Ethics Books

Growth on a global stage is the only way to sustainable success. It is an enormous challenge to grow let alone accomplish it globally. This book provides tangible object lessons on how these leaders have done it. If first-hand learning is best, then these stories approximate that construct.

This is an engaging and usefull guide to a difficult act.

A brillant leadership study from M.F.R. Kets de Vries and E. Florent-Treacy. The New Global Leaders is the success stories of three global leaders : " Richard Branson (founder and head of the Virgin Group), Percy Barnevik (mastermind behind the merger of ASEA and Brown Boveri to form ABB), and David Simon (former CEO of British Petroleum) all looked for ways to create a greater sense of purpose for their employees while putting in place the structure necessary for a global organization."

With case studies and interviews, this book has been built around the personal development of these world-class global leaders and the evolution of their companies.

As stated by Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy," we first discuss the values that provide a foundation for excellence and a new psychological contract in vanguard companies such as Virgin, ABB, and BP and then show how these values can be translated into practice in any organization."

I highly recommend this brillant study.

A detailed and succesful study about ABB and Percy Barnevik see "ABB the Dancing Giant/K. Barham & C. Heimer".

Authors Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy idealistically foresee a new era where visionary, innovative CEO's will lead a new type of employee. Through insightful interviews, they position Richard Branson of Virgin, Percy Barnevik of ABB and David Simon of British Petroleum as icons of the modern, improved CEO. Certainly, Branson and Simon seem to be valid role models and their leadership of European global companies presents interesting alternatives. Although it is not reflected in this 1999 book, today Barnevik's reputation is tarnished in the wake of a 2002 severance pay scandal and problems that BusinessWeek refers to as "the mess at ABB." For good or ill, this book will provoke you to ask if emphasizing a leader's charismatic ability to motivate distracts attention from critical core business issues. Despite their varied outcomes, these charismatic visionaries created family-like corporate cultures and inspired their employees. Thus, they demonstrated that the new economic era requires a new type of leader. Whether they together constitute a composite of that leader is another question. We recommend this solid book to management students and to upcoming executives.

Well written, easy to read. Hard acts to follow. You will get to know three successful business leaders. What are their background, childhood, education and career? What happened to their companies when they were leading them? Interviews with each one of them in which many questions are answered that you probably would have asked. The companies are large, global and successful. There is a lot to learn. It is not a cookbook. The authors make a useful summary but when you reflect about what the three persons have done there are not only many things they all did but also many things they did differently. I bought the book because it was listed under the heading "business ethics" in an Amazon search. The book is not directly about ethics. It is useful in that context as it shows that these three leaders through their actions demonstrate having moral convictions. Part of that conviction is to deliver shareholder value but also strong feelings of responsibility for the environment and social issues. Furthermore they have been able, with a lot of hard work, to impart this concept on all of the employees. All three believe that employees become much more motivated and loyal to the organisation when they feel that they are working towards goals in addition to shareholder value. One also becomes convinced that they do not set these wider goals as a public relations exercise or a clever way to motivate people to work harder. These leaders are totally sincere in what they say and what they do.

The book gives valuable insight into the way these three ground-breaking European leaders think about business, and how they successfully manage global organizations. The book clearly illustrate the different personal traits of the subjects (the builder, the transformer, and the integrator), and ecourages the reader to challange the pros and cons of the different philosophies. The book reads very much like a case study, and provides an excellent but basic overview over the global marketplace and on how to be able to draw on the ideas implemented by these great leaders.

The contemporary man is so often tempted to interpret the prophetic words of "do what your heart tells you" as meaning that his heart is the sole arbiter of his morality. Of course, this forgets that the
"heart" may desire one thing but also realize that it may be wrong, thereby judging that the person needs to probe deeper into the matter in order to really know what is in consonance with his heart. Implicitly, Truth is involved in the formation and direction of the conscience, thereby eliminating the wholly subjectivist interpretation of "conscience," a term which should be remembered as being con-science, knowing with, thereby presupposing the greater community of humanity and the world.

Cardinal Ratzinger's consideration of the Conscience in these two talks is well timed in an age which as forgotten that the conscience is more than a relativistic term. Both essays aim to reunite the subjective conscience with its orientation to the objective Truth and the whole of the community from whence it takes its promptings and toward which it provides growth. In the consideration of what seems to be a human anamnesis of conscience which points mankind with fits and starts toward the same Truth, the conscience already shows itself to have an orientation to the objective. In addition, one can talk of the conscience changing over time, of becoming more formed or deformed with the making of choices. Once again, Ratzinger points out that this is this points to something outside of oneself. This also provides a direction for how to understand the place of the Church in relation to academic theologians, a subject considered in the second essay. The community of the Church takes on the character of the moral arbiter which passes along the experience which grows from the struggle of the Church through the ages. In order to completely understand this struggle, it must remain in dialogue with "scientific" theologians who help shape the moral dialogue in each age. These theologians remain in service to the community and thereby stand both as a shaper as well as a subject to the moral tradition which informs the Catholic conscience.

