The Life You Can Save

A few weeks ago, Chels and I met with some friends to discuss over dinner a book we'd all recently read. "The Life You Can Save" by Peter Singer is the book--we were invited by Sean and Claire after they had read the book and felt it had a powerful influence on them. Together with their friend Jessan they decided to host a dinner and invite friends to chat about our experiences with the book. Peter Singer discusses global poverty in the context of charity--he takes an in-depth look at people giving to charity, and discusses the reasons why people choose to give or not. He makes many arguments for giving, and it is difficult to admit to yourself that buying that Starbucks mocha is more important that sending money to try and save someone's life who is living in abject poverty. I found it very thought provoking, and noticed myself re-evaluating things in my life that I could live without. The beginning of the book may seem a little "extreme" at first, as Peter makes the argument that living beyond your absolute necessities is frivolous and selfish, when that extra money could save someone's life in the world--nevertheless, I think it's a great read with a valuable lesson. Later in the book, he discusses that realistically, people are not going to give until they themselves would be sacrificing "too much", so he helps you make an action plan that's modest and best for you. For everyone who has always wanted to give but didn't know where to start, this is a great book for you. Peter discusses many organizations that give the most effectively and have the best chances at diminishing global poverty. Please also check out the website: www.thelifeyoucansave.com if you are interested more information. At the very least, the book discusses some interesting facts about US foreign aid--I was shocked to find out how little we actually give. In some instances, we give .30 to every $100! I think I can afford to give more than that!


Dinner was great!

Here's the group. Read the book! :)