The Life You Can Save

In The Life You Can Save, Peter Singer puts forth a highly convincing argument based on the maxim “a human life is of equal value to each and every other human life.” Because we live in a globalized economy and a world in which extreme wealth inequality is widely apparent, he argues, individuals who reside in countries with a relatively high standards of living are thus morally obligated to donate a significant portion of their income to quite literally save the lives of those in need.

Although the arguments presented in the first couple chapters and the last chapter of this book are well-crafted, though-provoking, and at times, inspiring, I found the content covered in the middle chapters to be somewhat disjointed and lacking sufficiently thorough analysis. Although Singer seems to have the best of intentions, his commentary does come off as slightly self-righteous, which may be off putting for some. That said, the last chapter of the book wonderfully encapsulates Singer's overall message – to give more to those in need than you did yesterday.