Like the other works of Ratzinger (or later as Pope Benedict XVI), this text is insightful yet very accessible to readers of varied levels of theological and philosophical acumen. It is marked by the character of a man who has a deep love of that communion of faith in which he has been formed and which he now leads as spiritual father. In a world which has forgotten the necessary relationship of the conscience to objective truth (and therefore the community of Church, mankind, and world), this text is a gentle introductory corrective which is insightful and fruitful.

This small book ought to be near the top of the list for people who want to begin reading Pope Benedict. It has three distinct advantages as such an introductory text. First, the two talks on conscience are close to the center of his overall message, distinguishing personal subjective concepts of conscience and morality from objective truth. This of course has been restated many times since his papacy, but the second advantage here is its brevity and concentration on essences.

But the real advantage here is the third -- these are 2 talks originally in English, no translation is necessary. Benedict's English is clear, direct and thereby modern -- also subtly colored without sounding merely academic, an effect sometimes left even after the best of translations. It is one of the best Benedict items in the Ignatius Press catalog, and amply speaks for itself and in rich dimensionality, belying its length.

An eloquent essay on the Conscience. Helps to explain our responsibility, and how to know what it is, as children of God. Essential reading for the aspiring Saint.

-Jeremy Smalling

On Conscience is an essential book for anyone trying to figure out how to know the right thing to do in any given situation. Today there are many who -- while continuing to recognize that acting rightly (whatever that means) is still important -- a large number seem also to believe that anything is right as long as they sincerely think it is right. Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) shows very clearly, and very dramatically and convincingly, that this can not be true. While continuing to honor the ancient tradition that a certain conscience must be followed, he shows that there also must be a serious effort to form a correct conscience, and illustrates from recent human history what can happen if this effort to cultivate a correct conscience is not taken. This book deals directly with the apparent conflict between individual conscience and external authority. The only shortcoming of the book is that some of the explanations are unduly long, and make for dry reading as a result. Well worth the effort anyhow.

To the best of my knowledge, these essays were presented in English (both were keynote addresses to bishops' workshops.) and it may partly this fact - their lack of translation by a second party - that makes the texts so wonderfully approachable. Having studied a great amount of Ratzinger's work from his more than forty-year career, I feel that I have a decent grasp of his world-view, approach and theological method. Absolutely consistent with his previous and following work, the essays reprinted in "On Conscience" (one from 1984, the other 1991) are real gems.

What is perhaps the most interesting and significant feature of these texts is the insider's view one obtains from the 1991 address. Written just under a year before the publication of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, of which Ratzinger was primary editor, this address highlights almost verbatim much of what is written in the CCC under the heading of conscience. I have to wonder whether or not the bishops at the time really appreciated the preview they were privy to.

Both texts and the introduction total around 85 pages, so this is a very short read. I highly recommend it, especially for it's clear language and well articulated views.

Randy Pennington has done an outstanding job of bridging the serious nature of earning a living in business and learning ethics as an adolescent. This slim tome speaks volumes about 'the right thing to do' on a daily basis.

Specific and simple examples are used to support every desired ethical and moral behavior. This is a universal book that should be read, studied, and practiced in business - and at home.

This book sets on my desk next to Jim Collin's book "Good to Great". I am constantly buying and giving away these two books to business peers.

On My Honor is a very emotional story;Exciting,scary,and sad all at th same time.There is two boys (best friends) Tony is the braver one of the two.Something so dredful,so mystrious,so scary
has happened to Tony! The question is, is Tony dead or alive?

Reading this book made me stop and take a good hard look at myself and my honesty. It should be required reading for Bill Clinton as well as any- one in the public eye.

This book talks about what is right and should be mandatory reading for all corporate officers, government employees and people in leadership roles. The book will motivate you, get you to stop and think, as well as give you ideas about how to improve yourself, your organization and your company. Fantastic Book that I am going to make all of my people read!

I value a great book on spirituality when it has the essence of Truth, simplicity and clarity. This is the kind of book I wish to give to everyone. Very rare a spiritual book can and should be given to anyone. This one can be easily accepted by avid spiritual seeker and anyone having the desire to evolve by starting with oneself. It give such understanding to all the unanswered questions we have related to the lost of abundant joy,our childhood was so rich once.

If you like this book, I would also recommend Andrew Cohen's book, Embracing heaven & earth for one more easy read, yet, to the point keys to Truth.

Enjoy!

This is probably one of the best books by Barry Long I have read, it makes you start thinking about the nature of you, and how much we are programmed by soceity. Maybe think is not a good word to use because barry long thinks that thinking is a psychological disease. So read this book, start to meditate and stop to think, that the way to penetrate into your own being.

Enjoy the journey

Barry Long relentlessly hammers you with Truth. When I read this book, I periodically flipped as he pointed out the obvious to the oblivious with deadly accuracy. From guiding us not to tell our sad story, through the crazed media minefields, to the slithering souls waiting to incarnate, Master Long will do something to you. It is up to you to find out what....

