Ethics Books

This is as easy to read (and understand) as Levinas can be. It is short and in the form of an interview. If you are just looking for a broad concept of what he is all about - this is a great book. It gives you a nice overview on his major points and from there on you might want to explore some of his more challenging works.

The influence of Levinas on Contemporary thought cannot be under-estimated. Many of the subtle and overt nuances in Derrida, Nancy, Deleuze and, on this side of the Atlantic, Lingis and Caputo, derive from Levinasian insights. Indeed, the French reverence for difference and alterity has its origin in the phenomenological findings of Levinas.

With Levinas comes a dramatic shift from the Heideggarian cum Greek privilege of ontology. As levinas suggests, prior to any investigation of Being we first encounter the Other. And it is this encounter with the other that commands me - a command whose first words are 'Thou shalt not kill'. Thus it is ethics that is first philosophy.

This description, its reasons and implications, are many and complex. However, this wonderful little book gives a breadth and clarity that should prove invaluable to the scholar and dilettante alike. Nemo's questions are poignant and Levinas' responses are clear, precise and exhibit a genuine gentility and articulateness that is most apreciated in philosophical writings.

In addition this book is a wonderful accompaniment to Levinas' two main texts: Totality and Infinity and Otherwise than Being.

An exceptionally lucid series of interviews with one of the most central, misunderstood and neglected thinkers of the 20th C. If you are looking to take a quick dip in the work of Levinas (something that may not be possible) I would council you to pick this up, it is the most easily accesible book to attempt a (cursory) look at some of Levinas' key points. The questions are interesting and (more importantly) not trivial... Levinas's responses are succint but also thorough and searching. I found this much more rewarding and illuminating than some of his more weighty tomage.

Good for recovering academics, practicing theorists, intellectual dilletantes and anyone else interested in adopting an ethically based philosophy that can stand up and go toe to toe with all those wily postmodernists with their impenetrable and convoluted jargon of hubris...

Levinas is one of the finest thinkers to step out of philosophy since Soren Kierkegaard. With this book and his interviews with Nemo, the reader can gain a basic understanding that will urge (h)er further along the trace that Levinas leaves in the history of thought. Read this book, and be drawn into thinking of the Other.

Emmanuel Levinas' books and articles are famously difficult reading, both because of their depth and because their themes, proposals and obessions manage to be breathtakingly against the grain of modernity and, simultaneously, postmodernity. This little book shows Levinas to be not only a great philosopher but also a good one--that is, an author genuinely concerned for his audience. In these transcribed interviews first broadcast on Radio-France, we meet Levinas the generous conversation partner who engages each question in a way that makes fresh understanding possible. Overhearing this conversation is the shortest route to a basic orientation to this wonderfully disorienting thinker.

I read this book in one sitting -- I couldn't put it down! Using the analogy of the changing seasons, Welch takes us through a journey of parenting that is insightful and meaningful for both men AND women. Through his remarkable ability to place the reader smack dab in the middle of the story, he weaves a tapestry of heartfelt and humorous events and memories drawn from his experiences and "seasoned" with the recollections of others. From the all too familiar ritual of hanging Christmas lights to the depths of loss and forgiveness, the reader embarks on a journey full of tears and laughter. At the end, we can't help but contemplate our own stories of family and life while anxiously scanning the Internet for more books by this talented and inspiring writer!

There are few resources written in "laymen's" terms about that relationship that exists between a father and son. But Bob Welch has changed all that with his book, "A Father for All Seasons." The book addresses that "in between time" from birth to death. Welch illustrates the stages of the father/son bond using the seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and a Second Spring. The Second Spring is "... a side of fatherhood you don't find on greeting cards." ("A Father..." page 218) Welch's book draws back the vail of sacredness in the father/son relationship by using his own life experiences in the role of father and son. His ability to tie into the range of emotion from sorrow to joy in using tragic experiences as well as his gift of humor is masterful. Welch is the "Erma Bombeck" of fathers. The reader will be drawn into the mind of a father and son thus exposing thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions that are part of that bond. Using his skills to create detailed "mind images" Welch helps the reader reach a deeper understanding of that special bond. In the chapter "Firsts," Welch writes of the first major league game he took his son to. Welch writes, "... sports can bind together a father and son like the lacing of a well-made mitt." ("A Father..." page 49) This book dares to toss out the stereotypical view of the father/son relationship as being a "guy thing" and ventures into the sustenance of that relationship. If you want to know what that special and sacred attachment is, you will have to read the book. "A Father for All Seasons" is NOT a book for men only! It can be a gift for first time parents, Christmas, birthdays, Fathers' Day, Mothers' Day... by all means Mothers' Day! What better way to show you care then by giving a gift that expands a mother's understanding of the family unit. There is no "right" season to give this book to someone. With Mothers Day and Fathers Day right around the corner... search no further for the "just right" gift. "A Father for All Seasons" is sure to hit the mark.

