Book Description

A proven tool for sharpening one's competitive edge

Today's leading organizations have seized on the concept of transparency as the key to gaining the confidence of investors, employees, and customers--and gaining profits. In The Transparency Edge, leadership expert Barbara Pagano demonstrates that transparency is more than an excellent policy--it is a powerful management skill that managers can learn and use to make themselves and their organizations more competitive.

Presenting the nine behaviors that every successful leader uses to gain a transparency edge, Pagano shows readers how to use these techniques to build loyalty, gain trust, and establish an impeccable reputation for integrity. She also shows how this nothingto- hide approach enables organizations and their leaders to:

• Make decisions more efficiently and execute them more effectively
• Speed up operations
• Identify problems sooner and solve them faster
• Build trust and collaboration within the organization
• Establish a higher level of credibility

Reviews (20)

The case for transparency is made. Now I see how to do it.
Within the first few pages of The Transparency Edge, I had a much clearer understanding of how transparency applies to leadership. This book gave me specific behaviors to incorporate and practical concepts to consider in my day-to-day decision making. It's the only book I've found that applies transparency to leadership on an individual level. With rich data and compelling stories of real business leaders, this book is sure to make a difference for other business owners like me. Thanks!

This Book Is Cutting-Edge Reading For Business Executives!
In the wake of major corporate scandals over the past few years, "The Transparency Edge" is cutting-edge reading for every business executive.

If all companies took this book to heart, we could have avoided the financial fiascos at Enron, WorldCom, etal. The Paganos offer a nine-step system for creating credible leaders in the workplace. But like any system, it's only as good as the aplication.

The authors provide not only solid theory, but also a practical way to live out the core principles of an organization. Well-researched, with lots of specific examples, this book features a unique 360-degree leadership assessment tied to the nine behaviors all business executives should strive to emulate for their co-workers.

As one who licenses a comprehensive mentor program to Fortune 500 companies and other organizations that features 12 monthly seminars, I'm reminded that the first lesson is on values. I'm adding this book to the recommended reading list for Lesson I. If an organization isn't reputable and their people can't be trusted, nothing else matters. Thank you, Barbara and Elizabeth, for driving home this critical message in such a meaningful and memorable manner.

Finally - Permission to be lead from the heart!
As someone who has inhabited a pretty competitive corner of corporate America for over 20 years, I can honestly say this book was like a lifeline.

With the huge generation of baby boomers all entering the business scene at the same time, I think a lot of us have felt tremendous pressure to conform to what seemed some pretty harsh norms. Being professional and getting ahead was all about being efficient - not taking the time to explain what was going on; being strong, which means never appearing vulnerable; being tough - which means focusing solely on the more easily quantified sales and profit implications of a decision, and shutting out the human factors.

I work in the communications/consulting business and, at every company I've worked for, senior management would get up every year at the annual meeting and say something like - "What sets us apart and gives us our competitive advantage is how we care about our people," and "The most valuable asset in this company goes home every evening." And everyone would just look at each other and roll their eyes, because nobody believed them!

If they cared so much, why didn't they tell us candidly the reasons behind some of their apparently uninformed and careless decisions? Even bad news would be better than all the confusion and speculation in the ranks when no-one knew what was going on. Why did they do all this management training, yet still knowingly tolerate bosses who brutalized their subordinates? Why did they ask for our suggestions - and even ask us to put extra time in volunteering for various corporate task forces - only to break their implied promise of change by ignoring everything we came up, and proceeding with business as usual?

As I moved up into management myself, I understood better what some of the pressures are that push the people in charge into some of these behaviors, and there were times when I found it hard to reconcile my own choices. I saw it as having to make a trade-off between what I thought was the right thing to do (i.e., my responsibility to my personal values), and doing the right thing for the company (i.e, my responsibility as a professional).

What The Transparency Edge does is show beyond a doubt that standing true to your values makes good business sense. Yes, it's harder to do sometimes, and yes, sometimes the benefits are long-term rather than immediate. But leaders have a responsibility to the long-term welfare of the company, which includes maintaining their own and their company's reputation, as well as creating the motivation for people to follow their leadership. Both of those goals are impossible to achieve without personal credibility. And personal credibility is built through conscientiously respecting the nine principles in this book.

Pagano demonstrates that, without question, the reason to behave transparently is not only because it's right, but because it's smart. What a breath of fresh air - it's about time!

Everyday Leadership for Managers
I really enjoy the stories in The Transparency Edge. It is a great reminder that we can choose to be better leaders in everything we do, everyday. Leadership concepts are hard to grasp generally. And illustrating these with personal experiences make these issues come alive for readers. The Paganos' conversational style also makes reading easy. I recommend this to those who are starting/doing 360 feedback. Such a feedback process can be rather disconcerting, as my first-time coachees have confirmed, and it is helpful to have a resource like Transparency Edge to act as a guide for reflection and new actions.

Hats off to these authors
This book has a magical combination of real life stories interwoven with principles and facts based on research. Not an easy mix to achieve. Hats off to these authors!
Evonne Weinhaus,
Co-author of Stop Struggling With Your Teen
& Stop Struggling With Your Child ... Read more

Book Description

In the sequel to the best-selling business book The Integrity Advantage, authors Adrian Gostick and Dana Telford take the concept of integrity in business to the next level: how to put integrity into action with your employees, your company, and your own life. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great ROI
Integrity works. It also inspires. Kudos to Gostick and Telford for producing a book that is as much about life and how to live it, as it is about business and how to profit from it. Integrity Works is an uplifting, powerful handbook that has changed the way I look at ROI - my own Return On Integrity.

At a time when the term "business leadership integrity" seems like an oxymoron, Integrity Works demonstrates how integrity is central to true success. This isn't a heavy book about philosophy or business principles. Rather, Gostick and Telford have distilled 10 keys to the fulfillment of integrity - illustrating the practical application of those keys through the lives of such remarkable and diverse people as Mother Teresa, Warren Buffet, and Hank Greenberg.

Integrity Works is a practical, read-able book that will make you stronger - and your business leadership qualities better. It'll also improve your ROI.
... Read more

Book Description

Since its original publication, Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business, the pioneering work on the subject, has been the standard guide for Westerners doing business with the Japanese--either here or abroad.In this new edition Boyd Lafayette De Mente, who has been living and working in Japan for more than twenty-five years, examines those characteristics that epitomize the Japanese character and business personality. De Mente explains how concepts from daily life extend to dealings in business and how loyalty to the family and nation applies to professional relationships as well.