I haven't finished this book yet but am blown away by Barry's directness, integrity and the deep resonance of Truth in his words. This truly is Wisdom for the Western mind. No gurus, no mantras, no spiritual baggage - just the Truth, straight and simple. How the world needs this now....

But Barry's message is only for those who are ready to hear it. I imagine his uncompromising directness and 'zero tolerance' spirituality will deter those who are not prepared for it. Not many people seem ready to hear that they've no right to be unhappy, or that they're entirely responsible for their unhappiness.

A brilliant book. Thank you so much Barry Long.

Barry Long's words have got a quality that penetrated me deeply. i found that even when i had finished this book, I kept going over what he had said and saw that it was all the truth. I've never heard anyone talk about the personality like this before, at first i was intrigued. After a while it actually gets a little uncomfortable, it made me look at myself so deeply, more deeply than i ever have before. It gave me insight to how my emotions really work and after reading this I no longer feel as though there is some force beyond me that controls my life and makes me unhappy. This book changed me! d I'm amazed by how much freer i am, it really works! Who doesn't want to be happier? Everyone should read this book, it's absolutely brilliant. Barry must be either totally enlightened or a genius.

The sheer volume of literature devoted to understanding behavior in humans and animals underscores how tricky understanding behavior is. A fraction of this literature, including this book, devotes particular attention to the problems that humans and animals encounter within social and natural environments. With a grasp of the important problems people encounter, a new perspective arises that identifies behavior as stragegic, attempted and on average efficient solutions to specific problems.

But these problems though hinted at here and there are rarely understood well by even the elite of the academic world let alone found within the common knowledge. Arguably among the more important problems that shape behavior are the freerider problem, the prisoner's dilemma, the problem of mutually offsetting investments, the problem of uncertainty, and the commitment problem. Robert Frank is perhaps the commitment problem's best spokesperson.

Often a person or an animal must convince a mate, an rival, or a predator that one is committed to taking a course of action that will require a substantial investment and perhaps substantial risk. If the commitment has convincing force, often the investment and risk will not be necessary. So the best course of action in a situation can seem highly counterintuitive. Behavior that might seem irrational or crazy can actually be the most efficient resolution to a competitive or cooperative circumstance. The commitment problem arises because in order to take advantage of these efficiencies, one must convince others that one is not bluffing and is actually fully committed. Robert Frank explores these situations including the cooperative enterprise of marriage and other social relationships. The explanatory power is impressive.

Frank argues that emotions in general are essentially technologies designed to solve the commitment problem. Emotions convey to others that one is committed to certain perspectives or courses of action. The significance of this insight cannot be overstated. Those who are privy to evolutionary psychology and the evolutionary perspective will appreciate how this theory of emotions fits into the paradigm of selective pressures and adaptive behavior. This book can be read right along with Darwin's "The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals."

Why is the commitment problem an important idea? One reason is that many philosophies, including Objectivism, treat emotions as the polar opposite of logic and rationality. The commitment problem underscores the logic behind emotions.

As an aside, Frank is the perfect explanation of why some economists are among the brightest social scientists. The economic perspective includes the idea that rationality is strategic and that in order to make the most efficient choice, often problems are encountered that require tradeoffs. So, economists are among the first to discover or elaborate on specific and pervasive problems that people and other organisms encounter.

Lastly, to argue that emotions are strategic is not to say that the strategy is conscious. As the emotional animals illustrate, the strategy of emotions can be carried out by instinct. Cases where the emotional strategy leads to sub-optimal results doesn't contradict the theory either. The proliferation of emotional animals illustrates this as well.

I challenge that anyone who studies the emotions is in the dark ages without understanding the ideas in this book. From my experience, many PhD trained social scientists and educators don't have a good grasp of this material.

This is Robert Frank's best book. As is true of everything he writes, Frank's style here is clear and engaging.

He aims to show that human emotions are created by natural selection to increase the individual's chances of survival. What appear to be a person's irrational reactions and inclinations often promote mutually beneficial trade and, thus, promote that person's long-run welfare. The explanation of how emotions achieve this remarkably beneficial outcome is the core of this fine book.

Of all the many serious books that I've read over the years, this one is surely among the most fun! It's fantastic reading.

Robert H. Frank is a genius!

Passions within Reason is a remarkably prescient and insightful book, drawing upon behavioral research of the decade leading to its publication (1988). It is also a rather subtle book. Even though I used in in a college course I taught in 1989, I do not believe I really understood it until I reread it very recently.

Frank asks: why to people help others, and retaliate against others who harm them, even when they can expect no future personal, material gain from so doing? His answer is that there are emotional rewards to helping those who deserve our aid and hurting others who deserve our ire. Our behavior towards others is regulated by the passions: empathy, spite, shame, remorse, guilt, compassion, and the other social emotions.

He then asks: why are those who behave in this emotional way not displaced (e.g., by having more offspring, or by acquiring more earthly possessions) by others who are purely selfish, and who help and hurt only when a dispassionate calculation indicates that it is in their material interest to do so? He answers this by noting that our emotions "precommit" us to keeping our promises and carrying out our threats, so that we gain in the long run by not being able (or willing) to make the dispassionate calculation. We gain because others will trust our promises and respect our threats. Frank calls the the "commitment model."

