Vigorously argued, beautifully written, drawing intelligently on evidence from surveys and from some extraordinary interviews, Acts of Compassion sheds a great deal of light on a central area of American life, namely volunteerism and charity... A book for the serious scholar and the concerned layperson alike. -- Robert N. Bellah, coauthor of "Habits of the Heart" and "The Good Society"

Robert Wuthnow finds that those who are most involved in acts of compassion are no less individualistic than anyone else--and that those who are the most intensely individualistic are no less involved in caring for others.