The Moral Compass [Paperback]

William J. Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 1996

Featuring performances by: William Bennett, Elayne Bennett, Stephen Collins, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Megan Gallagher, Charlton Heston, Simon Jones, Rita Moreno, Tonya Pinkins, Richard Thomas, and Betty White.
More than two million readers and listeners have used William Bennett's "The Book of Virtues" to help their families learn the essential traits of good character. Now his inspiring and instructive volume, "The Moral Compass, " offers more examples of good and bad, right and wrong, in great works from literature and in exemplary stories from history.
Organized by the stages along life's journey, "The Moral Compass" moves from the first character lessons taught in the home to the countless choices that call the virtues into play. The stories and poems continually serve as reference points on a moral compass, guiding the reader through the ethical and spiritual challenges along the pathway of life: leaving home, entering into marriage, easing the burdens of others, nurturing one's children, and fulfilling the obligations of citizenship and leadership.
Offering well-known examples from Western history and mythology along with tales and folklore from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, "The Moral Compass" is an indispensable guide for the family to meet the challenges of life at any age.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like Bennett's bestselling Book of Virtues, this volume gathers hundreds of stories, poems and essays that defend or illustrate virtue and family values. Quoting Flannery O'Connor, Bennett states the book's purpose: "You have to push as hard as the age that pushes against you." Compass, just as portly as its predecessor, is arranged by seven life stages and challenges: the child at home and at school; the adult in need of perseverance, compassion, family fidelity, community, responsibility and faith in God. Selections, ranging in length from just a few lines to over 15 pages, come mostly from times when masculine virtue was considered the norm and men took center stage. Most are from European or Western culture, but a not inconsiderable number are drawn from African, Asian and Latin American traditions.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this companion volume to The Book of Virtues (LJ 11/1/93), former Secretary of Education Bennett hopes to keep the needle of America's moral compass pointing always to the straight and narrow. Believing that learning to be virtuous is a lifelong journey, Bennett has provided a kind of moral travel guide and map through each territory?childhood, adolescence, adulthood?along the way. Selections range from Eudora Welty's touching story "A Worn Path" (childhood) to the Cinderella-like East European folk tale "The Twelve Months" (adolescence) to the overwrought tale of Monica, the mother of St. Augustine (adulthood). Bennett's certainty about the principles of right and wrong allow no room for the complexities inherent in the struggle to be virtuous. Even so, his books have been popular precisely because of this moral nostalgia and simplicity, so demand for this title is likely to be high.
-? Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Westerville P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 832 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 5, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684835789
• ISBN-13: 978-0684835785
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #843,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, December 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey (Hardcover)

My husband and I don't have any kids yet, but we bought this book to read to each other. It is wonderful! Some stories are touching, some are funny, some are quite clever, and all are moral. Every story is very interesting and yet somehow manages to secretly slip in a point about being good to yourself and others. This book is thick with lots of stories, but they're all very short. We both think this is one of the most entertaining books we have ever bought.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic Tried and True Values in Short Story Form!, July 9, 2000

By 

Bernadette A. Moyer (Lutherville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Moral Compass (Paperback)

Loved it! It is a wonderful book that brings the reader back to the basic tried and true values. I love William Bennett, he makes sense of this world and cuts to the core. You can not help but agree with him. The stories told offer insight into many of life's dilema's that may arise from joy, hurt, love, anger, and basically a sense of fair play. At any time there is something to be gained by each story told. It is very well written and attention grabbing. Worth the purchase!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I thought taht it was really wellwritten compared to others., November 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey (Volume I of an Audio Library of Stories For A Life's Journey) (Audio Cassette)

(If there is an age limit to this contest, then I am sorry!! I am 13 now) I was only 12 when I first started reading Mr. Bennet's books. I read the Book of Virtues before I read the Moral Compass. They were both wonderful books. I didn't under stand all of them, but then again, that is kind of good because then I could read them later on. Anyway, having read both of his books, I would have to say that he repeated morals over and over again in both of his books, but mainly in the second one. I know that there were different examples of the morals, but it still seemed kind of redundant. Other than that one small thing, I thought Mr. Bennet's books were outstanding and extremely well- written pieces of literature. Thank you very much for reading my review.