THE MOST GOOD YOU CAN DO

Peter Singer s books and ideas have been disturbing our complacency ever since t
he appearance of "Animal Liberation." Now he directs our attention to a new move
ment in which his own ideas have played a crucial role: effective altruism. Effe
ctive altruism is built upon the simple but profound idea that living a fully et
hical life involves doing the "most good you can do." Such a life requires an un
sentimental view of charitable giving: to be a worthy recipient of our support,
an organization must be able to demonstrate that it will do more good with our m
oney or our time than other options open to us. Singer introduces us to an array
of remarkable people who are restructuring their lives in accordance with these
ideas, and shows how living altruistically often leads to greater personal fulf
illment than living for oneself.