I am neither a father nor a male, and yet I found myself captivated and enchanted by Welch's father-son stories. Though he focuses on dads and their boys, the lessons are universal. Those lessons (and this book) are for anyone who cares about human relationships. At times it's sad, at times delightfully funny, but always engaging. I will be at the front of the book store line when Welch's next book is published.

Bob Welch destroys the myth that most Christian books are fluff....this is quality writing by the best writer in the Christian market today....one of the finest writers in the secular field as well....

Bob Welch has done an excellent job of describing in story form the journeys of men, boys, and fatherhood. One paragraph has you laughing, the next can have you in tears. As you remember your childhood growing up, Bob also reminds you what is like to be a father and to watch your children break away and gain their freedom. This is a must-read book for anyone who is serious about being a Dad. Also nicely done is his easy-going witness of his Christian faith. You will not be disappointed with this book.

The stories selected in this book to demonstrate the values are so appealing to young children at school age. My kids read them long time ago but still remember and talk about the value they learned from the stories in this book. It really a good reminder for us parents too to keep these values!

I had the golden opportunity to hear Rabbi Dosick, give a lecture several years ago at Temple Bet Breira in Miami for their annual "Scholars in Residence" Week. Rabbi Dosick touched upon several things as it relates to this informative book about parenting. Golden Rules is not a preachy, rigid stance but a personal, yet provocative approach that parents can take to show their children how they are an important part of the world society and how their contribution can provide a means to help the less fortunate. One walks away from this book with a somber sense that our respect of God is determined by how much we're devoted to service.

One of the best books I've read regarding ethics and values. Rabbi Dosick guides one on how to instill values into our children through activities and traditions. He is never self-righteous like most other writers putting out books on morals and values, and his book is an easy read. In our era of moral decline, Rabbi Dosick has come up with a very important book. Plus, the Lumies and great. I work on them daily with my son.

Wayne Dosick has provided a very important work for helping parents to key in on important issues for child rearing. Many books identify the contributors of children's moral problems but Dosick tells us what to do about these problems. He answers important questions about the importance of the family and a parents role in childrearing. This is an important work. I work with children daily that I only wish the parents would have followed a few of the important values Dosick has provided. My recommendation is that parents with young children should read this book before problems begin. It is well worth your time and effort.

This is an amazing book for children of all ages! We all need to be reminded of these ethical values and Rabbi Dosick gives hundreds of parables which come to mind each day as we do our daily duties. Along with the parables, each chapter ends with a story to read with your children and age appropriate questions for discussion. My children love listening to the parables and my six year old son remembers them and talks to me about them when he see's their application in his little life. I highly recommend this book!

This book starts with an essential visit to and discovery of Indo-European poetics. For one it does not take poetics in the Aristotelian meaning of the term that privileges dramatic texts, theater, performed poetics. The author defines the poet within a wider frame, that of the custodian and professional of language. He has to remember (at first, write and read later) all that is important for the community: its past, its important people, the laws, but also the medical knowledge, and the religious knowledge. As such the poet is at the very same time a priest, a poet, a doctor, ,a lawyer, a healer, a wizard, etc. He controls language in its abstract conceptualizing power and he performs pragmatic tasks that require knowing and reciting (to some type of music) texts. As such he is the custodian and preserver of the knowledge of the community. Thus he has a second power, that of developing that language, writing and reciting all kinds of texts to entertain the community, politically manage it, laud its leaders, etc. Watkins righteously insists on this essential point. As such poetry and religion merge together, the poet is the priest and vice versa. The author goes further and declares there is some original, specific and stable Indo-European pragmatics and poetics. All I-E poetry comes from the same melting pot or the same mould. And he insists on the fact some common formulas can be found. Here he works along two lines. One, etymology and the history of words, only words. Two, the formulas of words based on some words that semantically build a mainly semantic knot. He follows one such formula: HERO - SLAYS - DRAGON, that leads him to interesting remarks including the reversal of the killing. But he does not question the thematic functions behind the change. He satisfies himself with nominative and accusative. So he is kind of short. Short because it is not enough to say that the instrument can be stated as the nominative or the accusative of the verb. That shows the meaning he gives, SLEW, is an interpretation. It is difficult to say Peter SLEW the hammer, meaning the hammer was used by Peter to slay someone or something, even if we can easily conceive of the instrument slaying the victim. That fact questions the value of the verb. Is it SLAY or is it "IMPOSE a certain behavior to X within the frame of killing movements (?), vast arm movements (?)" In fact here he does not capture the dynamic meaning of the verb that initially meant some movement. In other words SLAY is not a simple verbs. It means many things according to the point of view. The agent, the patient, the instrument or whatever do not carry the same vision or value of the action. In more abstract terms a relation is dynamic (necessarily in I/E), expressing a change from one place to another, or from one state to another. The I/E word behind SLAY is typical of that dynamism. It definitely expresses the movement of the tool used to kill, and the change from one state to another for the victim: "AGENT causes VICTIM to shift from state A (ALIVE) to state B (DEAD)" versus "AGENT causes INSTRUMENT to move in a certain way (so that it may kill PATIENT)". The second thing that is deficient is that he centers his approach too much on the sole Indo-Iranian culture. He should have understood the Indo-European branch met with other cultures and there were many osmoses, exchanges, etc. I am absolutely sure that the proximity and rivalry of Indo-European peoples with Semitic peoples and particularly the Jews, produced some exchanges that Watkins does not even consider in the sole dimension of Christianizing Indo-European traditions. He speaks of Beowulf too little and neglects the superimposing of a Christian reading of Semitic origin (it is pure Semitic in origin?), and is it only Scandinavian or Indo-European, or is it already a mixture before it being Christianized? The question is open. Let's look for a solution.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

