The Philanthropic Revolution

"In this marvelous history of American charitable giving, Jeremy Beer helps us see what we have lost in the triumph of outcomes-focused and "scientific" philanthropy. He argues for the recovery of an older face-to-face charity that humanizes both giver and recipient."—R. R. Reno, Editor, First Things

"In The Philanthropic Revolution, Jeremy Beer succeeds in his two-pronged effort to delineate charity from philanthropy, both in their actual practice and in their distinct origins, and to expose the long-ignored skeletons of philanthropy's deep, historical closets. All of this, achieved in no more than 110 pages, is a testament to Beer's intellectual acuity. Delicately balancing descriptive, historical narration and normative analysis, Beer portrays philanthropy's protracted effort to effectively crowd out traditional charity while emphasizing the importance of those "personalist" goods that were lost in the caustic conflict."—The University Bookman

"Jeremy Beer has written a synthetic masterpiece that triples as a history, interrogation, and indictment of modern professional philanthropy."—Walter A. McDougall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian

"It is a testament to philanthropy's epistemic dominance within contemporary discourse on doing good that one rarely encounters any real challenge to its authority. But with his recent book, Jeremy Beer does precisely that. Elegantly, concisely, and passionately argued, The Philanthropic Revolution chronicles an alternative tradition, a counter-ethic, grounded in the practice of charity, a sense of place, and a commitment to the promotion of authentic human communion. Beer's important intervention should be read by all who care about making a difference in this world-even, and perhaps most urgently by, philanthropy's fiercest partisans."—Benjamin Soskis, Center for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Policy, George Mason University