The Power of Half

By: Kevin Salwen, Hannah Salwen

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Simultaneous with the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-547-24806-0

The inspiring and moving story of one family’s unlikely quest to stop taking and start giving back—from a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter and his daughter

It all started when 15-year-old Hannah Salwen, idealistic but troubled by a growing sense of injustice in the world, had a eureka moment when a homeless man in her neighborhood was juxtaposed against a glistening Mercedes coupe. “You know, Dad,” she said, pointing, “If that man had a less nice car, that man could have a meal.”

This glaring disparity led the Salwen family of four, caught up like so many other Americans in this age of consumption and waste, to follow Hannah’s urge to stop talking and start doing. And so they embarked on an incredible journey together, deciding to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of their profits to a worthy charity. Each week they met over dinner to discuss their plan. At first it was an outlandish scheme. “What, are you crazy? No way!” Then it was a challenge. “We are TOTALLY doing this.” It would transport them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they found a needy village in Ghana where their commitment of funds and their unwavering follow-through would change lives of hundreds, for good. It would also alter irrevocably the lives of four normal Americans who learned together that half could be so much more.

With deft prose, an unassuming tone, and an endearing sense of humor, The Power of Half chronicles this remarkable, unlikely journey, this reimagining of the American dream, one family at a time. It also offers readers a very accessible road map to employ the power of half to their own lives, no matter one’s means or resources. In that way, it shows readers how to connect their families through a unifying purpose, an antidote to the splintering of American families in this era of iPods, video-gaming, and other solo activities.

Amazing story!

I always have been touched by stories of people that did difference in a community or even in one person life.
Family Salwen’s story of giving filled my heart with hope and desire to do more for others.
Thank you for sharing!

Great Story - Bad Production

The story is incredible. Its a diary / journal of a family that choose to give away half the value of their house to charity. The honesty which the family portrays is incredible.

It took me about 3/4th the way thru the audiobook to get into the voice talent. I just kept thinking, this is such a personal journey and the authors are really bearing their souls here. It would have been much more effective if they told their own story. Example is that the daughter supposedly had all of this emotional drive and mojo that she could motivate people with her story, yet I didn't find the voice actress playing the daughter all that motivating....

Great story. Still worth the buy.