The Cathedral Within: Transforming Your Life by Giving Something Back

by Bill Shore

Book Overview

In this wise and inspiring book, social entrepreneur Bill Shore shows us how to make the most of life and do something that counts. Like the cathedral builders of an earlier time, the visionaries described in this memoir share a single desire: to create something that endures. The extraordinary people Shore has met on his travels represent a new movement of citizens who are tapping into the vast resources of the private sector to improve public life...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375758291
• ISBN13: 9780375758294
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Right on the mark

This is a book that touches the heart of both important social issues and the reader. Written in a wonderfully open style the author writes from a perspective of sharing rather than preaching. Bill Shore's approach of tying his view of how the issues of today's society can be most effectively addressed to his personal experiences, rather than theory and conjecture, brings substantial credibility to his writings.The issues addressed are those of scaling the resources of non-profit, public service, organizations to meet the growing needs of our society in the face of shrinking government resources. The notion of making non-profit organizations self-sufficient is well outlined and easily understood. "The Cathedral Within" is a book that left me feeling encouraged to know that there is not only room for improvemnt in our social structure but that it is being aggressively and effectively pursued.

Not just for non-profits

Bill Shore's enlightening book, "Transforming Your Life by Giving Something Back" is not just about non-profits. It provides insight into every part of human life. He spikes the book with advice about marriage, child care, and friendships. The book, in my opinion, has less to do with non-profits and more to do with living a great life. It is certainly a must read by anyone who cares about humanity.

Cathedral Builders Never Work Alone

Shore has taken the concept of community investment to the spires. The analogy he draws between those who envision a community worthy of its members and those who over centuries built the grand Cathedrals of Europe stirs the soul. Cathedral Builders never work alone; they work in communion across time and across the community. And first they open the cathedrals within their minds and hearts, and allow the people they aspire to serve to build within. This book must be read by all who envisage lasting change through non-profit or similar endeavors. A true communion of the Saints. Shore takes us back to the basics with which we began community. He makes us dream together, stand on each other's shoulders, and lift those who might otherwise be left behind to rise with us to the heights. You cannot come away from this book alone.

Perfect Father's Day Gift - But Buy One for Yourself Too.

Billy Shore doesn't just have a message; he is a great storyteller with a message. The result is a book that you won't want to stop reading until you get to the very last page. Then you will want to go out and do something to make yourself and the world a little bit better place. It has been a long time since I read a book that made me think so much, or reflect so deeply on the world in which we live; or the one that we will leave to the next generations. Shore guides us to the realization that there is much that we can be doing to leave our children the basic freedoms of safety, education and the ability to earn a decent livelihood; things that many of us took for granted. This book has genuine heros and heroines, great parenting stories, humour, lots of examples of what's working, and some very pointed examples of why the clock is ticking for the children of our country. And as the title promises, just reading the book makes you begin to feel empowered to start giving more to get more out of life. A great dose of inspiration and direction for individuals and organizations.

A book for the ages.

Relying on anecdotes and his own experience as a philanthropic executive, Bill Shore has mapped out a new way for nonprofits to generate revenue -- by creating it. By forming corporate partnerships that "create" wealth rather than rely on charitable contributions, which aren't necessarily guaranteed and which represent someone else's money, nonprofits can generate new revenue and thus grow the community's ecomony. The author offers up profiles of some of those leading the charge and he outlines a general means through which charitable contributions and/or "community wealth" enterprise participation can also grow the soul. This is an important book that will be widely read by anyone wanting to make a difference in American society.