In a world filled with both enormous wealth and pockets of great devastation, how should the well-off respond to the world's needy? This is the urgent central question of Being Good in a World of Need. Larry S. Temkin, one of the world's foremost ethicists, challenges common assumptions about philanthropy, his own prior beliefs, and the dominant philosophical positions of Peter Singer and Effective Altruism. Filled with keen analysis and insightful discussions of philosophy, current events, development economics, history, literature, and age-old wisdom, this book is a thorough and sobering exploration of the complicated ways that global aid may incentivize disastrous policies, reward corruption, and foster “brain drains” that hinder social and economic development. Using real-world examples and illuminating thought experiments, Temkin discusses ethical imperialism, humanitarian versus developmental aid, how charities ignore or coverup negative impacts, replicability and scaling-up problems, and the views of the renowned economists Angus Deaton and Jeffrey Sachs, all within the context of deeper philosophical issues of fairness, responsibility, and individual versus collective morality. At times both inspiring and profoundly disturbing, he presents the powerful argument that neglecting the needy is morally impermissible, even as he illustrates that the path towards helping others is often fraught with complex ethical and practical perils. Steeped in empathy, morality, pathos, and humanity, this is an engaging and eye-opening text for any reader who shares an intense concern for helping others in need.

"Ours is a rich world filled with misery. This gives rise to a pressing question: how should the well-off respond to the needy? Peter Singer famously argued that just as we have an obligation to save a drowning child, we have an obligation to support charities like Oxfam. Inspired by Singer, Effective Altruism holds that we ought to support those charities doing the most good. Being Good in a World of Need powerfully challenges these views. Drawing on many sources, Temkin illustrates many disanalogies between saving a drowning child and supporting international charities, involving: intervening agents; effects of one's actions; corruption; responsibility; accidents versus injustice; and aid beneficiaries. These disanalogies raise complex issues requiring a pluralistic approach, rather than Effective Altruism's monistic, "do the most good" approach. Being Good discusses: ways aid may reward corrupt leaders and incentivize disastrous policies; charities ignoring or covering up negative impacts; the ethical disaster of aid efforts in Goma; brain and character drains; difficulties in replicability or scaling up model aid projects; ethical imperialism, paternalism, autonomy, and respect; Angus Deaton's contention that aid undermines government responsiveness; Jeffrey Sachs and the Millennium Villages Project; conflicts between individual and collective morality; fairness and responsibility; focusing on badly off people rather than countries; humanitarian versus development aid; and ways of aiding other than on-the-ground charities"--

Most of us want to make a difference. We donate our time and money to charities and causes we deem worthy, choose careers we consider meaningful, and patronize businesses and buy products we believe make the world a better place. Unfortunately, we often base these decisions on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result, even our best intentions often lead to ineffective—and sometimes downright harmful—outcomes. How can we do better? While a researcher at Oxford, trying to figure out which career would allow him to have the greatest impact, William MacAskill confronted this problem head on. He discovered that much of the potential for change was being squandered by lack of information, bad data, and our own prejudice. As an antidote, he and his colleagues developed effective altruism, a practical, data-driven approach that allows each of us to make a tremendous difference regardless of our resources. Effective altruists believe that it’s not enough to simply do good; we must do good better. At the core of this philosophy are five key questions that help guide our altruistic decisions: How many people benefit, and by how much? Is this the most effective thing I can do? Is this area neglected? What would have happened otherwise? What are the chances of success, and how good would success be? By applying these questions to real-life scenarios, MacAskill shows how many of our assumptions about doing good are misguided. For instance, he argues one can potentially save more lives by becoming a plastic surgeon rather than a heart surgeon; measuring overhead costs is an inaccurate gauge of a charity’s effectiveness; and, it generally doesn’t make sense for individuals to donate to disaster relief. MacAskill urges us to think differently, set aside biases, and use evidence and careful reasoning rather than act on impulse. When we do this—when we apply the head and the heart to each of our altruistic endeavors—we find that each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good.

An engaging, down-to-earth manual that helps Christians figure out how to really live a good life. Organized around twenty-two virtuous character traits - including humility, discretion, diligence, generosity, creativity, wit, justice, patience, peace, gratitude, faith, and love - this book provides concrete examples of each virtue and offers practical suggestions for its development.

Get ready to question everything you’ve been told about charity, and to find out how you can truly succeed at making the world a better place. Many of us donate to charitable causes, and millions more work or volunteer for non-profit organizations. Yet virtually none of us have been taught what it means to succeed at doing good, let alone how to do so. In short, we’ve never been encouraged to treat charity with the seriousness and rigor it deserves. How to be Great at Doing Good is a complacency-shattering guidebook for anyone who wants to actually change the world, whether as a donor, a volunteer, or a non-profit staffer. Drawing on eye-opening studies in psychology and human behavior, surprising interviews with philanthropy professionals, and the author’s fifteen years of experience founding and managing top-rated non-profits, this book is an essential read for anyone who wants to do more good with their time and money. Find out how Bill Gates and a team of MIT grads are saving thousands of lives by applying business principles to charity work – and how we can too Peer inside our brains as we donate, and discover how the same chemical forces that make us crave junk food and sex can steer us toward bad charity decisions See why following our passion and doing what we’re good at can actually doom our efforts to improve the world Learn how two seemingly identical charities can have jaw-dropping differences in impact, and find out how to pick the best one when donating Sure to generate controversy among non-profits and philanthropists who prefer business as usual, How to be Great at Doing Good reveals that a more calculated, effective approach to charity work isn’t just possible – it’s absolutely necessary for those who want to succeed at changing the world.

The UK's leading Employee Experience book and Amazon U.K. HR Bestseller. "This is one of the best books I've read in a long time" - Ruth Dance, The Employee Engagement Alliance Sleeping at work, taking long lunch breaks and turning up late are no longer necessarily the characteristics of a lazy worker. Since the middle of the last century, psychologists have been focused on the workplace and the effect it has on us. Thousands of studies have been dedicated to improving the world of work, and in recent years this trend has grown rapidly as the modern employer reacts to changing expectations. Finding ways to improve the lives of employees should be a priority for every employer. More than ever, an organisations front line affects their bottom line. 'A World of Good' brings together some surprising workplace practices from more than fifteen countries, and underpins them with interviews and psychological research. "Gethin is leading a revolution to improve the Employee Experience" - Gemma Godfrey, The Celebrity Apprentice (US)

In the bestselling tradition of Harold Kushner and Thomas Moore, a world-renowned rabbi examines one of mankind's most profound questions. "With a rare gift for making difficult subjects clear and a treasure trove of perfectly selected anecdotes, Sherwin makes a persuasive case for goodness".--Rabbi Harold Kushner.