The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty

Peter Singer, a moral philosopher, begins with a thought experiment: if you could save a drowning child at the cost of ruining your shoes, you would. He argues that giving to relieve extreme poverty is morally the same kind of duty, and he proposes a sliding scale of donations based on income, with the wealthy giving more. He also answers objections about corruption, aid effectiveness, and whether governments should handle it, and he describes organizations that save lives cheaply, such as those fighting diarrhea and malaria.

The book suits readers who want a clear ethical argument and practical advice on donating. It is useful to anyone who has wondered how much they owe strangers, and it gives them a method to decide.

Clear-cut; a moderate read.

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