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It all started when 14-year old Hannah Salwen, idealistic but troubled
by a growing sense of injustice in the world, had a eureka moment when
a homeless man in her neighborhood was juxtaposed against a glistening
Mercedes coupe. "You know, Dad," she said, pointing, "If that man had a
less nice car, that man there could have a meal."
This glaring disparity led the Salwen family of four, caught up like so
many other Americans in this age of consumption and waste, to follow
Hannah's urge to do something, to finally just do something.
And so they embarked on an incredible journey together from which there
would be no turning back. They decided to sell their Atlanta mansion,
downsize to a house half its size, and give half of their profits to a
worthy charity. At first it was an outlandish scheme. "What, are you
crazy? No way!" Then it was a challenge. "We are TOTALLY doing this."
Each week they met over dinner to discuss their plan. It would
transport them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone.
Along the way they would inspire so many others wrestling with the same
questions: Do I give enough? How much is enough? How can I make an
impact in the world? In the end the Salwens' journey would bring them
closer as a family, as they discovered, together, that half could be so
much more.
Warm, funny, deeply moving and wholly uplifting, The Power of Half
is the story of how one family slammed the door on the status quo and
threw away the key.
For their family project, the Salwen family is investing in the
Hunger
Project. For more information about that project and how you can
create your own, visit www.thepowerofhalf.com.
$1 of each copy sold will be donated to Rebuilding Together,
serving America's low-income home-owners and providing critical repairs
at no charge to those with the greatest need. For more information,
visit www.rebuildingtogether.com.
pub date: 2010-02-10 | hardcover | 9780547248066 |
