Book Description

Over two million copies in print of the classicpersonal wealth parable

Millions have been helped by the famous "Babylonian parables," hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on thrift,financial planning, and personal wealth. In language as simple as the Bible's, this modern classic shows the way to the road to riches. ... Read more

Reviews (227)

An Old Book with a Fair Amount of Wisdom
I often give this book out as a gift whenever a person younger than me asks for my advice on money. I always present this book to them saying "if you read it and do as it says, it will work magic." It really contains excellent, time tested advice, and would make a good gift for someone in their early 20s who is on their own for the first time, and struggling.

The book is a series of parables about money written in the 1920s by George Clason. They were written as individual essays of a few thousand words, but the theme throughout them is consistent -- save 10% of your money, give 10% away, use 10% to reduce your debt load, and live on the remaining 70%.

The stories in the book are entertaining; they are reminiscent of some of the parables in the Bible, such as the Prodigal Son or the story of the Workers in the Vineyard. I think this is intentional on the part of the author; certainly readers in the 1920s had an appreciation for "old fashioned stories with a moral" that people today seem to have lost. I enjoy the book greatly, though, and any thoughtful person who reads the book should find it interesting, especially if they are trying to get their finances in order.

This knowledge is Golden and Timeless
This book is so beautiful in its simplicity. It provides the quintessential, capitalistic concept that the majority seem to miss- on saving and investing. This book is not the in-depth 21st century read about investing wisely in today's markets, rather it is the all time read to acquiring and investing your wealth. It shows how everyone, even a lowly trashman can one day retire comfortably as long as he learns the "ways of money". It provides the basic concepts and you apply your current scenarios. Every time, without fail, you will come up with one thing: how to build your wealth. This is the TRIED AND TRUE method to increasing your worth. This IS NOT the get rich quick book you might be expecting. This book teaches you how to save, make your money work for you and in general how to be a lord of your wealth (or wise in the ways of money), as opposed to your money ruling you. Timeless and priceless knowledge that every single person not living under totalitarian or communistic rule should know so that they can seek their own financial freedom.

Timeless, simple truths...
This incredible little book was recommended to me for many years because of the texts inspirational qualities, in terms of offering timeless simple truths concerning thrift, financial planning and the value of a good work ethic. The formula offered for financial independence is highly practical and workable. Promoted as success secrets of the ancients, the text is written in parable form, similar to the bible, which gives the entire work a credible quality. I know from personal experience, that with persisitence, a good work ethic and a strong will to succeed; one can achieve a modicum of financial prosperity. Which, by the way, includes enjoying the fruits of one's labours. "Enjoy life while you are here. Do not overstrain or try to save too much...live otherwise according to your income and let not yourself get niggardly and afraid to spend. Life is good and life is rich with things worthwhile and things to enjoy." (20) In other terms, the lesson offered is a practice in moderation, not letting one's behavioural pendulum swing too far either way, but earning well and living well in the mean is a key to achieving a happy life. If you read any 'financial success' book this year, let it be this one.

Simple wisdom but SO powerful
First published in 1927 this is a parable, a story set in ancient Babylon, focusing on the simple ways to set yourself up for financial success. Excellent book.
Lori
www.communecate.biz

A book worth reading over and over
I think that some people underestimate this book due to it's small size. This is NOT a book that you will want to read only once and put away, you will NEED to read this over and over untill the ideas saturate both your conscious and subscious minds and untill the ideas become habits. Then you will achieve some real results. ... Read more

Book Description

The first concise book of essential Welch-isms, abridged from the bestselling Get Better or Get Beaten

Jack Welch built a career out of fighting waste. 29 Leadership Secrets from Jack Welch follows in Welch's footsteps, boiling the legendary CEO's leadership successes down to 29 strategies that made GE the world's most competitive company­­and Welch the world's most successful and admired CEO.

This all-in-one Welch reference updates material from Robert Slater's bestselling Get Better or Get Beaten, and is today's ultimate fast-paced, no-nonsense handbook on the ways of Jack Welch. It taps into the heart of Welch's courage, innovation, and leadership success by examining simple leadership secrets that include:

• Managing less is managing better
• Make quality the job of every employee
• Have global brains and vision

Reviews (2)

The Ideas are 5 Star but the Book is 2 Stars
This book reminds me of the best seller "Who Moved My Cheese". They are both written in oversized font and are about 100 pages long and both cover simple messages. If the books were in a regular font they would be 30 pages??

Please do not get me wrong. But it is just a feeling one gets that they have been had, sold a bill of goods which is just a summary with comments for $10. Somebody has written down a list of XX number of principle ideas or management techniques, and then expanded each idea to fill the 100 (30 real) pages. It would be almost as effective to just make a list of them on one or two pages.

The upshot of all this is do not buy this book, but by Jack's book "Straight from the Gut", or buy Slater's book: "Jack Welch & The G.E. Way".

I prefer Jack's own book, and to me it beats many more sophisticated business books hands down. Business is not black and white. Almost every day there is one crisis or problem or another, and Jack's story puts it all together plus conveys the energy and excitement that he brought to the job. Something is lost in the list approach.

Jack in Toronto

I wonder . . .
There are many books about Jack Welch and all of them show and teach the corporate strategies and tactics this legendary manager implemented while at GE. Most of those titles portrait Welch as the successful business person everybody would like to be. However, I would like to warn the reader that the professional success of famous CEOs cost them their families. It's hard to believe how Welch was able to manage thousands of relations with millions of people at GE, while on the other side he failed on a relation with only one person: his wife. By the way, how many wives has he had??? Is that success??? In which planet???

