Ethics Books

I must admit that I never write reviews, however, after reading John Andrews' book, Spread some Love, I just had to! A very interesting perspective on Love and Relationships from a very intriguing man of miracles. I am honored he shared the spark of light of his divine voice indeed! A quick and easy read, but memorable for a lifetime!

John Andrews has done an outstanding job capturing the essence of love and friendship in this must read book.

Be good to others and they will be good to you.

This book is amazing from page one. While most relationship books have a very "BE STRONG" or "YOU'll SURVIVE" undertone, this book is the only I have read thus far which is truly from the heart.

John Andrews has blessed us with his obvious experience in loving and caring and brings us hope and truth without bitterness or being a "know-it-all". It is clear that he really wants the world to love and is not just writing a book just to write. This book is a MUST READ for everyone, young, old, boy, girl, man or woman.

So enjoy and go spread some love!

--Melodee Eva-Zacchara

I use this as my 'bible' to remind me about what is truly important in this hectic world we live in. It is the best book I have on the topic of 'Living Simply' that gives a clear, principled philosophy from someone who obviously lives the life of which he writes.

I recommend it highly to anyone who would like information and motivation to pursue this topic further in their lives.

This book is a great introduction to the voluntary simplicity movement, why it evolved, why it is spreading so fast and why yo should live a simpler and more "mindful" life. It does not have specific step-by-step advice, but intelligent arguments and lots of facts on the current state of civilization and the simplicity movement. It is a very enjoyable read and very thoughtprovoking. Thank you Mr Burch!

If you want great practical advice to complement this book, get The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs.

In Stepping Lightly: Simplicity For People And The Planet, Mark Burch writes in an engaging and "reader friendly" style about the meaning, purpose, and necessity of voluntary simplicity in one's life personal lifestyle and the value of simplicity for individual and collective efforts to create a more sustainable planet and society. Burch persuasively argues for a thoughtful corse of living which requires "cultivating mindfulness" and personal authenticity, as well as balancing livelihood with an intentional and conscious approach to daily life. Stepping Lightly is informative and inspiring reading for anyone seeking a personal, more ecologically friendly, and satisfying lifestyle for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Beau Grosscup reveals the history of bombing and its effects and does this well for the reader who is looking for a good source for this information. The notion that bombing is somehow humane and ethical is dismantled through exploration of historical precedent. If someone wants to know more about this subject, this text is a very good place to start (as exploring this issue should not end with this book).

Beau Grosscup, Professor of International Relations at California State University, has produced an excellent survey of bombing. He shows that its aim is to terrorise civilians.

Under the laws of war, the deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime. Article 52 of the 1977 Protocol One of the Geneva Convention says, "attacks shall be limited strictly to military objectives." Article 54 says, "It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove, or render useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas ... crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works." Article 57 warns those planning military attacks to "refrain from deciding to launch any attack which might be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof."

Bombing cities, towns or villages guarantees that civilians will be killed. This killing is known in advance, premeditated, purposeful, intentional. As law professor Michael Tonry says, "In the criminal law, purpose and knowledge are equally culpable states of mind."

In the 1920s, the RAF bombed Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Somaliland, Transjordan, Iraq, South West Africa, India and Burma, to terrify the colonies into submission. Similarly, the French bombed Morocco and Syria, the Italians bombed Libya, Ethiopia and Spain, and the USA bombed Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and China.

In the Korean War, General MacArthur ordered Allied forces to destroy `every factory, city and village'. US and British forces killed 20% of Korea's people.

General Wastemoreland said, "the Oriental doesn't place the same high price on life as does the Westerner. ... life is cheap in the Orient. As the philosophy of the Orient expresses it, life is not important." This apparently justified killing three million Vietnamese people. Kissinger ordered attacks on `anything that moves'. The USAF dropped 285 million cluster bombs on Vietnam and killed 10% of the Vietnamese people.

In Yugoslavia, NATO Commander General Clark ordered the USAF to "demolish, destroy, devastate, degrade, and ultimately eliminate the essential infrastructure of Yugoslavia." They bombed TV and radio stations, phone and computer networks, airports, railways, trains, roads, vehicles, bridges, factories, warehouses, power plants, water plants, 33 hospitals, 344 schools, dams and parks. The RAF dropped cluster bombs throughout the 70-day blitz.

