“Doing Good Better” by William MacAskill is a very powerful book that I just finished reading. With the deep impact this made on my personal way of viewing giving and altruism as a whole, I had to share a little more about this book

Will discusses what he calls “effective altruism” – which very much, as it sounds, is about using data and figures in order to find the best way to help people. As he says, “effective altruism consists of the honest and impartial attempt to work out what’s best for the world, and a commitment to do what’s best, whatever that turns out to be.”

While this sounds like a pretty straight-forward idea, it can lead to some interesting insights in what is best for the world and people around you. Will reviews ideas such as where donating is most effective, why giving to “hot” causes may not be that effective, and how there is much more to look at when choosing a job than opting for the one that is out on the ground doing good.

You should definitely just read this phenomenal book, but I’ve included some of my favorite quotes from the book below:

• • “Effective altruism is about asking, ‘How can I make the biggest difference I can?’ and using evidence and careful reasoning to try to find an answer. It takes a scientific approach to doing good.”

  • “The good I do is not a matter of the direct benefits I cause. Rather, it is the difference I make.”

  • “Earning to give means exactly what it sounds like: rather than trying to maximize the direct impact you have with your job, you instead try to increase your earnings so you can donate more, improving people’s lives through your giving rather than your day-to-day work.”

  • “Economists have studied this issue and worked out how, on average, a consumer affects the number of animal products supplied by declining to buy that product. They estimate that, on average, if you give up one egg, total production ultimately falls by 0.91 eggs; if you give up one gallon of milk, total production falls by 0.56 gallons. Other products are somewhere in between: economists estimate that if you give up one pound of beef, beef production falls by 0.68 pounds; if you give up one pound of pork, production ultimately falls by 0.74 pounds; if you give up one pound of chicken, production ultimately falls by 0.76 pounds.”

  • “However, this debate is strange for another reason: even if scientists had not already shown that man-made climate change is happening, the mere fact that man-made climate change might be happening is enough to warrant action.”

  • “If we don’t care about financial information when we buy products for ourselves, why would we care about financial information when we buy products for other people?”

  • “Surely, as we discussed in chapter two, what we should ultimately care about is the impact charities have. When you give a hundred dollars to a charity, what does that charity do with it? How are people’s lives improved as a result?”

  • “Cutting out red meat and dairy for one day a week achieves a greater reduction in your carbon footprint than buying entirely locally based food.”

  • [In a scientific experiment] “People who had previously purchased a ‘green’ product were significantly more likely to both lie and steal than those who had purchased the conventional product. Their demonstrations of ethical behavior subconsciously gave them license to act unethically when the chance arose.” – this is important to remember in order to not be affected by this after giving to worthy causes

  • “Second, find out where you’re uncertain, then reduce that uncertainty. Before making a decision, don’t merely try to weigh all the pros and cons as you currently see them (though that is a good thing to do). Ask yourself: What is the single most important piece of information that would be most useful for my career decision? Now, what can I do in order to gain that information?”

  • “Every one of us has the power to save dozens or hundreds of lives, or to significantly improve the welfare of thousands of people.”

I’ve always worked to be as generous as I can, but after reading this book, I have decided to pledge at least 15% of all of my future income to giving to those who are less fortunate. The power that we have to impact those around us is amazing. If you have any wish to join me, Will has set up a place to make your pledge! Obviously, as I am currently not working, this may seem like a preemptive pledge, and something that may change later, but in my life I have found that I have NEVER regretted being more charitable. You can also check out his ideas about choosing work that can have the most impact at his website: https://80000hours.org/ .

If you have any wish to know how to improve your giving, READ THIS BOOK! There are so many things that you can do to give your time, energy, and money. And before giving, check out places like Givewell.org to see which charities are ranked as most effective by their metrics which makes you able to see where you can do the most good.