This idea that it is "rational" to be "emotional" is, of course, a commonplace today, and has been popularized by neuroscientist Alberto Damasio's fine book, Descartes' Error, and more recently, philosopher Martha Nussbaum's UPheavals of Thought. Experiments using behavioral game theory more than amply confirm the centrality of emotions in decision-making even in the company of strangers (see papers on prosocial emotions on my web site: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~gintis).

A thornier question is: why can a purely selfish type (otherwise known as a sociopath) not simply mimic the behavior of a committed altruist when it suits his purposes, and not otherwise? If this were possible, and there were no other counteracting tendencies, sociopaths would surely drive out committed altruists. Here Frank is less convincing. He says simply that it is very hard to fake the emotions, just as it is difficult for a small bullfrog to fake his size by mimicking the deep-throated croaks of his larger bretheren. This is true, but some people do this very successfully. Why do they not prosper? Moreover, there is no obvious developmental constraint in humans opposing the evolution of excellent emotional cheats.

Perhaps the payoffs to faking commitment are not that high. Surely this would explain why it is "difficult to fake emotions": they payoff to doing is low or negative, so the capacity for faking has not evolved to a high level in humans. More recent research, using models of gene-culture coevolution, indicate that this may well be the case. See, for instance, Herbert Gintis, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Altruism: Genes, Culture, and the Internalization of Norms", Journal of Theoretical Biology 220,4 (2003):407-418, and Robert Boyd, Herbert Gintis, Samuel Bowles and Peter J. Richerson, "Evolution of Altruistic Punishment", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100,6 [mar] (2003):3531-3535.

Why are some people honest, even when nobody is looking? Why do we indignantly refuse an unfair offer, even if we could gain from accepting? If you're curious, read the book. It's written by an economist, but it's about psychology and ecology as much as economics. It's a wonderful book that deserves to be more widely known (it has a nice bibliography too). Moderately easy reading.

This is an excellent text for anyone who needs an English translation. The side-by-side layout helps you compare the English with the Hebrew. And of course, this classic is worth studying.

This the ultimate Guide to Spiritually, and although the English Title is Misleading, this is not a book for the faint hearted. It is customary among students to learn the first few chapters of the work by heart, and this is no small feat. Luzzato presents the guide to become a spiritually focused, complete and dedicated servant of G-d, in 24 steps.

It is a magnum opus, and although the size is misleading, the information and guide is not. This book can make or break the reader, it is suggested that when studying this work, to at least have some guidance from a Local Orthodox Rabbi.

The content of this monumental work describes in minute detail, how to grow spiritually. It allows one the potential to reach the greatest of heights, but to do so requires tremendous strength, energy and will power. This book was written in the 16th Century. The Vilna Gaon (the Talmudic Sage of the 17th Century) considers the first 8 chapters as completely Divinely Inspired where not a single word is wasted (refering to the Hebrew text).

Feldheim have recently published a new translation of this work and is certainly helping thousands of people attain new understanding of this classic. The reader might wish to first read another of Feldheim classics: "Duties of the Heart" or "The Ways of the Tzaddikim" both excellent works, but act as introductions and guides to the "path of the just"

this translation is really good. this book is a must have for begining the work of repentance and charictor refinement. this book should be on everyones shelf. it is a book that should be for our generation, for all who are returning to the Torah, and who need to know where to start.
you definaly need this book.

The Ramchal establishes the definative "Mussar" (ethical exhortation) baseline for all time in this phenomenal piece. By establishing a ladder of ethical and behavioral levels on which we climb closer to the divine presence, Ramchal presents righteousness in a fashion which makes it both accessible and challenging to all people, regardless of their current environment. A must read for all serious seekers.

Reading and studying this book will help you come closer to G-d. It will move you in the direction of greater and greater service of G-d.
It will inspire and help you.

"...a welcome addition to the growing body of literature...highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the field...should be required reading for anyone conducting pharmacogenomic research and for all clinicians who use pharmacogenomics..." (Journal of Pharmacy Technology, Vol. 19, September/October 2003)

"...an excellent summary of aspects of phamacogenomics...a solid reference for those working in the field and a unique textbook for those new to the subject area." (Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 49, No. 9)

"...chapters offer fascinating glimpses into fields that may not be familiar to geneticists, genomicists, or clinicians...they will be informative...and provide a reminder that many people outside this field are going to be paying a lot of attention as discoveries...are reported." (New England Journal of Medicine, July 24, 2003)

"...well written, clear, and informative...a restrained sense of excitement...permeates throughout...clearly...a solid contribution to the discourse." (Nature Biotechnology, May 1, 2003)

"This volume presents the ethical, legal and social issues as they interface with pharmacogenomics in a very readable and accessible manner...this is an incredibly valuable guide by thought-leaders in the field." --Edward R. B. McCabe, M.D., Ph.D., David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California

Kerry Walters' description of a "spiritual hypochondriac" is so real, compassionate and compelling, it breaks your heart wide open. As he says, "We know full well that the other's me (like our own)seduces him...But we also sense the deep self within him that contains the possibility of holiness, and we cannot but be caringly drawn to it." As Walters notes, "to care is to grieve" and yet "suffering with another person always carries with it the mysterious promise of meaning and intimacy." An inspiring book; the reader comes away with a powerful sense (gift) of the author's own divine Presence.