In addition to its use as a philology textbook (and it is great in this regard), the subject matter may be of great interest to people studying a more specialized aspect of the poetics-- namely the liturgical and magical traditions of the Indo-Europeans. In this area it is indispensible (along with the works of Dumezil, Polome, and others).

This isn't just a philology textbook-- it contains many keys for unlocking previously obscure areas of Indo-European studies relating to their magical and religious traditions.

This vast tome is a masterpiece of comparative Indo-European poetics. It investigates the nature, form and function of poetic expression and ancient literature among an impressive variety of Indio-European peoples. The author uses the traditional comparative method to identify the genetic intertextuality of particular themes and formulas common to all the daughter languages of ancient Indo-European. The work comprises seven sections and 59 chapters. The first chapters of part 1 explain the comparative method, concepts like synchrony and diachrony and pinpoints the various Indo-European cultures in terms of genre, space and time. The rest of part 1 considers the role of the spoken word in Indo-European society and its preservation across time.

In chapter 3: Poetics as Grammar, Watkins analyses the expression "Oats, peas, beans, and barley grow," demonstrating how the word order, alliteration and assonance form a perfect ring-composition. This formulaic utterance now functions only to amuse children, but in its essential semantics, formulaics and poetics it must have been continuously recreated on the same model over six or seven thousand years. He proves that is the central "merism" of an ancient Indo-European harvest song or agricultural prayer, by quoting from the Hittite, Homeric Greek, the Atharvaveda and the Zend-Avesta!

Selected text analyses an case studies from Anatolian, Celtic, Greek, Indic and Italic are found in chapters 7 - 11 of part 2, followed by the analyses of inherited phrasal formulas, stylistic figures and hidden meaning through chapters 12 to 16.

The remainder of the book presents the evidence for a common Indo-European formula in the expression of the dragon - or serpent-slaying myth. Over thousands of years this formula occurs in the same linguistic form as it existed in the original mother tongue. This formula is the vehicle for the central theme of a proto-text that has endured for millennia, a precise and precious tool for typological and genetic investigation in the study of literature and literary theory. It is thus of immense value to literary historians, literary critics and philologists.

I found chapters 50 - 59 of particular interest, as it deals with the application of the formula to the medicine of incantation in a variety of Indo-European traditions, and includes a discussion of the poet as healer.

This work is an opus magnum, and it took me months to read it. Even so, I cannot claim to have grasped all the complexities of the fascinating text in which more than 30 familiar and obscure languages are quoted. I strongly recommend this masterpiece to those interested in ancient history, language and its structure, and to literary critics.

The book concludes with 27 pages of references, an index of names and subjects, an index of passages, and an index of words quoted from the various Indo-European languages.

I enjoyed this book although I am best termed a "lay person" and the book is (necessarily and appropriately) written in a technical style. Other reviewers have addressed the content and worth of the book. I will try to give an idea of its "readability" for the non-specialist.
I frequently found exact understanding somewhat difficult and did gloss a number of passages as just too difficult to be worth the return (to me) of greater effort. Also, at times it almost seemed as if the author was pulling together a series of journal articles and quite possibly the book could have been twenty to thirty percent shorter without much, if any, sacrifice of material. Despite this, I never felt like hurrying nor that my time was being wasted - I found a number of new and interesting ideas that are clearly understandable by an interested reader. Also, the author neither talks down to his audience nor tries to impress with difficult terminology. Furthermore, at several points I sensed the underlying enthusiasm and reverence the author feels toward his work and I occasionally caught the sense of "beauty" as several threads came together.

FINALLY, a thorough understanding of the roots of the poetic material that we all learned when taking the classics. A thorough exploration of both epic and lyric poetic methods and the methods behind them that are used to this day.

The first dozen chapters or so read a bit like a bibliography, making frequent references to other authors (both contemporary and otherwise) and to things that are addressed quite a bit later in the book. This does not make the work so easily readable, but when dealing with comparative Indo-European poetics, one cannot expect a light-summer read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this work. I found that Dr. Watkins' ability to find common roots for everything from the Odyssey to childhood rhymes that we all learned to be both engaging and informative. I gained not only a deeper appreciation for the Classical and Homeric Greek, Avestan and Sanskrit literature that I have enjoyed since my days as s student, but also for everyday language.

If you are interested in any sort of Proto Indo-European studies, this is a must-read.

