About the Book

Do you care about making the world a better place? Perhaps you buy ethical products, donate to charity or volunteer your time in the name of doing good. But how often do you know what impact you really have?

William MacAskill, Research Fellow at Cambridge University, has spent the last five years developing the philosophy of effective altruism, which applies data and scientific reasoning to the normally sentimental world of doing good. In the course of his research he’s come to the remarkable conclusions that most ways of making a difference achieve little, but that, by targeting our efforts on the most effective causes, we each have an enormous power to make the world a better place.

In Doing Good Better MacAskill introduces the principles underlying effective altruism and sets out a practical guide to increasing your impact through your charity, volunteering, purchases and choice of cause. On a whistle-stop tour of the key issues facing a would-be do-gooder, he’ll answer questions like:

• Why are some charities far more effective than others?

• How can cosmetic surgeons do more good than charity workers?

• Does boycotting sweatshops make things better or worse for the global poor?

Through its new approach and challenging conclusions, Doing Good Better is set to spark off a global debate on what it really means to make a difference.

See a list of media coverage here, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes, and The Atlantic.