Books
“This book by imaginative philanthropist-businessman Scott MacDonald tackles one of the hottest issues of the recent presidential campaign: the explosion of student debt. Blending smart analysis of its causes with humanizing and empathic stories of the burden this debt places on student futures and lives, MacDonald argues for a mixed plate of solutions that are built on his own creative approach to philanthropy. That approach, which leaves students better off and better people than when MacDonald finds them, is one worth replicating across the country. A must-read for those interested in how to build public-private solutions to one of our nation’s most pressing issues.”
Education Without Debt
Giving Back and Paying It Forward
Almost 50 million Americans have cumulatively borrowed more than $1.5 trillion to attend college. Roughly one-third of all adults aged 25 to 34 have a student loan. In Education without Debt, businessman and philanthropist, Scott MacDonald examines the real-life impact of crushing levels of student debt on borrowers and what can be done to fix this crisis.
Weaving together stories of debt-impaired lives with stories of personal success achieved with the essential help of financial aid, MacDonald reveals the devastating personal and societal impact of the debt problem and offers possible solutions. He explores the efforts of colleges and private philanthropists to make education affordable and relates his own experience of funding financial aid for need-eligible students at five universities.
Education without Debt is a must-read book for anyone concerned about the rising cost of education and what to do about this critical policy and societal issue.
Coming Soon
Legacy, An Ancestral Journey Through American History
Legacy presents the history of America with emphasis on the founding of America and early colonial history. Special chapters focus on key events and circumstances such as the Pilgrims in New England, Jamestown, the Revolutionary War, wagon trains to Ohio, the introduction of slavery, and much more. The book follows a tradition of research and documenting how and why America and the United States came to be.
Legacy differs from existing history books by relying on many years of ancestry research and experiencing history through the eyes of my ancestors. My father’s ancestors lived primarily in the north, arriving on early ships including The Mayflower. They helped build New England and founded numerous towns including on Cape Cod. Many of my mother’s ancestors, including some at Jamestown, moved to the South and share descriptions of plantation life and slavery.
Some of my ancestors were native Americans representing four tribes. Their situation before and after the arrival of Europeans offer still another perspective of the founding and development of America. The book is a narrative but organized by ancestor lineage and offers a rich understanding of life in the colonies and thereafter through the lives and experiences of real people.
Scott MacDonald
Other titles from the author
Think Like A Dog
They’re loyal, loving, and big-hearted―dogs are our best friends for a good reason. Yet they have much more to offer than just love and friendship. Let CEO Scott MacDonald and rescue dog Sadie show you how to have a more rewarding life and a more successful career in Think Like a Dog.
With whimsy and insight, Scott and Sadie offer important lessons in loyalty, persistence, leaving your mark, and always being a great sniffer. Scott reveals what Sadie and other dogs teach us about successful work habits and organizational strategies for outstanding business success.
Want a better, happier, and more satisfying life? Want to be successful? Start by understanding a dog’s perspective and applying the lessons learned!
Saving Investa
It was the biggest investment in the history of Morgan Stanley’s $100 Billion real estate fund business; it was one of the largest deals in the history of Australian property. In 2007, Morgan Stanley bought Investa Property Trust for more than $6.5 billion. In less than a year, the investment was in trouble.
Scott MacDonald, an American CEO with no prior experience in Australia, agreed to meet with the Company and Morgan Stanley executives in Sydney for one week in 2008. He returned home more than five years later after guiding Investa through its perilous journey to survival.
The Company moved from crisis to crisis from 2008 through 2012, sometimes avoiding insolvency by hours. The drama of corporate survival is played against the backdrop of the Global Financial Crisis.
The story of corporate struggle draws upon Scott MacDonald’s personal experiences as chapters alternate between his life growing up and the fight to save Investa.