Now about the book . . . it's a good title but only read it if you have never before read a title about Jack Welch or GE; if you had, it's more about the same old stuff, and I would recommend your spending your money in a smarter way. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Winners Never Cheat
Whan I wrote my tenth book "Human Side of Management" my friends told me that book on "normal human behaviour in business environment" will not work. Ethics is unknown word in Croatian business (or anywhere around the World), they said. Six months later whole first edition (2000 copies) is sold and second edition is on the way (bare in mind, Croatia has only 4,2 million inhabitants). Many copies were bought as a business gift to colleagues or bosses.

Therefore, book "Winners Never Cheat" was a great support and confirmation for me, showing that people are the same all around the world - some want to do business according to ethical rules, without cheating and with respect to other people and some always has an excuse that lying and cheating is necessary because everyone else is doing business that way. Fortunatelly, world market is big enough so one can find his own "blue sea nitche", show knowledge and skills, win without cheating...and sleep like a baby.

Endless treasures in a small package...
In today's often cutthroat business practices, it's important to remember the lessons we all learned when we were young.To help, read this short book...Winners Never Cheat - Everyday Values We Learned As Children (But May Have Forgotten) by Jon M. Huntsman.

Chapter List:Lessons From The Sandbox; Check Your Moral Compass; Play By The Rules; Setting The Example; Keep Your Word; Pick Advisors Wisely; Get Mad, Not Even; Graciousness Is Next To Godliness; Your Name Is On The Door; The Obligation To Give Back; The Bottom Line

Jon Huntsman is the chairman and founder of Huntsman Corporation, which was the largest privately held chemical company in the world prior to going public in 2005.Jon built the business from a small operation in 1970 to what it is today...a multi-billion dollar firm.But instead of using business practices all too common these days (think Enron or Worldcom), he built the organization based on solid moral principles that everyone knows are intrinsically right.A handshake and promise is something to be kept.You should surround yourself with people who have and live the same ethics and value that you have.Giving back to the community and those less fortunate isn't a nice thing to do... it's a moral obligation.It'd be all too easy to write this off as simplistic platitudes that are easier said than done.But Huntsman has proven they do work, and there are numerous examples in the book that offer proof.

This isn't a 400 page book that requires days of patient determination to get through.It's a small-sized practical book that's only 185 pages, and each chapter and concept shouldn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes to read.But once read, and if contemplated and applied, they will change your life in more ways than you can count.A highly recommended read...

Fresh air to fill your business lungs - enjoy!
"Winners Never Cheat" is a tonic for our jaded age.To those already imprisoned in cynicism this book will read like a bunch of soft platitudes suitable only for children, but worse than useless to anyone trying to make it in the "real world".Of course, the cynics are not objectively correct.Cynicism and bad behavior are only necessary when you deem them to be the tools of your trade.If you decide that lying really is a losing long term strategy and that short run gains aren't worth long term losses, well, lying becomes a stupidity and easily avoided.

This is not to say that the kind of honorable behavior Huntsman advocates in this book leads to easy business success or a world of bright flowers and constant sunshine.Far from it!Competition is still tough and things still go wrong.It is simply how you compete and what you do to get things right that matter.These "everyday" values make for a more sustainable success that lead to better personal interactions, trust, and a more enjoyable life for everyone.Business failure is unpleasant, but it is transient.Corrupting your character for short term success is bitter and not easily undone.

Huntsman fills this short book with anecdotes from his own successful career.We learn about lessons he learned in the Nixon Whitehouse working on HR Haldeman's staff.The author describes how he handled various negotiations for rather large business deals.He tells us that lawyers are invaluable as business tools, but not as a substitute for business thinking or creativity.He describes his personal relations with a few business leaders of large companies.

In a couple of these I feel he raises some questions that are never directly addressed.For example, he describes the Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell as a friend without addressing what the huge and expensive reserves write down implies about the leader's character and leadership ability. He also mentions Armand Hammer as a friend!All I can suggest is to read about Mr. Hammer's true character in Edward Jay Epstein's terrific "Dossier".It is actually frightening to contemplate these two men being actual friends.I have to assume that Mr. Huntsman was simply using friend as a polite title the way Congressional enemies refer to each other as "my good friend".They could not possibly share genuine ideals and have anything in this book actually mean anything.

It is also clear that Mr. Huntsman has no use for Wall Street bankers.He must have hand some bad experiences in dealing with them.This makes me wonder why he ended up taking his company public.I also wonder if the bankers who helped him do so were honorable in his eyes or of low character.If they were honorable, shouldn't he have noted the exception in his book?If they were scumbags, why didn't he walk away from the deal?

Mr. Huntsman also makes a huge point of charitable giving.His personal example is inspiring and demonstrates what considered and generous giving can do to lift people and benefit communities.He also is unsparing of the notion that public corporations should be focused on profits for their shareholders.Mr. Huntsman says that as long as he is running Huntsman Chemical it will be doing charitable giving.This begs a thought experiment.Let's suppose that Mr. Huntsman were to retire, but still live a long, robust, and healthy retirement.Let's suppose that a chairman appointed by the board should decide, for personal reasons, to donate millions of Huntsman Chemical's dollars to anti-Mormon causes (Huntsman is a believing and faithful Mormon).Would this seem sensible or appropriate to Mr. Huntsman?That the person who did this would be immediately fired is beside the point.That shareholders in widely held firms have diverse interests apart from the management of the firm they own and that they are perfectly capable of their own charitable giving is really the point.When Huntsman chemical was a private and closely held firm, its giving was his business.Now that it is a publicly held firm, it is a different creature and has to act differently.There is a reason that I am more and more in favor of more firms staying private.

Two other short points.Two honest people with good intentions can still come out with different interpretations of simple English statements.I know this can all be avoided with careful negotiation, good contract writing and so forth.My point is that the fact of a powerful and even bitter disagreement is not necessarily evidence of bad character on the part of either side.It might well be that one or both of the parties is a ratbag, but they could both be good people who strongly disagree.This is important to note as you go about your business career and simply make sure to take extra steps to avoid such painful disagreements through prevention.