I'm a big fan of Kerry Walters's books. They're brainy without being dry or scholarly, and he always tells a good story and makes me think because he's unconventional. So when I picked up this latest one, I figured I'd be surprised. But I was more surprised than I thought I'd be. I expected a kind of practical, how-to manual. What I got was something much better, a reflection on how to care for self, others, and God rooted in what Walters calls "presence." When we cultivate "presence," we make ourselves available with the same generosity God does. I especially liked the Chapter 2, where Walters claims, via Dostoyevky's underground man, that many of us are too afraid to be present to our deepest self. Chapter 3's use of Kurt Vonnegut to talk about "samaritrophia," our refusal to care for others, is super.

One of the main points in this little gem of a book is that care-giving isn't just for professional care-givers but instead is a requirement for anybody who wants to be fully human. Be that as it may, Walters' book is still something that professional therapists, pastoral counselors, nurses, retirement home workers, and anyone in the business of caring will want to read. It gives the reader a deeper appreciation for why caring is so spiritually important, and this is something anybody who cares for a living and faces the occupational hazard of burnout needs under their belt.

The word "care" is thrown around today so often that it doesn't mean much anymore. But Kerry Walter's book offers a lovely, beautiful discussion that helps us take the word seriously again. According to him, caring is more than just an emotion or a set of behavior. It's the process by which we become complete humans in touch with one another and God. This is a timely message--that a full human isn't necessarily somebody whose rich or real smart or famous or powerful, but someone who knows how to care. Wonder if we'll ever quite get it?

Like the other reviewer said, this definately isn't a how-to guidebook. But it gives a theology of caring that every professional care-giver, and every ordinary human being, ought to think about. The section on learning how to care about your true self is simply brilliant, and the way Walters weaves in the nunc dimmitas story from scripture (Song of Simeon) is clever and insightful. A very good read. and it's the first time anybody's been able to explain Martin Heidegger in language I can understand! :))

William Lee Miller is one of the most readable and thoughtful of modern American historians. His utterly captivating "Arguing About Slavery," concerning John Quincy Adams' battle against the Gag Rule in Congress, made me a committed fan of both Adams and Miller. Miller followed with "Lincoln's Virtues," a meditation on the decency and moral character of Lincoln that focussed mainly on his life before 1861.

"President Lincoln: The Duty of a Statesman," is a delight. As the title reflects, this volume deals with Lincoln's years as President. Miller is well-versed in the vast reaches of Lincoln scholarship. Unlike the best-selling "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kerns Goodwin, however, Miller actually provides new and revelatory insights that further enhance Lincoln's reputation. Of the current coterie of authors on Lincoln, I have yet to find one who has spent the time Miller does on addressing the substance of Lincoln's critical July 4, 1861 message to Congress, where Lincoln denounced the "farcical" pretence of secession and demolished the myth of state sovereignty as he asked Congress for money and men to fight a war that had become much fiercer than almost anyone had imagined. Douglas Wilson, in "Lincoln's Sword," provides an excellent and in-depth discussion of the drafting of this document but he skirts much of the real substance - which remains controversial in some quarters. Miller shows how Lincoln carefully maneuvered between Union and emancipation. He does not avoid controversy. The message to Congress emerges as a central document in Lincoln's development and in the ongoing debate over "states' rights."

One intriguing episode Miller describes concerns the cashiering of Major John J. Key, who was the brother of one of General McClellan's top aides. David Herbert Donald merely asserts, without attribution, that McClellan was not disloyal. The question is not so lightly to be disposed of. According to Major Key's "silly treasonable talk" (in Lincon's phrase), the "game" was to leave both the Union and Confederate armies in the field until they were exhausted, making compromise inevitable and thereby saving slavery. McClellan is also quoted as asserting his distinct preference for a principled, Christian war that would leave inviolate Confederates' property rights - including their "rights" in slaves. While there is no direct evidence of McClellan's disloyalty, certainly these facts, coupled with his notorious reluctance to fight, his constant insistence that he was drastically outnumbered when he was often in charge of superior numbers himself, and his platform when he ran against Lincoln for President in 1864, suggest the need to consider that McClellan's agenda as a general was indeed to subvert the war effort and let slavery prevail. The fact that Major Key became a candidate for clemency shortly after Lincoln sacked him only makes Miller's point more acutely: Lincoln refused to reinstate Key.

