Book Review: The Life You Can Save

Australian philosopher Peter Singer writes this brilliant book explaining how it is the responsibility of all people to help all other people.

Singer starts off slowly by giving examples of situations in which a person would immediately jump to save another.   He then explains the plight of billions of people living under the poverty line each of which could be saved by the intervention of one person.  He outlines the stark differences between people struggling to live and those who have millions of dollars they don't know what to do with.  So why don't people help?

Photo Credit: Sarah Lee/Guardian

According to Singer, some don't because they believe they have earned to right to do what they want with their money, regardless of the country, class and situation that they were born into (others do not have these advantages).  Others are disheartened by the corruption that can be found in some countries where welfare money ends up lining the pockets of governing bodies instead of the people in need.  Yet others believe that the Government is already giving enough money (in 2011-12 Australia will give 0.35% of the Gross National Income to foreign aid).  Singer lists many other reasons and explains their flaws.

He then explains the psychology of why people don't give more.  Ever wondered why I am always telling people about my giving to charity?  Well it's because people are more likely to give if they hear about other people giving.  People also give more if they think that others are.  So don't be afraid to toot your horn!  Singer lists other reasons why people are less inclined to give; they feel disconnected by distance, they cannot relate to the problems, they are waiting for other people to help.  He goes into all of these in depth and I really enjoyed learning more about the human mind.

The last half of the book is dedicated to showing how we can change our society to one that cares about giving and sees it as a good thing.  Singer explains that we can give, but that we also must look after ourselves and our families.  I really do suggest reading this book and passing it on to friends.  It is what got me thinking that I could make a difference in the world.  And look, I've already raised over $2,500 since I started Kommoner, I give money monthly to Oxfam and I've made 53 Kiva loans so far!

Book Review: No Impact Man

Colin Beavan was the kind of person who tells others that they need to change their ways to prevent global warming without really doing anything themselves. Colin decided one night that this had to change and took their family on a journey to find out if a person can live with no impact on the environment.

In a world where people are told that they must earn more money, get the right job and, quite simply, buy their happiness, are people actually happy?  Colin does not claim that people should give up on their needs or eschew material goods, he simply believes that one must, well, live simply.

"The people most satisfied with life, it turned out, had strong social connections, found meaning in their work, got to exercise what they considered to be their highest talents, and had a sense of some higher purpose." - Colin Beavan p.26

I am sure that many of you have noticed the importance of these things in your own lives. How dull is your life when you have no joy in your job and it consumes your life completely?

Colin starts off looking at the problem of global warming and helping the environment from a position of achieving self-fulfilment rather than from a position of helping humanity but then start to realise just how important it is. The book is filled with practical advice for people wanting to start the journey on their own; switch from tissues to hankies, from disposable nappies to cloth, make your own food, ride a bike and buy secondhand.  There is also information on global warming and how much waste people produce and, to be honest, the figures are scary.

Photo Credit: How Stuff Works

On their journey, Colin faces a lot of stumbling blocks and learning curves but tells about all of them with complete honesty.

This book had a few too many bits of religious and spiritual insight in it for me*, which have nothing to do with ethics (based on logic) and more to do with morals (being told what is wrong and right).  That said, it was a book about one person's experience rather than a researched academic paper on what one must do to help the environment.

As someone who claims to love the environment myself, I can say with honesty that I do not always walk the walk; sometimes I buy food from takeaway places or eat out at restaurants. Sometimes I'll buy a bottle of water because I forget my metal drink bottle.  The average Australian generates over 2,000kgs of waste each year.  In 2007, 21.3 million tonnes of waste went into landfill (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

Photo Credit: debabrata

I have found this book to be inspirational and I will look out for more opportunities to lessen my carbon footprint and try not to destroy the environment, our planet, as much. Part of the reason I went vegan was to lower my carbon footprint and environmental impact.  Now I am going to buy a hemp bag for carrying my groceries and maybe some of these Fregie bags to use instead of those plastic bags at shops.  Colin also emphasises that creating a positive impact is important too, which I already try to do through the fundraising events at Kommoner.

"My life itself is a resource.  How shall I use it?" - Colin Beavan p.205

What do you do to help the environment?  Do you think the government needs to step in more?

*I am a person who enjoys logic, not stories about the meaning of life, but I am sure that people would enjoy them and possibly find meaning in them.

Book Review: Creating a World Without Poverty

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus is one of the first books I ever read about poverty and what needs to be done to fix it.  I first found out about Muhammad Yunus through Kiva, which is a microfinance organisation inspired by Yunus' work.

Muhammad Yunus started the Grameen Bank after realising that something needed to be done about the extreme level of poverty in Bangladesh.  It allows poor people (mainly women) who are refused by banks, to take out loans in order to get themselves and their families out of poverty.

In this book, he talks about the current divide between the people with money and those without and how this divide is growing.  I was utterly devastated to find out the statistics.  He offers hope, however, in the form of investment in social enterprise.

Social enterprises are businesses that are not run for profit, but are run to encourage better lives for the people in the community.  They are still businesses in that they are self-sustaining (this makes them quite different from charities), however the long-term goals are not profit.  The goal can be either making money for poor owners, or providing a service that is sorely needed.  He states that each of us has the potential to become part of a social enterprise, either through ideas or investment.

This really was a fantastic book.  It is well-written, very informative and backed up by research.  There are good examples of why certain things work and others don't.  I really enjoyed reading this and I hope you do too!

Looking for a book?  Check out Better World Books.