The second point is that I wish Mr. Huntsman had gone one step further.It is true that bad managers and dishonesty caused the financial tragedies at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia, and others.However, who hired them?Why were they hired?Shareholders hired them by investing their money in these firms looking for the big returns.Those who lost money investing in equity in these firms are not innocent.They helped create an environment where the solid management teams of older less explosive firms were cast aside for the go-go huge return firms of the nineties.

We hired these clowns and they delivered the lies we asked them to tell us because they agreed with the lies we were telling ourselves about the likelihood of these huge returns.It is actually a dishonesty to simply blame the CEOs who ran these firms.Oh, they deserve every punishment they get.But let's not deceive ourselves that they were the only bad actors in this scenario.We were all acting in that dark comedy and deserve the wages earned.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management, 5th edition employs a stakeholder management framework, emphasizing business' social and ethical responsibilities to both external and internal stakeholder groups. A twin theme of business ethics to illustrate how ethical or moral considerations are included the public issues facing organizations and the decision making process of managers.The text is written from a managerial perspective that along with the twin themes of stakeholders and ethics, shows how to identify stakeholders, incorporate their concerns into the organization's strategy and operations, and also integrate ethical wisdom into their decision making process.In addition, 35 case histories are included to help connect theory and practice through timely and interesting examples. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents a comprehensive anthology of readings, legal perspectives, and cases in ethics in business.Contrasting business ethics approaches, Regulation of business, Performance Monitoring. Genetic testing and screening. Third world issues. Federal sentencing guidelines.Ideal for business professionals interested in reviewing ethical issues in business. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Critical Compendium
This book is a critical reader, and it's probably the most highly used text in business ethics today. Those who reviewed this book negatively sound like people looking for a fun, non-academic overview of the field. If so, this book isn't it. These are articles published in top academic journals, edited for readability, by scholars who are addressing the fundamental issues in a wide range of topics. It's meant to expose the span of the field and still give students (not light readers) exposure to contemporary literature that touches on the most salient points. It's meant to be a starting point to deeper research in any given topic. As such, the book is a complete success. B & B do a great job (here as in other ethics compendiums) of providing a framework that makes it easy for a professor to expose her students to the field in one swoop. They do a fine editorial job, stripping the articles of padding, and they work hard to keep the offerings up to date (passing on older articles that are superceded by fresh insights that touch on contemporary challenges and technologies; look for something relating to the corporate scandals of this last year in the next edition). If you are a student looking for an overview on business ethics, this book is the correct starting point. If you are someone looking for light reading about corporate corruption, with illustrations and full-color photos, stick to People magazine.

A Good Anthology
I really enjoyed this anthology, especially the section on sexual harassment. Some of the subjects were hard going, but, it was a good introduction to business ethics.

In Defense of Beauchamp and Bowie
I teach business ethics at the college level, and have found Ethical Theory and Business to be very helpful. Basically, B and B attempt to do three things, or so it seems to me. First, they offer an introductory essay, covering some of the main distinctions in both meta-ethics (e. g. whether morality is objective or subjective) and normative ethics. This essay is the weakest part of the book, I think, because they seem to offer caracatures of most relativist leaning views (e. g. egoism), and do not adequately criticize Kantian moral philosophy. But even so, the essay does explain many useful distinctions in philosophical ethical thought. Second, B and B offer both classic readings in Business Ethics (e. g. Milton Friedman), as well as really up to date readings, by many of the leaders in the field (e. g. R. Edward Freeman). This is quite a good selection of readings, although they have omitted a few classic essays (like Galbraith's 'The Dependence Effect'), and a few subjects which might have been useful, such as the question of whether one can attribute moral agency to corporations at all. Even so, B and B include more than any course in Business Ethics could cover. Third, B and B provide a Web site with excersizes and instructor aids. Depending on how much one uses the Web, this may be helpful too. So generally speaking, although no anthology is perfect, Beauchamp and Bowie have put together an admirable collection. There is a seventh edition coming out soon. Perhaps that one will be as good as this one.

This Book is Whack!!!
Ethical Theory and Business by Beauchamp & Bowie is the worst academic book I have ever been required to read. I agree with the reader from Minnesota that this book is very dry and boring and if I could give this book zero stars I would. All of the chapters in the book do not flow together very well since this book is very unorganized and is nothing more than a collection of narrative articles. The book does not have an index or any illustrations in it and the companion website to the book [stinks]. I do not think I learned anything about business ethics from reading this book nor did I find the information in it helpful for me in my life. After I finished reading this book, I felt like throwing it away, but instead I sold mine back to the bookstore. So if you want to learn about business ethics and are not required to purchase this book for a class, do not purchase this book.

This book is not worth the paper it is written on!
This book is horrible, boring, and very very dry. I do not recommed this to anyone wanting to learn anyhting about Business Ethics. I have read this book and I don't think I have learned a thing. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very satisfied!
Shipment was timely and well packaged. Thank you! Will buy again

Excellent teaching text
Have used this text (2nd and now 3rd editions)to teach business ethics classes at the graduate and undergraduate levels for several years. It is well written and popular with students. Case studies represent the spectrum of ethics issues found in business today. The foundational ethics theory is clearly articulated, appropriate and sufficient.