Miller also gives some substantial scope to the accounts of how much time Lincoln spent reviewing charges against Union soliders who had been sentenced to die, and how his reputation for leniency misses the fact that he did indeed allow executions to proceed when they were warranted. One fascinating case concerns an American officer who was apprehended in the act of transporting more than 800 slaves from Africa. A Republican prosecutor pursued the case aggressively with the result that this man became the first, last, and only slave-trader in all of American history to be executed under American law. Lincoln refused to commute the sentence to life, despite the tears of the prospective widow and child and the intervention of many worthy citizens - 11,000 at least - on behalf of the condemned man.

This volume is not a comprehensive history or biography. While it is more than an extended scholarly essay or meditation on our greatest President, in many respects it reads like one. Miller's scholarship is substantial and he has a fine set of notes, not referenced in the text. They are arranged in the back according to the page number in the main text where the reference arises. The result is a book a lay-person can read for sheer pleasure, or which specialists can peruse for new nuggets. Miller is a master prose stylist, not impervious to humor. And, not unlike his subject, he presents powerful ideas simply. Though the story has been told a myriad of times, it gains new richness, depth and subtlety from Miller's telling of it, his selection of different issues to highlight, and his juxtaposition of materials. I have already gone back to re-read portions of this excellent book. I will again, and soon.

Will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in our greatest president and his time in office. Professor Miller is a wonderful master of his subject.

Abraham Lincoln is rightfully remembered here for the actions he took during the short time he actually served in the White House. This is not a book about Mr. Lincoln's youth, his career in Illinois, or his family life. How this statesman balanced power, people, and ethics in reaching his twin noble objectives is laid out in a most compelling way by William Lee Miller.

(I especially found interesting the material presented on President Lincoln's use of the pardoning power.)

Purchase this book for yourself, or a friend who may question why the world still celebrates a politician who was born almost two hundred years ago.

First off , Miller writes well. Very well. The voice is conversational. And the insights flow: how Lincoln saw the war as a transcedent matter(after all the South withdrew from the union because they lost an election; no fundanmental rights were infringed;how can any republican government survive that?); the way Lincoln mixed mercy, strategically used, with a firmness to do anything(and anything covered a lot of ground for Lincoln) within his power to save the idea of a republican government; how he never let it be about him and his needs, but always about the greater needs of the cause he served( the writing on how he dealt with McClellan ,and the border states is superb; makes you wish our current politicans had more of the stuff of which Lincoln was made). A must read for anyone interested in the war and, more importantly, on what makes a great leader, political or otherwise.

This is a well written book and a must read follow up to the author's "Lincoln's Virtues". The book delves into Lincoln as he faces the many challanges as President and how his maturing as a politician and his moral beliefs affected that presidency. More than a "backcountry" political figure, Lincoln proves himself as one of our great leaders if not the greatest leader of all time. Any one truly interested in Abraham Lincoln should include both William Miller's "President Lincoln, the Duty of a Statesman" and "Lincoln's Virtues" as required reading.

Wlliam Lee Miller's new book on US President Abraham Lincoln focuses entirely on the 1861-1865 period when Lincoln was chief executive and the nation suffered through a horrendous Civil War. Miller is an eloquent author and an expert on Lincoln. His book is a combination of narrative laced with a detailed study of several of the moral issues the Kentucky railsplitter faced in office. Among these Gordian Knot problems upon which Lincoln had to decide were:
1. Whether to supply Fort Sumter by sea or allow the Charleston SC.fort to be surrendered to the new Confederate government without a shot being fired? Lincoln had promised to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution in his inaugural address on March 4, 1861. He believed the President of the United States should defend our territory so refused to give up on Sumter. The Confederates fired on the fort leading to a declaration of war with the United States. The Civil War would cost over
600,000 lives-2/3 of them because of disease and insanitary conditions.
2. Lincoln made the decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in Confederate controlled areas as of January 1, 1863. As a wily politician this act did not apply to slaves held in Union held but slave states. All African-Americans in bondage would be freed by the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution following the great emancipator's death
by assassination on April 15, 1865.
3. Miller cites several examples of Lincoln's mercy to soldiers convicted by court martial. He could be tough refusing to save the life of Nathaniel Gordon a slave ship owner and a man who shot a white officer leading a parade of black soldiers in Norfolk, Va. Lincoln was a kind and merciful man who was without hubris or self-glorification.
4. Lincoln showed mercy to most of the Indians who had been involved in the war launched against white settlers in Minnesota in 1863.
5. Lincoln was a great war leader getting rid of poor generals such as George McClellan and choosing fighters like Grant, Sherman and Sheridan to lead the north to victory. He favored a tolerant policy to the South following the war. Unfortunately he died before Reconstruction which proved to be harsh under Andrew Johnson.
6. The Civil War, says Miller, was not total war as civilians were not targeted for death although their property was destoyed by armies. This especially occurred during Sherman's March to the Sea.
7. Lincoln expressed the highest aspirations of republican government in his great speeches. He was in favor of the common person and had no tolerance for rulership by an aristocratic elite.
Lincoln saw his purpose as President to be dominated by two major themes: 1. The preservation of the United States governed by the Constitution 2. The elimination of chattel slavery and the granting of citizenship to the four million Africa-Americans who lived in America. Lincoln was not a racist but a friend of blacks. He welcomed the black leader Frederick Douglass to the White House.
William Lee Miller's book should be required reading in any course dealing with the American Civil War, Presidential Leadership or the life of Lincoln. This great and good man shows us that morality in high office can be practiced by a skillful politician.
This books should be read in tandem with Miller's earlier book on Lincoln's virtues which takes our sixteenth president through his career up until election as President of the United States.
A book to treasure!

