Doing Good Better

How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference

By: William MacAskill

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Most of us want to make a difference. We donate our time and money to charities and causes we deem worthy, choose careers we consider meaningful, and patronize businesses and buy products we believe make the world a better place. Unfortunately we often base these decisions on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result even our best intentions often lead to ineffective - and sometimes downright harmful - outcomes. How can we do better?

While a researcher at Oxford, trying to figure out which career would allow him to have the greatest impact, William MacAskill confronted this problem head on. He discovered that much of the potential for change was being squandered by lack of information, bad data, and our own prejudice. As an antidote he and his colleagues developed effective altruism, a practical, data-driven approach that allows each of us to make a tremendous difference regardless of our resources. Effective altruists believe that it's not enough simply to do good; we must do good better.

At the core of this philosophy are five key questions that help guide our altruistic decisions: How many people benefit, and by how much? Is this the most effective thing I can do? Is this area neglected? What would have happened otherwise? What are the chances of success, and how good would success be? By applying these questions to real-life scenarios, MacAskill shows how many of our assumptions about doing good are misguided.

MacAskill urges us to think differently, set aside biases, and use evidence and careful reasoning rather than act on impulse. When we do this - when we apply the head and the heart to each of our altruistic endeavors - we find that each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good.

©2015 William MacAskill (P)2015 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

"Highly useful guidelines to finding the perfect charity worthy of your money." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Amazing introduction to effective altruism

Excellent use of examples to teach the principles of effective altruism.

Very inspiring and I highly recommend it.

Perhaps the most important book of my life

The book is on an extremely important subject: how to have a bigger impact on the world. Macaskill's thinking is incredibly clear, and I found myself enthusiastically applying the book's advice to my own life. The narrator was very easy to listen to, and I plan on listening to the book again, but this time read the text version at the same time and take notes. I am trying not to shove effective altruism down my friend's throats, but I am certainly letting them know I want them to listen to this book.

Uuuuggghhhh

This book changed the way I view a lot of important subjects. Isn't that annoying? If you're looking to stay the same, don't read this book.

Altruism broken down to its simplicity

I absolutely loved this book. William does a great job explaining all of the different paths to living an altruistic life. You evaluate your life, your connections and your skills to fund the most effective way for you to help others. He goes in depth about specific charities, diseases, global problems and personal lifestyle choices. All of which effect the lives of others and the world as a whole. Very informative!

Great story > performance

I loved the book's content; no other comments there.

I habitually listen to audio books at 1.25 or 1.5 speed. At 1.25, this was one of the better performances I heard. But at standard speed, it was nearly intolerable droning. Listen at 1.25 or you'll doze off.

Two thumbs up! Thought-provoking and informative

This books works well on two levels: first, it presents effective altruism clearly, and then, it also lays out guidelines for decision-making.

The former is interesting, but necessarily focuses on more global issues. If you're hoping to be able to determine which veterans' group would be more deserving of your donations, this book will not directly help you. However, it lays the groundwork for clear decision-making which you can pursue independently.

This latter I found to be a terrific refresher on something we are forced to deal with daily. I was initially concerned that the book would be laden with statistics and formulae for determining individual charities' effectiveness. It is not (phew). Instead, it shows a way of thinking about how to determine effectiveness in a direct, easy-to-appreciate manner. This I found to be both instructive and invaluable.

Key to the whole is the narrator. His tone and pacing make the material ACCESSIBLE. I gave him five stars for that. His presentation style was fairly engrossing, which was surprising, given the seriousness of the subject matter.

In the end, I decided I could figure out how to evaluate what I chose to do charity-wise. I also was happy to discover that I could apply this analytical technique to many other issues in my life. We are all faced with so many decisions every day. This book just seemed to help me better prepare to deal with them.

Not an overly long "read" but a worthwhile one indeed.

Life changing and world changing

So compelling. Brings clarity on how to truly live a good life in the most effective way possible, while inspiring you and giving you all the tools to take meaningful action. A truly important book.

Learn to Maximize Your Positive Impact

I appreciated the breadth of considerations that should factor into a decision to invest into any given charity/organization. I also liked that specific recommendations were included.

If you want to ensure that you are maximizing your donations then this book is for you.

If you are considering a career in the nonprofit sector then this book should be on your reading list.

How to effectively build treasure in heaven.

We all want to have a good answer for this question. What did you do with your life? This book shows you how to have a great answer. I was just about to give to a charity who squanders resources while airing heartbreaking commercials about the good they do. The CEO pays himself 600,000. per year. This is not the first time I made this mistake. Doing Good Better gave me the resources to vet the charities and find the best ones. My donations will now go to Mercy Ships and Mercy for Animals . They will make great use of my money and help me have a good answer when I hear the question. What did you do with your life?

Required reading for any altruist

One of those books that challenges the way you look at the world. Invaluable for anyone with good intentions who wants to make a difference in the world.