Reviews Reviews of the book were generally positive. Writing for
Marginal Revolution,
George Mason University economics professor
Alex Tabarrok described the book as "that rare beast, a hard-headed, soft-hearted proponent of saving the world." He concluded his review by writing: The
Sunday Times called the book a "surprising and counterintuitive look at the best ways to make a difference." Marc Gunther reviewed the book for
Nonprofit Chronicles, writing "There's no better time to start now" on the agenda that MacAskill had set out in the book. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, CEO of the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reviewed the book favorably, concluding: "Getting in the habit of giving back is never a bad thing. While good intentions might not be enough in their own right, a world full of people who care — and who are open to doing good better — can make a world of difference."
Steven Levitt,
University of Chicago economist and author of
Freakonomics, said of the book: "Beautifully written and extremely smart. Doing Good Better should be required reading for anyone interested in making the world better."
LinkedIn co-founder
Reid Hoffman wrote a generally positive review of the book, but disagreed with the book's dismissal of local philanthropy. He argued that local philanthropic leadership had instrumental value and also helped set a good example for other community members. Kate Grant, CEO of the
Fistula Foundation, that had been discussed in the book, was critical of MacAskill's description of the organization's work, noting that it was outdated and misleading. She said that this might indicate deeper problems with the quality of research for the book.
Other mentions An article by Derek Thompson for
The Atlantic, that discussed the effective altruism movement at length and William MacAskill's work in particular, briefly discussed
Doing Good Better. A
Boston Review Forum contribution on
effective altruism by Paul Brest, former President of the
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation published on July 1, 2015, called MacAskill's book an "excellent new book" and viewed it as a key part of a strategy to move the world in the direction of effective altruism. In 2015
The New York Times based an article about effective altruism principles on the book and MacAskill's arguments. == See also ==