I think Heinzerling and Ackerman show within their very first chapter that they are totally "on" to the tricks of the "C/B/A" Dick Graham policynakers of our day, that they have a powerful critique of and rebuttal to that technique, and a talent for putting forth some very good, easily-understood examples that enable anyone with interest in the subject and a decent amount of common sense to figure out the great (hmm) game being played "out there."
I hate economics jargon, but i really liked this book.

Frank Ackerman and Lisa Heinzerling's book Priceless takes a critical look at the economic method of cost-benefit analysis which is often used to direct policy and behavioral decisions regarding health, the environment and social values. The authors' primary conclusion is that such analysis is often far too opaque to be relevant. Additionally, most cost-benefit analysis is unreflective of the true values of human health, life, ecosystems and other `priceless' elements these methodologies often deal with. It's argued that using cost-benefit analysis too often leads to sub-optimal and unjust outcomes. These outcomes are rationalized only by an academic exercise where everything is deduced to monetary terms.

The book does an excellent job presenting current-day policy decisions and breaking down the assumptions and arguments that led to their adoption. In doing so, Ackerman and Heinzerling show that the `pro-free market' mantra championed by business interests, and gaining popularity in some political circles, is proclaimed a success on the grounds of cost-benefit conclusions. However, the authors dig deeper to examine the questionable methods which seemingly prove that the market creates efficient outcomes and that regulation is often only a costly hindrance. Additionally, Priceless invites readers to consider injustices imposed historically, and in the current-day free market, in the absence of regulation and laws restricting certain activities. Slavery, child labor and toxic pollution are just three examples used in the book where free market efficiency is questioned. Seemingly, "anything profitable that is not prohibited by law is likely to occur" in a free market scenario.

Free market efficiency dictates that labor is first directed to produce the most fiscally profitable goods regardless of what's socially optimal or needed. This is one serious danger of relying purely on monetary terms and profit-maximizing behavior to make choices. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis falls into the same trap. Things which are seemingly priceless, such as human life, are given a monetary value to determine whether endangering activities are prudent and/or have the right to occur. Furthermore, the costs and benefits of action are often calculated using questionable methodologies which can be manipulated to justify decisions based on the analyst's preference. One poignant example provided was the federal government's Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) 2002 estimate that the value of protecting 60 million acres of forest land was a mere $219,000/year. This value was calculated solely by using the cost saved from not building roads in the area and not needing to provide for their ongoing maintenance. Any environmental benefits of the forest's ecosystem and the value it served as a home to plant and animal species were completely ignored. Also disregarded were the future values society might derive from its existence. In terms of cost, the OMB asserted that preserving the land was preventing society from realizing $184 million in economic activity which the forest could provide for. Given such manipulated estimates, government protection of the land was argued to make no sense from a cost-benefit standpoint and regulations which are seemingly beneficial were discounted to inefficient protectionism by free-market advocates.

Priceless devotes much time to examining human-life valuation and estimates in monetary terms. The authors' review of literature on the subject concludes that $5-6 million (in 1999 dollars) seems to be a generally agreed upon range for the value of a human life in most U.S. studies conducted during the past two decades. A quite disturbing aspect of these valuations is that all human life is purportedly not of equal value. The $5-6 million term is often discounted for the elderly, poor and those who are disabled. For example, using a Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) model common to health economics, those in a wheelchair are often given less valuable lives than someone who can walk. However, does a disabled or elderly person value their lives less than a healthier or younger individual? Clearly, justification for such valuation would be morally opposed by much of society and the cost-benefit calculations which assume such values would be viewed as equally unacceptable.

One of the more infamous cases of life-value discrimination appeared in the 1995 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC's) life-evaluation section. In the report, the value of lives affected by climate change was determined using the economic value produced by the countries they inhabited. This meant assigning a $1.5 million value to those in rich countries, a $300,000 value to those in middle income places and a $100,000 value to inhabitants of the world's poorest countries. The outrage which ensued led to a modification of the number in the 2001 IPCC report to $1 million/person, regardless of where they lived.

Beyond the debate regarding proper methods for financial valuation of life, the authors question whether this academic practice is even relevant. Ackerman and Heinzerling contend that reasonable people do not make choices based on the value of their lives and that the supposed price of an individual's existence is nothing more than a dangerous simplification. Rather, they argue for society to make decisions using the precautionary principle where policies should err on the side of caution when irreversible and/or devastating health and environmental effects are at stake. Qualitative factors and a sense of morality should be prioritized before any quantitative measures of how society directs or restricts their resources. On the surface, this approach may seemingly be at odds with the calculable predictions of economic practice. However, the authors argue that conventional economics do not have jurisdiction over the realm of `priceless' elements of the world and human life. After all, should human life and the environmental conditions of the earth be treated as a commodity which can be assigned a monetary value and then `sold' on the market? `No' is the resounding answer provided by the authors of Priceless.