Throughout this book De Mente offers invaluable advice to Westerners wishing to do business with the Japanese. In an all new chapter De Mente compares the Japanese and Western approaches to business pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each.This is the one book on Japanese business structure and practices that offers explanations for what appears to many foreigners to be confusing and contradictory behavior by their Japanese counterparts. As part of a rationale for Japan's economic achievements, De Mente has formulated "Japan's Five Commandments for Success," which he presents here for the first time.No other hook is as informative about the cultural factors that shape business practices in Japan. The insights that De Mente has gathered as the results of his long experience in Japan are presented on every page. No one who goes East with the intention of doing business with the Japanese should do so without first consulting Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business.

"I am delighted to see this revised and expanded edition of a book that has become something of a classic over the decades. Boyd De Mente's long experience in Japan . . . has given him a keen insight into the cultural factors that shaped and still control management practices in Japan."
-- Yasutaka Sai, Vice President International Japan Management Association

"This book is 'must' reading for anyone with even a marginal interest in Japan and Japanese business."
-- William K. Nickoson, President Asia Dynamics (Japan) Ltd.

"Until foreign businesspeople fully understand and learn how to cope with the cultural factors underlying Japanese society, particularly such elements as discrimination and egotism, they will not be able to understand or work effectively with the Japanese. Boyd De Mente's Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business provides the basis for this understanding, along with practical advice on bridging cultural differences."
-- John Artise, Vice President Drake Beam Morin, Inc.

Reviews (4)

More useful for doing business *in* Japan
Content: DeMente seems to know what he's talking about (this author was recommended to me by an instructor in Chinese culture). Although I've dealt with Japanese business people for many years, I've not been to Japan, and therefore have no basis to completely judge the book's content. Based on what I do know, though, this book is best read as instruction in how to deal with Japanese business people when doing business *in Japan* (as opposed to doing business with Japanese companies and their representatives in the U.S.).

Structure: Overly repetitive, poorly structured and in some places, clearly outdated. The last criticism is to be expected given the dramatic change of status Japan has undergone in the past decade. The first two criticisms might be ameliorated by two factors: One, my own preferences are certainly playing a large role here. I prefer to have information delivered in a logical (to me) and concise manner. This is especially true for an instructive book -- one would expect creative writing to contain flourishes. Two, perhaps this *is* creative writing, and DeMente is showing the reader what dealing with a Japanese mindset is really like.

Japanese Ethics and Business
This is one of the best books I have read on Japanese Business and Ethics. The author gives an explanation on the character of the japanese. Explains the differences between doing business the japanese way and the western way.The author gives a history of the japanese and gives stories on how the japanese think and act. You will gain so much knowledge from this book about the japanese. I will recommend this book to anyone that is going to do business in Japan or with the japanese in their own country. A must read.

Effective Use of Stories
Not only is the author knowledgable about the topic, but I like the manner in which he makes his points through real life anacdotes. I use the same technique in my book: The Constant-Sum Approach to Business Success".

This is a must read book for people doing business in Japan.
Superficially, Japan and the US are quite similar: In their cities, there are tall modern buildings, well dressed people hurrying to appointments while talking on cellular phones as well as the hustle and bustle of any large Western city. These similarities will seduce nearly every American who seeks to do business in Japan into thinking that the business practices of the country will be the same as in the US. The truth is that the cultural differences are so vast and subtle that they are often beyond the comprehension of the majority Americans. In Japan, there is a high expectation of a certain standard of business etiquette and failure to achieve this standard could doom any hopes of doing business in that country. And, unfortunately, many Americans, unknowingly, are unable to avoid this pitfall. The Japanese language is rich with expressions that conceptualize certain feelings or attitudes that are literally very foreign to Westerners but are key to the Japanese way of seeing things. De Mente's explanations of these phrases and sayings are both useful vocabulary lessons as well as effective insights into the Japanese business mentality. When my friends ask me for advice on conducting business in Japan, I regularly refer them to this book for a quick heads-up on business etiquette and ethics prior to their visit. Without exception, everyone reported that the book gave them the additional perception and savvy that was especially helpful in understanding and dealing with their Japanese counterparts. In addition to giving basic insight on the how-to's of doing business in Japan, De Mente's book could a valuable primer for our diplomats and trade representatives who seek to improve relations with our important Asian neighbor. I have read many books on this topic and have found none to have the depth and the richness as this one. After reading this book, one will naturally seek additional information in De Mente's many other books on this subject. Even if you are able to afford a cultural consultant to dispense expensive advice you will find Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business to be a thoughtfully written handbook that gives much insight into the ways of doing business in that country. ... Read more

Book Description

With a conversational writing style, rather than the language of formal ethical theories, this short, readable book suggests to its readers that they should plan how be better business people than they would otherwise be. It contains a common sense, practical approach to doing good work—emphasizing the need to prepare in advance for ethical dilemmas, long before they arise. KEY TOPICS Chapter topics cover American corporate and organizational culture, identifying personal values, moral mentors, getting the facts necessary for good work, determining the issue that requires good work, locating the relevant law, identifying the alternative options, and applying personal ethical principles to doing good work.For business people—and people who will one day be business people—who want to make a difference in business practice and improve behavior in their selves and business environment. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Book For People Who Want to Promote Positive Change
As a manager in the corporate world, I found this book extremely helpful in planning ethics training for my organization. This book is outstanding for managers, professors and employees who want to promote positive change. I found the "Moral Mentors" material to be especially useful. That material (in Chapter Five) is a perfect antidote to employees who may be tempted to feel victimized by poisonous corporate cultures. The "moral mentors" material teaches managers and employees to ask themselves, "How can I make a difference?" This book lets managers and employees know what steps to take to make a difference. It also provides practical steps for individuals faced with ethical dilemmas at work. I was inspired by the book and recommend it highly.

