336 pp., $28.06
Reviewed February 14, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Will we wait passively to see where technology takes us? Or do we want to be more deliberate in the controls we apply to it—and, if so, how do we do this individually and collectively? How do we get the best from technology and restrict its worst efforts?"
When you Kant figure it out, ask a philosopher, Marie Robert, Little, Brown Spark November 12, 2019, 176 pp., $17.35
Reviewed December 20, 2019 by Mo Waja: "A delightfully modern take on philosophical theory ... where abstract philosophy meets real world scenarios. Lessons to overcome adversity applicable across career, industry, and lifestyle--all in less than pocket-size 200 pages."
Hivemind: Thinking Alike in a Divided World, by Sarah Rose Cavanagh, PhD., Grand Central Publishing, September 3, 2019, 304 pp., $27.71
Reviewed October 31, 2019 by Sharon Broughton: "Hivemind is a fascinating and ultimately optimistic exploration by psychologist Sarah Cavanagh, who leads us on a journey through human development across the ages, helping us understand our collective selves through the lens of today’s ever-present individualized online reality."
Talking to Strangers, What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know, Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown and Company, 400 pp, September 10, 2019, $24.75
Reviewed September 12, 2019 by Maryann Kerr: "When Gladwell shares details from two high profile child sexual assault cases you will find yourself stunned and you will ask yourself – would I have been fooled too?
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth by Rachel Maddow, Crown, October 1, 2019, 432 pp., $29.70
Reviewed November 5, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Maddow’s book, like her work on television, is a n engagly-told, meticulously-researched story of how the old and gas sector rules the worlds, demanding you pay attention, or miss a captivating piece of the puzzle."
The Reality Bubble by Ziya Tong, Allen Lane, 376 pp, May 14, 2019, $22.83
Reviewed September 12, 2019 by Christopher Barry: "It is a thoughtful and thought provoking book and discusses so much that is interesting and useful about our physical world in the 21st century. Anyone would be wise to buy it and read it, and you’ll be even wiser if you apply its contents and insights to the way you live your life."
Wealth Inequality
The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society, Binyamin Appelbaum, Little, Brown and Company, 448 pp, $33.77
Reviewed September 12, 2019 by Diane Hill: "[Appelbaum] shows how, between 1969 and 2008, the U.S. government handed the keys over to free market thinkers. Not only did they crash us into a financial ditch, they’ve left liberal democracy teetering on the brink of collapse."
Beyond Shelters: Solutions to Homelessness in Canada from the Front Lines, Ed. James Hughes. James Lorimer & Company Ltd., 2018, 256 pp, $24.95
Reviewed February 22, 2020 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "... a collection of essays written by experienced shelter and transitional housing managers wanting to see an end to chronic homelessness. The contributors range from executive directors to frontline program staff, from British Columbia to Newfoundland."
On Our Street: Our First Talk About Poverty, Dr Jillian Roberts and Jaime Casap, Illustrated by Jane Heinrichs, Orca Book Publishers, February 13, 2018, 32 pp., $19.16
Reviewed February 22, 2020 by Gail Picco: "Children’s and young adult writers have so much to offer in terms of how we understand and discuss our issues and causes...[offering] us a world of understanding.
Fear of Falling, The Inner Life of The Middle Class, Barbara Ehrenreich, Twelve; Reprint edition January 7, 2020, 416 pp., $20.99
Reviewed February 4, 2020 by Maryann Kerr: "Ehrenreich shows how what she called the professional middle class created barriers to entering the middle class, such as post-secondary education requirements, and then found itself unable to support these same things when their own children reached that age."
The Age of Increasing Inequality: The Astonishing Rise of Canada’s 1%, Lars Osberg, Lorimer, February 19, 2019, 248 pp., $25.71
Reviewed February 18, 2020 by Sharon Broughton: "...a rigorous account of our uniquely Canadian reality, proving increasing inequality is the new normal in Canada. Post-World War II middle class growth in Canada ended in 1980."
Woman Focused
Power Shift: The Longest Revolution, Sally Armstrong, House of Anansi Press, September 17, 2019, 304 pp., $19.95
Reviewed May 15, 2020 by Joanne Linka: "[Armstrong] takes a difficult topic – the centuries-old oppression of women – and deconstructs it with insight, wisdom and most of all, hope."
Had It Coming: What’s Fair in the Age of #MeToo? by Robyn Doolittle, Allen Lane, September 24, 2019, 304 pp, $19.17
Reviewed November 22, 2019 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "[Doolittle] credits the #MeToo movement as essential in changing social conditions so that more people experiencing sexual assault can come forward. But she sees social media as an inadequate tool alone to foster “reasoned debate.”
The Moment of Lift, Melinda Gates, Flatiron Books, April 23, 2019, 288 pp., $19.99
Reviewed June 5, 2019 by Gail Picco: "Melinda Gates explains how the road to her belief in 'women’s empowerment as the single most important thing we can do to reduce inequity' was not a direct route. But she feels her current path is sure., and using the confident analogy of an airplane leaving the tarmac and taking flight as comparable to the power of an informed analysis."
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot, Mikki Kendall, Viking, February 25, 2020, 288 pp., $26.22
Reviewed March 29, 2020 Nicole Salmon: '[Kendall] provides a prescriptive call to action on how feminism can shift from focusing exclusively on a narrow list of issues where the benefits largely accrue to white women, to embracing a broader list of issues reflective of the experiences of women of colour, transgendered women and women with non-binary sexual identities."
The Undying: Anne Boyer, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, September 17, 2019, 320 pp, $34.99
Reviewed December 13, 2019 by Katherine Verhagen Rodis: "In [Anne Boyer's] experience of having cancer, the medical establishment ate away at her personal identity...she argues, there is no space for your own agency, in the cancer pavilion."
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow, Little, Brown and Company, October 15, 2019, 464 pp., $29.70
Reviewed December 20, 2019 by Gail Picco: "...Ronan Farrow has provided us with a stellar work of investigative journalism. It’s a true story about truth and lies and power versus justice. And, frankly, it remains entirely unclear about which side is winning."
She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, Penguin Press, September 10, 2019, 320 pp., $30.00
Reviewed November 22, 2019 by Juniper Locilento: "Kantor and Twohey are heroes for giving these women back their voices after having been silenced for so long. We won the battle, but it’s clear that we are far from winning the war."
Sabotage to Support: A new Vision for Feminist Solidarity in the Workplace, Joy L. Wiggins & Kami J. Anderson, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, May 14, 2019, 208 pp., $22.12
Reviewed November 12, 2019 by Maryann Kerr: "Throughout the book Joy Wiggins and Kami Anderson provide opportunities for the reader to move from systems thinking to self-reflection and individual action. It is a journey in understanding that the personal is political and that our individual actions matter."