Get 3 audiobooks free with a 30-Day Free Trial
Sign Up Free
Loading...
Welcome
Sign up
Login
Browse Books
Deals
VIP
Gifts
0
Loading...
Play Sample
Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference
Author:
William Macaskill
Read by:
Sean Pratt
Read
Read
Own
Own
Unabridged Audiobook
Listen Free Now
Listen free with a 30-day free trial
Choose 2 bonus VIP books
Enjoy 10,000 always free books
Add to Cart - $29.98
Remove from Cart
Give as a gift
Ratings
Book
10
Narrator
5
Release Date
September 1, 2015
Duration
7 hours 0 minutes
Summary
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 to simply 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. For instance, he argues one can potentially save more lives by becoming a plastic surgeon rather than a heart surgeon; measuring overhead costs is an inaccurate gauge of a charity’s effectiveness; and, it generally doesn’t make sense for individuals to donate to disaster relief.
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.
Browse By Category
Non-Fiction
>
Social Science
Self-Development
Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference
Author: William Macaskill
Read by: Sean Pratt
Listen Free Now
Get any book plus
2 bonus VIP books
1 book added to cart
Doing Good Better: How Effective ...
William Macaskill
Subtotal
$29.98
View Cart
Continue Browsing
~~title~~
Back
Next
~~carousel-body~~
~~book-title~~
~~author-single-string~~
~~tag-text~~
© Copyright 2011 - 2025 Storytel Audiobooks USA LLC. All Rights Reserved.