The most jouvenile disappointing book on ethics to date.
As a university professor whom has reviewed many practical business ethics texts, I was thoroughly disappointed, sometimes angered by the statements and theories laid out by this book. It is so bad and incorrect, that it speaks for itself. I.E.,in chapter 5, statements such as, "ideal moral mentors exist" are contradicted with, "Additionally, individuals who pin all their hopes and dreams onto a particular kind of boss or leader show their own immaturity and narcissism. We should all practice saying, "I'm not that special. I'm not entitled to the perfect job, the perfect boss, or the ideal moral mentor." It is unrealistic to keep searching for the ideal moral mentor."
I found that statement to be insulting, inaccurate while being extremely narrow minded. To put it quite simply, I would steer very clear of this title. I made the misteak of selecting it one semester, only to discover very early on, that it actually turned off students from Ethics, depressing them, some even told me it made business ethics seem like a joke that should not be taken seriously. I would have to fully agree here and would recommend to anyone, especially a university undergrad class or those who will be giving individuals their first experience with business ethics to chose one of the more costly selections as this one undermines the credibility of the field of "practical" rather than "theoretical" business ethics, essentially turning it into a joke, which in reality is the last thing an educator and practicioner in the field would desire. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is the David-and-Goliath story of how an American bureaucrat took on the tobacco industry--and helped topple it. David Kessler, head of the Food and Drug Administration for seven years under Presidents Bush and Clinton, earned the nickname "Eliot Knessler" from The Washington Post--a pun meant to evoke the memory of the Prohibition-era gangbuster--because he rejuvenated a moribund agency. The FDA regulated, in Kessler's words, "one quarter of every dollar Americans spent--from the food they eat to the drugs they take to the cosmetics they wear." Yet it lacked the courage to take on the country's most lethal product: cigarettes. So did Kessler, at least initially. He agreed with aides and others that Big Tobacco was too powerful a force in Washington, D.C. "The industry perceived threats everywhere, and responded to them ferociously," he writes. Moreover, challenging the industry would waste important resources that could have a more tangible benefit for consumers if they were spent elsewhere. Even before making the choice to go after cigarettes, Kessler was a figure of controversy, and this only intensified when he became one of the few Republican holdovers in the Clinton administration.

Much of the book deals with the routine business of the FDA: orange-juice seizures, a fight to restrict the sale of body tissues from foreign sources, how he responded to complaints that syringes were found in Pepsi cans, and so on. But the driving force behind Kessler's narrative is how he slowly woke up to the possibility of regulating cigarettes. "It is too easy to be swayed by the argument that tobacco is a legal product and should be treated like any other," he writes. "A product that kills people--when used as intended--is different. No one should be allowed to make a profit from that." His story is a lesson in Washington power politics--a game he played with naiveté when he started but was expert at by the end of his tenure.

To say Kessler and his team of FDA regulators "defeated" Big Tobacco is an overstatement: they were part of a broader effort that included trial lawyers, consumer groups, and crusading journalists, and the industry hasn't exactly gone away. But they were instrumental in forcing tobacco companies to admit that nicotine is addictive and cigarettes cause cancer, and in bringing about a sea change in the industry's legal and popular standing. Kessler now believes in regulation so tight it will strangle Big Tobacco forever: "If our goal is to halt this manmade epidemic," he writes, "the tobacco industry, as currently configured, needs to be dismantled." A Question of Intent is a well-told muckraker. It unfolds deliberately, like a good detective story. Admirers of Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action, especially those with a taste for public policy, won't be disappointed. --John J. Miller ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A Matter of Conscience
It took only the first page to draw me into the facinating and exciting true story drama that David Kessler paints in his outstanding book on the FDA's battle with the tobacco industry. Not since A Civil Action have I felt so motivated to urge other to read a story that is as heart breaking as it is true!Each chapter ends with a heightened anticipation for the next. Dr. Kessler's narration is clear -- in fact, it is so discriptive that the reader can literally visualize the events as he discribes them.

How fortunate we are as a country to have public servants such as Dr. Kessler and his staff. Dr. Kessler went to great pains, it seems to me, to credit those in his department who shared his passion and search for the truth. His discriptions of his colleagues (and they were colleages, everyone from the lawyers and physicians he worked with to the investigators)were interesting.It is simply a must read book for anyone, parents, those who love a good mystery, and people interested in public policy.

For anyone interested in knowing what true integrity is, this is the book for you!

An Odyssey through the Science and Politics of Tobacco
David Kessler's book, A Question of Intent, is a gripping account of how the FDA chose to investigate the tobacco industry, ultimately exposing the industry's calculated intent to cover up the deadly and addictive nature of its product. The dedication of Kessler and his team is ingenious and inspiring. Each chapter leads the reader through a maze of investigation and discovery. The narrative is so engaging that it makes the reader want to stand up and cheer as more and more incriminating data is uncovered throught the efforts of this tireless FDA team. This is an important book that should be read by anyone concerned with public policy, the health of our people, the regulation of tobacco and the need for role models who use their courageous intelligence to make our world a more decent place.

A Breath of Fresh Air
Thank you, Dr. Kessler, for pursuing the tobacco dragon and for writing this book. It should be required reading for every medical and divinity school student.

Civics lesson that reads like a thriller
Wow. Who would have thought a book on the history of the FDA's handling of tobacco regulation would read like a spy novel? I grabbed this book off the new books shelf at the library, and picked it up expecting to skim through it. Kessler begins with how he was chosen to head the FDA, and introduces several of his staff including the one who started him toward taking on the tobacco industry. Then we get plenty of background including the history, marketing, and laws concerning tobacco.

With all the press on Big Tobacco, I expected them to be shown as fiendish. I've been a member of Americans for Non-Smokers Rights for 20 years, and I've read all about the Industry's dirty tricks, and I fully expected to read about them again here. What I didn't expect to find was the thoroughness in Big Tobacco attempted to discredit the FDA, and Kessler takes us through the political campaigns and counter-campaigns. He shows how Big Tobacco created fake advocacy groups on several issues, leading to their attempt to muzzle the FDA and cut off all their government funding. If you remember the '94 Contract with America and the movement against Big Government, you'll be surprised to find how Big Tobacco co-opted it to fight the FDA, one of the more admired agencies.

If you weren't already cynical about how the US government operates, this book will get you there, even with its descriptions of some of the good guys continually outmaneuvered by the bad ones. Several congress members are shown to be captives of Big Tobacco, doing their dirty work with scripts written by their lobbyists and lawyers.

And speaking of lawyers, one of the most amazing revelations to me ok is how the tobacco industry became captives of their law firms! Yes, instead of working for their clients, the law firms ended up calling all the shots, and the CEOs would read statements prepared by them. The book covers how this came to be.

If you love looking of source material, you'll be busy. Kessler leaves plenty of footnotes in this meaty book for your review. My only complaint is that the book jumps around in places, as the story moves forward or back depending on the topic being covered. But this is a small beef, as the material is so compelling. Find out not only how cigarette's nicotine content was manipulated but how the industry tried to hide this obvious fact from FDA visitors to their manufacturing facilities. Enjoy the victories and despair over the setbacks; this is a policy-wonk's book as written by a Tom Clancy wanna-be.

