I’m a city boy, so I was looking forward to reading a book about transforming cities. According to the pre-release information I was given on this one, lives are being transformed through “disruptive generosity.” I wanted to know more.

The focus is more on the generosity and the donors than on people whose lives were transformed, which was a bit of a disappointment for me Also, I ignored the instructions on how to read this volume, which I think contributed to a certain amount of dissatisfaction on my part.

This book is supposed to be inspirational, and in many ways it is. Meant to be read as a study/devotional, it is supposed to encourage giving by providing stories of people across the world who are giving big. Probably better to read a chapter at a time rather than consume it in a day’s reading at the beach like I did.

The chapters are short, and left me wanting more. More details, more background, more of the impact of these generous people. There are no stories of those who are the recipients of the generosity, and there is way too much detail on when Mac Pier first met them and what type of pie they cooked for him. These are the people from his network, and while I had never heard of him before it seems many people have. A good editor would have cut out a lot of the details, made the annoyingly short sentences longer and made this a better book.

What I really did like was the way the book is set up. Each chapter starts with a passage from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, words relevant to the story being told. Then comes the story, followed by questions in context of the issues raised and then a prayer arising out of the questions. I found those to be thought provoking.

Maybe it is my inherent poverty, or an application Matthew 6:3 (which says when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing), but I found the emphasis on money made me feel a little uncomfortable. I can be inspired by someone who gives away 90 per cent of their income – that is something we can all aspire to, no matter how little or how much we make. I am more uncomfortable with stories that include specific amounts, that so and so cut a cheque for $50,000 for this ministry or $1,000,000 for that endeavor. That doesn’t inspire me; that just flaunts their wealth.

More motivational details would probably cushion that unease. Why do people give to the causes they do? And what are the on the ground results of those donations? How are the cities being transformed? I really don’t know.

In almost every chapter I was left with questions. I want to know more about the people being profiled and what return, if any, they expect. Some of these philanthropists probably deserve their own biography. All of the chapters should have been twice as long. But then they would be too long for the devotional format.

Having read the book I am still left wondering about the transformation of cities, which is what I wanted to know about when I first opened the pages. In most cases I don’t know what was really done with the money – I didn’t recognize the programs it was given to. It is inspiring though to know that there are still people who are willing to give large sums for the benefit of others. I’m not sure if that inspires philanthropy on the part of those of us who have less disposable income, but I can’t say that it doesn’t.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”

Can the wealthy make a difference in the Kingdom of God and influence the spread of the gospel? Pier believes that money can be used in the temporal realm to impact the eternal. He gives us many examples of wealthy people doing exactly that.

There are thirty one stories and Pier suggests reading one a day. He then suggests praying about how God can use us. There are points to remember at the end of each story as well as a printed prayer.

These are stories about people with great personal wealth. People like Mart Green whose father started Hobby Lobby. People like the man who sold his company for a billion dollars. People who establish foundations from their wealth. People who head multi-million dollar companies with thousands of employees. People who own sports teams.

The stories are inspiring in that it is good to know that there are people of great personal wealth who are using that wealth to advance the gospel. The stories are good examples to Christians of great personal wealth, showing how that wealth can be used to advance God's purposes in the world.

I am unclear as to the inspiration these stories might be to the rest of us, those in the middle class or lower. It is good to be reminded that generosity can be exercised at any level of wealth. It is also good to be reminded that God is using people in the business and financial worlds. We may not have the resources of the wealthy but we can use the gifts we have to expand God's Kingdom.

I recommend this book to people of wealth and influence. You will be encouraged and inspired by the stories contained within. I also recommend this book to Christians who feel called to work in the marketplace. These stories will illustrate how God has used many people in a variety of professions.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

To see highly successful (i.e., super wealthy) Christians apply their wealth to well thought out and effective causes on behalf of the gospel is inspiring. As a decidedly non-wealthy individual, I am grateful for and have benefited from projects funded by people who have the ability to write checks with 5, 6, or even 7 digits. Mac Pier, CEO of the New York City Leadership Center, has had many occasions to be on the receiving end of such checks, and tells some of those stories in A Disruptive Generosity: Stories of Transforming Cities Through Strategic Giving.


My somewhat cynical title for this review, or maybe alternative subtitle of the book, is "Mac Pier and His Rich Friends." Pier has been involved in some cool, high-profile ministries and events around the world, like the Lausanne conferences, Movement Day, and, of course, the Leadership Center he heads. He runs in the kinds of circles where he can ask for--and receive--million dollar gifts for a project.


A Disruptive Generosity disappointed me on the level of spiritual reflection on wealth. Pier writes, "God is allowing marketplace leaders to be successful and then point them toward a larger kingdom opportunity." Some of the generous people he profiles became wealthy, then had a profound conversion and subsequently directed their hearts toward God and his purposes. Others were committed Christians who built successful companies, then once they "made it big," decided to start a lifestyle of giving. And some were faithful givers from the start, expanding their giving as their wealth grew.


But how do they model giving for the average Christian? Is there a connection between faithfulness and wealth? Does giving produce grace or does grace produce the capacity to give? Maybe these questions are outside the scope of Pier's book. While I enjoyed reading about these givers and the impact they have had and continue to have around the world, my response tended to be, "Well, I could do some cool stuff with my money, too, if I had any! If I'm a billionaire, I can throw a million here and a million there, no problem." A better response, but one that A Disruptive Generosity did not elicit in me, would have been, "Wow, even though my means are modest, I should be more deliberate and sacrificial in my own giving."


Pier can't control my response to his book, of course, so I'm sure it's not fair of me to dwell on my own response. The greater picture he is a look at a variety of "gospel patrons," people who, with their wealth, can make a major impact on the spread of the gospel. Pier writes, "God uses the professional success of marketplace leaders to give them a strategic and globally influential platform." I certainly can't relate to the level of giving on which Pier's subjects operate, but I do appreciate getting a glimpse into that world.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!