A comprehensive overview of business ethics
In Ethics and the Conduct of Business, Boatright presents a well thought out and comprehensive study of Business and Ethics. Tracing the historical foundations of business ethics and deeply examining the moral, legal, and economic prespectives proves to be a worthwhile reading experience. Sometimes and bit dry but easily understood with worthy case examples, I would reccomend this book to any interested party. ... Read more

Book Description

The unique flexibility of this text makes this an excellent supplement to any standard business law and legal environment text, or as the primary text for an advanced ethics or issues-oriented course. Introducing issues via specific legal cases, it provides balanced, in-depth coverage of controversial and timely topics in the areas of law and ethics within the business environment. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Supplement
This book provides an excellent supplement to a regular college business law text by exposing real world dilemmas, and how they were handled by the courts. Can be used to generate discussion on ethical responsibilities, sexual harassment, and some aspects of agency law. ... Read more

Book Description

Business and Professional Ethics for Accountants points students in the right direction! This text focuses on practical development of the skills needed to deal with ethical issues specific to accounting. Interesting, real-world situations provide students with an understanding of appropriate values, ethical pitfalls, applicable codes of conduct, and sound ethical reasons where codes do not apply. ... Read more

Book Description

Breaking down complex philosophical issues into a step-by-step self-help guide, the founder of the Institute for Global Ethics shows us how to grapple with everyday issues and problems: Should I take my family on a much-needed vacation or save money for my children's education? Should we protect the endangered owl or maintain jobs for loggers? This is a unique, anecdote-rich, and articulate program that teaches us to think for ourselves rather than supplying us with easy, definitive answers. Offering concrete guidelines and principles, Kidder enables us to resolve ethical dilemmas and to make the tough choice between what are usually two "right" values. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Framing the question frames the answer
Kidder's book essentially boils down any tough choice down to basic conflicts, a struggle for competing "rights" or things we value. We value loyalty, for example, and we value honesty...what happens if I know my spouse is cheating on our taxes or from their company?

Thought provoking, easily read....strongly recommend.

choice and conflict
This is a nice, short book that anybody could read and get something useful out of. To help potential readers, I will clarify a little about the book. In many ways, it is not a book about decision making per se, but rather ethics and decision making. As such the title doesn't quite fit: perhaps it should be called how good people -should- make tough choices. Given that the emphasis of the book was somewhat different than expected, Kidder made a decent book out of the general topic of ethics. Not arcane in any way, chock full of examples and designed to be user-friendly. A great book for "lay persons" who are nonetheless quite familiar with decisions that have ethical implications and need to make them on a regular basis.

Excellent
This is an excellent book and along with Donald V. Paone's "To Be or Not to Be: Reflections of Modern Bioethical Choices" (also available from Amazon.com) is must reading if those who confront the problems of living morally in the modern world.

Beautifully written, easy to understand ideas
This book has provided me with a structure through which I can begin to think more openly about ethics. It has surprised me with a number of new ideas, most of which are relevant to all of us. I highly recommend this work to those who care about living a thoughtful life. Ethics this way is not stodgy and limiting, but expansive and exciting.

The best book on the subject
After reading a variety of books on ethics and ethical decision making, this one stood out for its clarity of thinking and superb examples. A book that makes you think about your life and how you choose when the choice is hardest of all: between right and right. ... Read more

Book Description

Bestselling author and expert on leadership John C. Maxwell shares the only rule that matters--in business and in life.How does a person judge what is ethical? Sometimes it's clear. In the past year or two, ethical lapses in corporate America have been well documented. But is it always easy to see where the line is in life? What's the standard? And can it work in all situations? John C. Max- well thinks it can. In THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS BUSINESS ETHICS, Maxwell shows how people can live with integrity by using the Golden Rule as their standard--regardless of religion, culture, or circumstances. Along the way, he delves into the desires of the human heart, reveals the five most common pitfalls that throw people off the ethical track, and teaches how to develop the Midas touch when it comes to personal integrity. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Golden Rule as the General Guideline for Ethics
Book Overview:

This is a motivating, short, and easy to read book that tries to persuade the reader to adopt and apply the Golden Rule to their life as the ethical standard. Although the title of this book could mislead and create the wrong impression that it is intended to be read by businesspersons, this book can be used by anyone, since the general purpose is to apply the Golden Rule not only to the business environment but also to the personal life of the readers.

The book will generate great results and deep impact in the life of those persons, whom regardless of their social status or occupation, find themselves lost or disoriented regarding to their ethics standards. Throughout examples and real life stories in several aspects, the author illustrates his points and creates consciousness among the readers. At the end of each of the seven chapters, readers will find four to six straightforward questions that will help them look inside themselves and reflect what they have just read.

The author starts the book by citing ethical issues that have been creating concern in our society. Afterward, he focuses in the benefits and the importance of the Golden Rule. Subsequently, readers will find valuable tips of how to start thinking and applying this concept, which give introduction to other concept known as character. In chapter 5, the book encloses five factors that are considered to be the deceivers for people to follow an appropriate ethic path. Later, in the following chapter, the Dr. John C. Maxwell persuades readers to follow eight of his suggestions of how people can develop strong character in order to pursue golden opportunities. Finally, the author invites the readers to pursue the Golden Rule instead of the "Real Gold" by adopting five practices.

The Golden Rule works, This Book Falls Short
The application of the Golden Rule to our everyday lives is something that we can all agree is good. John Maxwell does a good job or defining the golden rule, its worldwide acceptance, and how we can apply it to our everyday. It was more like a walk down memory lane; to a time when a teacher or mentor first explained the concept to us. However I do have a few concerns with Mr. Maxwell's book. First there might need to be a better job at researching Fletcher thoughts on Relativism...in his book he labels Fletcher as the father of mordern day Realativism...quoting (or rather misquoting) Fletcher's statement that love can justify anything. I am in not postition to defend Fletcher, for I am not that familiar with his work, however he does not just use the term love. Rather he uses the term Agape Love, coming from the ancient Greek...the highest and purest form of love...one that God would have for us, a term any minister or pastor of the Christian Faith would know very well. Second after page 86 the book get repediative and seems to get off track. This links to my last issue with the book and why it gets a bit off track, as it turns into an advertisement for Mr. Maxwell's corporation, the last several pages are nothing but adverstisements asking you to visit their web site for free character quiz and then taking you down a road of Buy...buy...buy our products. Not what I expected and was somewhat disappointed. In short taking some know concepts, putting a somewhat of a new spin on them and then publishing to add another book to the list of those authored. Part of the disappointment is that I know this book could be better.