Pentagon officials have admitted that the USAF directly targets Iraqi and Afghan civilians, for example, one told CBS News, "There will not be a safe place in Baghdad." Any attack likely to harm more than 30 civilians required Rumsfeld's personal approval - which he always gave, fifty times between 19 March and 18 April 2003. An Army private said, "We were told there were no friendly forces ... If there was anybody there, they were the enemy. We were told specifically that if there were women and children to kill them." Another said, "Basra is a military town", which is like saying Manchester is a military town.

The media ignore the current intense bombing of civilians in Iraq, and highlight roadside bombings, in which occupation troops can be portrayed as victims. The USAF uses anti-personnel weapons like cluster bombs, phosphorus and napalm, says, "We don't do body counts", then claims that casualties are low.

Similarly, in Gaza, Sharon told the army to use force `without limitation' and one of his officials said, "we may have to use weaponry that causes major collateral damage, including helicopters and plane, with mounting danger to surrounding people."

This book is a well thought out work which explores terrorism from the air, from its beginning. Grosscup documents exactly how this occurs and why it does not work -- except to line the pockets of the corporations that profit from it.

How many politicians take the time to sit back and think about their career, the world around them, and the state of affairs in general? How many take the time to then write what they are thinking and share it with the world? Few; almost none. That is what makes Havel so special and this book so inspiring. By the time you read it many of the arguments he makes for and against certain laws or policies may be largely moot. But that isn't the point! The point of the book is to look at Havel's sense of morality and his philosophy of politics and government. Every politician should be required to read this book!

I first picked up this book before I headed off to college 8 years ago and couldn't put it down. I now pick it up every so often to read through all the pages I underlined and highlighted for brillant thoughts. It's an inspirational book. I reference it as a must read to all the students I mentor now who have interests in government.

Havel's heart is placed on each page. His masterful ability to break down complex issues with his personal moral code inspires hope and resolve in the reader. A true world leader and example in a world of fallen leaders and stained examples. The reader leaves the book a better person. And in the final analysis, isn't this what it is all about? Havel thinks so.

Normally I'm skeptical of "how-to-parent" books, but this one actually delivers what it promises! As a parent, I found this book to be a realistic, sensitive approach to helping kids develop good manners. I'm definitely going to check out the rest of the Go Parents! series based on this book.

This is a delightful humorous book dealing with everyday situations. Every parent can relate to many of the examples used in the book. My children are now grown but the issues dealt with in the book are the same now as then. I wish the guide had ben available to refer to when I was raising my children. Now it will serve as a guide for my grandchildren.

Thank You. Finally someone has written a useful as well as funny book on teaching (or trying to) your children good manners. The book offers excellent and practical advice on a host of issues that every parent confronts on a daily basis. The illustrations are hilarious, the writing is insightful, and was obviously written by someone who's been there, done that. Miss Manners for the new millenium

For those who want to dig beneath the surface and begin to reflect on how technology is shaping us at the very core of who we are, this book is a must!

If you have been stirred by essays of Wendell Berry to begin to question the wisdom of technological "progress", then George Grant will lead you further. He is able to communicate clearly without using dense jargon, but do not be fooled: his words are carefully chosen and demand to be read carefully.

Grant himself has done a careful reading of Plato, Friederich Nietszche, Martin Heidegger, and Simone Weil. His understanding of these great thinkers will stimulate amateur philosophers to investigate these issues further. At the same time his interpretation of these thinkers will challenge the professionals, especially those who have bought into the post-modernist perspective.

If you care about understanding how technology has propelled many of us into living such dry banal lives in the sterility of suburbia, this book is a must read.

I read this book when it was first published over ten years ago. I have re-read it at least seven times since. Each time I read it, I see new things. It is a slim volume with less than 200 pages.

If you are concerned about the disappearance of a clear understanding of justice, then Grant will reveal some underlying principles that lie at the heart of modern technology -- a dynamo that is corroding the western tradition of justice.

George Grant, is a subtle and penetrating thinker with regard to technology and the fate of modern society. In this slim volume, Grant in a series of essays details the need to find a way to think about technology, i.e., the way we view technology and its impact on society.

