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acsaper's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy non-fiction that takes a look at an interesting or otherwise unassuming topic or idea. Here, MacFarquhar explores the concept of the 'do gooder' through examples of the most extreme iterations. She argues that our initial aversion or repulsion to the term is more complicated than it seems. Often, perhaps, because it invokes a sense of guilt or self-loathing in one's own self, inherently compared to the do-gooder.
Strangers Drowning explores how a series of different individuals can take their moral commitments to justice, health, equality, and the likes to an almost unimaginable extreme - imperiling their lives, the lives of their family, and their financial stability in the process. In doing so, the book offers vignettes that do not so much judge as they offer insight into the reasoning of these individuals, and the very real struggles that they face - both worldly and spiritually. From building a colony for lepers, to practicing religion internationally, and adopting dozens of discarded children, these do-gooders take their moral commitments to an extreme that would make many uncomfortable. But, the book queries, why - if, at the end of the day, all lives are as important as one another.
Strangers Drowning explores how a series of different individuals can take their moral commitments to justice, health, equality, and the likes to an almost unimaginable extreme - imperiling their lives, the lives of their family, and their financial stability in the process. In doing so, the book offers vignettes that do not so much judge as they offer insight into the reasoning of these individuals, and the very real struggles that they face - both worldly and spiritually. From building a colony for lepers, to practicing religion internationally, and adopting dozens of discarded children, these do-gooders take their moral commitments to an extreme that would make many uncomfortable. But, the book queries, why - if, at the end of the day, all lives are as important as one another.
lauragessert's review against another edition
4.0
Thought provoking material though I wish i could not sense the author’s own moral bend through this book . It was fascinating to read about people like myself who have literally saved people outside my family and been looked at poorly for doing it . In one case saving someone from drowning and by sharks and not thinking twice about it ( this happened also happened with a complete stranger ).However I have also been on the receiving line of these actions as well .
Morality in the digital age is a whole other subject as well as the influence of “ others “ is a group undefined when it could be your own cousin you are playing online chess with and complaining about your life to .
This one will have me thinking for awhile . It helped me understand frictions I have had with others (they with me and I with them ).
Morality in the digital age is a whole other subject as well as the influence of “ others “ is a group undefined when it could be your own cousin you are playing online chess with and complaining about your life to .
This one will have me thinking for awhile . It helped me understand frictions I have had with others (they with me and I with them ).
tommcdonough55's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
bb6613's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very eye opening for me in a lot of ways. Would strongly recommend.
aarongertler's review against another edition
5.0
Larissa MacFarquhar conducts long-form interviews with a series of people who are either:
Going beyond the call of duty to help other people, or
Behaving in accordance with "the call of duty", and it's the rest of us who are doing something wrong
It's not that simple, of course --- there might be a wide expanse of morality between "saint" and "sinner" --- but MacFarquhar doesn't shy away from the possibility that we feel a natural but unfair aversion to people whose moral behavior puts ours to shame.
This interesting point aside, the book is written well, and the subjects are all very different. One abandons her life of comfort to distribute birth control in Nicaragua; another gives up his free time to stop his fellow Japanese from committing suicide; a third adopts over a dozen children and works tirelessly to raise them well.
What her subjects have in common: They're all seen something wrong in the world, and responded in a fashion that felt natural at the time. Even if few of us have such expansive moral instincts, we can surely learn from people who feel compelled to help complete strangers --- after all, most of the people we're in a position to help are complete strangers. If you're looking to spend some time this year thinking about your own morality, Strangers Drowning might be the best thing you could read.
Going beyond the call of duty to help other people, or
Behaving in accordance with "the call of duty", and it's the rest of us who are doing something wrong
It's not that simple, of course --- there might be a wide expanse of morality between "saint" and "sinner" --- but MacFarquhar doesn't shy away from the possibility that we feel a natural but unfair aversion to people whose moral behavior puts ours to shame.
