book review & giveaway: The Life You Can Save
There’s nothing quite like opening a new book. It’s a simple pleasure in life and one of my favorite things to do. Recently I’ve read one book in particular that has totally transformed my daily decisions. I’d like to share it and give you the opportunity to experience it as well.
The Life You Can Save:
How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty
by Peter Singer
As soon as I read the first page, where Dr. Singer urges the new book owner to ‘Keep this book working for the poor. Pass it on to someone else,’ I knew it would be a shaker in my life. That’s the mark of a truly selfless author and businessman, who seeks not primarily profit, but pure goodness to come from his work.
Although this blog focuses a lot on the environment, health and saving money, helping and being kind to others is a key emphasis throughout. Like many, I sometimes need a little reminder of its importance, and giving this book away is a great way to kick off this change.
Peter Singer has been dubbed ‘the most influential living philosopher’ and one of the ’100 most influential people in the world.’ He will challenge your current moral code. Period. He will make you uncomfortable. But in only the best ways.
He’ll leave you thirsting for a world free of poverty, while understanding and believing it begins with you. Peter Singer goes beyond convincing readers of the need to eliminate poverty—he even spells out tangible, necessary steps to get there.
Some of my favorite sections from the book include:
Finding charities that really make a difference
Creating a culture of giving (through both family and work)
What it really costs to save a life (not what you may think at first)
Although the book is full of startling statistics, key current poverty facts, and what-would-you-do scenarios, my favorite aspect is it gives you immediate steps of action. You won’t put this book down the same as when you picked it up. And I want to share it with you!
To enter the giveaway, simply comment on this post with one good deed you hope to complete in the next month. I will choose the winner at random in a drawing next Monday, January 21 (Happy MLK Jr. Day!).
In the meantime, here are a few ideas to spark some do-gooding:
1. Make it a point to volunteer once a month.
2. For one month, deny yourself of just one thing: buying drinks. Every time you are tempted, take the money you’d spend on the drink and donate it. Tap water is free!
3. If you can, attempt to donate at least 10% of your income to reputable charities.
4. Know where your products come from and try to buy through fair-trade initiatives.
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This book sounds so wonderful, Amanda! I’m feeling an urge to win, but I’m actually trying not to collect anymore physical books!!!!! So don’t give the book to me.
Does writing on my blog count as a good deed? I try to help others through my writing.
It sounds like a really good book – interesting and challenging, in a good way. I’m aiming to sort through our winter clothes and maybe even my little girls last year summer clothes and check what we will sell 2nd hand and what goes to charity.
Hi ! I’m a french reader, and I thank you because you’re inspirated me and that’s great ! As Sandra, I hope that my blog help people … that’s my good deed for the moment …
Thanks (and sorry for my english … but I try !!!)
I’d love to read this book. It sounds inspiring. I recently helped a friend who was laid off from his job to revise his resume.
I’m planning to begin volunteering at a local care center that collects and distributes food to families in need throughout the community.
Hello there – I’ve been trying to do something good every day but in the next month I am hoping to set up some sort of awareness group in my town to reduce carrier bag use. Failing that, I’m about to take sewing lessons and am going to try to make Morsbags!
Looks like a great book! I helped a writer to make her WordPress website look nicer. Her writing is amazing, but her site looked like an elementary school student designed it. Just a short amount of my time made a big difference and I was happy to be able to do that for her.
The book looks great. I would love to win it. I volunteer every week at a soup kitchen.
I want to cook and deliver at least one meal a week to a shut-in or a neighbor who could use a meal.
The topic of this book is one that is near and dear to my heart. Always looking for better ways to help others – beyond the things I am currently doing. One thing I am doing now is paring down my wardrobe and household furnishings – and giving to a local charity.
I’m serving as the coordinator again this year for the local community garden, with plans to help underpriviledged folks learn to grow some of their own food. Wish me luck!
My goal is to give away my coffee money instead to adding to the bottom line of companies like Starbucks. It’s a win-win for me (trying to stop drinking coffee) and the person I help. It’s not only my goal for a month but for the entire year.
The book sounds amazing, thank you for bringing it to our attention. I plan to clean out my closets and cabinets and donate the items to a local non-profit that helps those who have lost their belongings to fires.
My plan in 2013 is to start a non-profit that helps the people that truely needs help right here in my own backyard. I actually intend to all it Your Own Back Yard. I believe that to make a difference we need to start right where we are. Also my girlfriends and I get together every month (for the last 2 years) and everyone brings something for the donation basket and it is donated to a local womens/family shelter.
Back in December, I decided I would not eat out for the entire months of January and February! It’s been hard to say no to invites to have brunch on the weekends or drinks on a Thursday night but hopefully I’ll save some money to donate to my local church!
Would love to win this book!
Ssounds like a book I’ll have to buy if I don’t win it. This month I’d like to donate blood.
I plan to bake bread to bless our neighbors who brought home their preemie baby this winter.
This sounds like a book I need to read…..would love to win it…and then pass it on!
My family and I will be volunteering for MLK Jr., we’ll be deciding where and what to do this weekend. It will probably involving walking the dogs at the local German Shepard rescue center or serving a meal at the soup kitchen. Even if I don’t win, I really want to read this book.