A Govenment Policy Thriller
This is an excellent book. Kessler's story reads like a thriller, but is non-fiction. In addition to the fascinating narrative, Kessler provides along the way many insights into how Washington REALLY works. The most disheartening thing about the book is the extent to which Kessler documents how our political culture is awash with tobacco money; the tentacles of the tobacco companies seemingly reach everywhere. Kessler reveals that many "think tanks" and other public policy mouthpieces--even senators--have been bought by big tobacco and are literally reading from scripts the companies have provided trying to shift tobacco issues into ideological issues involving freedom and democracy. Unfortunately, the tobacco companies usually win with such strategies. Kessler is quite non-partisan in his approach to his topic, so politicians are judged purely by their stance on tobacco. Clinton comes out as wishy-washy, Gore as rock solid, while Dennis Hastert, Newt Gingrich and assorted others come out as shills for big tobacco. A very enlightening and enjoyable book; it will make you yearn for true campaign finance reform. ... Read more

Book Description

Perspectives in Business Ethics offers a foundation in ethical thought, followed by a variety of perspectives on difficult ethical dilemmas in both the personal and professional context.This anthology encourages the reader to critically evaluate each perspective using his or her own personal ethical theory base.Instructors who favor an interactive, discussion-oriented approach to the ethics course will appreciate the different perspectives offered by the Hartman text.The contemporary topics and contexts will energize your classroom: international worker's rights, PETA's controversial anti-milk campaign, Stonyfield Farms' emphasis on good corporate citizenship and many more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book of readings
There are precious few good books on business ethics available. Dr. Hartman has done the field a tremendous service by editing a volume of some of the best writers and thinkers on the topic today. Excellent as a text book for any ethics course; essential reading for new and established managers; and just plain full of good stuff to read. ... 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? Maxwell thinks it can. In ETHICS 101, he 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

Book Description

At the onset of "Life, Liberty and the Defense of Dignity," Leon Kass gives us a status report on where we stand today: "Human nature itself lies on the operating table, ready for alteration, for eugenic and psychic 'enhancement,' for wholesale redesign. In leading laboratories, academic and industrial, new creators are confidently amassing their powersand quietly honing their skills, while on the street their evangelists are zealously prophesying a posthuman future. For anyone who cares about preserving our humanity, the time has come for paying attention."

Trained as a medical doctor and biochemist, Dr. Kass has become one of our most provocative thinkers on bioethical issues. Now, in this brave and searching book, he also establishes himself as a prophetic voice summoning us to think deeply about the new biomedical technologies threatening to take us back to the future envisioned by Aldous Huxley in "Brave New World." As in Huxley's dystopia, where life has been smoothed out by genetic manipulation, psychoactive drugs and high tech amusement, our own accelerating efforts to master reproduction and genetic endowment, to retard aging, and to conquer illness, imperfection, and death itself are animated by our most humane and progressive aspirations. But we are walking too quickly down the road to physical and psychological utopia, Kass believes, without pausing to assess the potential damage to our humanity from this brave new biology.

In a series of meditations on cloning, embryo research, the human genome project, the sale of organs, and the assault on mortality itself, Kass evaluates the ongoing effort to break down the natural boundaries given us and to remake the human body into an instrument of our will. What does it mean to treat nascent human life as raw material to be exploited? What does it mean to blur the line between procreation and manufacture? What are the proper limits to this project for the remaking of human nature? These are the questions we should be asking to prevent runaway scientism with its utopian longings from reshaping humankind in the image of our own choosing.

Kass believes that technology has done and will continue to do wonders for our health and longevity and that we have much to be thankful for. But there is more at stake in the biological revolution that saving life and avoiding death. We must also strive to protect the ideas and practices that give us dignity and keep us human.

"Life, Liberty and the Defense of Dignity" challenges us to confront the posthuman future that may await us by thinking deeply about the life and death issues we face today. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

More of the same from Kass
I'm really surprised that this book has received such positive reviews. Although it has some good points, 'Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity' suffers from some very serious flaws.

The main focus of this book (which is actually a collection of previously published articles, so don't bother buying it if you've been keeping up with Kass's other works) is human dignity. Kass believes that all human life has an inherent dignity that transcends our scientific understanding, and that we should be wary of new technologies that would violate our dignity. This is certainly an appealing concept, but Kass fails utterly in his attempt to transform it into a coherent bioethics policy.

How do we know if something violates human dignity? If it gives Kass a creepy feeling. That's the main problem with this book; although Kass talks a great deal about the importance of human dignity, he isn't interested in rational, coherent analysis of ethical issues. Kass seems to be writing primarily to fellow religious conservatives who already share his technophobic views. If you don't already agree that cloning, stem-cell research, organ sales, in vitro fertilization, euthanasia, and genetic engineering are morally repugnant, there really isn't anything in this book that would cause you to change your opinion. Although Kass toys with various philosophical justifications for his views throughout the book, in the end he always seems to base his opinions on his own visceral emotional reactions. This isn't just my opinion; Kass plainly admits it himself. On page 61 Kass criticizes conventional ethicists for their reliance on logic and failure to take human emotions into account:

"Philosophical ethics today is rationalist, I would say hyper-rationalist, and I allege, unreasonably so. The dominant mode of American philosophizing today remains analytic. It concerns itself with the analysis of concepts, the evaluation of arguments and the criticism of justifications, always in search of clarity, consistency, coherence. It spends little time on what genuinely moves people to act - their motivations and passions, that is, loves and hates, hopes and fears, prides and predjuces, matters that are sometimes dismissed as nonethical or irrational because they are not simply reducable to logos. Revulsions and their correlative taboos are often overlooked; since they cannot give incontrovertible logical defenses of themselves, they tend to fall benieth the floor of ethical discourse. As a result, that discourse focuses almost exclusively on matters conceptual and logical."

Yes, you read that correctly: Kass is taking a heroic stand against rationality, clarity, and coherence. Apparently Kass has forgotten that in a liberal democracy we don't generally base policy decisions on what we find creepy or unappealing. The sort of rational, analytical examination of contemporary issues in medical ethics that one would expect in a serious policy discussion is sorely lacking. Kass spends an entire chapter (which he titles 'The Wisdom of Repugnance') trying to explain why rational discourse should be put aside in favor of emotional reactions, but it isn't very convincing.

Many of Kass's views are extreme, even for a conservative. Kass not only opposes controversial practices like euthanasia and human genetic engineering, but also relatively mundane things like in-vitro fertilization and organ transplants. Although the subject isn't brought up in this book, it's worth mentioning that in the past Kass has even come out against medical students dissecting human cadavers.

Although 'Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity' gives a fascinating look into the mind of President Bush's head bioethics advisor, I can't recommend it to anyone looking for a serious discussion of contemporary issues in medicine or biotechnology.