This interesting point aside, the book is written well, and the subjects are all very different. One abandons her life of comfort to distribute birth control in Nicaragua; another gives up his free time to stop his fellow Japanese from committing suicide; a third adopts over a dozen children and works tirelessly to raise them well.
What her subjects have in common: They're all seen something wrong in the world, and responded in a fashion that felt natural at the time. Even if few of us have such expansive moral instincts, we can surely learn from people who feel compelled to help complete strangers --- after all, most of the people we're in a position to help are complete strangers. If you're looking to spend some time this year thinking about your own morality, Strangers Drowning might be the best thing you could read.
kirsten0929's review against another edition
3.0
Altruism is one of those things that by definition sounds purely positive but is actually much more complicated that that. Kind of like honesty. The author does a good job of not oversimplifying but it is also a book of extremes. None of the people in these stories seemed particularly happy. It wasn’t a very good advertisement for altruism (not that it was necessarily meant to be), at least not altruism to this extreme, but it did force me to ask myself, Am doing enough? The answer is, of course not - which is, of course, a truth I hate being confronted with (but had nothing to do with my not rating it five-stars, probably.)
khornstein1's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating book. Would you give up your comfortable life, your loved ones, your income, your organs, to save people not related to you? Who are the people who do this? And then, what is the push-back against doing this? The chapters on the history of altruism/charity/missions were great. The stories of individuals could have used a bit more structure and life, rather than the objective, non-commenting journalistic style, but I'll overlook that. Worth a look if you are interested in "missions," charity, giving to overseas causes, etc.
vanya's review against another edition
4.0
Een ontzettend interessant boek over de filosofie achter altruisme, ondersteunt met vele verschillende voorbeelden uit de praktijk. Het mooie aan het boek vind ik de compleetheid van de bespreking. En ik voelde me er natuurlijk ook persoonlijk door aangesproken.
Ik heb enkele kleine kritieken: wereldverbeteraars worden enkele keren vergeleken met heiligen, ik denk dat die vergelijking net iets te ver gaat en dat er zeer weinig mensen zijn die zo ver zouden gaan om zichzelf heilige te noemen. Ik ben het hier ook gewoon niet mee eens.
Verder vond ik de opbouw van de voorbeeld hoofdstukken niet altijd logisch, soms werd een verhaallijn op drie verschillende momenten herhaald, dit had naar mijns inziens prettiger gekund. Daarnaast vond ik het niet altijd even expliciet waar de schrijfster nou eigenlijk heen wilde met haar betoog, is ze nou voor of tegen, of heeft ze nog een andere mening? Ik had dit graag wat explicieter benoemd willen worden. Objectiviteit nastreven werd er namelijk ook niet echt gedaan.
Ondanks mijn kritiek op het boek zou ik dit zeker aanraden aan iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in altruisme, in de wereld verbeteren, in rechtvaardigheid, in interessante mensenlevens of het gebruik van geld op een filantropische manier.
Ik heb enkele kleine kritieken: wereldverbeteraars worden enkele keren vergeleken met heiligen, ik denk dat die vergelijking net iets te ver gaat en dat er zeer weinig mensen zijn die zo ver zouden gaan om zichzelf heilige te noemen. Ik ben het hier ook gewoon niet mee eens.
Verder vond ik de opbouw van de voorbeeld hoofdstukken niet altijd logisch, soms werd een verhaallijn op drie verschillende momenten herhaald, dit had naar mijns inziens prettiger gekund. Daarnaast vond ik het niet altijd even expliciet waar de schrijfster nou eigenlijk heen wilde met haar betoog, is ze nou voor of tegen, of heeft ze nog een andere mening? Ik had dit graag wat explicieter benoemd willen worden. Objectiviteit nastreven werd er namelijk ook niet echt gedaan.
Ondanks mijn kritiek op het boek zou ik dit zeker aanraden aan iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in altruisme, in de wereld verbeteren, in rechtvaardigheid, in interessante mensenlevens of het gebruik van geld op een filantropische manier.
wermyhermy's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Hella existential