The Power of Half at Scarsdale Library Tonight April 14

The Scarsdale Library is pleased to present the authors of The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, on Wednesday April 14th at 7:30 pm in the Scott Room. The book tells the story of the Salwen family, a fairly typical American foursome: baby boomer parents and teenage kids, always busy with school, work, and youth sports. They aspired to the usual “stuff”: new cars, stylish clothes, nice vacations. In the process, they managed to acquire their dream house: a big, beautiful Atlanta home with enough space to allow the Salwens to scatter in different directions.

Everything changed when then fourteen-year-old Hannah had a eureka moment. Seeing a homeless man in her neighborhood alongside a glistening Mercedes, she said, “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.” What followed was an extraordinary decision: motivated by Hannah, the Salwens decided to sell their spacious home and give half of their profits to a worthy charity.

Written in tandem by the father-daughter team of Kevin and Hannah Salwen, The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back is the story of one family’s life-altering decision and its unexpected results. The Salwens hoped that selling their home would allow them to make things better in a small corner of the world. Little did they expect how much they would gain themselves.

About the Authors:

Kevin Salwen was a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal for more than eighteen years. He has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta and works with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Hannah Salwen is a junior at the Atlanta Girls’ School, where she plays volleyball, serves on the student council, and volunteers regularly.

“Mixing humor, inspiration and self-reflection, The Power of Half will give you a whole new perspective on your life.” — Jeffrey Zaslow, coauthor of The Last Lecture

The Power of Half is a story of generosity become realized — a family’s unpretentious, morally introspective life becomes a kind of lived enactment and fulfillment of an old ethical and spiritual imperative: that in giving we receive.” — Dr. Robert Coles

The Power of Half is not just an extraordinary story of a fourteen-year-old girl who pushes her family to look outside of themselves and give something big back to the world. The Salwen father-daughter duo sets a new standard for families and individuals seeking to inject meaning into their lives.” — Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and Drive

“An adventure with a conscience.” — Susanne B. Beck, Executive Director, National Coalition of Girls' Schools