By discussing a diversity of thinkers such as Simone Weil, Nietsche, Plato and Heidegger as well as that on the issues of euthanasia and abortion, he has shown to us the historical fate of modern society which is infatuated with technology. The picture he painted is not pretty but I believe that one must have the courage to see historical reality as it is and not shy away from it. Only then, can we begin to look at ways to avoid the coming ruins of modern technological civilization.

All in all, a very important book for anyone who is concerned with the fate of modern society.

George Grant has been one of my "heroes" ever since I read him an alternative course the freshman English in college in the early 70's. Grant changed my life and forced me to look at the metaphyscial implications of the idea of progress, of morality as "values" (as though they were a commodity), and most of all, oponed my eyes to the world of the great philosophers from Plato to Hegel. This book, the last one Grant published, is as collection of essays in which he shines through as always. Grant was a Christian Platonist who was influenced by Leo Strauss and Simone Weil. His philosophical conversation over the years was with Nietzsche and Heidegger, whome he regarded as having thought the implications of the modern project to its depths. Yet Grant says "NO" to Nietzsche and Heidegger, while at the same time recognizing the benifits of modern technology in terms of its reduction of human suffering. Grant never tires in showing how notions of justice in a technological society are no longer rooted in an overarching "given," a metaphysic to which humans are fitted for. The hubris of technology (a neologism of "making" and "knowing") has devalued life, Grant maintains, so that "qaulity" of life becomes the standard of deciding who should live and who need not live. Hence Grant is opposed both to abortion and euthanasia not to mention genocide in general. Grant's book is not easy. The essays have appeared in earlier forms and have been recrafted. Grant's language is evocative, but also very careful. His can appear to be a pessimist, but he claimed he was not. This book gives us further inklings of what he called "intimations of deprival" that have beset all who live in the technological empire. If you want to read a North American philosopher who faced the times yet found reasons for rejecting the finality of this age's horizons, Grant is the one to read.

I agree with the previous reviewer's assessment. This book provides much of the theoretical foundation for Hoppe's later work, especially his new book "Democracy: The God that Failed", which I also highly recommend. Even though this book is out of print, the entire text is available in PDF format on the Mises Institute web site (mises.org) in the Online Books section.

It is my hope that _A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism_ comes back into print as soon as possible. It is simply one of the most important books on political economy ever written, and I think other reviewers have understated the importance of Hoppe's "argumentation ethics" as the ultimate defense of capitalism.

Lew Rockwell, president of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, calls Hans-Hermann Hoppe an "international treasure." Indeed he is. Professor Hoppe is political economist and philosopher devoted to extreme rationalism and Austrian (praxeological) economics whose his work over the years has been uncompromising and logically unassailable. This is no exception.

This book is an interdisciplinary study of the "economics, politics, and ethics" of capitalism and socialism. Hoppe's axiomatic-deductive methodology is his key advantage. His unfailing adherence to a priori theory provides the correct basis for analysis of complex phenomena. This treatise, while not very long (250 pages, about 50 of which is notes and references) is broad in its treatment and packed with value. In just a page Hoppe says more than many authors will in their entire book. He makes the case for the economic superiority of capitalism while addressing the alleged problems of monopoly and "public goods." Economically, he devastates the case for socialism, whether heavily interventionist social-democracy or public ownership of resources a la Soviet Russia. His analysis of the State as an institution of legalized coercion -- influenced by the likes of Rothbard, Oppenheimer, de Jouvenel, and de la Boetie -- is simply brilliant. He also argues for a priori theory as the proper basis for economic analysis, which is always welcome.

The entire book is excellent, but I think the most important chapter is "The Ethical Justification of Capitalism and Why Socialism is Morally Indefensible." Here, Hoppe presents a praxeological justification of the private property ethic. What Hoppe has done here is frankly groundbreaking -- his defense amounts to an impossibility proof that refutes any non-homesteading/socialist ethic, since the explicit act of arguing against it implicitly agrees with private property rights. Although influenced by Murray Rothbard (and part of Hoppe's argument uses Rothbard's property argumentum a contrario), Hoppe's defense has several advantages. Principally, it is a value-free ethical system and encounters none of the staple natural rights defender's stumbling blocks. And since this ethical formulation is grounded in the axiomatic status of action and argumentation, it gives an ethical basis for action itself. Until one examines this defense, it may seem fanciful and irrelevant (indeed, even among libertarians the response to this as been largely hostile). However, I believe it to be irrefutably true, and indeed this is the case.

