A Versatile American Institution: The Changing Ideals and Realities of Philanthropic Foundations, David C. Hammack and Helmut K. Anheier. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2013, 273 p, $26.95. ISBN: 0815721943

The growth of foundations over the last few decades reflects several aspects of American history: opportunity to amass great fortunes; the persistence of many religious, social, and national traditions and distinctive secular perspectives; the rise of the West and the South; continuing commitment to communities defined by locality and culture; and the American struggle to balance commerce with lasting values and with expanded rights to individual autonomy and freedom of expression. (Hammack and Anheier 2013, 119)