Good book. Human. Interesting delineation of her depth of character and her family relationships. ( )

Overall I felt like this book had the potential to be incredibly interesting and to offer an insight into the world of a rather unique and special woman. Unfortunately by the time I finished reading the best I could say was there was much unrealized potential. While it does paint an amazing picture of Doris Buffet's charity work, as a biography it leaves much to be desired. The quality of the writing itself is an issue, and the story seems very fragmented and at times hard to follow, like there isn't much of a cohesive theme throughout the book. ( )

There's a point nearly buried in the book that neatly answers why this book on Doris Buffett is more than a mere fluff piece on someone wealthy with the time to answer random letters from strangers in need. See, Doris occasionally gives talks to individuals of similar means who are also interested in giving later in life..only when she goes, she finds that the discussions center around tax benefits and the ways that charitable donations can further protect their fortunes. This, in a nutshell, is why Doris is of the pay-it-forward school of giving. In paying-it-forward, one does not give for the benefit of a tax break. One gives because it is the right thing to do.

Michael Zitz's biography of Doris shows a woman who has not always had an easy road or the best relationships with those close to her. It's clear that Doris wants to make sure that no one assumes she's lead a life of ease and happiness and that her charity comes from some place of boredom and tax shelters. In this, he structures the book by interspersing tales of her Sunshine ladies and bits of biography. While I'm sure this was meant to keep one story from bogging down the other (and it has successfully worked in other books), his usage seems more interruptive in the later half of the book rather than trade-off. Although this is a minor quibble.

High up on the list of reasons to read the book - the individuals that Doris and her Sunshine ladies choose to help and how they choose to help individuals. Help doesn't always come in the form of monetary donations and help doesn't end with an initial handout. These are involved individuals that are willing to be lifelines until the individuals that they've helped are able to pay it forward - in whatever small way they can - to others. ( )

This book was oddly riveting. I loved getting to know Doris and find myself a bit envious of the women whose lives she has touched. If all of us had hearts like hers the world would be a very different place. Would make an excellent book for group discussions. ( )

I thought this would be a facinating look at Buffet's sister. You here so much about her brother...business accumen, hard on family, a tad odd at times...but she's always off in the shadows. Her charity work is wonderful and unique. Unfortunately, the book seems a bit amateurish (that's probably not a word, but you get my point). It was more of an ode to Doris Buffet rather than a biography. It comes off as a magazine article with filler added to get it to book length. Still and all, what she does is amazing. ( )