Miriam Cameron shares her journey to inner peace through various paradigms--both religious and secular. And as she comes closer to her center, she prepares for a trip to seek the perspectives of the Tibetan people. Fortunately, Ms.Cameron takes the reader with her and her spouse, Mike, on breath taking (literally) mountain bus rides to the center of Tibet. The reader listens in as they speak to Tibetan monks and nuns who fear the demise of their culture. However,the Tibetan people whose lives are committed to positiveness and compassion transcend the Chinese desecration and provide direct guidance for all who encounter these beautiful people. Reflective of their peace, along with Miriam, I was touched in a very personal and profound way.

A philosophy of life is a work in progress. ~Miriam E. Cameron

Miriam E. Cameron's work in "Karma and Happiness" is not only a direct result of her journey to Tibet, it is a summary of how to conduct our lives all while knowing we are going to die. This book will interest readers who have an interest in the relationship between the health of individuals and their ethical values. Can spiritual growth lead to emotional and physical healing?

Throughout her life, Miriam has found that no single wisdom tradition meets everyone's needs and that there is a universal desire to be happy. Good choices lead to a happier, healthier life and what goes around, comes around (karma). In this book, Miriam explores Tibet and also takes a journey into the internal world of our own happiness and suffering.

Contents:

The Relationship between Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing
Something Missing - Miriam's journey through Christianity, Judaism and Yoga
Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths, Karma and Ethics, The Sixth Wisdom Tradition
Ethical Problems - What is the right thing to do?
History of Tibet
Mindfulness - Hindu Roots and a Tibetan Refugee Camp
Suffering - Dreams, Pain, Anger, Disappointment, Anxiety, Fear
The Nature of Reality - Interdependence and mutual need
Impermanence - Equanimity and nonattachment
Personal Healing - Mind-Body Interconnectedness and Tibetan Bioethics
Buddha Nature - Nature of the mind and freedom
More Ethical Problems - Questions about Tibet
Compassion - How to Practice Universal Compassion
Healing the World - Diversity and Unity of Values

After reading Miriam's description of enlightenment (She recorded from the teachings of Dorje Rinpoche), I finally understand the concept in full. If you have any interest in Tibet or in Tibetan Buddhism this is an essential book. I have rarely found Buddhism explained quite so succinctly and illustrated quite so creatively. This is a journey into ethics, spirituality and healing with an added dose of humor. Miriam's writing is vivid and her creativity paints vivid recollections of a spiritual journey that becomes a test of physical endurance. Throughout the book I could visualize the journey like a movie.

Miriam's journey to Tibet took her to the limits of her own physical endurance all while taking her to the heights of her own spiritual journey. I loved the conversations she has recorded in detail, the insight gained from her personal experiences in Tibet and how she weaves her philosophy of life into a once-in-a-lifetime journey. She writes with authority and seeks to present a balanced view of Tibet's history. Not only does she explain the current conditions, she writes from the heart and is a seeker of truth.

I liked the concept of being like a beautiful lotus rising out of the mud. If you are looking for a collection of ideas to promote inner peace and settle outer conflicts, you will love this book. After reading this book once, I realized I wanted to read it again because it is a highly interesting story and there are so many concepts I'd love to apply to my own life.

Miriam E. Cameron, PhD, RN, is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing and is also the best-selling author of "Hello, I'm God, and I'm Here to Help You."

~The Rebecca Review

I love the way Ms. Cameron crafted Karma & Happiness--writing as if I am there with her, having a conversation. I'm fascinated with how her husband Mike joins in and adds insight with his different perspectives.
Ms. Cameron, who is a bio-ethicist, questions everything and tries to balance it on an ethical scale, which might vary according to the issues around a given problem. I love it! As she is learning, so am I. She describes Tibet so clearly that I almost feel as if I am traveling with her. Five Stars!

Namaste! Beautifully written....I can't describe how wonderful it was to journey to Tibet and a variety of other geographical spots around the world. The Tibetan perspective provided insight, angst, and pleasure....and.... to revisit the Kathmandu temples (Bodnath, Pashupatinath, and Swayambu) evoked vivid memories that included sights, sounds, and smells! Nepal is unique and wondrous, and now I have a much better picture of Tibet. Thank you for such a deeply moving book!"

A gift to all who seek to find meaning in life, to live ethically, to transform life's challenges into opportunities, and to find happiness. Written by Howard K. Bell, M.Div., Executive Director of Pathways, a Health Crisis Resource Center

When reality passes fantasy!

The only book I've purchased twice.

I have yet to encounter a non- fiction piece so captivating and hard to put down as The Killing of Karen Silkwood. This book goes far beyond her life as depicted in the movie, and the story behind all the people who believed in her and sacrificed tremendous amounts of time and energy at great personal danger to themselves after her death is phenomenal. What really amazed me was the sheer number of government agencies that were involved in spying on and covering up evidence as revealed through depositions, leaks, and court ordered documents. So many that no one seemed to be able to link them together (not even among themselves) except Silkwood's legal and investigative team. I had no idea so many police type agencies existed. It really is unsettling. The research this author did feels exhausting it is so through. The story goes on for over 10 years after her death, and it is well worth reading. It is alot more than just a private citizen (survivors) suing a private corporation. This book is reprinted after many years since it's original publication with several follow-up chapters added. The added chapters really tease you especially where the author indicated that a confidential inside source revealed that they saw a file that documented that the FBI knew very clearly who killed Karen Silkwood.

