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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
The two messages of the book are we should be giving more and we should be giving effectively (i.e., in such a way as to maximize the lives saved). To the first point, he frames it as every life has equal value, whether it’s someone you know or someone on a different continent, and every dollar you spend on something beyond basic needs could be going to help someone. To the second point, he goes into the Effective Altruism movement, which is a purely utilitarian way of looking at charity. I believe already in both of these things. I have a roof over my head and food on my plate, and don’t ‘need’ much more than that, so I try to give as much as I can, and try to increase it incrementally, and I already follow the EA movement. The book itself is short, but still manages to be a little meandering and doesn’t quite stick on point and gets lost in the weeds of statistics at times. And he, and the EA movement more broadly, suffers from what many of these sorts of movements do - arrogant, white, male syndrome - which comes through here at times. Still, I think it’s a book everyone should read, as the main points are compelling.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
This might not be the most beautifully written page turner ever published, but it makes a simple and compelling point that is hard to refute. It changed my life and I think everyone should read it.
informative
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I like really don't know what to say about this book.
Like we had a love hate relationship. It was an essay... yes an essay and I now realise writing essays is way way way more interesting than reading essays.
I've been trying to tackle this one for a while but due to recieving it for free in a bookstore I was determined to finish. Guys... I got there! 😝
Ok ok but like this book was SO educational and really really made me reconsider my view on the world. Even made me want to donate more a little or just be more helpful yk. Although motivational, some points raised were questionable and at times very utopian and/or goal orientated. Very idealistic.
I loved the content, didn't like reading this though. Very dry.
Reminded me of reality instead of holding me in a suspension of disbelief like my fiction books do.
If you can handle non-fiction I strongly recommend this book!
It is free and also has a free audio book. FREE FREE FREE NO FEE FEE
Like we had a love hate relationship. It was an essay... yes an essay and I now realise writing essays is way way way more interesting than reading essays.
I've been trying to tackle this one for a while but due to recieving it for free in a bookstore I was determined to finish. Guys... I got there! 😝
Ok ok but like this book was SO educational and really really made me reconsider my view on the world. Even made me want to donate more a little or just be more helpful yk. Although motivational, some points raised were questionable and at times very utopian and/or goal orientated. Very idealistic.
I loved the content, didn't like reading this though. Very dry.
Reminded me of reality instead of holding me in a suspension of disbelief like my fiction books do.
If you can handle non-fiction I strongly recommend this book!
It is free and also has a free audio book. FREE FREE FREE NO FEE FEE
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Medical content, Grief
Given what this book represents and what it means to me, I feel it's important to mention that at the time of writing this you can get a copy of this book for FREE. I stumbled upon it from the effective altruism website (https://www.effectivealtruism.org/), but it appears you can also get it from the book's companion website too (https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/the-book/)
And to be clear I'm not being paid or anything like that. Just want to be a proponent for saving lives.
I finished this a while ago and I'm finally getting around to leaving a review. Unfortunately that means I've already forgotten a lot of the details! Also, I think it's important to add the context that shortly before reading this book I had already (finally) decided to begin donating ~5% of my income, so the book didn't convince me to do so but reaffirmed my notions. Anyway, onto the review...
This book is solid. Peter Singer writes in a plain fashion that I value tremendously. It makes accessible ideas that can quite easily be discussed in complex and convoluted terms that I feel may cause readers to be overwhelmed and lose interest. That happens to me, at least. On the other hand, I think that in an effort to cover the full range of discussion points and appeal to a wide audience there can seem to be a lack of focus or cohesiveness. Alas, can't please everyone I suppose. Though as a counter-counterpoint, I think this shortcoming is also a virtue in the sense that this book acts as pretty nice reference material without being as lifeless as most. Overall, I reiterate this is a solid book that is a pretty quick/easy read. You don't even need to read everything (or in order) to get a lot from it.
Some specific subjects I found interesting (of those I can recall):
1. The data about how much "we" actually donate to help the extreme poor.
The "we" I quoted refers to different contexts -- there are breakdowns by country, household, etc. I believe this was in response to arguments such as "don't we already give enough?" and "why bother giving, it doesn't seem to help". The book goes into great depth analyzing how we, in fact, do not really give that much in the big picture, and how despite that what we do give has had a meaningful effect.
2. Exploring the challenges around the vehicles for giving -- finding organizations, how to know they are good and effective, and pitfalls in certain methods of assessment.
There are a lot of organizations ready and willing to take your money, but how do you know what they do with it and if it's actually effective? I specifically recall Singer going over Charity Navigator and addressing some of the ways they rate organizations potential flaws. He also delves into various organizations that are considered highly effective and examines why. While approximated, he goes into a level of detail to determine the actual cost to save a life through various means.
3. Discussions of various abstract moral and ethical conundrums.
Why give at all? Is it wrong not to? Why the cause of fighting extreme poverty and not another? How much is enough? Stuff like this.
All in all, a worthwhile read. From what I gather via reviews, it may not even be close to Singer's best book. I consider that exciting because I'm super interested in reading others. This book may not be as worthwhile for you if you're already committed to fighting extreme poverty, but I'd still argue it's a wonderful reminder and a great distillation of ideas and information to share with others.
And to be clear I'm not being paid or anything like that. Just want to be a proponent for saving lives.
I finished this a while ago and I'm finally getting around to leaving a review. Unfortunately that means I've already forgotten a lot of the details! Also, I think it's important to add the context that shortly before reading this book I had already (finally) decided to begin donating ~5% of my income, so the book didn't convince me to do so but reaffirmed my notions. Anyway, onto the review...
This book is solid. Peter Singer writes in a plain fashion that I value tremendously. It makes accessible ideas that can quite easily be discussed in complex and convoluted terms that I feel may cause readers to be overwhelmed and lose interest. That happens to me, at least. On the other hand, I think that in an effort to cover the full range of discussion points and appeal to a wide audience there can seem to be a lack of focus or cohesiveness. Alas, can't please everyone I suppose. Though as a counter-counterpoint, I think this shortcoming is also a virtue in the sense that this book acts as pretty nice reference material without being as lifeless as most. Overall, I reiterate this is a solid book that is a pretty quick/easy read. You don't even need to read everything (or in order) to get a lot from it.
Some specific subjects I found interesting (of those I can recall):
1. The data about how much "we" actually donate to help the extreme poor.
The "we" I quoted refers to different contexts -- there are breakdowns by country, household, etc. I believe this was in response to arguments such as "don't we already give enough?" and "why bother giving, it doesn't seem to help". The book goes into great depth analyzing how we, in fact, do not really give that much in the big picture, and how despite that what we do give has had a meaningful effect.
2. Exploring the challenges around the vehicles for giving -- finding organizations, how to know they are good and effective, and pitfalls in certain methods of assessment.
There are a lot of organizations ready and willing to take your money, but how do you know what they do with it and if it's actually effective? I specifically recall Singer going over Charity Navigator and addressing some of the ways they rate organizations potential flaws. He also delves into various organizations that are considered highly effective and examines why. While approximated, he goes into a level of detail to determine the actual cost to save a life through various means.
3. Discussions of various abstract moral and ethical conundrums.
Why give at all? Is it wrong not to? Why the cause of fighting extreme poverty and not another? How much is enough? Stuff like this.
All in all, a worthwhile read. From what I gather via reviews, it may not even be close to Singer's best book. I consider that exciting because I'm super interested in reading others. This book may not be as worthwhile for you if you're already committed to fighting extreme poverty, but I'd still argue it's a wonderful reminder and a great distillation of ideas and information to share with others.