This book is essential for students of politics and economics. Also, all serious philosophers anywhere should read Hoppe's defense of property rights. With standard bearers such as Hoppe leading the way, liberty has good prospects.

Several years ago, I had the good fortune to actually take a class in Comparative Economic Systems from Professor Hoppe, and he used this book as his text. However, it is NOT a text book, and can be read by anyone with an interest in economic systems, political systems, East-West relations, and similar fields--and especially in the fundamental foundations of such topics. Hoppe has an interesting perspective on the field, since he grew up and was educated in West Germany, on the front lines of the Cold War. His advanced degrees (a Ph.D. and a post-Ph.D. degree called a Habilitation) in Philosophy, Economics, and Sociology, give him a broad view of the issues involved--unlike many other writers, who are overly specialized to the point that their work does not resemble reality.

Hoppe gives a careful definition of what he means by the terms "capitalism" and "socialism" and then proceeds to analyze many variants, including Russian-style Socialism, Social Democracy, Conservatism, and piecemeal Social Engineering. He also explores the provision of so-called "public goods" (i.e., national defense, justice, security), and the problems of monopolies in capitalist nations.

Make no mistake about it, though, Hoppe is a capitalist, and this book is a ringing critique of all sorts of interventions. He grounds his argument in the fundamental axiom of individual self-ownership. Each individual owns his or her own body, and all analysis flows from that starting point. Hoppe examines this theme and its variations: everyone owns everyone else (communism), some people own other people (slavery), and each person owns himself or herself (liberty). These various optional starting points are shown to be mutually exclusive, and exhastive. From there, Hoppe proceeds in a logic fashion to demonstrate that liberty is superior to the other alternatives, and then to show that the other alternatives are necessarily presupposed by all forms of socialism and interventionism.

I highly recommend thi! s book.

Cafaro, a professional philosopher (and professor of Philosophy), has done an excellent job of emphasizing and explicating the central concern of Thoreau's career, which was how to live (that most ethical of issues). For this he deserves well. Get this book. Read it. You'll be glad you did. And then go back and begin re-reading Mr. Thoreau's writings with greater understanding and deeper insights. And, finally, express your gratitude to Cafaro for his contribution. Like I said, he deserves it. Congratulations, Professor Cafaro.

"Thoreau's Living Ethics" is one of the most engaging philosophy books I have read this year. It examines every facet of Thoreau's virtue ethics, holding Thoreau's ethic up to the light like a diamond and watching it glitter. Cafaro gently questions Thoreau's suppositions and probes the consequences of his beliefs, without ever losing his admiration for this deep thinker who escaped to the deep woods. This is a great book not only for finding out what made Thoreau tick, but for holding up one's own life to the spotlight he created.

The author begins with an explanation of virtue ethics, which focuses on human excellence rather than the self-abnegation one finds in some other types of ethical systems. The basic concept of virtue ethics, which can be found in Aristotle and Spinoza as well, is that if I am the best person I know how to be, society as a whole will benefit. Most importantly, I will live up to what I was created to be.

Thoreau's personality brought a special emphasis on self-creation and following one's own particular inward nature. He deplored doing things just to be admired by others or to follow the crowd. There are hazards in this perspective, of course, such as the danger of becoming antisocial or reclusive, but Cafaro addresses these carefully, by showing how Thoreau's beliefs caused him to live a life in balance between isolation and community.

If one's true beliefs can only be known by his conduct, Thoreau life passed the test. He was well-beloved by the community in which he lived, in spite of what might be seen as a sometimes cold and distant manner. His ability to find evidences of the divine all around him speaks to those of us who mired in an age increasingly isolated from nature. Most impressively, Thoreau was remarkably free from the need for a large number of possessions to make him happy. Those who are looking for a distinctive set of ethical beliefs from a powerful and original thinker will enjoy this book immensely.

