A thoughtful addition to the growing debate over public and private morality. Looks at lying and deception in law, family, medicine, government.
Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life (Vintage)
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A thoughtful addition to the growing debate over public and private morality. Looks at lying and deception in law, family, medicine, government.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book thought provoking. Through references, contrasts, and scenarios, Sissela Bok challenges the reader to consider the effects of lying on the individual, relationships and society. The author systematically covers the spectrum of lies from "little white lies" to avoid an unwanted dinner invitation to the arguably moral lies required to survive in a totalitarian state - taking the reader step by step through a journey of increasingly complex moral questions. The book argues that lying, as it is often conducted in society, often lacks the moral basis of those few case where it can be justified.
33 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Can any lie be justifiable? Is it ok for a Doctor to lie to a patient, or is it ok for a person to lie - to get out of a date? These scenerios are examined in _Lying_. Bok examines the effects that lying has upon society and individuals.
It is rare to read a book, where the author is critical of society because of thier choice to allow and accept little white lies as normal behavior. After finishing this book, the reader can take this information and begin to think of ethical and moral problems in our society and why we accept certain actions.
Bok continued choice to tackle ethical issues is a noteworthy endeavor - especially when she writes quality work such as _Lying_.
31 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is about something we all do but rarely think about - lying. It is densely packed, hard to get through but well worth the effort. It changed the way I thought about lying and told lies, and therefore my life.
Even its structure of the discussion about lying around started me thinking in new ways about the topic. The analysis presented was organized and orderly on a topic that deals with much of human interaction.
This book is a must read - you will lie less after reading it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you Sissela Bok
On the subject of lying, this book is the best of the lot. The author tackles the hard questions like, what is lying, while many of the more erudite academic authors skirt that... Read more
Published 3 months ago by W. McConnell
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent exercise in intellectual thinking
This is a very thought-provoking book. The author pretty much dissects everything possible about lying, and does so in a thoroughly effective manner. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mark Twain
4.0 out of 5 stars
Survey of lies of commission - statements, not all deceptions
The lying she examines are lies of commission - actual statements. This is a part of deception, which is the more tractable slice she's undertaken to explore in rather exhaustive... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Roy Zider
5.0 out of 5 stars
kindle
I was very impressed with the condition of this book as well as the timeliness of it's arrival. I procrastinated on ordering the books necessary for my classes and was worried I... Read more
Published 8 months ago by kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Call 911. No matter where you look these days, there's an American political campaign with its pants on fire. Read more
Published 9 months ago by David R. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Required reading in 2011
Sissela Bok's "Lying" is even more relevant today than when it was first published in 1978.
Everyone has dealt with liars, and everyone has lied. Read more
Everyone has dealt with liars, and everyone has lied. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Anthony J. Frates
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine
Recieved book fast and in the same condition as promised. No problems. Everything went smooth and recieved exactly what I ordered.
Published 21 months ago by Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars
You will never think about lying in the same way again.
When the Swedish-born philosopher and ethicist Sissela Bok released her seminal work "Lying: Moral Choice In Public and Private Life" way back in 1978 Anthony Lewis of the New York... Read more
Published on May 5, 2011 by Paul Tognetti
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exactly as Promised
From the expected delivery time to the condition of the book, everything promised by this provider was carried out.
Published on August 18, 2009 by Christopher Matthews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Can lying be defined precisely enough
so that procedures can be put in place to reduce it, or at least keep it to a minimum?
Professor Sissela Bok thinks so. Read more
Professor Sissela Bok thinks so. Read more
Published on August 17, 2009 by James Street
