MacAskill, a Scottish philosopher and a leading figure in the Effective Altruism movement, challenges traditional notions of philanthropy by advocating for thoughtful and strategic giving. He suggests that when you’re feeling compassionate, you should engage your head rather than your heart.
This is a book of two halves. I read the first 200 pages I enjoyed and it kept me turning the pages. But they were very much the typical pop science or pop history paradigm. The author has some new or newish take on the standard view of things and explains why his ideas are better than the old ones. This is a trope that gets used a lot. To be fair, it does give the writing an edge, but it usually relies on oversimplifying the current understanding. I’d probably use it myself, to be honest, but even so, it does grate a bit.
