Giving. We all think about it. We might even do it. But we can make excuses not to give, and we can give for the wrong reasons. Brad Formsma explores these concepts and more in I Like Giving.

Giving should not be done as an obligation, something that Formsma cautions several times in the book. It shouldn’t even be thought of as an action, but as a way of living. He comments that you aren’t actually living unless you are giving.

Formsma says that guilt should not be the reason to give, nor should you listen to fear and discomfort as excuses not to give. Discomfort is typical at first, but the more you give, the less uncomfortable you will feel.

Along with his encouragement to give, he also gives benefits (though these shouldn’t be the reason for giving, either) that you get in return. He shares the research that others have done to show giving makes you feel better and can actually improve your health.

There are plenty of stories from people, and from the Formsma family, that have had their lives changed by being givers and recipients. They explain why they gave, and what came from the gift. Some were large gifts, but many were just small things, like a meal.

The only problem I really have with this book is a personal opinion. A light blue color is used for headings and page numbers. The smaller font made this more difficult for me to read because it didn’t contrast with the paper well enough. That doesn’t lesson the content of the book in any way.

I received a copy of I Like Giving from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for this review.