The Perfect Gift aims to cultivate and enlighten our philanthropic imagination. It addresses us all as present and future philanthropists -- as human beings who give, serve, and seek to promote the well-being of others. It suggests that we are continually confronted with choices about giving, and offers literary selections intended to help us reflect more seriously on these choices.

Editor Amy A. Kass has gathered an intriguing and inspiring collection of readings from many cultures, genres, and time periods. Classical literature, philosophy, and religion are well represented, but so are contemporary and popular writing. The Perfect Gift draws from the works of Aristotle, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, C. S. Lewis, Alexis de Tocqueville, Martin Luther King, P. G. Wodehouse, and Shel Silverstein, among others. Kass's thoughtful introductions guide reflection on when, why, how, to whom, and what we should give.