Review
"Effective altruism--efforts that actually help people rather than making you feel good or helping you show off--is one of the great new ideas of the twenty-first century. Doing Good Better is the definitive guide to this exciting new movement."--Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature
"Doing Good Better is a superb achievement. This must-read book will lead people to change their careers, their lives, and the world, for the better."--Peter Singer, Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, author of Animal Liberation and The Most Good You Can Do "Doing Good Better is a must-read for anyone with both a heart and a brain. MacAskill demolishes the lazy myths of nothing-you-can-do-ism and demonstrates the power of asking the right questions. This is an important book. It's also surprisingly fun. Figuring out what really helps people is a challenging scientific puzzle, and these pages are full of unexpected twists--enlightening and invigorating."--Joshua Greene, director of Harvard's Moral Cognition Lab, author of Moral Tribes "Humanity currently spends more money on cigarette ads than on making sure that we as a species survive this century. We've got our priorities all wrong, and we need effective altruism to right them. If you want to make a real difference on the biggest issues of our time, you need to read Doing Good Better."-- Jaan Tallinn, cofounder, Skype and Kazaa "Doing Good Better has rare combination of strikingly original ideas, effortless clarity of delivery, and a thoroughgoing practicality that leaves the reader inspired to get out of their chair and take on the world. Humanity faces some big challenges in the 21st century; this is a much-needed manifesto for social change, and Will MacAskill is the ideal ambassador."--Eric Drexler, founder of nanotechnology and author of Engines of Creation
"MacAskill tackles a monumental question: how can we make the biggest difference for the greatest number of people? His answer is a grand vision to make giving, volunteering, spending, and working more worthwhile."--Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take "Are you interested in giving away money more effectively? This is the very best book on how to do that." --Tyler Cowen, Holbert C. Harris Professor of Economics at George Mason University and author of Average is Over "I wish I'd had this structure and insights twenty years ago!"--Caroline Fiennes, Director, Giving Evidence
Product Description
Almost all of us want to make a difference. So we volunteer, donate to charity, recycle or try to cut down our carbon emissions. But rarely do we know how much of a difference we're really making.
In a remarkable re-examination of the evidence, Doing Good Better reveals why buying sweatshop-produced goods benefits the poor; why cosmetic surgeons can do more good than charity workers; and why giving to a relief fund is generally not the best way to help after a natural disaster. By examining the charities you give to, the volunteering you do, the goods you buy and the career you pursue, this fascinating and often surprising guide shows how through simple actions you can improve thousands of lives - including your own.