This week researchers reported that tests with monkeys discovered that the animals will consistently choose to share food with another monkey if given the option.

According to the research team this shows that the animals are capable of empathy. For more information, check out this article on Reuters’ website.

Earlier today I did five hours of interviews all in radio stations across the US, including the nationally syndicated Bob and Lori show on ABC.

Lots of fun, and many great questions. A number of these shows were taped and will play over the next week on stations in Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Missouri.

"The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches us All" is at # 22 now on Amazon.ca (on the first day of release) and # 606 on Amazon.com.

Your participation by buying the book, telling your friends about it and writing 5 star reviews on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca will spread the message of giving.

My co-author Harvey McKinnon and I have put tons of hours and resources over the past two years. We need your help to spread the message wider.

Why should you do this?  Giving is good for you. It provides the following benefits:

When you buy The Power of Giving, you automatically make a small donation to charities.

Azim and I decided that in the spirit of giving, all author royalties from The Power of Giving will go to non-profits.

Our goal is to raise $500,000 – which means we have to sell an awful lot of books. We hope if you're reading this blog that you will help.

Today I got up early to work on The Power of Giving campaign. I was wide awake when my wife Marcia stumbled into the kitchen and shuffled like a zombie towards the cappuccino maker (we live on the West Coast so we have to have espresso).

I told her to go sit out on the porch – I would be delighted to make her coffee.

And I was.

August 1, 2008 was my dad and mum’s 55th wedding anniversary. My wife tactfully reminded me by leaving a card for me to see when I woke up in the wee hours of the morning (my usual routine).

I wrote out the following and tucked the card inside my parent’s room: Dearest Dad, Mum, Bapa (grandfather) and Dadimaa (grandmother).

In The Power of Giving, there is a special section on teaching your children to give. It is one of my favourite pieces. That’s because when children learn to give, it will enhance their relationships, develop their compassion and increase their success in the world. Plus, you should remember, they’ll be the ones deciding on what nursing home to put you into.

Thank you very much for coming to The Power of Giving site. We both appreciate your time. Our hope is that you will be inspired, and that you will personally benefit from paying more attention to how you give and act in our world. Based on our experience, the benefits to you, your family, and your community will be enormous.

In this blog you will sometimes find pieces that are written by both Azim and Harvey. You'll also often find individual pieces written by just one of us. You'll see that we have different voices, different interests, and different perspectives.