This book is not easy but it is readable if you pay attention to details about the nuclear industry. I suspect Karen's death was murder because she was getting too involved in trying to protect her colleagues and herself from getting cancer. Although the movie version changes the relationship between she and her housemate, this book explains so much more. It is a must have book involving a conspiracy that has never truly gone away. Kerr-McGee is still alive and well and thriving but Karen Gay Silkwood was an important and tragic heroine who died risking her life. She may not have been mother of the year to her three children but her contributions and searh for the truth about nuclear contamination is admirable. I know more about her and I like her. Of course, she is not flawless but human like the rest of us.

I became interested in Karen Silkwood after watching the 1983 movie "Silkwood". The film seemed to suggest that Silkwood was murdered, but a number of reviews I subsequently read dismissed "Silkwood" as an irresponsible docudrama that was based on sensationalism rather than fact.

After reading Richard Rashke's "The Killing of Karen Silkwood", I'd have to say that the film didn't take its allegations far enough. Based on thousands of pages of court documents, including depositions, sworn statements, internal memos, and federal records, Rashke makes a convincing case for the following:

Silkwood was deliberately contaminated with plutonium by someone at Kerr-McGee, perhaps on several occasions. Had she lived, Silkwood had a good likelihood of developing cancer because of the significant exposure she experienced.

Silkwood was most likely carrying important documents the night she was murdered; among other things, she had proof that 42.5 pounds of plutonium was missing from K-M's Cimarron plant, which is enough to make three or four nuclear bombs.

Security at the Cimarron plant was dangerously lax, as were safety measures. Workers received little education in regards to nuclear energy or the safety risks that accompany it, and consequently contamination was not taken seriously by employees.

Union members' (and particularly Karen Silkwood's) rights were repeatedly violated by K-M officials, who continually interfered in union activities and even began to spy on Silkwood.

However, the conspiracy surrounding Silkwood's death became even more heinous and inconceivable as Silkwood's side investigated in preparation for trial. Though the truth will probably never be known, Rashke lays out a compelling - though sketchy - account, involving the FBI, the CIA, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Justice Department, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and a shadowy network of Iranians, Russians, and Israelis. Rashke hints at an international plutonium smuggling ring, and supplies evidence that the FBI was responsible for illegally and covertly spying on a number of organizations as late as the mid-1970s, including various labor unions and their members - and Silkwood was one of their targets.

Rashke's story might sound unbelievable, but most of it is based on public court documents. His interviews with the assorted players in the case may be less trustworthy; yet, many statements are corroborated by court papers. Also lending credence to the Silkwood camp's version of the story is the fact that several significant witnesses died, disappeared, or were threatened during the investigation and ensuing court case. Additionally, the Silkwood lawyers and investigator received death threats and were followed and even assaulted - one must wonder why, if the Silkwood case was wholly without merit. Especially appalling is the federal government's role in the affair, and their failure to cooperate with the civil case.

"Who Killed Karen Silkwood" reads like a novel - it's a compelling book that's hard to put down. Indeed, I expect that I won't soon be able to forget about Silkwood's story and its larger implications. I'm far from what you'd call a conspiracy nut (though I love the X-Files, I identify with Scully as opposed to Mulder!) - yet, the evidence in this case is as convincing as it is frightening. The final two pages will simply blow you away.

My only gripe - Rashke's update to the 2nd edition of the book (released to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Silkwood's death) was sorely lacking. He made no mention of what's become of those involved in the case; of any information, either directly or indirectly related to the case, that's been discovered since the end of the investigation; or of the movie, which was a critical and box-office success. Rashke coins the newest section "The Legacy", but he doesn't discuss Silkwood's legacy even briefly. The new chapters focus on the court battles since May 1979 and K-M's troubles with and termination of their nuclear program, but speak little of Silkwood.

Here is a story that has probably been largely forgotten, of a young woman who fought a powerful corporation and an inept government (and very likely died for her efforts), and the idealistic and courageous people who came together to discover the truth.

If you were alive in the 70s you might remember Karen Silkwood, her mysterious death, and the court case that went on for years. At least two movies were made about her, but movies scripts can seldom tell the whole story or portray history with accuracy because of the demands of drama and story arc. So while I thought that I had a fairly good understanding of the events of Karen Silkwood's death, I have learned from reading this book that there was so very much more to the story. Not only was Silkwood incredibly brave, but the lawyers who took on her case were equally so. In more than one instance, Dan Sheehan, the lead attorney, must tell his investigator, "You're about to be killed. I've been contacted by the White House..."

