Name: Rohini Anandamurugan's review of Doing Good Better by William MacAskill
Item: Doing Good Better
Rating: 5
Author: Rohini Anandamurugan

William MacAskill

How Effective Altruism Can Help You Help Others, Do Work that Matters, and Make Smarter Choices about Giving Back

Doing Good Better

The cofounder of the Effective Altruism movement presents a counterintuitive approach anyone can use to make a difference in the world. While studying philosophy at Oxford University and trying to work out how he could have the greatest impact, William MacAskill discovered that most of the time and money aimed at making the world a better place achieves little. Why? Because individuals rarely have enough information to make the best choices. Confronting this problem head-on, MacAskill developed the concept of effective altruism, a scientific, data-driven approach to making a difference that operates by asking these five questions: How much will this action improve others' lives? Is this the most effective action I can take? How useful is my contribution, given what others are already doing? What will happen if I don't do it? What are the chances of success, and how good would success be? Applying these principles, he demonstrates that many of our assumptions about doing good are misguided: he argues that one can potentially save more lives by working on Wall Street than as a heart surgeon, that cancer charities are not the best use of money, and that buying sweatshop-produced goods is a form of ethical consumption. MacAskill challenges us to think differently but argues that if we set aside our biases and rely on evidence and careful reasoning, each of us can make a tremendous difference.

How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference

Sodium

Michael Miller Jr. 

Rohini Anandamurugan

Strongly recommend this book (and The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty) for anyone interested in any form of giving.

If Singer's book makes a case for why it's inexcusable for any of us to not be charitable, MacAskill's book builds on it by showing us a framework and alternative options by which we can think of being the "most" charitable (either via donating money or via your career choices). 

I've been struggling with many of the problems listed in this book for quite a long time. I had a couple of theories with which I navigated this path so far, but this book solidifies (and in other areas, corrects) many of these with rational arguments, drawing from economics and basic math. It's a brilliant book and I'm sure I'll keep returning to this frequently. Highly recommend this!

Ben Jenkins

While I definitely did take away some very useful and interesting information, this book was too long, meandering, and repetitive. It could easily have been half the length it was and entire chapters (like the one about choosing a career) could have been entirely cut. 

Also, I was annoyed the entire time I was reading it because the author modelled his book after clickbait, teasing the final list of top causes at the end. 

The info is good, but the presentation of it could have been more succinct for sure.

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.

Effective Altruism and a Radical New Way to Make a Difference

Maryam 

Sophie Shrimpton

A great, evidence-based guide to living an altruistic life. As a morally anxious person who loves effective action this is soothing and enlightening. I plan to assimilate as much as possible in my life.

Michael Miller Jr. &
Doing Good Better by William MacAskill

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Michael Miller Jr. &
Doing Good Better by William MacAskill