Best Things First

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 Book Review:


 “If you want to make the world better, this is the book to read.”     

(Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India)               


Want to do some good, make a difference, save the world? If yes, then Bjorn Lomborg (president of the Copenhagen Consensus think tank and one of the world’s 100 most influential people according to Time Magazine) has some essential thoughts to share with you in his 2023 book “Best Things First”. Many of us with good hearts and the best of intentions spend our time, energy, and resources with frustratingly little result. Why? I’m convinced it is because we need more than good hearts – we need informed clear heads. “Best Things First” brings just such insight and clarity.

“We’ve promised everything to everyone, but we’re failing. Based on peer-reviewed research, here are 12 most efficient solutions for the poorer half of the world: fix education, tuberculosis, nutrition, trade etc. Cost: $35 billion. Benefit: saves 4.2 million lives and generates $1.1 trillion. The world needs to do these best things first.”

(Best Things First)

Is this a dry read? Yes. It is serious and scholarly – not just some hack reporter or podcaster’s opinions, and that is what makes it so good. Bill Gates says,

“This book offers thought-provoking ideas and concrete policy recommendations for how we can accelerate progress to reduce suffering and save lives.”

And Larry Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury comments,

“We can’t do everything. This book makes a compelling argument for the world to pursue the most cost-effective policies first. The remarkable conclusion is that the best policies pay off more than 50:1.”  


Recommendation: if you are a budding philanthropist, are interested in social justice, or just care a lot about others, this book could be transformative.


Author – Bjorn Lomborg

Publishing – Copenhagen Consensus Center, 2023

Genre – Nonfiction

Pages - 290


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