A Good Reminder
Being in sales I have noticed something over the years. Some of the great sales training programs and literature always seem to stress integrity. For example, "Always follow up when you say you will." However, they also advocate all sorts of little white lies in dealing with customers and prospects in order to get your foot in the door. This is exactly the kind of "ethics" that John Maxwell is taking on in this book.

It is refreshing to have Maxwell remind us that integrity goes much deeper than what is legal. His thesis is that a form of the Golden Rule, (Do unto to others, as you would have them do unto you,) is the only way to make tough, ethical decisions in any area of your life.

One of the problems I had was that the book really is geared towards leaders of companies, and doesn't address what you are to do if you are caught in a situation where you really don't have any power over the decisions of the company, but you are forced to execute those decisions, even if they are unethical. He praises whistle-blowers, but he doesn't seem to openly advocate the practice.

To his credit, Maxwell does state that using the Golden Rule will not always bring you success, but he states it as a kind of afterthought. His example of a high school football coach benching his players for underage drinking and then losing the big game because of their absence is hard to apply to a real life busniness situation. Having a tough sales deal on the line that can make or break the company and mean that you or people you work with or work under will lose their jobs, or their bonuses can be a little more stressful and make white lies, (especially when they are advocated by the higher-ups,) seem more inconsequential. And please understand that I am not saying that it makes them more right.

Like most of Maxwell's books it lays out some great food for thought and it really will help you to think about your actions and how you conduct yourself. However, also like Maxwell's other books, it doesn't give you a clear roadmap of how to succeed in this area.

A Must Read For Corporate America!
With so many scandals rocketing corporate America in the past few years, the timing of this book couldn't be better. Every worker should read "There's No Such Thing As 'Business' Ethics."

Using the time-tested Golden Rule, John Maxwell dispels the myth of business ethics by stating that only people can be ethical--and we must do so in all areas of our lives because integrity demands consistent behavior. In short, character counts!

The author identifies the five most common resons why people compromise their ethics: pressure, pleasure, power, pride, and priorities. And in Chapter 6, we're told how to seize our golden opportunity by changing ourselves. "If you want to be able to pursue golden opportunities," Maxwell says, "then pursue the development of strong character first."

This small book (only 124 pages) is easy to read and includes some dynamic discussion questions at the end of each chapter. But don't let the size of this powerful resource keep you from overlooking the big message that's contained within: "You can go for the gold, or you can go for the Golden Rule. Those who go for the Golden Rule not only have a chance to achieve monetary wealth, but also to receive other benefits that money can't buy. People who live by the Golden Rule give themselves a chance to have it all!"

This book is destined for the best-seller list. I like it so much I'm adding it to the recommending reading list of my comprehensive mentor program licensed to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Thank you, John, for telling it like it is--and, more important, for leading by example.

The Golden Rule Explained and Improved Upon
In the aftermath of the many corporate scandals of the last two years, most people are looking for a way to reintroduce ethics into the companies they work for and invest in. In the process, some enthusiasts for ethical behavior have created whole libraries of do's and don'ts that tend to confuse the issue. What's the answer?

Dr. John C. Maxwell proposes a simple idea: Ethics is the same for all parts of one's life, whether in business or personal activities. "Asking the question 'How would I like to be treated in this situation?' is an integrity guideline for any situation." He builds on that standard to suggest an even higher one, something he calls "developing the Midas Touch." Your goal is to exceed the Golden Rule:

1. Treat people better than they treat you.

2. Walk the second mile (do more than just going the extra mile).

3. Help people who can't help you.

4. Do right when it is natural to do wrong.

5. Keep your promises even when it hurts.

If we all did this, our world would be filled with an abundance of kindness and goodness that would enrich each of us much more than any material possessions could.

Although I was certainly familiar with the Golden Rule, my understanding of it deepened greatly from reading this book. As an example, I think about the rule as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That gets me to thinking about what I am going to do to them before I think about what I would want in that situation. Dr. Maxwell's rephrasing gets me to thinking about what the ideal thing is to do before I consider the other person. That improved my ability to think of good solutions even though the concept is unchanged by the rephrasing.

He also addresses the fact that most people cut corners in an ethical sense, but are very critical of others who do. So there is some hypocritical thinking to address in this area.

Each chapter has questions at the end that readers can use to explore and develop their own thinking. I thought these questions were the most valuable parts of the book, and helped bring the lessons home to me.

I was also impressed to see the research about how the major religions all have their version of the Golden Rule, so this is something that almost everyone believes in.

But, most of us could use some more help to understand what others would like to see us do. The book has many fine sections that talk about the values that people would like to see honored in following the Golden Rule.

The book is also filled with simple business examples that were new to me. One of my favorites is the firm that keeps full employment by eliminating the owner's salaries when times are tough.

You could improve your understanding of ethical behavior over a lifetime by considering and reconsidering this fine book. What are you waiting for? ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides readers with a clear, straightforward writing style, an abundance of examples, detailed real-life cases, and current data and statistics. It aims to 1) introduce ethical concepts that are relevant to resolving moral issues in business, 2) develop the reasoning and analytical skills needed to apply ethical concepts to business decisions, 3) identify the moral issues involved in the management of specific problem areas in business, and 4) examine the social and natural environments within which moral issues in business arise.Chapter topics cover ethics and business, ethical principles in business, the business system, ethics in the marketplace, ethics and the environment, the ethics of consumer production and marketing, the ethics of job discrimination, and the individual in the organization.For anyone in business. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The book with show the ethical in doing business
This book will provide you with the ethic activities when doing business. You can learn from the various cases in this book that show you how good & bad to doing you business. Ethic its about do right or wrong that much depend from the social standard. From this book we can learn much enough how to threat your customers in the ethic way. In much case in this book will show you the unethical activities that doing by the company finally they have to face the lawsuit or crash down. Just read this book first before you serve your customer in ethic way.

Up to Date Ethical Situations
This book is very up to date on the ethics surounding business today. It thougholy explains the different theories and concepts of business ethics. I rate this book high on content, but low on context. This is a good book but is long and dry, this author repeats himself and does not always get to the point directly.

Concise and well-written, although not perfect
I read this book as part of the first year of my MBA program and, in general, would recommend it to others with questions about business ethics. The book is quite well-written and a worthwhile read, although I would argue with some of Mr. Velasquez's conclusions.

Excellent text book
This book is our text book for the first year of MBA program. The author discusses the nature and significance of ethical standards and identifies four kinds of moral principles for resolving ethical dilemmas in business. We all learn a lot from this book. ... Read more

Book Description

As the core of undergraduate and graduate courses or as a supplement to other books, Business Ethics remains the established resource for accessible and up-to-date coverage of applied ethics. The Fifth Edition integrates details of actual business decisions and real-world cases, with pedagogical aids to promote critical-thinking skills.

Reviews (2)

A handy handbook for ethical decision making
Excellent. A practical book written by academics. Many books on ethics are hard to read because of the intellectual gymnastics required. Those written by consultants and journalists are often of the cookbook type and artificial. This book is therefore not only usefulfor students but also for businessmen and consultants. This book focuses on decision making within a clearly defined framework with good definitions of the concepts used. It also includes a very good description of relevant laws in the USA. I did not realise that laws regulate so many ethical business issues. For example " The Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organisations" provide a very good framework to any company that wants to act ethically. Business ethics as defined in the book does not include obeying the law, which I think is correct. Each chapter starts with a practical but imagined case. Many of the cases deal with breaking the law or not. For example "analyse the ethical implication of a woman having to decide whether to go to bed with her boss as that is the condition be puts on her being promoted". Or " what are the ethical implications of dumping toxic substances in the river if you can get away with it by bribing the inspector". One of the principles of the book is that it does not prescribe any solutions. I think that this is pushed too far in many of these cases. I see no point in analysing the ethical implications of breaking the law. My recommendation is to eliminate all of these cases or rewrite them. However, the 15 actual legal cases are useful. They show how difficult it can be to determine what is an ethical and what is a legal issue. The subject of moral philosophies is covered in 16 pages. The authors correctly state that it is impossible to deal with this subject in any depth. The risk with this chapter is that the simplifications made are so extreme that the reader may think he has understood the essence of this topic. That is however very far from reality. These criticisms should however not discourage potential buyers of the book. Overall it is very good.

An excellent graduate level textbook
I have used this text twice in the past as a text for a graduate level course in business ethics at a university in Southern California. I will be using it again this fall and winter. I find that it has a good discussion of theory salted with good real life examples. The long cases are a little dated now, three years after publication, but still are very illustrative. (Some still have "action" occurring even now in the real world.) Within each chapter are an "Ethical Dilemma" (short case) and "A Real-Life Situation" (two-to-three page case) that help to stimulate discussion and to employ principles learned so far in the text. My students have indicated that they like this text. Obviously I do as well! ... Read more

Book Description

This book explores social, legal, philosophical, ethical, political, constitutional and economic implications of computing from a computer scientist's point of view. It covers the issues individuals face as members of a technological society and offers guidance for professionals in computer-related fields. One of the book's goals is to develop computer professionals who understand the implications of what they create and how it fits into society at large.Chapter topics cover privacy and personal information, encryption and interception of communications, freedom of speech in cyberspace, intellectual property, computer crime, computers and work, broader issues on the impact and control of computers, and professional ethics and responsibilities.For programmers and software engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

very exciting and thought provoking
it's a great book to begin in-class discussions

Interesting and Accessible
Because the author's ethics class at SDSU uses this text as a primary source, I may be a bit biased in my judgment of this book. For the class, it was an excellent reference, bringing up interesting points for discussion and showcasing these points with anecdotes -- some humorous, some downright frightening. Baase's writing style is accessible to a wide audience, and even the parts that, by virtue of being part of a textbook, are dry and only mildly interesting are digestible.

If you're looking for a book that will give you a general overview of problems associated with computing, this book will hit the spot. Without any noticable bias, it provides information from different perspectives, and even gives fair treatment to Luddites.

A good, solid choice.

A GIFT OF FIRE
IN GIFT OF FIRE SARA BAASE ATTEMPTS TO COVER THE FULL RANGE OF SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL ISSUES RAISED BY COMPUTING.

Price
What's up with the price? It's cheaper at Barnes and Noble...by 7 buck ... Read more

Book Description

This book's philosophy is to equip students with the resources they need to deal effectively with the complex ethical and legal issues they will confront in practice. The author does this effectively by providing material that expands the students learning beyond the content of the professional codes of ethics to include knowledge of the more important scholarly writings in the field and by examining emerging ethical issues. The cases and discussion included in the book address very difficult ethics cases and show a ten-step model for analyzing those cases. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dr. Welfel is the "Grand Dame" of Ethics in Counseling.
Dr. Welfel has devoted her career to the study of ethics in the helping profession. This text is the accumulated wisdom of her years of practical experience, research, as well as the experience and research of her peers.

After reading this textbook you can rest assured that you have received a comprehensive look at ethics. You'll come away shocked at how ethics drives our every move as counselors, and you'll have a greater appreciation and respect for ethical decision making. The "10 Point Model for Ethical Decision Making" is worth the price of the book.

