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The Grandest Challenge: Taking Life-Saving Science from Lab to Village
The health-sciences equivalent of Thomas Friedman's bestseller The World is Flat , this inspiring and revelatory book by two of today's finest scientists shows how advances in global health will transform lives -- particularly in the developing world -- over the next decade.
The Grandest Challenge begins with a simple that every person's life is of equal value, regardless of where in the world he or she lives. It also begins with a simple, alarming in this age of spectacular scientific advances, it is still those who live in the developed world -- in the West -- who benefit most from our enormous power to combat disease, and those in the developing world who are most likely to die for lack of basic, inexpensive care and nutrition.
In this revelatory book, distinguished scientists Abdallah Daar and Peter Singer argue that the revolution in biotechnology can save millions of lives -- but only if we find a way to bring knowledge and treatments out of state-of-the-art labs and into the world's most remote villages. The doctors lead us on an eye-opening, globe-spanning tour, showing us in vivid detail how developing countries can and are breaking the cycle of dependence, exchanging knowledge, and creating solutions that work for their own people as well as the rest of us.
The Grandest Challenge begins with a simple that every person's life is of equal value, regardless of where in the world he or she lives. It also begins with a simple, alarming in this age of spectacular scientific advances, it is still those who live in the developed world -- in the West -- who benefit most from our enormous power to combat disease, and those in the developing world who are most likely to die for lack of basic, inexpensive care and nutrition.
In this revelatory book, distinguished scientists Abdallah Daar and Peter Singer argue that the revolution in biotechnology can save millions of lives -- but only if we find a way to bring knowledge and treatments out of state-of-the-art labs and into the world's most remote villages. The doctors lead us on an eye-opening, globe-spanning tour, showing us in vivid detail how developing countries can and are breaking the cycle of dependence, exchanging knowledge, and creating solutions that work for their own people as well as the rest of us.
- GenresNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
7 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Peter Singer
184 books10.8k followersPeter Singer is sometimes called "the world’s most influential living philosopher" although he thinks that if that is true, it doesn't say much for all the other living philosophers around today. He has also been called the father (or grandfather?) of the modern animal rights movement, even though he doesn't base his philosophical views on rights, either for humans or for animals.
In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him 3rd among Global Thought Leaders for 2013. (He has since slipped to 36th.) He is known especially for his work on the ethics of our treatment of animals, for his controversial critique of the sanctity of life doctrine in bioethics, and for his writings on the obligations of the affluent to aid those living in extreme poverty.
Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2011 Time included Animal Liberation on its “All-TIME” list of the 100 best nonfiction books published in English since the magazine began, in 1923. Singer has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 50 books, including Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; How Are We to Live?, Rethinking Life and Death, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek), The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. His works have appeared in more than 30 languages.
Singer’s book The Life You Can Save, first published in 2009, led him to found a non-profit organization of the same name. In 2019, Singer got back the rights to the book and granted them to the organization, enabling it to make the eBook and audiobook versions available free from its website, www.thelifeyoucansave.org.
Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. After teaching in England, the United States and Australia, he has, since 1999, been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is married, with three daughters and four grandchildren. His recreations include hiking and surfing. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civic honour.
In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him 3rd among Global Thought Leaders for 2013. (He has since slipped to 36th.) He is known especially for his work on the ethics of our treatment of animals, for his controversial critique of the sanctity of life doctrine in bioethics, and for his writings on the obligations of the affluent to aid those living in extreme poverty.
Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2011 Time included Animal Liberation on its “All-TIME” list of the 100 best nonfiction books published in English since the magazine began, in 1923. Singer has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 50 books, including Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; How Are We to Live?, Rethinking Life and Death, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek), The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. His works have appeared in more than 30 languages.
Singer’s book The Life You Can Save, first published in 2009, led him to found a non-profit organization of the same name. In 2019, Singer got back the rights to the book and granted them to the organization, enabling it to make the eBook and audiobook versions available free from its website, www.thelifeyoucansave.org.
Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. After teaching in England, the United States and Australia, he has, since 1999, been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is married, with three daughters and four grandchildren. His recreations include hiking and surfing. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civic honour.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 24, 2017
Inspiring ideas behind the author's journey to implement scientific research where it is most needed, and has the highest positive impact. Revealing personal stories and case studies still lack practical advice, however. Highly recommend to anyone desiring to learn about the challenges of social change and medical implementations - and EVERY scientific researcher, biobusiness entrepreneur, and policy maker.
March 2, 2016
This is the type of thinking that will change the world. Instead of just throwing money at developing countries, Drs. Daar and Singer makes a strong argument for supporting science and innovation in developing nations to lift people out of poverty, improve their health, and extend their life expectancies. They talk about the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which has worked hard to not only develop vaccines, but bring them to the villages. Same thing with business partnerships in African countries to manufacture mosquito nets with long-lasting insect repellant to prevent malaria. Or pharmaceutical companies in India and Indonesia to work on HIV drugs and vaccines.
I really like their emphasis on developing the relationships between scientists, businesses, non-profits, and putting upfront issues like ethics; social & cultural sensitivies; business development and planning with the communities on a local level in order to ensure that the science can be brought to the villages.
This has significantly changed my thinking on philanthropy. Well done.
I really like their emphasis on developing the relationships between scientists, businesses, non-profits, and putting upfront issues like ethics; social & cultural sensitivies; business development and planning with the communities on a local level in order to ensure that the science can be brought to the villages.
This has significantly changed my thinking on philanthropy. Well done.
January 14, 2013
Interesting read, but perhaps contains a bit more name-dropping than I would like, without any real specific action items. Still, a good overview of where we are, from where we've come, and at least the authors' point of view on how we should move forward.
January 26, 2012
A seriously amazing and incredible perspective on global health and medicine and the bioethics of developing, testing and distributing much needed health care to developing counties.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews