As well as this advice for better engineering practices, this blog is about self improvement.

Perhaps one of the best routes to improving yourself is to think about how you are helping others, and whether you are doing this in the right way.

Doing Good Better is written by the co-founder of the Effective Altruism movement, along with the help of many others in the community.

It is a very readable book, and contains many concepts that you are unlikely to have come across before and will get you thinking in new ways.

It is split into two parts. After the introductory chapter which discusses how much you can achieve, the first part of the book has five chapters, each discussing one of the key questions of Effective Altruism:

How many people benefit, and by how much?

Is this the most effective thing you can do?

Is this area neglected?

What would have happened otherwise?

What are the chances of success, and how good would success be?

The second part of the book is about Effective Altruism in Action. This has four chapters which ask:

Which charities make the most difference?

How can consumers make the most difference?

Which careers make the most difference?

Which cause should you focus on?

If you give to charity, or are considering doing so in the future, then I recommend reading this book. If you would like to learn more about Effective Altruism online, here are some resources:

A Better Way to Lead an Ethical Life – William Macaskill debates Giles Fraser

The Tim Ferris Show: Will MacAskill Interview

Peter Singer: The why and how of effective altruism

EA Radio: effective altrucasts!