From rural Oklahoma and an undereducated young working class woman whose cause was simply to improve the working conditions for the employees in a Kerr-McGee plutonium plant, arose what was possibly a conspiracy that could rival any international spy network: FBI, CIA, NSA, the White House, double agents, foreign powers, death threats, and more. How could such a simple woman as Karen Silkwood become involved in this level of intrigue? Richard Rashke did a masterful job of research, presenting the evidence in such a way that the reader can evaluate the evidence himself.

If Silkwood's story were not true, this book would stand as spirited fiction and would make better reading than many a spy novel; but Silkwood's story is true and this book exposes the depth of corruption, greed, cover-ups, and abuse of power that our government practiced in the 60s and 70s, and probably still practices today. The difference then though, is that exposing the government's actions led to reform-today, no one seems to care.

This book should not just be read my Southerners, but by all Americans. While just a fictional story, the author gives excellent examples of how the "race card" is being used to often in our country today, and what it could possibly lead to in the future. Hopefully this book will shed some light to those walking in the dark.

"The Last Confederate Flag" is a fascinating novel I couldn't put down once I started reading it. This book is a wakeup call as to what can happen if Southerners are not vigilant when it comes to protecting our heritage and our beloved flag. I encourage people of the South to get a copy of this important novel, read it, then spread the word.

Author, WWII Veteran Lloyd E. Lenard, has written a gripping account of politically correct motivated attacks against the culture, heritage, traditions and symbols of the Old South. He is very familiar with the arguments for both sides of this controversy. He offers a compelling defense against these attacks.
The story unfolds in the ficitional Georgia City of Forrest during modern times. Southerner, Stoney Bedford, the leading character, stands in defense against efforts by those desiring to remove the Confederate flag and the General Robert E. Lee monument at city hall. Bedford's narration is an emotional roller coaster of contentment, disbelief, frustratiion, courage, anger, suspense and shock. Similar alarming scenarios are occurring all across the Southland today. This book should be considered historical fiction.
The Last Confederate Flag is recommended for mature readers desiring a more thorough understanding of both sides of the southern heritage debate, and also for those who just enjoy reading a histrionic novel.

This is a chilling account of anti-South bigotry run amuck. It is fictional---for now. Read this and prepare yourself for the fight to keep our cherished Heritage. Hopefully if we all become aware of what could happen, we can keep this story from becoming reality. Fly the Flag!

Mr. Lenard has created a fast-paced, brilliant book. This is well worth reading by any American....but especially the Southern population who may not be aware of what is and has transpired the last few years toward those individuals that still hold the "Southern" traditions and ideals with much respect and honor.

Even though Mr. Lenard's book is a fictional read, the subject matter of the book has been in the national news many times since the publishing of the book.

It is very sad that many American's do not know their own history. And even scarier is that many will believe anything that they view on television news or newspapers.

In conclusion, I could not put this book down. A true page-turner indeed.

At last a practical way to review and analyse the culture of an organisation and track its development.

What are organisations for? This book enables the reader to understand the root causes of current imbalances in the world economy/ecology and know what they can do (within their reach) to make a difference.

A synthesis of the works of Stephen Covey, Jim Collins and other great corporate alchemists.

"This book has been such a journey. I started out with two ideas. The first idea was that organizational transformation must look and feel a lot like personal transformation. The second idea was that the values held by successful companies must be similar to the values held by successful individuals. These two ideas led me on a journey of discovery that gladdened my heart...This book...provides a road map and tools for those who want to travel the same path" (from the Foreward).

In this context, Richard Barrett, in Chapter 11, shows a comprehensive framework for building a visionary organization. Here, he defines a visionary organization as a long-living, successful organization that cares about its employees, its customers, the local community, the environment, and a society at large. According to him, visionary organizations take social responsibility very seriously, and they display six important characteristics:

1. They have strong, positive, values-driven cultures.

2. They make a lasting commitment to learning and self-renewal.

3. They are continually adapting themselves based on feedback from internal and external environments.

4. They make strategic alliances with internal and external partners, customers, and suppliers.

5. They are willing to take risk and experiment.

6. They have a balanced values-based approach to measuring performance that includes such factors as corporate survival (financial results), corporate fitness (efficiency, productivity, and quality), collaboration with suppliers and customers, continuous learning and self-development (corporate evolution), organizational cohesion and employee fulfillment (corporate culture), and corporate contribution to the local community and society.

Hence, he develops a three-phase process for building a visionary organization: (1) preparation, (2) implementation, and (3) maintaining an evolutionary culture.

Finally, during the process of building a visionary organization, he writes that "the critical factors in successful transformations are (a) the management team's commitment to modeling the new values and behaviors; (b) integrating the new values into the structural incentives of the human resource processes of the organization; (c) building psychological ownership by involving employees in defining the missiom, vision, and values and the Balanced Needs Scorecard objectives and targets; (d) helping employees to think like owners; and (e) assigning responsibilities and developing structural mechanisms to support innovation, learning, and cultural renewal."

Highly recommended.

In his visionary and hopeful book, Global Mind Change, The Promise of the 21st Century (1990), futurist Willis Harman observed that we are in the midst of the greatest social shift since the Middle Ages, a change in the actual belief structure of Western society. As the dominant institution in society, Willis felt business had an obligation and the potential to lead this shift. In Creative Work: The Constructive Role of Business in a Transforming Society (1990), he provided some benchmarks of new paradigm business and examples of a handful of leading companies.