Philip Cafaro pulls together and organizes the best ideas from Thoreau's books, lectures, letters and journal. His book offers the most comprehensive and detailed summation and discussion of Thoreau's ideas I have read, revealing Thoreau as a philosopher of real stature, of great depth and of original thought. Thoreau's Living Ethics stands as a more complete expression of those ideas than any one of Thoreau's own efforts.

This is the most welcome and thought-provoking book I have read all year. Although I have read and enjoyed much of Thoreau's own writings, I have in the past discounted or dismissed certain of his ideas. I did not always understand what Thoreau was aiming at. Now I have a much greater respect for Thoreau's achievements, for his concrete advances and applications. So even a long-time student of Thoreau's works can find new starting points for further study in this book.

This is a serious work about serious ideas, but the author's obvious deep interest in his subject and those ideas lights up every well-reasoned and cleanly-assembled page. This book must have been a labor of love, based on Cafaro's detailed scholarship and enthusiasm. Even then, the author does not idolize Thoreau. Though he puts Thoreau's ideas in the best possible light and context, Cafaro also offers pertinent criticisms and background information when required to fill in the gaps.

Dr. Kane's book thoroughly reviews the major obstacles of relativism and plurality to experiencing a life of joy, happiness, and fufillment in our present era. Nonetheless, his book is full of optimism and hope in both humanity as a whole and in each individual's capacity to contribute to society in a positive way. He offers philosophical insight and support to the idea of a higher realm, which encompasses objective worth and objective truth, to which we all should aspire. After outlining his approach to leading a ethical lifestyle within the moral sphere, he describes how this ideal lifestyle approach applies to such issues as politics, education, multiculturalism, religion, and everyday behavior. Overall, Dr. Kane's book is a promising and inspiring testimonial to society's ability to achieve moral progress if it fully embraces just one simple concept: the End's Principle, already present in most cultures and religions in some format. For anyone who wants to believe in our ability to progess and make the world a better place, I strongly recommend this book.

Dr. Kane provides a compelling discussion of some of the most difficult philosophical and religious issues that greet us at the dawn of the 21st century. As the world grows smaller with the advancement of communication technologies we see cultures, religions, and political ideologies getting larger than their borders and forcing us to think about diversity and pluralism in a new way. Can there be universal ethical consensus given the wide variety of belief systems that seem at times to be fundamentally contradictory? Can our political structures evolve to face the new challenges of our times, or are they destined to become distinct in the mad race of globalization? Kane offers persuasive answers to these questions and more and invites readers into dialogue and deliberation concerning issues that are all to frequently dominated by dogma and partisan ideology. Kane's readable style appeals to those unfamiliar with philosophical jargon but simultaneously maintains the intellectual rigor one would expect in this type of intellectual endeavor. I highly recommend this book to people who are concerned for society and want to think pragmatically about solutions for the dawning of a new era.

I highly recommend Kane's work to anyone who holds a deep passion for life, ethics, diversity, and most importantly extracting meaning from a world that seems to hold such a term as more poetic than substantive.

"It demeans the search for truth in religion to say that what we have in our scriptures and revelations are merely "myths," or "pretty stories," or "edifying symbols," with no foundation in reality-meant only to galvanize us to lead good lives. But it also insults the intelligence to say that our readings of these same scriptures and revelations are literally and completely true as they stand, knowing how deep are the mysteries they convey and the uncertainties of interpretation and transmission through generations of fallible humans."

From his clear discussion of ethics and aspiring toward meaning through objective glory and love, through his most compelling final chapters on respecting and valuing a plurality of perspectives and views on life while also holding firmly to beliefs in objective truth and value, Dr. Kane provides powerful insight to readers, religious or not, who wholly reject the narrow fundamentalist views of religion and objective truth that hold strength today, yet find great frustration in reconciling their respect for the views of others with their own deep faith in their own; and he writes very clearly as well, which is why I plan on recommending this book even to my much less 'academically inclined' family and friends. The world is often painted as being divided between blind fundamentalists and equally blind hedonists who desire a life that just 'feels good' and laugh at the thought of finding anything more meaningful; Kane shows that you don't have to give up your 'spritual center' nor your belief in finding meaning in life in order to appreciate the fact that there can be many paths towards it. Read this book, it'll brighten your day and your life, as it did for me.

