The Price of Life: In Search of What We're Worth and Who Decides

by Jenny Kleeman

The cost of saving a life, creating a life or compensating for a life taken is routinely calculated and put into practice. In a world in love with data, it is possible to run a cost-benefit analysis on anything – including life itself. For philanthropists, judges, criminals, healthcare providers and government ministers, it’s just part of the job.

In a series of extraordinary encounters – with people who have faked their own death or lost a loved one to terrorism, with hitmen and with modern day slaves – Kleeman discovers more questions than answers. What does it mean for our humanity when we crunch the numbers to decide who gets the expensive life-saving drugs, and who misses out? What do we learn about ourselves when philanthropic giving by the effective altruists in Silicon Valley is received by some, while others are left to suffer? Are some lives really worth more than others? And what happens when we take human emotions out of the equation? Does it make for a fairer decision-making process – or for moral bankruptcy?

Exploring the final frontier in monetization, Kleeman asks what we lose and what we gain by leaving the judgments that really matter up to cold, hard logic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, 21st Century, Economics, Politics

352 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2024

About the author

Jenny Kleeman is a journalist and documentary-maker. She writes for the Guardian, Tortoise, The Times and the Sunday Times. She has reported for BBC One's Panorama, Channel 4's Dispatches and VICE News Tonight on HBO, as well as making 13 films from across the globe for Channel 4's Unreported World. Sex Robots & Vegan Meat is her first book.

Reviews

[Tom Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this spiky and uncomfortable work of journalism/essays.

[Priya Bhandari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, fascinating and written with humanity! Once I started reading this book, I found it very hard to put down because it took me on an incredible journey across the world, delving into topics I'd never thought about and questions I'd never asked. Kleeman has a unique way of bringing people to the forefront, telling their stories in vivid detail, and shining a light on their experiences. This is all done with her trademark wit weaved in throughout.

[Francis Pellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating Radio Four book of the week. Definitely want to read the unabridged version.
*Even better as unabridged book*

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up on impulse having read the blurb, it turns out this is a fascinating study of the monetary value of a person, a human, a body. From the cost of bumping you off via a hitman, getting you back from hostage takers, to the humourless value society places on whether or not to keep you alive, and the frighteningly stark comparison with the cost of keeping a child in Africa alive, this is a page turner. Kleeman writes with the astute style of an investigative journalist but never loses her compassion.

[Tabitha James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book - a look in to all the different ways we can be valued as people eg. Organ donation, crime costs, kidnap for ransom……

Discussed a lot of topics one would never really think about and also touched on the implications of gender, race and wealth within these.

An all round fabulous train read (even when the Victoria line is delayed and the Northern line is suspended 🫠)

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[AdiTurbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea of how many different aspects the topic of the price of life had and how important a role it plays in our lives till reading this book. It kept shocking me how interesting it is, and how much we neglect to discuss it although it impacts us all. Kleeman has done wonderful research here, bringing it to the reader in engaging and often eye-opening ways. My hope is that many more people will read this book and that it will bring about a more thorough discussion about the value of human lives and quality of life.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

FYI if you’re looking for a straight answer to the question: “what’s the price of life?” This is not the book for you.

However, if you are willing to think about uncomfortable topics that, whether we like it or not, affect our lives (or death) then this is perfect.

Kleeman manages to ask (what’s some would say) unbearable questions and still stay respectful.

As you read this book Kleeman’s experiences become your own. From the cringe, almost unbearable, feeling you get when you start this book to a feeling of being more, if not comfortable, then acceptant of the thought exercise. She also manages to lighten up the atmosphere at times, which seriously facilitate the reading.

Brilliant piece of investigative journalism.

