The Eight Steps of Giving Nearly a thousand years ago the great philosopher and physician Maimonides, known to Hebrew scholars as Rambam, pondered the question of righteousness Out of it came the Ladder of Charity. Rambam's Ladder, written by Julie Salamon, the bestselling author and New York Times culture writer, is a book that will inspire every reader to get a toehold on the ladder and start climbing. In eight chapters, one for each rung, the book helps us navigate the world of giving. How much to give? How do we know if our gifts are being used wisely? Is it bettter to give anonymously? Along the way, Rambam's Ladder will help all of us make our lives, and the lives of those around us, better. Julie Salamon, a culture writer and critic for The New York Times since May 2000, has also been a reporter and film critic for The Wall Street Journal. Her journalism has appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Bazaar, and The New Republic. Salamon is the author of six books, White Lies, a novel; The Devil's Candy, a study of Hollywood film making gone awry; The Net of Dreams, a family memoir; The Christmas Tree, a novella that was a New York Times best-seller; and Facing the Wind. Salamon received a B.A. degree from Tufts University and a J.D. degree from New York University Law School. She lives in New York with her husband and two children. SPECIAL BONUS: Questions and Answers with the Julie Salamon Why the title Rambam's Ladder? I wanted to pay homage to this great teacher. But I also like the visual image of a ladder when I think about giving. I've always liked to climb, with the perhaps wistful hope that when I reach the top I'll be able to see everything. Usually, though, the most interesting things happen on the journey, and that's exactly what happened as I negotiated Rambam's Ladder. How did you come to choose Maimonides, a medieval philosopher, to be your guide to how we give today? The idea came to me not long after September 11. Like many people, the tragedy forced me to look closely at my values. Why do I believe in the things I do? How do I teach my children to be good in the face of evil? A friend suggested I read Maimonides, who was also known as Rambam. I was astounded to find how relevant his "Ladder of Charity" remains. The urge to do good feels like a life raft in the river of human troubles that flows from then to now. And the subtitle? I understand the meditation of generosity, but why is it "necessary to give?" While doing research for the book, I talked to all kinds of people--including the powerful (chairmen of large corporations) and the powerless (the homeless). They had one thing in common: all of them felt an urge to give. For all of them, in very different ways, giving gave them a connection to other people that couldn't be made in any other way. The lowest level on the Ladder belongs to the reluctant giver. The highest to the person who gives someone a loan. Where do you stand? Everyone asks me that. What I've discovered is the ladder goes up and down. Some days I feel as though I've had a glimpse of that big vista from the top; other days, I'm grumpy and can't even get a toehold on the Ladder. The book deals frankly with the frustrations of giving as well as the gratification, because the relationship between giver and recipient is a complicated one. This seems very personal--how did finishing the book make you do anything differently? One thing is certain: the more I've learned about the complexities of giving, the more meaningful the experience has been for me. I've been volunteering at one thing or another all my life but never considered why. What do you hope people take away from the book? I hope they learn something about what motivates people to connect with their fellow humans. I would like the book to be a catalyst for discussion

Mode of access: World Wide Web