ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The seeds for this book were planted by my grandparents, Florence and Paul Borock, who tirelessly
invested their time and energy in others without expecting anything in return. Growing up, my
curiosity about psychology and fascination with the quality of work life were sparked by my parents,
Susan and Mark. My diving coach, Eric Best, showed me that psychology was a major force behind
success, introduced me to the power of giving in developing others, and encouraged me to pursue a
career that combined psychology and writing. I found that career thanks to Brian Little, whose
wisdom and generosity changed the course of my life. Brian embodies the very best of the human
condition, and it is due to his depth of knowledge, commitment to students, and ability to captivate an
audience that I became a professor. As I began to study organizational psychology, I benefited
tremendously from the mentoring of Jane Dutton, Sue Ashford, Richard Hackman, Ellen Langer, and
Rick Price. In particular, Jane has challenged me to think more deeply and encouraged me to reach
more broadly in striving to do research that makes a difference.
They say it takes an army to write a book, and mine was no exception: I felt very lucky to work
with an army of givers whose fingerprints grace each page. Leading the charge was Richard Pine at
InkWell, who exemplifies every quality that an author could possibly want in an agent. Richard has a
true gift for seeing the potential in ideas and people, and is uniquely skilled and passionate in
connecting them in powerful ways that use the written word to make the world a better place. From
helping me find my voice in writing for a popular audience and championing the topic, to offering
keen insights about the substance and identifying successful givers in our midst, Richard has had an
indelible impact on this book and my life.
The other major creative force behind this book was editor extraordinaire Kevin Doughten.
Among his many contributions, it is noteworthy that it was Kevin who put George Meyer on my radar
and recognized that a unique feature of giver success lies in lifting others up. Kevin knows from
personal experience, as this is the influence of his success on his authors. His perceptive,
comprehensive feedback sharpened the structure, strengthened the arguments, and enriched the stories
and studies—and motivated me to rewrite three chapters from scratch. Along with shaping every
sentence in the book, Kevin’s guidance has fundamentally altered the way that I approach writing
more generally.
At Viking, Rick Kot has gone far above and beyond the call of duty in offering his ingenuity,
discerning eye, social capital, and stewardship. I feel fortunate to benefit from his support and the
editorial, publicity, and marketing contributions of Catherine Boyd, Nick Bromley, Peter Chatzky,
Risa Chubinsky, Carolyn Coleburn, Winnie De Moya, Andrew Duncan, Clare Ferraro, Alexis Hurley,