Formidable Book to Disagree With!
In his book Life, LIberty and the Defense of Dignity, Leon Kass cites a few times that 2/3rds of the population are opposed to cloning. Well, I am not one of them. There is much to disagree with here and I've done much of it. But unlike those shoddy books like Fukuyama's Our Posthuman Future, or Bill McKibben's laughable diatribe, Enough, I can disagree with Kass while still respecting him as a thinker. I even nod my head at some of his points.

About half of this book deals with abstract, and half, concrete, issues. His abstract sections I was almost in total agreement with. Ethical philosophy, he writes, long ago lost track of how to deal with issues rather than theories, and real peoople rather than 'rational man' constructs. Minutia is argued on a quest to develop a consistent theory of the human right and good. BUT NO SUCH THEORY NEED TO BE CREATED! We are dealing with people who make most decisions on a hearty combination of feeling (not amenable to intellectualization) and rational thought. This is where Kass comes from.

Add to this that biology has gone on so well with the reductionist program that even it has started to lose track of how to deal with the whole person. Like wantling to understand a person-in-full by studying the small minutia of their lives seperately, event-by-event; you won't get the feel of the whole person that way; she must be studied as a whole person. Biology, by breaking us down to the smallest constituent parts, don't explain us, so much as break us down to the type of bite-sized chunks they find helpful in THEIR studies.

So Kass starts from the philosophy of the whole person. It is here that I feel he uses this more as an excuse to be inarticulate than a tool to REALLY examine the issue. Whether it is cloning, euthenasia, the selling of organs; he keeps taling about how our human dignity is threatened but never even attempts to explain what in the world he means.

He argues that our instinctual revulsion to such processes may reflect a deeper wisdom that intellect can't articulate. But didn't we also feel revulsion to the idea of heart transplants too? Many of us feel revulsed by the very idea of surgery (going under the knife and all). Does that mean that we are expressing a 'deeper wisdom' and should not have surgury at all? I think our revulsion to biotech comes more from the thought of the unknown and our desire to hold on to the "natural order of things".

Life, he tells us, is precious. Thus, we must be very careful with how we treat it. I agree. But why does it follow that we have to, then, leave birth up to the chance process that causes miscarriages, deformities, premature deaths, and...let's be honest...unwanted babies that may well grow up to abuse? And why does it follow that an old woman who is nearing a painful end to her life (with only a glimpse of hope for recovery) be made to live out her last days when she wants to end it?

To be sure, there are quite a few philosophers who are just as sensitive to human dignity as Kass is who take the opposite conclusions. John Lachs ("Community of Individuals", "Relevance of Philosophy to Life") and Sidney Hook ("Convictions") are two notable examples.

To close, though I agree with Kass's theoretical goals, I disagree on virually everything else. This book, though, is professionally writte, gives some (some, that is) strong points and never comes off as zeolous, abrasive, or mean-spirited toward critics. Read this - even if you don't agree with Kass.

Wonderful Introduction
It is just as easy to dismiss Kass, now head of the President's Council for Bioethics, as a "technophobe" searching for justification. The opposite is true: while the groundwork for modern bio-deontological thought is firmly in place in the writings of the founding bioethical and environmental scholars, such writings are largely unapproachable to the layperson, analytic rather than continental in approach.

Kass does just the opposite. In the spirit of CS Lewis and his "The Abolition of Man," which Kass references, Kass paints a clear and understandable picture, suitable as an introduction to the subject. However, such a statement is misleading: the book is by no means just an introduction. Simply, Kass sets out to synthesize a workable and, more importantly, objective ethos that is not simply "ivory-tower," but applicable in day-to-day functioning. That such a book is coherant and pleasurable to read is simply icing on the cake.

the right-wing extremists
They must be giving MD's out like crackerjack prizes in a box if Leon Kass is a Dr. This man does not contribute to finding solutions and/or alleviating human suffering, he is merely a cog in Bush's right-wing extremists. He is Bush's little puppet and self important blowhard with an overinflated ego. Yes, cloning people is wrong and research on ESC's does constitute even-keeled debate, but Dr. Kass has suceeded in stifiling promising medical research to the chagrin of the patients we see day in and day out. This man was opposed to in Vitro conception 25 years ago, afraid of the assembly-line designer babies which would devaluate humanity and what it is to be human. Today, IVF has brought joy and restored hope in couples unable to naturally make babies. Kass is opposed to ESC research and Nuclear Cell transfer ( therapuetic cloning ), and will not budge in his expecting the worse dogma. This guy is a stubborn, old mule, standing, like an ass in the way of treatments for MS, SCI, ALS, Parkinson's, diabetes, etc. His response that, "adult stem cells have more validity as effective treatment", is a bunch of BS! His refusal to meet medical advocates in this field at least halfway, has divided this country and will certainly eventually lead to illegal expiriments with human cloning, like the back alley abortions years ago. I witness human suffering of all ages every day between patients and their familiies. we owe it to the sick and injured to fight for their quality of life, not putting up roadblocks with right-wing extremism politics. Sometimes it seems that some of these zealots are wack-jobs. Senator Brownback laments that he will never shake hands with Senator Orrin Hatch again because of his support for ESC research. What's up with that?!

Excellent analysis
The rapid growth in biotechnology has seen a corresponding growth in bioethics. Unfortunately, however, many bio-ethicists have become handmaidens to Big Biotech. The twin towers of technology and money have led many to abandon genuine independent ethical reflection. There have been too few voices to assess the latest trends in biotechnology in a wise, discerning and prudent manner.

One person who has done so is biologist and philosopher Leon Kass of the University of Chicago. He has spend a lifetime thinking about, and writing on, the new reproductive technologies and the challenges they present. And he has done so always with a view to the implications for human dignity and freedom. This volume, which includes articles which have appeared elsewhere, contains of wealth of information and ethical reflection on the new technologies.

All the major issues are covered here: cloning and stem cell research, IVF and assisted reproductive technologies, the new genetics, euthanasia and end of life decisions, and other recent developments in biotechnology.

Also carefully discussed are the hard questions: What is the moral status of the human embryo? Should there be limits to where we are heading in biology and technology? Are there areas of mystery in life that science should simply leave alone? Should autonomy, and the modern concept of human rights, trump other social and community concerns? What is the nature of medicine and what are its goals? These and other important ethical concerns are all given wise and careful consideration.

Kass examines the relationship between liberal democracies and the new technologies, for example, offering incisive and cautious reflection. He notes how democracies help create a climate which makes possible the growth of science and technology. But he also warns that without a moral vision of how that technology should proceed, there is the danger of commercial interests and utopian schemes derailing the science into undemocratic ends.

