Julie Salamon, a novelist and culture writer for the New York Times and a long-time volunteer for the Bowery Residents' Committee, was inspired to write Rambam's Ladder by the events of September 11. This is a very personal book, and draws on Salamon's lifetime of experience with volunteering and charitable giving. "Rambam" is another name for Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides. Writing about Jewish law in Arabic, in the twelfth century, one of his interests was "how to give with compassion and common sense." His "Ladder" is an eight-step continuum of charity, from the lowest form, "Reluctance" (giving begrudgingly), to the highest, "Responsibility," which is to give the gift of self-reliance, as in the adage "teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

It is obvious that Salamon is someone who struggles over the details of whether to give, or not to give, on a daily basis. For example, sections of the book deal with a homeless man whom she alternately avoids and then gives money to, finally, after a long while, telling him her first name.

The audience for this book is, basically, everyone. We can all benefit from its prod to examine how and why we volunteer, make charitable donations, help in times of crisis, give handouts to the "deserving" and/or the "undeserving." It strikes a good balance between the anecdotal and the factual. Salamon's philosophical musings are interlaced with information such as the difference in giving patterns between Americans and the British, the percentage of their income that most Americans give, and the fact that among the 22 richest members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation, the United States, the richest nation in the world, gives the smallest percentage (albeit the largest dollar amount) of their GDP for international aid.This is an extremely user-friendly book...it is short and has large type! There is a separate chapter for each step on the ladder of charity, beginning with the lowest, and the chapter openers clearly show you where you are. There are also useful appendices.

Living in an era known for its selfishness, it is refreshing to find a young professional who is so personally invested in taking the measure of her own generosity level, as well as that of her friends, neighbors, city, and nation.

For additional citations to materials on this topic, refer to Literature of the Nonprofit Sector Online, using the subject heading "Philanthropy" or Individual giving."