Doing Good Better: Effective Altruism and a Radical New Way to Make a Difference - Softcover

MacAskill, Dr William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1783350512 ISBN 13: 9781783350513

Publisher: Guardian Faber Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Most of us want to make a difference. We donate to charity, buy Fairtrade coffee, or try to cut down on our carbon emissions. Rarely do we know if we're really helping, and despite our best intentions, our actions can have ineffective -- and sometimes downright harmful -- outcomes. Confronting this problem, William MacAskill developed the concept of effective altruism, a practical, data-driven approach which shows that each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good, given the right information. His conclusions are often surprising; by examining the charities we give to, the goods we buy and the careers we pursue, Doing Good Better is a fascinating and original guide which shows how, through simple actions, you can improve thousands of lives -- including your own.

About this title

Review:

Beautifully written and extremely smart. Doing Good Better should be required reading for anyone interested in making the world better. -- Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics

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 21st century. Doing Good Better is the definitive guide to this exciting new movement. -- Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature.

A surprising and often counterintuitive look at the best ways to make a difference.. [MacAskill] is that rarest of beasts: a do-gooder who uses his head more than his heart., Sunday Times

Explains how good intentions can lead to bad outcomes, but also shows how to spend and give away our money more effectively by thinking rationally rather than being swayed emotionally. -- Alice Thomson, The Times

Brilliant... a manual that bounces along, full of counterintuitive insight. I've already changed the charities I donate to as a result of MacAskill's advice, and if you read the book, I expect you will too... The author has fire in his belly and an urgent desire to make the world a better place. His plea is simply to follow the evidence - and as a result, not to waste a minute or a dollar more., Guardian, BOOK OF THE WEEK

We research hotels and headphones and sushi bars-but not charities. That is lunacy. And in this powerful and persuasive book, William MacAskill shows us how much we stand to gain from a little bit of thoughtfulness: The same donation could do hundreds of times more good if given to the most effective charities, rather than the least. If you care about the impact of the time or money you contribute to good causes, this book is a must-read. -- Dan Heath, co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive

Groundbreaking ... a brilliant, smart and refreshing take on the best way to make a difference in the world, MacAskill's wonderfully written vision will strike a chord with anyone who has ever wanted to help a cause., The Herald

[Satisfyingly counterintuitive]...a feel-good guide to getting good done -- Amia Srinivasan, London Review of Books

A data nerd after my own heart. -- Bill Gates

A very good book about charity ... Lots of clever, crisp thinking here. You'll see charity anew. You might give more., Evening Standard

Book Description:

A radical reassessment of how we can most effectively help others by a rising star of philosophy and leading social entrepreneur.

About this edition

• Publisher: Guardian Faber Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1783350512
• ISBN 13: 9781783350513
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336