One final critique the authors deliver against cost-benefit analysis regards the practice of discounting for the future. This method, common to modern financial decision making, `shrinks' the value of outcomes on the distant horizon so as to make them seemingly insignificant. The practice assumes money not spent now will appreciate in nominal and real terms before being handed over to future generations. In regards to climate change, there are seemingly two choices a society can make: 1) research and implement clean, renewable energy now and embark upon conservation practices; or 2) save the money which could be put to these programs in a trust fund for future generations which will deliver them principal plus the interest earned. However, the irrelevance of such an analysis becomes clear when considering that the problems of climate change may become unsolvable for future generations. Melted Polar Regions, widespread species extinction, evaporated water sources and infertile growing conditions are certainly going to not be compensated for by any amount of money put away by past societies in a trust fund. For these reasons, it appears wise for current-day society to proceed using the precautionary principle lauded by Ackerman and Heinzerling in regards to the human activities creating climate change.

Priceless concludes with the authors providing four principles which can be relied upon in lieu of the cost-benefit approach. These include: using holistic, not atomistic, methods; favoring moral imperatives over cost comparisons; adopting the precautionary approach when dealing with uncertainty; and promoting fairness towards the poor and future generations. Additionally, we should heed the extreme forecasts when contemplating potentially catastrophic events, such as climate change. Society should consider the potential implications of action (over-investment in pollution control and clean energy) versus inaction (irreversible, widespread environmental change and threats to humanity) and note that the errors on each side are not symmetrical. Erring on the side of caution in this case seems to be the indisputable ideal for society, regardless of what different economists' cost-benefit analyses prescribe.

In summary, Ackerman and Heinzerling's Priceless provides solid reasoning in favor of alternative methods to cost-benefit analysis when regarding the environment, human health and life. I would recommend this book to economists, policy makers, practitioners of law or anyone else interested in considering how such valuations and their subsequent polices are, and should be, created.

If someone tells you that a regulation will cost $100 million but produce only $50 million in benefits, you'd probably think it was a good example of government bureaucrats running amok. But what if you then found out that what the regulation would really do was force polluters to cut emissions in order to prevent thousands of cases of life-threatening illness over the next three decades? And that the $50 million benefits "pricetag" was developed by a bunch of green-eyeshade types who regard each life as worth about $3 million, and who then use a statistical trick to make 87% of that value disappear?
Ackerman and Heinzerling have written a brilliant and scary book that lays out in chilling detail just how widely such techniques are now being used in making decisions about when to adopt health and environmental safeguards - and when NOT to. They also reveal that many of the horror stories repeatedly trotted out by critics of environmental and health standards NEVER ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
The authors' prose is engaging and their arguments are compelling. Essential reading for anyone who cares about health and the environment - and who thinks that industry shouldn't be blindly trusted to do the right thing in safeguarding them.

Although sometimes threatened by dry matters of obscure economics, here Ackerman and Heinzerling manage to keep their intriguing moral arguments in full view. The authors convincingly condemn the cost-benefit analysis that has become fashionable for the current administration, and corporations, when evaluating public health and environmental regulations. Such economic practices have resulted in embarrassing, and frankly inhuman, corporate decision making – the most famous example being the case of the Ford Pinto in which the company decided not to fix a minor defect in design because the lives of the people who could potentially be killed were (economically) worth less than the up-front costs. This type of heartless economic analysis is now being used by the Bush administration, and especially the imperious Office of Management and Budget, to "evaluate" all existing and proposed regulations, particularly any advanced by the EPA or other politically targeted agencies. Hence, all regulations are subjected to purely economic cost-benefit accounting. Tellingly, military spending is inherently "inefficient" by this standard, but has never been subjected to such statistical determinism.

Ackerman and Heinzerling convincingly demonstrate that this accounting is heavily politicized, with the costs of health or environmental regulations vastly overestimated, and the benefits to society vastly underestimated. This is often because matters of life quality and morality, which are essentially "priceless," tend to be given zero value in these purely accounting-oriented analyses. And in all cases, arcane and shifty accounting methods can further push the results of the cost-benefit analysis in the direction desired by the politicos who are crunching the numbers. The authors tend to shy away from the obvious conclusion that such supposedly impartial economic "science" is really a cover for politicians and corporations to advance their harsh anti-regulatory agenda and ideology. However, they still do a marvelous job of pointing out not just the errors of such accounting methods (via many real-life examples), but also in showing that supposedly "impartial" economics are advanced for immoral, unjust, and even anti-human ends. As Ackerman and Heinzerling conclude, true economic and environmental justice requires holistic thinking about the state of the real world, not atomistic politics. You can't put a numerical price on everything, especially human life and public health. [~doomsdayer520~]

This book will truly open your eyes. This book presents a rare chance to peak behind the curtain and see how our government goes about making life and death decisions.