Strangers Drowning by Larissa MacFarquhar Summary
Overview of Strangers Drowning
In "Strangers Drowning," New Yorker writer Larissa MacFarquhar profiles extreme altruists who adopt 22 children or donate kidneys to strangers. What drives people to sacrifice everything for others? A provocative exploration that challenges our comfortable assumptions about goodness and moral obligation.
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Key takeaways
When Goodness Becomes Uncomfortable
Have you ever felt guilty walking past a homeless person, then justified it by thinking about the bills you need to pay? Now imagine someone who never makes that justification-who reorganizes their entire life around the suffering of strangers. These people exist. They adopt twenty children. They donate half their income to strangers overseas. They dedicate their careers to chickens in factory farms. They make us profoundly uncomfortable, and that discomfort reveals something crucial about how we all navigate morality. These aren't your typical volunteers or occasional charity donors. These are people who've taken moral logic to its extreme conclusion and refuse to look away. They live with an overwhelming sense of duty that reshapes every decision-what they eat, where they live, whether to have children. The term "do-gooder" itself carries a sting of judgment, suggesting meddling or self-righteousness. Benjamin Franklin abandoned his quest for moral perfection partly because he worried it would make him "ridiculous" or "envied and hated." Our discomfort isn't just defensive guilt-it's genuine uncertainty about whether such a life is admirable or alien, whether it represents human excellence or a troubling absence of ordinary pleasures and loves.
The Eternal Wartime of the Moral Extremist
Dorothy's Clinic in the War Zone
Aaron's Calculation: Eight Billion Chickens
Julia's Spreadsheet of Sacrifice
The Family That Couldn't Stop Growing
The Uncomfortable Mirror
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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