[Debumere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Kleeman covers important bases in this book and explains, for example, how the Government puts a price on your life. The first chapter started with a topic most would be interested to read - 'Taking a Life' - about hitmen. . Chapter two followed with the world's most expensive weapons and, whilst this might sound boring, it was very intriguing. Fighter Jets - F35 - what they are built for and the costs really opened my eyes. Governmental spending on F35s is mind blowing and, like Jenny, I couldn't see how the cost - money and lives lost - could ever be justified. I really enjoyed reading through the chapters, how the Government sets compensation costs for injury - there is a very detailed list available, on people who faked their own deaths but my favourite was Ch. 7 - Silicon Valley Philanthropy. 'Effective altruism' was really something else - how giving must make sense using quite harsh numerical data. I won't say any more but I appreciated Jenny's straight thinking/talking, asking questions many of us would have. I'd recommend this for anyone to read because I know many of us often wonder how the Govt. agrees on spend and how, at the end of the day, they agree it using cold hard logic.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #PanMacmillan for this ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the premise of "The Price of Life" sounded really interesting, but, unfortunately, it was rather disappointing.
The author was really judgmental and probably the least objective non-fiction author I've have read a book by.
The subject matters of the different chapters were generally interesting and I would have liked to learn more about them, but the author pushed her opinion so hard that it kind of took away from the content for me.

[Jess Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I am just dead inside but the author felt a little too squeamish for me - why write a book about the price of a life if you're fundamentally opposed to the premise?

[Katie Storr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting dive into the question: how much is human life worth?

The most interesting parts for me were on Effective altruism and philanthropy and Tissue banks.

Looking forward to reading Kleeman’s first book Sex robots and Vegan meat.

[Julie Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jenny Kleeman and thoroughly enjoyed our discussion based on the topics raised in this books.

Fascinating chapters on how a financial figure is attached to different aspects of life, death, health and birth and it highlights how unjust it can sometimes be.

The most interesting and thought provoking parts were about the effective altruists who donate their billions in the most pragmatic way, taking all emotion out of their decisions by calculating who will benefit most from their donation by the amount of lives saved ... leading to them tripping over the homeless and destitute sprawled around their local streets to give their cash to eight year old children in Africa as they can save more lives that way.

It was also very enlightening to hear about the London Bridge terrorist attack where a van driven by terrorists ploughed into and killed two pedestrians and another four victims were stabbed to death by the men. The people hit by the van got substantially more compensation because an insurance claim could be made against the company Hertz who hired out the van.

And finally I found the chapter on how the NHS and how decisions are made about what drugs are covered very interesting. Some staggering figures about a drug that costs £2m for a single shot which stops a degenerative disease in its tracks that is made by Novartis. The CEO of Novartis says that it is £2m because it is a fair price compared to the cost of caring for a person with the disease for the rest of their life. However, there doesn't seem to be any consideration of the actual cost of making the drug, it's all calculated on the value of the life. I read elsewhere about Bristol Myers pharmaceutical co putting a 23,000% mark up on one of their drugs. What sort of profits are these drug co's making and how much money could be saved by the NHS if these outrageous costs of drugs were questioned.

So yes, lots of food for thought, thoroughly recommend.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

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"If doing good for humanity means rejecting our humanity, what good can it be?"

[Ro J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! Contains so many nerdy details I thoroughly enjoyed and never would have thought to look for before!

[Amelie van der Ploeg · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Price of Life” offers a gentle introduction to the hidden processes behind how human life is monetarily valued- directly and indirectly.

I picked up this book as part of an Economist book club recommendation. Coincidentally, the Value of a Statistical Life is a key topic for me at work right now, so many of the concepts Kleeman discusses were already familiar to me.

Additionally, her clear disdain for economists was a bit off-putting—I promise, we’re not all as heartless as she suggests! I think this book would have justified a higher school if she hadn’t written the parts associated with economists with such a strong negative preconception. Though it’s understandable that people view us boiling down complicated and multifaceted aspects of life into numbers… when there’s finite money to spend and invite problems to solve, we need a clear cut shortlisting process! That isn’t to say that it cannot be very flawed, and Kleeman does point out the hypocrisy in cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost ratio decision making. But perhaps me reading this with my economist-hat on wasn’t the intended audience!

Despite everything above, I did find it to be an insightful read, particularly the chapters on kidnapping ransoms and cadaver brokerage. This book would be ideal for those interested in understanding how these type of complex decisions are made - and warrant a much higher rating! That said, if you’re one of the decision-makers involved in these processes, you might not find it as useful or eye-opening.

[Adelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down.