This is a mandatory reading for people who want to know more about themselves, mainly regarding to spiritual aspect.Health professionals will get important orientations about how they wil can improve the relationship with their patients, using spirituality and religion. Christina M. Puchalski, through A Time for Listening an Caring:Spirituality and the Care of the Chronically Ill and Dying have teaching us that patient's belief and faith, take fundamental role at the process of patient's recovery. The book content brings to us many researchs showing outcomes from using spirituality in health care.
I recommend this book.
Ademar Ribeiro
From Brazil

The importance of this book is reasonably judged by the fruits in the lives of the patients of Dr. Puchalski. She has been my primary care physician for four years and, by the quality of life which I enjoy as a result, she has every right, every reason to preach about what she practices.

The book is all about wholeness of life. The fact that she is dispensing that to her patients every day in her practice leaves one not surprised to find it defined, described and enthusiastically recommended in this book.

It is a book, not just for healthcare professionals -- although everyone in their care would benefit from their reading it -- it is also for all the rest of us who are healthcare practitioners. After all we practice caring for our health every time we choose a meal in a restaurant or walk to the store rather than drive. We can never receive too much encouragement to make the right decisions.

The subtitle "Spirituality and the Care of the Chronically Ill and Dying" in the end describes all of us. It has been said that being born is a terminal illness. In my case it is easier to recognize as I am 85 with wandering blood pressure readings, skin cancers and prostate cancer.

Dr. Puchalski responds to these bumps on the road with sensitivity, humor and spiritual insights in addition to her professional competence. She dispenses quality of life as she breathes. While I may leave her office with all of the mixed bag I brought with me, the load has shifted because it is now more clearly shared. The book clearly demonstrates how everyone can both practice and enjoy better health and true wholeness of life.

The Publisher has done an excellent job of editing and producing this fine book. It deserves a very wide audience who will benefit greatly from its many treasures.

Reproduced from the Newsletter and Bookshop of the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) at www.hospicecare.com

This is my Palliative Care Book of the Year!

`The relationships we form with our patients, clients, and colleagues are born out of a compassionate connection and call to service. From this connection and call comes forth the healing that is so necessary in all of our lives, whether we are currently ill or not. We are not mechanics, taking care of people's broken parts. We are partners with our patients in a therapeutic relationship from which brings forth potential for healing. That healing may manifest itself as a peacefulness, acceptance, better coping, happiness, or contentment. In the end, a life that may be shattered from illness and stress becomes whole again. By our presence, we serve others and walk with them in the midst of suffering and joy. This is why spirituality is essential to health care.'

This book explores all aspects of the spiritual dimensions of medicine in the management of patients who may be chronically ill or dying. Five of the 24 chapters were written by Puchalski, the others by experienced clinicians, chaplains, caregivers and educators. The first part of the book describes the role of spirituality in the healthcare of adults and children, the ethical aspects of integrating spirituality into the care of patients, and the spirituality of the caregiver. Part II describes the theological implications of spiritual care at the end of life from a number of different perspectives including Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Jews and Muslims. The third part is about practical tools that can be used in clinical practice--spiritual histories, honoring the patient's stories, grief and bereavement, and the role of art, music and dance. The chapter on music therapy is by Michael Stillwater and Gary Malkin who created the wonderful Graceful Passages and Care for the Journey CDs that were reviewed here last year. The closing section presents the stories and reflections of two of Dr Puchalski's patients.

Anybody who works in palliative care will be enriched by reading this book. Although we nod and agree that spiritual care is an important and integral part of holistic palliative medicine, dealing with problems related to spirituality in more than the most superficial way is not easy for many palliative care workers, particularly if their job is busy. If you want to learn about all the other things you can or should be doing at the bedside, read this book. Being able to practice the spiritual dimensions of palliative care will be of benefit to your patients, more of whom will die in peace, with dignity. And it will quite probably enhance the professional satisfaction you get working with the dying.

Thank you, Dr Puchalski.


Roger Woodruff,
Director of Palliative Care, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia