Synopsis of Your Mark on the World:

Your Mark On The World combines inspiring stories of ordinary people doing remarkable things to make the world a better place with practical advice to empower anyone to give more to a cause (charity, non-profit or social venture) without giving up a career or family.

The inspiring stories include:

Botevy’s life and death struggle through Pol Pot’s killing fields that led her ultimately to create an orphanage in Phnom Penh.

Rick’s personal crusade to cure cystic fibrosis to ensure that his two afflicted grandchildren will attend his funeral and not the other way around.

The eight-member Smith family’s world service tour.

David’s decision to walk away from a successful career as an international executive to volunteer to care for victims of leprosy in rural India.

These stories are combined with practical financial advice to empower you to give more to a cause without giving up your family or your career.

The book answers these questions:

How do I get out of debt and stay out of debt?

Which charity or cause do I choose to make my donation?

How do I decide where to volunteer?

How can our family plan a volunteer vacation?

How can I save money for retirement?

How much should I contribute to my 401k?

Can I use Mint to manage my budget?

How to retire early enough to devote healthy years to volunteering?

This must-read book provides an overview of philanthropy in America and around the world, providing you with a clear picture of charity and its fruits. You’ll learn the ability to leave your mark on the world.

Rae’s Thoughts:

This is a wonderful book filled with inspiring stories as well as tips on how everyone can make their own mark on the world without worrying about debt. Speaking of debt, the book also offers valuable advice on how to overcome financial pitfalls as well as saving for the future. After all it can be difficult to give when you can barely make ends meet.

But it goes farther than money. Volunteerism is also a wonderful way to give back to the cause of your choosing, and the stories shared revolve around the experiences of individuals. Read as others have made small steps in their lives that have changed the lives of others greatly. You will leave not only wanting to help others, but immediately trying to find ways to leave your own mark on the world.

The stories and information given are great for all ages. It will make a great gift to teens, newlyweds, and even college students, but it is never too late to start saving for the future and giving your time and/or money to the cause(s) of your choice. The tools given, and if followed, will help to shape a better tomorrow as we work to get out of debt (and stay there!), and thus freeing up money to give to those in need (or to fund a volunteerism sabbatical).

As for the author of Your Mark on the World, the writing was easy to follow, and there were no confusing terms thrown around. This is why anyone can read and utilize the tools given. Every financial term was explained, and I even learned a lot about the different types of investments out there without feeling as if my head were about to explode. I hate math, and I rarely use the word hate, so the formulas provided as well as the charts were extremely helpful in helping me to figure out how much I need to save now to afford college for my three children. Overall I found the book helpful, and the stories were inspiring, some to the point of tears.

Interview With Devin D. Thorpe

Rae: Welcome to Literary Sweet, Mr. Thorpe. Please tell us a bit about yourself and Your Mark on the World.

Mr. Thorpe: Thanks, Rae. It is a pleasure to be with you today. As a successful business executive with 25 years of experience and nearly $500 million of corporate transactions under my belt as an investment banker or corporate executive, I’ve left all that behind to lead a personal crusade to make the world a better place. Your Mark On The World is my first effort to share with the world my hope that we can all do more to make the world a better place.

Rae: I really enjoyed the agnostic approach you took in writing. We all have charities we love and support, and as long as they are legitimate there really isn’t a wrong choice. Could you please share some of your favorite or memorable charities that you have worked with?

Mr. Thorpe: Thank you for reading the book; I couldn’t agree more that among legitimate causes you can’t make a bad choice. I was overwhelmed by the love of a grandfather for his grandchildren suffering from cystic fibrosis; he helped to increase fundraising for CF in his region three-fold. I was humbled by the love of a poor woman in Cambodia who, despite her own poverty, launched an orphanage. I was inspired by a 27-year-old young man who works graveyard shifts to support himself and devotes himself nearly full time to his own charitable organization that operates in Kenya, Israel and Cambodia. Ultimately, I came away from my research convinced that we can all do more to leave a mark on the world.

Rae: What inspired you most to write Your Mark on the World?

Mr. Thorpe: While I was considering this project, I was visiting Cambodia and met the Smith family from Idaho with their six kids. They were traveling around the world doing service projects everywhere they went. When I met them, they had nearly 40 orphans in tow, visiting Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site. They were changing lives. It was clear to me then that my contribution–writing Your Mark On The World–would be easy by comparison.

Rae: Do you have any advice for younger children, and how they can help to make their own mark (with parental help of course)?

Mr. Thorpe: The Smiths provide great examples for kids getting involved. Their 15-year-old completed his Eagle Scout Project in Cambodia while he was there. Scouts all around the U.S. are leading millions of hours of service. 4H clubs teach leadership and service. A few weeks ago, I met a high school student who had launched a nonprofit called BagsToRiches to collect left over conference bags for the homeless. Young people often have the passion to make a difference and parents sometimes need only to get out of the way.

Rae: Do you have any advice for spouses or couples who may not see eye to eye on charities? Perhaps they have different views of what is important to give their time and/or money to, or one does not believe in giving at all.

Mr. Thorpe: That is a great question. It is important for anyone who wants to do more for a cause to find a cause that fires your passion. It is equally important to find a cause that you can support with your spouse and with friends, making the cause an integral part of of your social life. To me, that means that spouses should seek agreement and partnership on the causes they support and the amount of time and money they give to a cause. Choosing well will bring couples closer together while they leave their mark on the world.

Rae: Many areas are still feeling the recession even though it has passed. This inadvertently leads to tighter belts and wallets. How can we help to inspire those around us to look at the larger picture of charitable giving in tough times?

Mr. Thorpe: You’ve hit the nail on the head. Giving to charity is always hard. Giving during a recession is much harder. That’s why it is so important for families to manage their finances well, empowering themselves to thrive through recession and enabling them to continue giving. One benefit of the recession has been that many of us have refocused our attention on the things that matter most, eschewing conspicuous consumption in favor of providing for our families and leaving a meaningful legacy for posterity–one that makes the world a better place.

Rae: Thank you for allowing me to do this interview, and I hope you have enjoyed your stop at Literary Sweet. I have one more question before you go. You have a strong financial background, and you took the time to really lay out the terms so that everyday people could understand.

Many of my readers come from all walks of life. Some work everyday jobs, and quite a few are self-employed in various industries. For the most part it seems the advice could be used for both traditionally employed and self employed. When getting out of debt, saving for the future, or to make our own mark, is there anything special or different that we the self-employed need to know?

Mr. Thorpe: Rae, I appreciate how insightful your questions are. Self-employed people often face exaggerated financial challenges with greater swings in their income; it sometimes seems that it’s always feast or famine. The financial advice in the book is therefore more important for the self-employed. In general, the advice remains the same; it is just more important for the self-employed to get out of debt, stay out of debt, and save for the future.

Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Thank you for reading Your Mark On The World and for your thoughtful questions!