Books about Voluntarism from Amazon.com

Here, from Bill Clinton, is a call to action. Giving is an inspiring look at how each of us can change the world. First, it reveals the extraordinary and innovative efforts now being made by companies and organizations—and by individuals—to solve problems and save lives both “down the street and around the world.” Then it urges us to seek out what each of us, “regardless of income, available time, age, and skills,” can do to help, to give people a chance to live out their dreams.

Bill Clinton shares his own experiences and those of other givers, representing a global flood tide of nongovernmental, nonprofit activity. These remarkable stories demonstrate that gifts of time, skills, things, and ideas are as important and effective as contributions of money. From Bill and Melinda Gates to a six-year-old California girl named McKenzie Steiner, who organized and supervised drives to clean up the beach in her community, Clinton introduces us to both well-known and unknown heroes of giving. Among them:

Dr. Paul Farmer, who grew up living in the family bus in a trailer park, vowed to devote his life to giving high-quality medical care to the poor and has built innovative public health-care clinics first in Haiti and then in Rwanda;
a New York couple, in Africa for a wedding, who visited several schools in Zimbabwe and were appalled by the absence of textbooks and school supplies. They founded their own organization to gather and ship materials to thirty-five schools. After three years, the percentage of seventh-graders who pass reading tests increased from 5 percent to 60 percent;'
Oseola McCarty, who after seventy-five years of eking out a living by washing and ironing, gave $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi to endow a scholarship fund for African-American students;
Andre Agassi, who has created a college preparatory academy in the Las Vegas neighborhood with the city’s highest percentage of at-risk kids. “Tennis was a stepping-stone for me,” says Agassi. “Changing a child’s life is what I always wanted to do”;
Heifer International, which gave twelve goats to a Ugandan village. Within a year, Beatrice Biira’s mother had earned enough money selling goat’s milk to pay Beatrice’s school fees and eventually to send all her children to school—and, as required, to pass on a baby goat to another family, thus multiplying the impact of the gift.

Clinton writes about men and women who traded in their corporate careers, and the fulfillment they now experience through giving. He writes about energy-efficient practices, about progressive companies going green, about promoting fair wages and decent working conditions around the world. He shows us how one of the most important ways of giving can be an effort to change, improve, or protect a government policy. He outlines what we as individuals can do, the steps we can take, how much we should consider giving, and why our giving is so important.

Bill Clinton’s own actions in his post-presidential years have had an enormous impact on the lives of millions. Through his foundation and his work in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, he has become an international spokesperson and model for the power of giving.

“We all have the capacity to do great things,” President Clinton says. “My hope is that the people and stories in this book will lift spirits, touch hearts, and demonstrate that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world.”

.
Price: $9.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Here is a book for all boards:

• Those wanting to operate with maximum effectiveness • Those needing to clarify exactly what their job is • Those wanting to ensure that all members — novice and veteran — are ‘on the same page’ with respect to their role and responsibilities

Kay Sprinkel Grace’s new work will take your board members only one hour to read, and yet they’ll come away from The Ultimate Board Member’s Book with a firm command of just what they need to do to help your organization succeed.

It’s all here in jargon-free language: how boards work, what the job entails, the time commitment involved, the role of staff, serving on committees and task forces, fundraising responsibilities, conflicts of interest, group decision-making, effective recruiting, de-enlisting board members, board self-evaluation, and more.

In sum, everything a board member needs to know to understand their role and serve capably is explored.

Real world, not theoretical, concrete not abstract, The Ultimate Board Member's Book focuses on issues and concerns that all board members will inevitably face and grapple with.

This enlightening one-hour read is THE book to which nonprofit organizations in America turn to hone the skills and effectiveness of their boards..
Price: $15.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

There is unprecedented spiritual openness in today’s society, and at the same time, increasing economic pressure on the resources of local churches The solution lies squarely on the able shoulders of God-gifted volunteers. And they are ready for the challenge!.
Price: $2.71 [Notify me when price goes down.]

There has been a growing chorus of political analysts with doomsday predictions of an American public that is uncivil, disengaged, and alienated And it's only getting worse with a younger generation of Americans who do not see the value in voting.

The good news is that the bad news is wrong.

Russell Dalton uses a new set of national public opinion surveys to show how Americans are changing their views on what good citizenship means. It's not about recreating the halcyon politics of a generation ago, but recognition that new patterns of citizenship call for new processes and new institutions that reflect the values of the contemporary American public. Trends in participation, tolerance, and policy priorities reflect a younger generation that is more engaged, more tolerant, and more supportive of social justice. The Good Citizen shows how a younger generation is creating new norms of citizenship that are leading to a renaissance of democratic participation. An important comparative chapter in the book showcases cross-national comparisons that further demonstrate the vitality of American democracy.

This book will reshape how we think about the American public, American youth, and the prospects for contemporary democracy.

.
Price: $17.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

.
Price: $9.30 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Travel statistics say that baby boomers travel more than any other age group in America—and that an ever increasing number of them are looking for ways to spend their leisure time in substantial, meaningful ways. One especially fast-growing area of interest is the "experience-driven" or "wellness" vacation, a proactive approach based on the idea that true recreation involves positive engagement: acquiring a new skill or volunteering to share your own expertise; exercising your intellect or extending yourself in some creative, physical, or spiritual way.

In response to such aspirations, this timely book showcases a broad range of the most life-enriching getaways in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with something for every taste and every interest. Here are programs dedicated to kayaking lessons, mountain biking, yoga instruction, and more. Perhaps you'd prefer to spend an arts and crafts holiday focused on a creative activity like cooking, painting, or woodworking. Imagine studying French in a Maine village, learning about nutrition at a historic North Carolina spa, or helping rebuild the devastated communities of the Gulf Coast. Weave a Navajo rug; make a film in New York; learn to surf in Mexico; or choose any of scores of other possibilities.

Elegantly designed and packed with attractive and fun descriptions, detailed travel information, lists of unique activities, and special sidebars, this unusual resource tells you all you need to know to ensure that your next vacation won't just be time off—it will be time well spent..
Price: $3.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

More than 100,000 people contact the Peace Corps every year, but only 3,000 are placed overseas. To help more Americans find volunteer opportunities abroad Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zahara Heckscher-all founders of respected volunteer organizations-have written a guide that provides all the necessary information on volunteering in Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Presented in a user-friendly format that includes case studies, worksheets, and quotes from international volunteers, How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas provides college students, senior citizens, and everyone in between with information on:

* How to decide if volunteering overseas is for you
* How to choose the right program
* What to do before and after you go abroad
* Fundraising and financing
* How to be an effective volunteer
* Political and social contexts of Americans volunteering abroad
* The Peace Corps
* More than one hundred volunteer organizations
.
Price: $10.71 [Notify me when price goes down.]

On a lark, journalist Danny Wallace placed an ad in a small London paper that offered two simple words: "join me." What followed was astounding. From all over the world, thousands of replies poured in, effectively "joining" Danny-but in what, he had no idea. When "Joinees" began referring to him as "The Leader," Danny quickly understood one thing-he had just created a cult.

Join Me quickly became a phenomenon. With the help of a few trusted Joinees and the crackpot leader of a well-established cult, Danny promulgates his uncle's dreams of a Utopian society, struggles to keep his girlfriend, manages to stay humble amidst the newfound celebrity, and remarkably provides a sense of purpose and belonging to Joinees everywhere..
Price: $1.92 [Notify me when price goes down.]

.
Price: $2.70 [Notify me when price goes down.]