Indeed, since the time of the Enlightenment, an overly rationalist and utopian dream of the perfectibility of man has been pursued, often with disastrous consequences. Only by continually affirming the mystery and sacredness of life, and the dignity and wonder of man, can we prevent such coercive utopianism.

However, as Kass so clearly points out, the real threat is not coercive utopianism, but well-intentioned utopianism. That is, the real dangers come from those who speak of compassion, the relief of suffering and the battle for immortality. Says Kass, "the benevolent uses of humanitarian technologies often have serious unintended and undesired consequences." The promises of the relief of all suffering and the extension of life may sound pleasing to the ears, but can in fact bring bitterness to the soul.

Lost in the discussions of overcoming all problems and eradicating all unhealthiness, is the concept of the human person, of human dignity. To what end should we strive for immortality? What benefit will it be if we can live longer but not better lives? It is living well, not just living longer, that should preoccupy our minds and dreams. Yet the modern quest for perfection rarely addresses those more important concerns. Indeed, the modern rationalistic and secular march of science and technology often deliberately eschews any moral or religious considerations.

The whole problem of designer babies is another outcome of the new technologies. We now have the power to determine in advance how a baby can and should live. We not only have the power to change an individual's life through the new genetics, but generations to come. And with the new genetic medicine comes the power to decide who will live and who will die.

As we redefine a human being in terms of his or her genes, we run the risk of "justifying death solely for genetic sins". Genetic reductionism makes it easier, not harder, to allow experts and scientists to make the difficult choices of who is allowed to live. Eugenics, even if done with the best of intentions, is still eugenics. And the new eugenics is not so easily discerned, when it comes hidden behind a white lab coat or in an attractive fertility clinic.

The pressure of science and Big Biotech to simply do whatever can be done, without asking whether it should be done, will only continue. Especially when sold in the guise of relieving suffering, or offering more lifestyle choices. We have, as Kass says, the "biomedical equivalent of a spiraling arms race" where research and technology seem to know no limits. The consequences are frightening.

Kass concludes by acknowledging that he is not a Luddite, that there has been much good to come from the new technologies. But there is much to fear as well, especially if our scientific advances are not coupled with moral and spiritual growth. A perfect body, with a hole in the soul, may not be progress, but an unspeakable regress.

Which way the future unfolds is an open question at this point. The future in many ways is up to us. Do we allow a future with dignity and freedom, or do we passively accept the dehumanisation and depersonalisation that comes with unbridled scientific advance? The important warnings offered here need to be read and heeded, if we are to advance on the right course. ... Read more

Book Description

Using a clear and concise format that is appropriate for the busy recruit or professional, this easy-to-read book provides realistic scenarios that present and encourage ethical behavior among police or corrections employees. Enforcing Ethics will encourage readers to think critically and carefully about their behavior, decisions, and values.It introduces readers to ethical encounters, 55 scenarios based upon realistic situations that may be encountered in the line of duty. Included are 50 questions that can be discussed among colleagues to further encourage understanding of ethics and ethical issues.For police or corrections recruits, officers, or supervisors. ... Read more

Book Description

A withering exposé of the unethical practices that triggered the indictment and collapse of the legendary accounting firm.

Arthur Andersen's conviction on obstruction of justice charges related to the Enron debacle spelled the abrupt end of the 88-year-old accounting firm.Until recently, the venerable firm had been regarded as the accounting profession's conscience.In Final Accounting, Barbara Ley Toffler, former Andersen partner-in-charge of Andersen's Ethics & Responsible Business Practices consulting services, reveals that the symptoms of Andersen's fatal disease were evident long before Enron. Drawing on her expertise as a social scientist and her experience as an Andersen insider, Toffler chronicles how a culture of arrogance and greed infected her company and led to enormous lapses in judgment among her peers.Final Accounting exposes the slow deterioration of values that led not only to Enron but also to the earlier financial scandals of other Andersen clients, including Sunbeam and Waste Management, and illustrates the practices that paved the way for the accounting fiascos at WorldCom and other major companies.

Chronicling the inner workings of Andersen at the height of its success, Toffler reveals "the making of an Android," the peculiar process of employee indoctrination into the Andersen culture; how Androids—both accountants and consultants--lived the mantra "keep the client happy"; and how internal infighting and "billing your brains out" rather than quality work became the all-important goals.Toffler was in a position to know when something was wrong. In her earlier role as ethics consultant, she worked with over 60 major companies and was an internationally renowned expert at spotting and correcting ethical lapses. Toffler traces the roots of Andersen's ethical missteps, and shows the gradual decay of a once-proud culture.

Uniquely qualified to discuss the personalities and principles behind one of the greatest shake-ups in United States history, Toffler delivers a chilling report with important ramifications for CEOs and individual investors alike. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Well written explanation of the fall...a unique perspective
Ms. Toffler and Ms. Reingold capture the essence of a once-great Firm struggling through the tumult of a changing business environment, poor management, and individual greed.

Ms. Toffler was head of a specialized group of consultants within Arthur Andersen offering advice to clients on Ethics and related business issues. She laments the situation she and the Firm were in, offering advice to clients, while having no in-house ethics program ... "The Cobblers Child" as noted in a later chapter.

As an ex-Android, I read this book with a mixture of fascination, fond memories, and sadness. Ms. Toffler provides an excellent explanation of the "fees generated" and "fees supervised" measures which drove partners and managers toward goals at odds with the best interests of the client. The results were, unfortunately, predictable.

With her previous experience at the Harvard Business School and with her own consulting business, Ms. Toffler provides wonderful insight into the issues which ultimately led to the "suicide" of Arthur Andersen.

This is a book of definite interest to any ex-AA or ex-AC employees and to anyone with an interest in the ethical basis for this sad chapter of American business.

Buyer Beware: Toffler was not an Andersen Insider
I just completed this book and I am not impressed. Toffler adds few insights that are not tainted by her obvious disdain for everything (and everyone) Andersen. She spent only 4 years in the firm and was never in any significant leadership role. There are literally thousands of former Andersen partners & employees that could have provided better insight.

This book comes off as very self-serving, a trend that comes to a head on about page 200 as Toffler describes how if only management had listened, she could have saved the day. It is obvious Toffler never earned the respect of her peers. This is not surprising - when I read the decription of the work she did prior to Andersen, I equated it to a senior level role at a Big 5 firm (conducting interviews, documenting issues, etc.). Clearly Toffler was in way over her head as a Big 5 partner.

What she does not mention is that, after being hired as a national partner, she fails to make a name for herself or the consulting service she led. I worked in the same division (BRCA) as Toffler for nearly all of her AA career and never once heard her name or even of her group - she was not exactly a trailblazer. Further, it appears that she left AA after 4 years as a national partner (typically only 2 years are spent at that level) after growing her service line to a total of 8 professionals - a group too small to support Toffler's salary. No wonder she felt intense pressure to sell, though for all her complaining about the pressure and high fees, she never suggests that her salary and lack of success might have caused the pressure, at least in part.

Although interesting at times, this book is not written by a true Andersen insider and better insights were available in the Wall Street Journal when this story was news.

Great Description of the Fall of an American Icon
Very good book overall. As someone in the accounting profession, I found the book to be very interesting. Many defenders of Andersen do not realize that Enron was only one of many reasons that caused Andersen's demise. A string of other audit failures and a culture turned greedy also contributed to the demise. Former Andersen employees will give this book a poor rating, call it garbage, and point out that the author has it all wrong. However, a lot of what she mentions regarding the Andersen culture, Andersen's mad scramble for fees, and infighting within the firm are very well documented in many business articles. As someone who did not work at Andersen, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a good business book.

Nasty and vindictive
I read this book as a recommendation from a friend who called it 'interesting'. I thought it was awful! The author sounded like a child who was left out of the 'in' group and therefor, nothing went her way. The writing was horrible and kept skipping around by years which was confusing. I believe the only accuracy was found in some of the historical events. Unfortunately, she then added her spin and negativism to the events to distribute blame. I have known many people associated with the firm and they are recognized as outstanding and ethical. I have heard stories over the years of clients quitting or 'being fired' because an Andersen accountant would not comply with their wishes. While I don't doubt that every company has some rotten people and it was that situation that brought down the firm, that certainly wasn't the case with the majority of the fine people that ended up suffering. Most the the Andersen partners I have asked about the book describe it as 'junk'. Don't waste your time!

Physician, heal thyself...
This is an odd book, because it's actually two separate books in one cover. The first book, which is essentially a short history of the rise and fall of Arthur Andersen, was no doubt written by the ghostwriter, Jennifer Reingold, and is actually fairly informative. This is the part that gets the three stars - not great by any means, but at least informative.

The second book is interspersed with the first, and purports to be a scathing indictment of the culture of Arthur Andersen, a respected American institution that was subverted and destroyed by arrogance and greed. It's easy to read a lot into this story, since it's really just the current American business ethic in microcosm. Nothing matters here but greed and taking pleasure in stepping in the other guy's face.

What's interesting here is the fact that Barbara Toffler, who clearly considers herself to be an "ethics expert", openly confesses that she was just as ruthless and greedy as everyone else at Andersen. But the reader is left wondering if she ever really quite gets it - does she understand she's just as morally culpable as the Andersen partners she eviscerates? She certainly doesn't seem to be too troubled by her own long list of questionable actions, in any case. The old joke about the definition of "chutzpah" being a person who murders his parents and then pleads for mercy because he's an orphan gets an update here: an unethical peddlar of "ethical services" who turns a quick buck by selling her story. You might feel like taking a shower after you finish this one. ... Read more

Book Description

The chapters in this book explore the ethical dynamics between leaders and followers in business and in society as a whole. They argue that power and authority in today's world stem not from position or coercion, but from trust, commitment, and values shared with those who are led. The authors raise important questions such as: How do people give and get trust? What moral hazards are inherent in transformational and charismatic leader/follower relationships? What roles do deception and self-deception play in giving and receiving power? The reader will gain a better understanding of the complex moral interaction of leaders and followers and why healthy moral relationships between leaders and followers are central to effective leadership. Practitioners, academics, and students will find this passionate collection invaluable in understanding the exciting and often controversial field of leadership and ethics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must read for anyone with pretensions of leadership
The title and the academic appearance of this work makes it sound dull. That is anything but the case. Dr Ciulla is gifted writer and sharp editor. The chapters she wrote are especially compelling and riveting, and she leavens her thoughts with abundant wit and flair. I look forward to reading further works from her. ... Read more

Book Description

Brings together the disciplines of economics, political science, law, and ethics to address a class ofmanagement issues of growing importance to the performance of companies.Provides conceptual frameworks for understanding issues in the environment of business and their development; strategy formulation; analysis of the news media; political analysis; the economics and politics of government intervention in markets (regulation, antitrust, and torts); the economics and politics of international trade; the political economy of countries; and ethical analysis and decision-making.For all business professionals, including managers looking to enhance their knowledge of an ever-changing, increasingly global field. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The book for dilettante readers
The author provided some good examples demonstrating a picture of business and its environment. People who have exposed to Industrial Organization (or at least some levels of application of game theory) will get bored of all arguments without mentioning anything about its quantitative aspect.

The book for dilettante readers
The author provided some good examples to demonstrate some business's environments. The book is very readable. You will get bored if you have exposed to industrial organization or some applications of game theory.

Pretty Easy Reading
I've read a good chunk of this book during a B-school elective on non-market strategies, and found it imparted some valuable information.It's not very prescriptive if that's what you're looking for.But it mademe feel like I got something out of the class despite an unstellarprofessor. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Almost wasteful
Though this essay has good points, there are also things you must look at; greed. Greed can ultimately leed to things that harm and hurt people.

I agree with the fact that richer people help the economy but I also would like to add that they are very influencial... these rich people get outplayed and others follow. It always matter what kind of person.

Keeping money within your pocket doesn't help at all... and so does this say that. Circulate through the economy, but also circulate through the poor.

--Actually, I havn't read most of it, i'm just blabling on. YEY!

Capitalism and wealth distribution
As a financial and estate planner this essay will redefine my practice. Common people today have accumulated far more wealth than they imagined. There is a struggle to determine the right course. Carnegie, about 100 years ago, had the insight to challange those of means to become trustees of our society. I am motivated and you will be as well. I read this is material that has made a large impact on Bill Gates. For those of you with excess assets PLEASE READ

Interesting Perspective on Giving from The Super Rich
This book is about 1/4" thick and is an essay written by Andrew Carnegie in June 1889. It's an interesting perpective on what very wealthy people should do with their money to improve society. He doesn't believe in handing over the cash when you die to your children but rather spending it before you die on free libraries, parks, etc. to improve life for the common man. It was recommended reading from a book on History of Wall Street. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1986, with contractors stealing an estimated 10 percent of the total federal budget by fraud, Congress passed a newly strengthened anticorruption law. Ordinary citizens could file lawsuits on behalf of the government to recover money stolen from the public Treasury, and they would share in the result. In the years since, despite massive institutional resistance, the False Claims Act has emerged as one of the nation's most potent weapons against corporate greed. Giantkillers is the story of that law and what it has accomplished. Charged with intrigue and courtroom drama, Giantkillers describes in novelistic detail how an unlikely team - a conservative senator, a liberal congressman, and a crusading public interest attorney - revitalized a public interest law, enacted during the Civil War, that was gutted by lobbyists and almost forgotten. Giantkillers tells how the trail-blazing firm of Phillips and Cohen gave the law its teeth back and made triumphant heroes out of those previously scorned as "whistle-blowers." Providing an inside eye into the world of the whistleblowers, their adversaries, and their allies, this timely story weighs the lure of corporate greed and reckless power against the high cost of personal integrity. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An informative history of the "False Claims Act"
Giantkillers: The Team And The Law That Help Whistle-Blowers Recover America's Stolen Billions by freelance writer Henry Scammell is an informed and informative history of the "False Claims Act" from its legislative origins during the American Civil War as a way to halt the sale of lame horses and worthless gunpowder to the Union Army, down to the present day hallmarked by major corporate frauds on an Enron or Worldcom scale. Illustrative cases include a landmark Medicare fraud case against HCA (which resulted in a fine of 1.7 billion dollars being paid to the federal government); a fraud case against National Health Laboratories that led to the government recovering more than $800 million from the medical lab industry; a $59.5 million settlement by GE for scamming the Pentagon and Israeli air force; the Salomon Smith Barney banking scandals that collectively paid more than $200 million for illegally skimming huge profits from municipal bond deals; and more. Giantkillers is a highly recommended revelation of corporate greed, reckless power, and personal integrity.

Read about the samuri fraud fighters
Though Henry Scammell has chosen to illuminate the federal False Claims Act through the high-profile cases of a single law firm, we now have a growing False Claims Act bar reshaping corporate culture, and an ever-increasing number of states embracing state versions of the law. The result is that in boardrooms across the country there is a new realization that fraud against the government can be effectively prosecuted, and that triple damages may be exceed out of date cost of doing business assumptions based on the wrist-slap penalties that formerly pertained. Henry Scammell's eminently readable book makes clear that nailing the con artists depends on a rare breed of individual who is willing to risk career and peace of mind to see justice done. The journey is rarely easy, and never short. Scammell recounts whistleblowers that fought for years and risked marriages and bankruptcy to see their cases through. While some focus on the economic payoff at the end, Scammell pays attention to the terror of the ride - a ride that is often shared by law firms that invest hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of time building cases in which the government often shows only a passing interest -- at least in the beginning. Part history book, part psychological narrative, and part forensic fraud report, Giant Killers weaves a compelling tale about the personalities and travails of doing the right thing - and the ultimate payoff in the end.
This book is a good read and you should read it before John Grisham does a novel on one of the stories Scammell relates.

Good read and worth buying!
There are a lot of ways to judge a book, but the most important is whether it is a good read. This book is not only well written, it is entertaining, and it provides a glimmer of hope for those of us that despair over the scale of government waste. Government agencies are often embarrassed when ripped off, and are therefore slow to prosecute. What this book makes clear is that the secret to ferreting out fraud is to deputize citizens who are often better placed to understand the complexities of corporate scams than many government lawyers, and who are often highly motivated as well. The motivation is not always monetary. More often then not is a personal and righteous anger at being asked to lie about the quality and the price of the goods being produced at taxpayer expense. Just as a small match can extinguish a lot of darkness, so too can a single whistleblower extinguish a lot of fraud by changing the economics of lying and cheating. The system must work; last year False Claims Act settlements were up 75%, and it's been a while since I read an article about a $700 toilet seat. Haliburton better watch out!

Fascinating history of the "False Claims Act"
Henry Scammells latest offering is an interesting read from a couple of different perspectives. Students of history will enjoy reading about the emergence of the "False Claims Act." in the 1860's and how a handful of individuals recognized how it might become relevant again in the late twentieth century. This law, supported by President Abraham Lincoln and enacted by the Congress during the Civil War was designed to encourage citizens to "blow the whistle" on fraud. It had been quite effective in the mid to late nineteenth century but its provisions were hopelessly out of date and the law had essentially been dormant for fifty years. John Phillips, a talented and committed young lawyer who founded the Center for Law in the Public Interest became aware of the law in 1983 and immediately recognized its potential. Phillips knew that if the law was revised properly that it would have a major impact on public interest law. He found a pair of powerful allies in the Congress who helped shepherd through the needed changes to the law. They were strange bedfellows indeed. Chuck Grassley, the conservative Republican senator from Iowa and Howard Berman, a liberal Democratic congressman from California played key roles in getting the revised "False Claims Act" passed.
Most of the book, however, is devoted to the trials and tribulations of those courageous individuals who felt morally bound to stand up and risk everything to challenge practices and procedures they believed to be illegal and immoral. Those cited in this book came from a wide range of industries. Jim Alderson recognized fraud in the health care industry. Emil Stache found his company was shipping obviously defective products to the Defense Department. Michael Lissack decided that he could not in good conscience remain silent about the unchecked corruption he had become aware of on Wall Street. And there were others....many others. Scammell does a terrific job of revealing what it was like to be one of of these "whistleblowers". In future years, this book will prove to be an extremely valuable resource for anyone who finds themselves in this position.
After reading the book, I learned that nearly 60% of the suits filed under the "False Claims Act" were dismissed. If this is true I would agree that the author should have taken a bit of time discussing the reasons why. The author is obviously a huge proponent of this law. And a great many government employees are not happy with the "False Claims Act" and it's provision to allow individuals to sue contractors on the governments behalf. Too bad. Governmental inertia is a major reason why the law was resurrected in the first place. This is a book you will enjoy and learn from at the same time.

Hopelessly biased
This book reads like a "puff piece" for the qui tam lawyers at Phillips and Cohen, who were apparently among the chief sources of information for this book. Little is mentioned of the exhorbitant fees earned by these lawyers, who themselves lead the privileged life styles of the very "fat cats" they sue. At the same time, the book attempts to discredit the modestly compensated government employees who actually investigate these cases as indifferent, incompetent, anti-relator, or just plain mean. It is unfortunate that such an important topic as unmasking the fraud perpetrated on the government should be trivialized by this naked attempt at self-promotion. ... Read more

Book Description

Although sustainability efforts in business are still a work in progress, it is increasingly clear that key elements of a new generation of enterprises will be radically different from those of our contemporary modern industrial economy. The core distinctions between what currently exists and what is being created are communicated in this book through the compelling metaphor of Ants, Galileo, and Gandhi.

This collection, developed from The Natural Step’s c