Richard Barrett is clearly an inspired central figure in empowering the business world to take its place as an evolutionary and transformational force. Through his consulting practice, speaking engagements and now his powerful new book, Liberating the Corporate Soul, Richard presents the business world a gift of immense proportions providing a clear understanding of how to liberate the untapped creative brilliance, deep compassion and universal love that has been trapped within the prisons of old paradigm business models.

He challenges business leaders to "create strategic goals that call for quantum increases in performance that promote transformational thinking." "These improvements are achieved", he says, "only by taking a systems approach-a shift in basic assumptions that create a new way of being and doing - evolution". "Not doing things differently, but doing different things." Not shifting things around a table but creating a new table. "When individuals are asked to participate in transformational thinking they tap into their intuition and creativity. This type of thinking can only be maintained in corporate cultures that are built around trust, employee involvement and openness."

He cites the research of Collins and Porras whose book, Built to Last, proves that "contrary to business school doctrine, maximizing shareholder wealth and profits are not the dominant driving forces in most long lasting successful companies. Throughout the history of most visionary companies a core ideology existed that transcended purely economic considerations."

Quoting mystic poet Kahil Gibran, who said "work is love made visible", he goes on to say that "the challenge for companies in the twenty-first century is to create a work environment that encourages personal fulfillment-taking care of employees' physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs....to live out their passions and provide them with opportunities for service". According to a 1995 Newsweek article, 58% of Americans feel the need to experience spiritual growth. "What better place", Richard asks, "than through your work?

Building on the work of humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow, he finds that "most companies are stuck in the lower levels of consciousness he has identified as survival, relationship or self-esteem consciousness."

Barrett has developed the Balanced Need Scorecard and other powerful laser-like measuring tools to help organizations determine if the values they espouse are being embraced and lived. In the end, he believes "companies either operate from the fears of the ego or the love of the soul". Richard defines evolutionary leaders as "people who hold a vision and courageously pursue that vision in such a way that it resonates with the souls of people".

As the editor of an online publication that explores new paradigms in business and other disciplines, I would not risk entering the 21st century without reading, digesting and implementing the ideas contained in Liberating the Corporate Soul. Those companies that do will have a strategic advantage over those that don't. More importantly, it is unlikely that corporations will survive without creating transformational cultures that nurture and liberate.

New Book Provides Road Map and Tools For Building Visionary, Values-Based Businesses

(Washington, D.C. - December 1, 1998) You don't have to look far these days to witness the growing trend in business to nurture the corporate "soul." Once muttered in hushed tones of self-conscious reserve, soft-sounding words like "values" and "meaning" and "spirituality" are becoming as bold and common in the corporate lexicon as hard-nosed phrases like "bottom-line" and "return on investment." Until recently, though, the two vocabularies have struggled to come together in any cohesive, systematic process for guiding the strategies and actions of corporate America.

In a new book entitled Liberating the Corporate Soul (Butterworth-Heinemann publishers), author and business consultant, Richard Barrett, bridges that gap with an approach to organizational planning that will warm the hearts of human resources, corporate affairs and financial people alike.

The book begins with a review of Barrett's central thesis that "who you are and what you stand for are becoming just as important as what you sell." Next, Barrett describes his Corporate Transformation ToolsSM which is a set of measurement instruments for "auditing" individual and organizational values. Finally, the book provides a framework for using those tools to build a visionary, values-based organization.

Barrett's model is based partly on the landmark work of Abraham Maslow who defined the human "hierarchy of needs" on four main levels - security, relationship, self-esteem, and self-actualization. "Maslow himself concluded, however, that self-actualized individuals were actually motivated by higher states of consciousness, including spiritual needs," says Barrett. "But he never fully delineated what those states were."

Liberating the Corporate Soul expands on Maslow's work with a detailed explanation of Barrett's Seven Levels of Organizational Consciousness (survival, relationship, self-esteem, transformation, organization, community, and society) and Seven Levels of Leadership Consciousness (authoritarian, paternalist, manager, facilitator, collaborator, partner/servant, wisdom/visionary). According to Barrett, one level isn't necessarily superior to another. "All are relevant. It's really more a question of balance," he says. "However, it is at the higher levels of consciousness that organizations are meeting spiritual needs that focus more on the common good than individual self-interest."

The book's message and methodology are receiving acclaim from noted business leaders and authors throughout the world. Martin Rutte, co-author of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work calls Barrett's book "the bold, practical blueprint we need for moving business to the next evolutionary level. Sweeping, brilliant, a sense of the grandeur of the new paradigm of business." Marcello Palazzi, Co-Founder and Chair of the Progessio Foundation in The Netherlands says that "Liberating the Corporate Soul achieves the impossible: it integrates the intangibles of ethics, vision, and consciousness into a tangible measurement system."

