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When Helping Hurts

How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself

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About this listen

With more than 450,000 copies in print, When Helping Hurts is a paradigm-forming contemporary classic on the subject of poverty alleviation.

Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy - and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself.

Focusing on both North American and Majority World contexts, When Helping Hurts provides proven strategies for effective poverty alleviation, catalyzing the idea that sustainable change comes not from the outside in, but from the inside out.

©2012 Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (P)2021 Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert Christian Living Christianity Poverty & Homelessness Social Sciences
All stars
Most relevant
While the book is written from an Evangelical Christian viewpoint, the premise is 100% accurate. How sustainable aid is done must be rethought. "Helping" must leave the person in need better for the long term, not just meet an immediate prlerceived need (there are of course exceptions in emergencies).

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Reframing aid

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Being a child of God , through Jesus,
I learnt a lot.
Having gone myself on two short term mission trips .
It was recommended to me by an old friend in Australia who told me she wished the book existed when she was a missionary !

Good Insight

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As an agnostic even the preface was a painful listen and I had to return the book. The description should be amended to reflect the fact that it’s very Christian faith centred with constant references to Jesus. Whilst I respect that some people will be fine with this, for those of us who do not belong to a specific faith, the rhetoric is unbearable. Pity, as the general subject does interest me.

There should be a warning that this book is very religious

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This book is essentially region being forced down you throat. Had really hoped it was similar to toxic charity but was not the case, it should be indicated that this is not passing reference to religion but a full assault.

Do not buy

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