How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School
John Cortines and Gregory Baumer
I read this book because one of my professors recommended it. But I found I really enjoyed reading it. The book is mainly about how to be generous and to give your wealth away to help others for God’s kingdom. They give five families’ stories to show you how the principles they teach in the book relate to actual people.
Their approach to wealth is not just about money. This book is about generosity in every part of your life. The book has three parts, and the first part is on foundations. Chapter 1 of the book is about biblical foundations in wealth. They first go over biblical references and principles for generosity. They provide a selective reading from each part of the Bible. They end the chapter by talking about the tithe and whether it is required in the new covenant.
Chapter 2 gives seven core principles for biblical wealth and giving. The authors offer for principals about wealth and three principles about giving. They distill 2,350 verses in scripture on wealth and money into these seven principles. I found these principles very helpful and powerful too apply right away to my life.
In chapter 3, the authors talk about our motivations for giving. They present ” scientific” evidence for why the last three principles for giving are verifiable. They begin with the case four generosity to the poor. They address the importance of becoming generous with your wealth from principle five. They conclude the chapter with case studies on how generosity can change our lives as much as it changes somebody else’s.
Chapter 4 discusses trends and movements in generosity. Statistics show most people don’t even give above 3% of their wealth away. Materialism is a serious problem in the United States and around the world. The authors point out that giving can be tied to cultural norms. They challenge Americans, and the American church, to give more because America is one of the richest nations in the world, yet American giving does not match the wealth.
Part 2 of the book is called “Frameworks.” Chapter 5 is about the framework of spender, savor, and servant. These three frameworks characterize most of the people to handle their money. They give a quiz that would help you figure out what framework you operate under. They show how a servant deals with spending and saving.
In Chapter 6, the authors focus on spending – investing in the present. They talk about the struggles of not being able to respect habits. We must manage our money in such a way that it needs our goals and desires in this life. They discuss what a life of too much Spending might look like. They say it is different for every person and family.
Chapter 7 is about saving – investing in the future. The author’s talk about the wisdom of saving your money. Savings must be done wisely and for the glory of God. they describe how to know how much to save and how much to generously give to others. They start with the basics of how to save so you can take care of yourself and your family. You must be able to pay off your debts and have funds for emergencies.
They stick to real numbers and facts instead of just principles. What are your motives for your house, car, and the other things you own? Is it just for status or are you using these things for the kingdom? They cover subjects like cars, house, debt, retirement, college for children. They also address luxuries and personal financial freedom. They also talk about inheritance for children. I appreciated the detail of this chapter.
In Chapter 8, the authors address serving – investing in eternity through giving. The authors give practical principles for increasing giving and doing it as a servant. They offer several goals for servant giving. The first is gospel-oriented. Another goal of giving is to have maximum effectiveness by giving smart. One point I never thought of was to give toward ministries that helped develop people. They finish the chapter by talking about the financial mechanics of giving.
Part 3 of the book is called, “Forward.” Chapter 9 addresses stewardship in community. The authors share that Christians do not talk about money with one another and that gets us into trouble. They offer several specific strategies for community involvement and our giving. They give many ways that the community can be involved in giving and even teaching about giving. This was one of the most practical chapters of the whole book.
In chapter 10, the authors give their conclusions on wealth and giving. They share a recap of the book’s principles and practical counsel about wealth and giving. They offer an epilogue that shows where they are at after writing the book. They tell their personal stories and how far they have come since they began to study welfare and giving in the Bible and in preparation for writing the book. The book also offers several appendices for further study and even groups that you can give to or that will help you understand giving better.
I appreciated this book because there are not many books on Christian giving that talk about generosity as a core principle. Beyond that, the authors gave extremely practical counsel about wealth and also how to work toward becoming more and more generous in your life. They gave me things to think about that I have never thought about before concerning wealth. I recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in finances and using them God’s way for His Kingdom. Even if the objective wealth is not very interesting to you, this is a great book to get you started on glorifying God with your wealth and everything else in your life.