This was brilliant! I picked it up on a bit of a whim while browsing in a bookstore, and I'm so glad I did. The title and subtitle are both a bit click-bait, it does attract attention, and while the "who decides" part is probably less clear, I found this to be an interesting collection of essays about the different ways in which life can be valued in terms of monetary values. As much as I know we often like to say that there is nothing more valuable than life, or that money doesn't buy life or health (and indeed, it buys neither in the grand scheme of things), there are different economic transactions that do encapsulate matters associated with life and health and therefore there is a price of life after all, as Kleeman brilliantly articulates in this collection.

Topics spanned a very wide range of topics, from hiring serial killers to surrogate mothers, and I learned many tidbits of information that I would never have even considered, never mind knew. For example, the difference in insurance payouts between victims of the London Bridge terrorism instances, depending on whether the victim had been directly hit by the rental vehicle or not blew my mind. It does make sense when I stop and think about it, just not something I'd considered before, and it impresses me that people did actually stop and think and make a distinction.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I breezed through this look at the different ways human lives are valued in different contexts, and my review headline is: this is the type of book you're going to want to talk to your friends about. There are a number of unbelievable, jaw-dropping interviews and stories within, and Jenny Kleeman has done some fantastic research into some dark corners of the world/capitalism to uncover e.g. how much a hitman charges for a hit, how healthcare systems decide how much they're willing to spend on life-saving treatment, and how pirates negotiate a ransom. Many of these folks were not at all keen to talk to her, but Kleeman takes them all on and often holds them to task - how uncomfortable some of her interview subjects clearly are discussing their own work leaps off the page. There are a number of genuinely fascinating characters you'll meet, from the American cadaver dealer who insists that he not be called a "body broker" to the retired parsley farmer tasked with negotiating his sister's release from Somali pirates.

That said, I have some frustrations. Kleeman often lays out half a moral stance, without exploring it deeply. This is a book of popular journalism, not an academic or philosophical tome, and the lack of depth sometimes left me frustrated. This was especially so in her chapter about the effective altruists of San Francisco, whom she seems personally convinced are morally wrong for ignoring poverty on their doorstep and focusing on more "effective" philanthropy in Africa. I think this is a defensible position, but she does very little to defend it, and speaks to nobody who articulates a clear opposing view. This problem repeats in several chapters where Kleeman holds the "opposing view" of her main interviewee, but does not interview anyone on her side, nor clearly lay out her own position - so you feel like you're getting 1.5 sides of a debate instead of a full 2. The weapons chapter is another example: she tries to speak Lockheed Martin about the cost of expensive fighter jets to attempt to determine how much the death of one enemy combatant costs the military, discovers a figure which she finds personally repulsive, but makes no coherent argument about military spending, nor does she speak to anyone opposed to the program.

A beach read this isn't, but it's a propelling, interesting look at a subject that's long interested me and I certainly learned a lot about a number of industries that usually prefer to stay in the shadows. Recommended - you'll just have to draw your own conclusions about some of the ethics presented!

[Archie Hamerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something totally thrilling about Kleeman's journalism. Her book is emotive, impassioned, but unafraid of peeling the curtain back, unembarrassed by the taboo shadiness around the subject of life, death, and the money associated with moving from the former to the latter; indeed. Kleeman highlights just how this uncertainty and inability to talk about the real monetary values ascribed to death perpetuate the systemic shadiness surrounding it--the unrevealed statistics of casualties of war and military operations, for example, or the numbers of a hitman's fatalities possibly bloated by macabre bravado and bragging rights. Early on, Kleeman states that she is not a numbers person, something that is not to the book's detriment. In fact, it's why 'The Price of Life' reads so well, her frank discussions with each chapter's subjects (ranging from trafficked domestic slaves to wealthy families of ransomed relatives) humanising the statistics, and treating an otherwise uncomfortable subject with humanity, kindness, but a certain refreshing candour.

Kleeman's approach is enlightening, engaging, and didactic without ever being forceful--though one is left wishing she could perhaps be a little more political in her writing, a little less keen to leave the topics so open to the reader. For example, the uneasy and unsurprising political pertinence of the body broker, commodifying and carving up the literal human body into its value and worth, who is also a Republican Party nominee could have been stressed more, in an age in which certain political platforms are formed purely on the grounds of disenfranchising persons due to the material 'uses; of their organs. Likewise, the glossy photo-ops and factory tours of Lockheed Martin factories--in which the Disneyland effect seems to stretch even to defence contractors--is gestured to at the start of one chapter, but one feels as though in light of current events such poor taste posturing ought to be spoken about with greater condemnation and clarity.