Barrett began his search for a mechanism that would align an organization's actions and decisions with individual and social values when he was employed at the World Bank. In the early 1990s, he set out on a personal mission to move values to the top of the bank's business agenda. Through a series of determined steps - including the formation of the "Spiritual Unfoldment Society" at the bank - he managed to fulfill his mission and simultaneously formulate his values-based organizational development system.

Today, Barrett is head of his own consulting firm, Richard Barrett and Associates, LLC, and he is using his values-based system in working with organizations throughout the world. He is quick to point out that all of the organizations with which he works have values. The question is whether those values resonate internally with employees searching for deeper meaning in their work lives, as well as externally with a society increasingly favoring businesses that exhibit advanced levels of social consciousness.

The book cites revealing data from several research studies to support Barrett's claim of shifting trends in employee and social attitudes. The Cone/Roper Marketing Trends Report shows that 76% of consumers in 1997 said they would switch to brands associated with a good cause if price and quality were equal. That figure is up from 66% in 1993. On the employee front, a study conducted by Students for Responsible Business with 2,100 students at 50 graduate business programs found that 50% said they would accept a lower salary to work for a "very socially responsible" company. Perhaps more revealing, 43% claimed they would not work for a company that was not socially responsible.

Data like that is not being lost on some of the country's leading business figures. In his book, Barrett quotes Levi Strauss CEO, Robert Haas, as stating "In the next century, a company will stand or fall on its values."

None of the enthusiasm for this growing trend is much of a surprise to Barrett. "People naturally feel better about themselves and their companies when they see a clear sense of values, vision and compassion driving management decisions and actions," he says. And there's good news in that for the people watching the bottom line, because those positive feelings will translate into greater loyalty, stronger performance, and higher profits. It's a win-win outcome all the way around."

Liberating the Corporate Soul is now on sale at major bookstores across the country.

I have read several books on related topics. This book brought it all together for me in a way that was both practical and inspiring. It's an easy read that I can 'lean into' day after day for support as I try to find my own way. It's also small enough to fit into my purse. I very seldom leave home without it.

I am new to inspirational books but found realistic information applicable to me in this small wonder. The writer has accomplished her goal by cultivating my thoughts in many ways. I find myself reaching for this book often and so will you.

A pleasure to read, easy yet very fulfilling. This book achieves its introductory goal of presenting extremely important information in a digestible, accessible format. The "unorthodox" paragraph structure, which uses headnotes similar to those found in legal research, is ideal because even the most intellectually endowed person can find themselves challenged for clarity and attention span during times of personal questing. Lillie Goodrich brings it all together and down to earth, seamlessly weaving together concept and practice to make real life improvement attainable. Instead of putting words in the reader's head, she quiets the noisy mind so that the inner voice can be heard. Then she provides the incentive to listen and answer that call.

I'm telling all of my friends to read this delightful and well-written little book. The author suggests reading one chapter a week and taking time to put the ideas into practice between chapters. It's hard to do because the book is so easy to read that you won't want to stop! Each little chapter is a meditation on a specific idea for enriching your life experience. The author does a great job of weaving her own life experience into the book and outlines a wonderful spiritual roadmap for leading a happier and more satisfying life.

Lillie Goodrich has written a book of simple & profound wisdom. I return to it again and again for practical advice on how to approach any problem. So much packed into such a little book! It's the perfect gift for anyone!

I am doing this study for the third time. This study has changed my walk with the Lord. Kay Authur is an amazing teacher. This study is easy fast and deep. Don't miss it if you are a Christian.

Our Bible study group began this book in late fall 2007. We were looking for something that would encourage our spiritual growth, and one that would allow for sharing our insights as we studied together. This has probably been the best study we've done together - it's created an excitement in meeting, and there has been real growth - spiritually and numerically as well. It opens Scripture in a unique and thoughtful way, causing the members to really think about it.

I am a new christian and find this book speaks to me through the writer's words. I am finding myself anxious each day for the time to draw near to God through this author's words. I have never read any of her other books. I find this book makes me look at my life like I have never looked at it before. It makes me look at God as I have never dreamed possible. I am ordering 15 copies of this book and we are going to have a 9 week devotional on character at my church on Tuesday nights. I have showed it to other members of my church (only 98)and all interested will be taking the class with me. Whether you are now a christian or just became a christian I think most all would feel the same way after reading only the first chapture. You can not get enough of it.

Kay Arthur is an amazing author that is truely blessed by God. Having grown up in a home that didn't have God and was completely in the ways of the world, I discovered I need to do a lot of changing once I became a Christian and this book has totally helped me to not only discover the changes I need to make, but the scriptures I need to read to help me make the changes. I have since bought several more or her Bible Studies and cannot wait to get into them.

I knew when I ordered this study I would be facing a great spiritual challenge and I am. As a christian I know of the Sermon of the Mount and it's great blessing but this study digs very deep and very deep into my walk with Jesus. It was a painful journey at first and very humbling, even unto tears, but there is great joy in these beatitudes that I had been missing. If you want the "truth" about God and your heart, then prepare yourself for a great study!