"It is the voices of counselors, therapists, nurses, physicians, philanthropists, teachers, public service personnel, and volunteers who give this book life," writes Jeffrey Kottler in his Preface, "It is through their eyes, and hearts, that you will enter the world of doing good."

As promised, this small volume avoids abstract discussions of theory, research, and methodology and focuses instead on what the author sees as the uniquely human dimensions of helping others. Written primarily for the beginning volunteer or professional, Doing Good aims to inspire its readers to develop personal qualities of altruism, caring, and compassion.

Writing for the person who is already committed to service for others, Kottler wishes "to inspire you to make a difference in your work with others." Thus, the first chapter "welcomes" the reader with an invitation to reflect on his or her motives for choosing a life devoted to helping others and then moves on to a brief discussion of what might or might not count as helping others. Assuming that professional or volunteer training has already examined the more theoretical aspects of the field, Kottler turns to what he believes is often left out of the discussion – talk about the price one pays for their service to others and the joy that can result from one’s efforts. Thickly interspersed with first-person accounts of doing good, including those of the author, Kottler reminds us that such service will always be more than a job. He concludes that, "it is a calling that requires almost limitless devotion and energy."

Chapter Two turns briefly to some of the consequences of altruism and service. It focuses on the question, why help others and what do we expect to get out of such help? Following a quick review of some of the recent literature on altruism, Kottler considers several of the more cynical explanations of why we help others: kinship bonds, reciprocal altruism, and utilitarian cost-benefit accounting. In addition, there is some discussion of the evolutionary and cultural forces that might pressure us to place community interests above our personal needs.

Although Kottler’s coverage of why we do good is somewhat superficial, it does highlight the key issues. He reminds us that there is no exact dichotomy between helping others and helping yourself. And he is able to show that the more or less cynical accounts for our choosing to do good do not seem to fully account for our conscious choices to reach out of ourselves and offer help to others. Even though considerations of such personality traits as sympathy, empathy, and moral imagination are often associated with those who are altruistic, why some of us do good, concludes our author, still "remains a mystery."

"[T]o flesh out the deeper meaning – not only of love, but caring, altruism, compassion, empathy, justice, and commitment," Kottler next turns to the words of experienced practitioners. Although Kottler believes that we often do good for both altruistic and selfish reasons, he divides the next two chapters into accounts of helping by people "who sing the glory of doing good for the most noble purposes" (Chapter Three) and those who admit in their stories that they do good for some personal gain (Chapter Four). By presenting both "sides," Kottler hopes his reader will realize the somewhat paradoxical nature of doing good. Although "[i]t is certainly preferred to keep our egos out of the picture, to stay in a ‘flow’ state in which our help is effortless and our motives are purely altruistic….it is inevitable that other, more personal needs will intrude." And he believes that it is okay for both selfless and selfish motives for helping to mingle, "but only after you are certain that every action you take is in the best interest of those who are in your care."

Chapter Five takes a more direct approach to the topic and provides a mini-handbook on the various dimensions of helping. Suggesting that the therapeutic process is both simple and complex, Kottler offers a number of suggestions about how best to promote lasting change in clients. Most helpful to the beginner is his reminder that helping is a two way process, a reciprocal act. Thus, "it isn’t your sole responsibility to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it, but rather to act as a guide for others to find their own way."

The proverbial ‘other shoe’ drops in Chapter Six. Whereas the suggestions in Chapter Five are presented to reinforce the commitment to become a more potent professional helper, someone worth listening to and emulating, this next chapter discusses "the price paid." In addition to the excitement and joy of doing good, the caring professional must be prepared, admits Kottler, for personal risks and sacrifices. In particular, the author takes a good look at the complete job description of helping which should include the stress, burnout, and personal depletion that may occur. Acknowledging his own context, the helping relationship between author and reader, he provides a general framework for diagnosing and dealing with "rusting out" or "compassion fatigue," the problem of learning how to live with wounds to your compassion and caring.

In Chapter Seven, Kottler asks, why are not helpers "making even more significant differences in the world?" And he proceeds to discuss some of the excuses and obstacles that can block the commitment to doing good. Although this is a good question, schematically it is placed strangely. After concluding in the previous chapter that, "[t]here is always a price paid, if not in immediate ways, then in long-term effects," one might feel that Kottler has already answered his own question. Although further discussion of the obstacles and constraints to altruistic behavior is an important dimension of helping, it adds to the negative side of helping not to its positive side. To ask why people are reluctant to be more helpful to others might better be considered in earlier chapters following his discussions of how doing good sustains community life and makes us feel better about ourselves.

Kottler concludes his book with some quick advice that comes from his asking "those who have devoted their lives to doing good to reflect on what they wish they had known earlier and what they would have liked to have done a little differently." The resulting list is not too surprising and includes such observations as "take what you do seriously," "keep your sense of humor," "practice what you preach," etc. However, there are a few comments that might require a second look: "move beyond self," "do what’s unnatural," and "learn from those you help." The chapter closes with a short discussion and list of opportunities for promoting other-oriented values in organizations.

Doing Good is written primarily for the beginner who is just learning and practicing helping skills. It aims to complete the job description for aspiring volunteers and professionals by discussing the dimensions of "passion and commitment for helping others" that are too often ignored in other texts in the field. By looking at the experience of helping from the perspectives of those who do the work, this book offers engaging reading. Most importantly, through questions and examples, Kottler constantly challenges the reader to give considerable thought to his or her own motives for choosing to be a helper.

Larry Hultgren describes himself as follows:

A.B. Grinnell College majoring in Philosophy and Religion; Ph.D. Vanderbilt University in Philosophy. Currently Professor of Philosophy at Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, VA. Since I am at a liberal arts college, my teaching runs the gamut of philosophy offerings. I am especially interested in interdisciplinary pursuits, and I direct the college’s Social Ecology Program and our innovative PORTfolio Project which attempts to bring the liberal arts to life for our students by connecting the classroom with real world experiences. I also serve on the Bioethics Committee of the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA, and serve on the Board of Directors of the Bioethics Network of Southeast Virginia.

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