When one of the first sociologists, Auguste Comte (1798–1857), coined the term “altruism” in 1851 to describe selfless concern for the benefit of others, he did so to replace erstwhile well established terms like “love,” “care,” and “compassion” that were fraught with religious, mainly Christian connotations, while at the same time contrasting it with the selfish behavioral attitude of “egoism.” Beginning with Pitirim A. Sorokin's study of Altruistic Love (1950), altruism became a research topic in its own right, notably in the Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity Section of the American Sociological Association, with a remarkably large body of literature, to which the book reviewed here belongs, as one of the most recent publications.

Based on a symposium on the same theme held in connection with the 34th Annual Conference of the Society for Cross‐Cultural Research, February 23–27, 2005, at Santa Fe, NM, and convened by the volume's editor, the book contains contributions by 21 authors of different nationalities in 13 chapters, 7 of which are based on papers originally presented at this conference. While a “Foreword” by senior cross‐cultural psychologist Harry C. Triandis (vii–xi) aptly leads into the subject matter, the “Afterword” (chapter 13, pp. 159–63), by Steven G. Post and Matthew T. Lee, concludes that “other‐regarding behaviors are without exception endorsed in all major world religions and in the world cultures that have grown up around them” (p. 159) which allows us to assume that altruism is “a universal value” indeed (p. 163). (Post is a physician and Lee a sociologist, and both are engaged in the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, Stony Brook, NY.)

The first three chapters discuss with impressive critical awareness methodological aspects of altruism research in general (Juris G. Draguns, chapter 1, pp. 1–16) and in cross‐cultural contexts in particular (Sandi W. Smith et al., chapter 2, pp. 17–29; Kathryn Coe, Craig T. Palmer, chapter 3, pp. 31–44). Other chapters of the book demonstrate the cross‐cultural existence and validity of altruism in various ways, be it by analyzing altruism in folktales (Alexandra Arkhipova, Artem Kozmin; chapter 5, pp. 57–70), or the practice of spirit healers in Puerto Rico (Joan Koss‐Chioino, chapter 10, pp. 123–37), by studying altruistic aspects in sponsorship of village festivals in Mexico (Garry Chick, chapter 11, pp. 139–49), the helping behaviors of adolescent youths in Guatemalan Maya communities (Judith L. Gibbons, chapter 4, pp. 45–56) or volunteering across cultures (Henrietta Grönlund, chapter 6, pp. 71–84). In addition to these case studies, the editor includes three contributions by Asian authors who approach the issue from distinct Chinese and Indian perspectives, thereby broadening the spectrum considerably. Yueh‐Ting Lee et al. state in “Daoism and Altruism” (chapter 7, pp. 85–100) that altruism “is one of the most essential components” in Daoism (p. 91). Abhik Gupta, the author of chapter 8 (“Altruism in Indian Religions: Embracing the Biosphere,” pp. 101–12), holds that “many Eastern religions … are characterized by the altruistic treatment of plants, animals, and even entire ecosystems and landscapes such as rivers, forests, and mountains, and recognize them as ‘kin’ or hold them sacred and inviolable,” suggesting to label this “biosphere altruism” (p. 102). Indian “philosopher‐psychologist” (p. 169) Sangeetha Menon discusses altruism in light of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 9, pp. 113–21). She questions “whether altruism and selfish behavior are better understood if we make a deliberate shift of focus from the act … as articulated in preservationist, hedonistic theories evidenced in the sociobiological literature, to formation of self‐identities … and the process of self‐transformation” (p. 114), and deduces that according to the Indian scriptures studied altruism “is not an emotion or action” but expression of “contentment that is experienced in the inner depths” so that “there is no giving up or sacrifice, and no expectation or disillusionment, but only expression of joy” (pp. 120–21). It remains to be seen if such an interpretation is still within the bounds of altruism studies proper.

Chapter 12 (“To Give or Not to Give: Confessions of a Humanitarian Aid Worker,” pp. 151–57), by clinical psychologist and former president of the Society for Cross‐Cultural Research Lewis Aptekar, is a stand‐alone text in which the author reflects upon his experiences while engaging in relief work in an Ethiopian refugee camp in 1996–1998. The editor is to be lauded for including these very personal musings, which were actually shared on the occasion of the symposium in Santa Fe in 2005, in this otherwise strictly scientific publication (Chapters 1–11 have extensive references, while this one has none), thereby indicating awareness that any serious discussion of altruism cannot ignore the inner struggle of those who make honest attempts at acting altruistically.

Short biographical notes about the contributors (pp. 165–71) and the editor (p. 173) as well as a general index (pp. 175–80) conclude this book, which is a high‐quality tool for cross‐cultural studies of altruism and beyond.