[Popup-ch · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's a life worth? That depends a lot on who's life it is.

Ms Kleeman investigates how lives are valued, by looking at different instances in the world when prices are put on bodies. From Effective Altruists, who ignore rough sleepers in San Francisco in order to send their cash to sub-saharan kids, to terrorist victims and kidnappings, to slave trade, to the trade in dead bodies.

I was most surprised by the disparities in victim compensation after terrorism attacks. During the 2017 London Bridge terrorism attack some madmen drove a lorry into a crowd, and then attacked innocent bystanders with knives. Those who were injured by the car (or family to those who were killed) could sue the car rental company, and got massive payouts, whereas those killed or injured by the knife-wielders got significantly less. There is also a massive disparity based on the nationality of the victims, where some countries paid orders of magnitude more, and it's in no obvious way linked to the 'richness' of the countries.

There was also an interesting chapter on kidnappings. Many people sent to dodgy parts of the world are insured against kidnappings. But one crucial aspect of the insurance is that it can be voided if the kidnappers know that the victim is insured. So many people are insured without knowing about it, as informing them would effectively void the insurance!

A notable absence, however, is a look at the "Value of a Statistical Life" used in cost-benefit analyses for public safety, like roadworks or product design. Comparing these preventative valuations with the specific compensation figures explored, or those used in pharma, could have revealed even more about our complex and often contradictory ways of pricing a human life.

Overall, the writing style is chatty and informative. It reminds me more than a little of Mary Roach ("Bonk", "Gulp", "Stiff"), but comes across as more 'serious'. Roach is the master of making the weird funny, whereas Kleeman makes it intriguing.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

We say life is priceless, but is it really?

I have a really bad habit of starting non-fiction books and they were finishing them, but this one had me hooked.

Each chapters focuses on a different way we can measure ‘the price of life’. For example, how much does it cost to hire a hitman? How much to buy a cadaver, or just a head? How much to make a baby through IVF?

This all sounds interesting but I wasnt expecting to be so shocked by the sad reality of how often people put a price on life, even if it is sometimes arguably necessary in order to make sensible decisions. For example, did you know the NHS decides to approve new treatments based on the price per extra year it will give a patient? Did you know that after the London Bridge Terror attack in 2017, the families of the eleven victims did not receive equal compensation because some were killed by car and some by knife? Their lives had different prices, is that ever fair? Kleeman weaves together interviews with professionals with personal stories, from a couple held for ransom by pirates to a man who hosts a fake hitman website.

It’s well worth a read if you dont usually read non-fiction; Kleeman writes in a way that's easy to digest and understand, and some parts will leave you in complete shock. Be warned, you may loose a little faith in humanity along the way but there are plenty of uplifting stories also.

[Vikas Khaitan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me because of my profession. I am not sure if it was supposed to be a fun read or a serious one. I was expecting it to be mostly the former, but it ended up being a bit of both. Frankly, it was a great read, but a sombre one at times. Reading how the value of life is determined by various organisations and individuals in the society, gave me some food for thought. By helping to estimate energy transition projects, am I indirectly putting a value on lives of future generations? If these projects don’t get built, are decision makers not valuing those lives? How do I help businesses suitably present the project estimates, so that they become successful business cases? The author says she is not good at numbers, but she is good at putting two and two together. In my opinion she is a great estimator. She is a people person, which is the most important quality of a good estimator. You talk to people to get the information you need, bit like detective work and then put it all together to suitably present the overall number or a range of numbers. A highly recommended and an eye-opener book!

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting book, looking into the price of life according to many different factors. Each chapter looks at something different and some of the best ones for me were: criminal injury compensation (specifically focused on victims of terrorism), the cost of IVF and the cost of life insurance.
A couple of the chapters seemed less relevant, like the one about the weapons system and F-35 planes, which I didn't enjoy and felt out of place (which was a shame because it was only the second chapter) and the one about Covid.
I enjoyed the investigative style, but did find that the author seemed overly critical of lots of things that the interviewees said, and made some quite sarcastic and snippy comments about some of them that seemed unnecessarily rude,
However, I did enjoy this book overall and found it very informative about the cost of life.