While no text, code of ethics or any such compilation can provide the answers to every decision you will ever face, this book can provide guidance that will serve you well.

One of the few textbooks I intend to keep and not re-sell. A masterpiece.

An insightful guide to ethical decision making.
Elizabeth Reynolds Welfel has written an insightful and informative guide to ethical decision making for anyone in the helping professions. She presents her material in a clear and easily readable form. It is obvious that Dr. Welfel is an expert in the field and her vast knowledge of the research on ethical behavior is evident. Her nine-step model of ethical decision making is a clear blueprint for helping counselors and psychologists make informed and thoughtful ethical decisions. I have used this text to help my counseling students develop an understanding of the ethical standards and underlying principles of the counseling profession and I plan to continue to use it in the future. I highly recommend this book for anyone teaching in counselor or psychologist education, as well as for any mental health professional. ... Read more

Book Description

A number-one bestseller from coast to coast, Den of Thieves tells, in masterfully reported detail, the full story of the insider-trading scandal that nearly destroyed Wall Street, the men who pulled it off, and the chase that finally brought them to justice. Pulitzer Prize winner James B. Stewart shows for the first time how four of the biggest names on Wall Street -- Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Martin Siegel, and Dennis Levine -- created the greatest insider-trading ring in financial history and almost walked away with billions, until a team of downtrodden detectives triumphed over some of America's most expensive lawyers to bring this powerful quartet to justice.

Based on secret grand jury transcripts, interviews, and actual trading records, and containing explosive new revelations about Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky written especially for this paperback edition, Den of Thieves weaves all the facts into an unforgettable narrative -- a portrait of human nature, big business, and crime of unparalleled proportions. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

James B. Stewart, great journalist, suberb story teller!
An absolutely outstanding look at the '80s Wall Street culture and the inside operations of Michael R. Milken, Dennis B. Levine, Ivan F. Boesky, Martin Siegel... and many, many other players on Wall Street, including U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani & the SEC investigations. Wall Street--Economic History worthy of reading.

Other great, outstanding books on the subject: "A Licence to Steal: The untold story of Michael Milken and the conspiracy to bilk the nation." by Benjamin J. Stein; and also: "Ther Predators's Ball" by Connie Bruck.

And because James B. Stewart is such an outstanding writer, I also read, which was a great book as well, written in story book fashion again: "Blood Sport: The President and his Adversaries" by James B. Stewart, a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

"Den" of Inequity
In Den of Thieves, James Stewart gives us a gripping account of the insider trading ring that almost brought down Wall Street.

As a student studying finance, I was told to read this book by my cousin who worked in the financial world. After I finished, I had a more realistic view of the intensity of Wall Street. This intense competition and desire for money drove some people over the edge. Such was the case for Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Terry Mulheren, and their cohorts. To a certain extent, these men were driven to cheat and steal by insatiable greed.

You do not have to know much about the financial world to enjoy this fast paced thriller. The joy in this book is in the hunt. Once the SEC became aware of Milken's activities, they had to find a way to prove it and then had to take Milken down. Once Milken was taken out of his office in handcuffs and Rudy Guliani began to build his case, Milken's "associates" began to sing like canaries in the hope of cutting a deal with the government.

I love reading books about criminals who get what is coming to them. Michael Milken and friends deserved every bit of jail time they got. This definitely a book about criminals getting what they deserved. James Stewart draws you in within the first 20 pages, from there I hope you have some spare time because you will not be able to put it down.

If you enjoy the investment world, this is for you!
This was one book that I could not put down. The book is broken into large sections, each dealing with a particular criminal and his corresponding activities. In-depth descriptions of what was going on behind the scenes at some of the most respected financial firms of the time--absolutely fascinating. If you were around in the 80's, and you work/participate in the investment industry, this should be required historical reading.

Gripping and Accurate
Having re-read this book last week, it took me back to a time and a place I really didn't want to visit but found I should. Having been lured to Drexel, Burnham as a senior executive (from Morgan, Stanley in 1986) only weeks before the scandals hit -- and having witnessed the lava-roast at that firm -- it amazes me how Mr. Stewart was able to re-create events. Along with Predators' Ball, this book serves as an example of the power of quality investigative journalism. Filled with my own stories of similar dealings, I understand fully that his observations hit dead-center at the bullseye of the truth of that decade.

One comment in the Epilogue struck me as almost sad. Mr. Stewart says, in the wake of these scandals: "Wall Street has given every sign of being severely chastened." Too bad that wasn't the case.

Now myself a writer with somewhat less courage, perhaps, than Mr. Stewart (I've written about abuses/dangers on Wall Street, but write them as financial thrillers and opinion pieces -- it's safer, I think), I can only hope that with each scandal we get a little more honest, a little more chastened. Too bad I don't see that happening. Not yet, at least.

INCREDIBLE!!!
This book is amazing. I love reading financial and investing books and this one is just amazing. Its capitvating beginning to end. The way the author subtly explains very technical investing terms is awesome. I had know who the characters were but not the entire depth of their situations. This book tells all! I cant wait to read more of the authors work! ... Read more

Book Description

With The Integrity Advantage, Adrian Gostick and Dana Telford establish a burning platform-that personal integrity is a proven competitive advantage in business. Prominent business leaders from some of North America's most respected companies-including Don Graham of the Washington Post, former Johnson & Johnson CEO James Burke, and Hank Paulson, Jr. of Goldman Sachs-discuss the role integrity has played in their successes, and offer examples of the importance of integrity in business today. Not merely a collection of essays, the authors also share an effective system of decision-making designed to help anyone implement integrity into every action. The importance of trust and credibility within business relationships is examined and discussed, as Telford and Gostick illustrate how to juggle wealth, power, and responsibility-and be a person of character.

