For the first time in history, it is now within our reach to eradicate world poverty and the suffering it brings. Yet around the world, a billion people struggle to live each day on less than many of us pay for bottled water that we don't even need. And though the number of deaths attributable to poverty worldwide has fallen dramatically in the past half-century, nearly nine million children still die unnecessarily each year. The people of the developed world face a profound choice: If we are not to turn our backs on a fifth of the world’s population, we must become part of the solution.

Peter Singer wrote The Life You Can Save to show that our current response to world poverty is not only insufficient but ethically indefensible. He argues that we need to change our views of what is involved in living an ethical life. To help us play our part in bringing about that change, he offers a seven-point plan that mixes personal philanthropy (figuring how much to give and how best to give it), local activism (spreading the word in your community), and political awareness (contacting your representatives to ensure that your nation’s foreign aid is really directed to the world’s poorest people).

If we do this, we will make a huge difference in the lives of others, without diminishing the quality of our own life. The book is a source of information on world poverty, giving and the psychological barriers to giving, as well as how we can make aid more effective. But it is also a call to action - action that you can take today.

The book was originally published in 2009, by Random House in the U.S. & Canada, by Text in Australia & New Zealand, and by Picador in the UK. Paperback editions are now available in Australia & New Zealand, the UK and the U.S & Canada. It is also an e-book (including one for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) and audiobook for libraries.

The following translations are available: Swedish, French, Korean, Dutch, Danish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Portuguese and Polish. Japanese and Spanish are on the way.

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