For the first time in history, eradicating world poverty is within our reach. Yet around the world, a billion people struggle to live each day on less than many of us pay for bottled water. In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer uses ethical arguments, illuminating examples, and case studies of charitable giving to show that our current response to world poverty is not only insufficient but morally indefensible. The Life You Can Save teaches us to be a part of the solution, helping others as we help ourselves.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Advance praise for The Life You Can Save
“Part plea, part manifesto, part handbook, this short and surprisingly compelling book sets out to answer two difficult questions: why people in affluent countries should donate money to fight global poverty and how much each should give. . . . Singer doesn’t ask readers to choose between asceticism and self-indulgence; his solution can be found in the middle, and it is reasonable and rewarding for all.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“If you think you can’t afford to give money to the needy, I urge you to read this book. If you think you’re already giving enough, and to the right places, still I urge you to read this book. In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer makes a strong case–logical and factual, but also emotional–for why each of us should be doing more for the world’s impoverished. This book will challenge you to be a better person.”
–Holden Karnofsky, co-founder, GiveWell
“In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer challenges each of us to ask: Am I willing to make poverty history? Skillfully weaving together parable, philosophy, and hard statistics, he tackles the most familiar moral, ethical, and ideological obstacles to building a global culture of philanthropy, and sets the bar for how we as citizens might do our part to empower the world’s poor.”
–Raymond C. Offenheiser, president, Oxfam America
From the Hardcover edition.
“Part plea, part manifesto, part handbook, this short and surprisingly compelling book sets out to answer two difficult questions: why people in affluent countries should donate money to fight global poverty and how much each should give. . . . Singer doesn’t ask readers to choose between asceticism and self-indulgence; his solution can be found in the middle, and it is reasonable and rewarding for all.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“If you think you can’t afford to give money to the needy, I urge you to read this book. If you think you’re already giving enough, and to the right places, still I urge you to read this book. In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer makes a strong case–logical and factual, but also emotional–for why each of us should be doing more for the world’s impoverished. This book will challenge you to be a better person.”
–Holden Karnofsky, co-founder, GiveWell
“In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer challenges each of us to ask: Am I willing to make poverty history? Skillfully weaving together parable, philosophy, and hard statistics, he tackles the most familiar moral, ethical, and ideological obstacles to building a global culture of philanthropy, and sets the bar for how we as citizens might do our part to empower the world’s poor.”
–Raymond C. Offenheiser, president, Oxfam America
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Peter Singer is Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He is the author, co-author, or editor of more than thirty books, including Animal Liberation, widely considered to be the founding statement of the animal rights movement, Practical Ethics, and One World: Ethics and Globalization.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant piece of philosophical writing that everyone should read...
September 22, 2010
Format:Paperback
In this relatively short book, Professor Singer makes an extremely compelling case for why it is morally obligatory for capable individuals to aid beings that suffer. Those that are familiar with his previous work will recognize his basic arguments on poverty, which he has been expanding upon for over three decades. For those who are unfamiliar with Peter Singer, the argument he expands upon in this book is quoted as follows...
1.) "Suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are bad."
2.) "If it is in your power to prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so."
3.) "By donating to aid agencies, you can prevent suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care, without sacrificing anything nearly as important."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Conclusion - "Therefore, if you do not donate to aid agencies, you are doing something wrong."
This argument is valid, and I think sound, so if one is to reject the conclusion, one MUST reject one (or more) of the premises. If they accept the premises, then they MUST accept the conclusion.
Professor Singer's logic is solid throughout. His writing is both lucid and entertaining, making this work accessible, absorbing and crucially important to philosophers and philosophical novices alike. This is simply a must read for everyone.
1.) "Suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are bad."
2.) "If it is in your power to prevent something bad from happening, without sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so."
3.) "By donating to aid agencies, you can prevent suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care, without sacrificing anything nearly as important."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Conclusion - "Therefore, if you do not donate to aid agencies, you are doing something wrong."
This argument is valid, and I think sound, so if one is to reject the conclusion, one MUST reject one (or more) of the premises. If they accept the premises, then they MUST accept the conclusion.
Professor Singer's logic is solid throughout. His writing is both lucid and entertaining, making this work accessible, absorbing and crucially important to philosophers and philosophical novices alike. This is simply a must read for everyone.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In "The Life You can Save" Peter Singer adopts his trademark utilitarian approach and consequentialist calculus to ethical issues that present themselves in globalization. The simplicity of his arguments and the conversationalist tone he employs make it very accessible to the widest audience possible. That is not to say that he is not engaged in current ethical debates, and that is not to imply that his metaethical foundations are not up-to-date. At times he seems to be reproaching the status quo and the comfort we rationalize, whereas often enough he makes all of us complicitous for those dying of hunger a world away. It is often contested that he lacks common sense, or that the demands he proposes as morally sanctioned purport sacrifices that are excessive; it is often stated that he is too simplistic or naive. What needs to be emphasized, however, is that Singer recognizes that the way we live now is irrational, incoherent and selfish. Perhaps that's what humans are but we should not try to apologize for how we live, rather accept his criticism, and acknowledge that we simply don't care that much. Albeit we should be honest enough to own up to the consequences that are spawned from the way we prioritize and compartmentalize. There is much one may disagree with; there are many ways to circumvent his thesis; there are alternatives that construct less demanding ethical standards; and there are details that may be contested or refuted as either utopian or too rigid. Truth be told Singer speaks the voice of reason, and his arguments need to be somehow dismissed otherwise we'd feel a sense of guilt overcome us... We'll find a way to not listen to him!!! This book is not specifically intended for an academic audience: it is intended for thinking, feeling human beings who wish to somehow stop the madness...
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Lillian
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The life you can save" is very well written and inspiring. It's not just a book that you would enjoy reading it but forget about it two days later, but a book which will challenge your thinking about helping the poorest living on the same planet as us and how our attitudes and acts should be morally right. Through donating a moderate percentage of our income, we can do our best to make this world a better place without suffering and poverty. Big thanks to Peter Singer! I'm really glad that I read it and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who believes in a better world!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book will make you think
You may shy away from this book thinking it's going to be heavy reading, but it is not terribly long (fewer than 200 pages) and it's very readable. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Julia Flyte
4.0 out of 5 stars
Singer is good
Singer is good and easy to read. Smart humanitarianism is something all should be acquainted with. Very convincing arguments here
Published 3 months ago by Eli McCrain
5.0 out of 5 stars
The life you can save
Be prepared to feel guilty and jolted out of your lethargy! Provides many specifics on global philanthropy. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Charlene K. Baium
5.0 out of 5 stars
Save another's life . . . change your own.
My undergraduate education was in philosophy with an emphasis in ethical theory. As such, I have been aware of Singer's argument on this topic for quite some time. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ryan Crafts
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy cause, sloppy logic, wrong solution
It's Peter Singer, so there's an intense emotional appeal, and guilt in this case, but the logic just isn't there. Read more
Published 8 months ago by J. F. Lusa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
What a great book. It inspired me to give more. It also did a good job in convincing me why I should give to other poorer nations instead of here in my own.
Published 22 months ago by Amanda Murdaugh
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