Given the recent uncertainty fostered by questionable corporate tactics, however, now is the time to examine what role integrity actually plays in business today, and whether employees are naturally compelled to practice these values-particularly when the leaders they follow lack integrity in their own professional behavior.

Dana Telford holds an MBA from Harvard University and has advised business leaders in the consumer banking, healthcare, publishing, retail, manufacturing, and real estate industries.He has developed and implemented strategies for client companies based all over the world. He lives in Morgan, Utah.

Adrian Gostick is director of marketing and corporate communications with the O.C. Tanner Recognition Company. His previous books include Managing with Carrots and The 24-Carrot Manager, co-authored with Chester Elton. He lives in Salt Lake City. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Social Resp & Profit Motive, mutually exclusive?
Over the last few years, corporate performance has taken a back seat to corporate governance. With every scandal that rocks Wall Street; Enron, Adelphia, Anderson, and WorldCom to name a few, issues like ethics, morals and social responsibility are plastered on the top of the fold of rags ranging from the NY Times to the Morgan City Daily Review. Through interviews with some of the world's most respected CEO's, Adrian Gostick and Dana Telford's book "The Integrity Advantage" sheds an interesting perspective of corporate integrity and how this integrity, in fact, is truly a competitive advantage. The authors describe ten characteristics that are consistently displayed by people with integrity. Although none of these are compelling and shed new light on integrity, the authors emphasize the importance through the experience of the CEO's and demonstrate how incremental improvements in each one develops the reader's decision making enhancing their own reputation of integrity. It would seem, on the surface that integrity is an easy concept to understand and apply. However, the NIKE example speaks to how this is not the case. Although conceptually we can grasp integrity and how this may, in fact, be a competitive advantage, what the book does not address is how it fits within the construct of social responsibility. In other words, is integrity as described in the book, aligned with Milton Friedman and Elaine Sternberg's view of corporate responsibility? Or does it follow the framework put forth by Elizabeth Anderson and R. Edward Freeman? I am inclined to believe the spirit of the book falls somewhere in the middle. The book quotes some of the most successful smartest CEO's in the world. And although social responsibility and certainly integrity are of primary concern, each one of these individuals has a profit motive for being in business. Otherwise, they would be heading up a nonprofit organization. It seems to me these two, integrity and having a profit motive should not be mutually exclusive. Although as Friedman states, social responsibility as a motivating factor in decision making is in fact taxing the shareholders of whom you have a fiduciary responsibility to act in their best interest. As Sternberg states, you have to be able to differentiate between business and other institutions. There should be a distinct line, roadmap if you will, to address both, but make no doubt that the business is the first and foremost responsibility of the executive. That said, there is something to be said of Anderson's and to some degree Freeman's views of social responsibility. The corporation should consider and behave in a way that considers both benefits and consequences to its stakeholders. This does not mean that it should act to promote the greatest benefit to its stakeholders, in doing so it ignores the aforementioned fiduciary responsibility. In my humble opinion Freeman is wrong, they do not have nor should have legal "requirements" to do so. What should drive their stakeholder responsibility is their personal integrity, which gets us back to the book. One could argue that had Phil Knight, or any other of these executives that have recently fallen from grace, pursued the steps in the book they could have avoided the problems they faced. In the end, integrity is indeed a critical success factor that could be used to leverage the corporation and become a competitive advantage. And integrity along with the profit motive should not be viewed as mutually exclusive. However, one should never forget the responsibility to the shareholder and that this responsibility should serve as guidance with integrity as the cornerstone in every leaders and employees decision making process.

Practical Lessons for Living Your Values
If this book had been titled, Leading with Integrity, I would have rated it as four stars. With that title, it's main weakness is in not providing enough advice on "how to" lead with integrity.

While The Integrity Advantage describes some benefits to being a person and an organization of integrity in business or in nonprofits, the evidence in the book is far from overwhelming that integrity is the best way to go. That's unfortunate, because acting with integrity provides many advantages not explicitly described in this book (such as creating positive word of mouth rather than negative word of mouth, attracting customer loyalty that enables you to survive when you make mistakes, involving more stakeholders to help you, and encouraging people to listen to one another and communicate better). Instead, you see some advantages of operating with integrity while being reminded that you'll sleep better at night, even if you make less money. I think a more compelling case can be made than this book does. My guess is that the reason behind this limitation in the book is that only a few executives seem to have been used as sources. I doubt if more than a dozen people are involved with an example, as opposed to a quote.

The best part of the book comes in a list of "What Integrity Looks Like -- Up Close":

"Little Things Count," "Find the White [When Others See Grey]," "You Mess Up, You 'Fess Up," "Create a Culture of Trust," "You Keep Your Word," "You Care about the Greater Good," "You're Honest but Modest," "You Act Like You're Being Watched," "You Hire Integrity," "You Stay the Course." Each part of the list is developed with at least one example from a prominent business leader and some quotes from others. There's also a brief summary at the end of each one.

Another valuable part of the book is in part three where you get tips on how to act on your desire to operate with integrity:

1. Take time to reflect before acting
2. Get ideas from others until you have a good one of what's needed
3. Consider the effects on those who will be affected
4. Start making changes in yourself

Warren Buffett's advice is the best part of this book. He points out that he hires for those with integrity, high intelligence and great energy. But the latter two characteristics don't help if you don't have the first one. I also liked Mitt Romney's example in the foreword of how people with similar values can end up failing if they don't make living their values with integrity a priority. The means count as much as the ends.

After you finish this book, look at the decisions and actions you will probably be called upon to make today. How can you make them with more integrity?

A valuable book of values!
If you want to know how some of the most successful businessmen and women integrate integrity into how they hire employees, run their businesses, and guide their lives -- get this book. If you want to know why integrity is a real business asset -- get this book.

With interviews from some of the biggest names in the business wor