[Carolyn Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kleeman's interesting book tackles a subject human beings tend to shy away from: the cost, in monetary terms, of a life. From NHS NICE guidelines ('measuring' the relative values of medication in 'Quality Adjusted Life Years') to how much it costs per life taken by the world's best-selling fighter jet, Kleeman tries to come up with figures, and the moral questions raised when we use these figures. There are several genuinely shocking revelations here: did you know the families of victims who died from being stabbed in a London Bridge terrorist attack were only entitled to a small aount of statutory compensation, but those mowed down by the van the terrorists hired and drove into them -during the same attack - received millions because the rental company's insurance could pay out?
A diverting read.

[Sean O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard the author promoting this book on the More or Less: Behind The Stats podcast & it piqued my interest. The book is an exploration of how the price of a life is routinely calculate in numerous different ways & is an eye opening look at when/why this occurs.
Over the course of the book, there are chapters on how much it would cost to hire a hitman, how a life is valued by insurance companies in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, the cost of IVF treatment & how much is spent on military weaponry. All of the chapters are very fascinating, but the one on modern slavery in particular was a jarring read & has stuck with me since due to how widespread & visible it can be when aware!
This was an intriguing book, but I felt some chapters were more engaging than others so it felt like quite an uneven read & some chapters dragged a bit!

[Alastair Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking at the cost associated with all aspects of life and death: IVF, hiring a hitman or selling a cadaver; this is a well written, really emotional book which I really enjoyed.

Some reviews mention the author making her opinion felt too much, I actually think it's one of the books strengths. Kleeman leaves both the reader and any interviewee in no doubt which angle she's coming from and any preconceptions she holds but is also clear that she's open to change her mind. I find it refreshing that someone who clearly finds what some of the people she's interviewing are saying difficult, but she's open to discuss it without it feeling like a lecture.

I'll definitely be looking at her other titles and hope they're as good as this one.

[Philip William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conceptually this is a good book. We need a book that looks at the price put on life in various circumstances (hitman, murder, life insurance, medical, war, disease, ransom, a dead body) and see how they inter-relate. Unfortunately this book does not do this and the author appears to be incapable of thinking liking this.

What the author appears to have done is to string together a few stories from her life as a journalist and worked out how she can exploit gullible people who might be interested in exploring this serious subject.

If you come across this book in a library then I suggest starting with the epilogue which is by far the best part of the book. If you are then interested in stories with very little attempt at serious thought then by all means read a chapter or two.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book, the audio also read by the author, though in some degree, it is also a little scary. What do we really consider a life is 'worth'? A body? A family member vs a stranger? And who actually decides this? Jenny did some research, interviews, and tried to find out the answers to these questions, if for the most part, concrete answers weren't really forthcoming. Some really interesting bios and stories, from everything from a hit man to covid to slavery. Some very interesting 'questions' about what people really consider how much we as 'people' are worth. A book to make you both think, and squirm.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've studied economics and am well aware of the "value of a life" concept, and still found this fascinating. The weakest chapter by far was Chapter 2 on F-35 fighter jets, but please do plough on beyond this. Chapter 10 on ransoms was particularly interesting because the money is usually all hush-hush, despite the high profile stories. The price of organs would be another interesting angle to cover - illegal harvesting is a plot of many crime novels! I don't usually like books of this style where the author inserts themselves into the story but this was not obnoxious here. A great discussion starter!

[Kanako Okiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book…was nothing like I expected. I mean, what did I think it was going to be about? Now that I have read it. But it was a wild read, mostly depressing. But I would not put a trigger warning in front of this book unless you’ve been a victim of a race hate crime, a terrorist attack, or a mafia hit-and-run. Otherwise, it is a necessary read for all of us. One in which I had to ask my dad if the price we pay for life is really hidden in the Australian taxpayer. I certainly wouldn’t put it as “a thrilling adventure…funny, moving, brilliant.”