When Helping Hurts - Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

Matt says: This is a very interesting book but really only half of it is helpful for individuals or smaller organizations like churches. The main point of the book is that giving people money is almost always harmful to both the giver and receiver. What the book calls for is really much more costly than opening your wallet. Truly helping the poor involves investing time because "poverty" is only partially material in nature. I liked the suggestion that we are all "poor" in some ways and recognizing that goes a long way toward eliminating the god-complex that can develop in poverty relief.

The book was quite repetitive at times and often read like an academic text book. It is quite a wake up call and can be controversial, especially regarding missions.

Dana says: This is a very eye opening and thought provoking book on an important subject. The authors do a great job of explaining what poverty truly is and then offer different solutions to aid in poverty alleviation. The greatest thing I took away from this book is the authors worldview that all people are made in the image of God and are meant to glorify God by fulfilling their vocational calling. This idea is the foundation of their solution. The authors have a humble attitude and stress that all people are impoverished in some way and that we can all learn from each other. There are some great practical ideas of ways to help the poor but this book is geared more towards organizations than individuals overall. A must read for all church deacons and anyone who works in poverty alleviation.