As Josh says, they’re slightly different resources, and I think it will depend on the person.
The EA Handbook was designed for people who have already showed some interest and inclination towards EA’s core principles—maybe they’ve been pitched by a friend, or listened to a podcast. I think Doing Good Better is likely to be better as an introduction to those core principles, whilst the Handbook is an exploration of where the principles might lead. So in terms of level, Doing Good Better feels more introductory.
In my view, the content of the EA Handbook better reflects our best current understanding of which causes to prioritize, and so I would prefer it in terms of content.
Overall, my guess is that if you’ve had a chance to briefly explain some of EA’s core principles and intuitions, it would be best to recommend the EA Handbook.
Doing Good Better is more accessible and spends a lot more time introducing and defending the basic idea of EA instead of branching out into more advanced ideas. It is also much more focused on global poverty.
If i could only recommend one book to someone should i recommend this or Doing Good Better? Not really sure about that. What do you think?
As Josh says, they’re slightly different resources, and I think it will depend on the person.
The EA Handbook was designed for people who have already showed some interest and inclination towards EA’s core principles—maybe they’ve been pitched by a friend, or listened to a podcast. I think Doing Good Better is likely to be better as an introduction to those core principles, whilst the Handbook is an exploration of where the principles might lead. So in terms of level, Doing Good Better feels more introductory.
In my view, the content of the EA Handbook better reflects our best current understanding of which causes to prioritize, and so I would prefer it in terms of content.
Overall, my guess is that if you’ve had a chance to briefly explain some of EA’s core principles and intuitions, it would be best to recommend the EA Handbook.
Doing Good Better is more accessible and spends a lot more time introducing and defending the basic idea of EA instead of branching out into more advanced ideas. It is also much more focused on global poverty.
Doing Good Better
Or Singer’s The Most Good You Can Do.