In Rediscovering American Values, Dick DeVos, a popular public speaker, celebrates the principles that make America great and that shape who we are, how we live, and how we treat each other. Through real-life examples, he offers lessons on how each of us can apply these values in everything we do. Ideals such as honesty, fairness, humility, initiative, service, compassion, and leadership are, he argues, not just a matter of preference but essential to both personal and collective freedom. DeVos relates inspiring stories of how Americans have applied these principles to their lives and dispels the notion that once admired standards have completely disappeared from our society. DeVos also draws on his own personal and business experiences and those of his father, Rich DeVos, the co-founder of Amway, a company that embodies the rewards of hard work and integrity that are part of the pantheon of American values. These same values were reflected in Rich DeVos's Dutton bestseller Compassionate Capitalism, which has sold over 200,000 copies.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
The point of having values by which you lead your life, DeVos says, is freedom--the freedom to do what you want and also, necessarily, he insists, the freedom to do the right thing. He identifies three sets of eight values that he maintains are essential to--in the words of the section titles--"Upholding Freedom," "Becoming Free," and "Preserving Freedom." All 24 values he discusses are personal in nature; that is, although most are social in their intentions (e.g., reliability, fairness, stewardship, charity, etc.), individual persons, not groups or institutions, must practice them for them to have any effect. Each of the 24 chapters is so directly worded and employs so many real-life stories to illustrate the particular value in action that they bespeak a probable origin in DeVos' public speeches and make the book preeminently readable. Meanwhile, DeVos' assertion of the Christianity he feels undergirds all these values will comfort many readers but, because he never proselytizes or preaches, not put off others who mistrust Christianity. Excellent popular moral teaching. Ray Olson
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
A successful executive's principled, persuasive pitch for the notion that freedom is anchored in cardinal virtues of the sort that helped make the US a leader among nations. The president of Amway Corp. (a closely held Michigan-based multinational whose annual revenues top $6 billion), DeVos gets down to business immediately, defining liberty as the ability to do what one wants, so long as it's the right thing to do. Dividing his anecdotal text into three parts, he first cites such values as compassion, fairness, honesty, humility, moral courage, self- discipline, and thoughtfulness as laudable means to the desirable end of upholding freedom. In a second section addressing self- reliance, or the frequently difficult job of becoming free, the author commends complementary qualities, in particular, accountability, commitment, cooperation, initiative, perseverance, and stewardship. For his concluding chapters on preserving freedom, he considers broader-gauge attributes, including brotherhood, charity, education, forgiveness, leadership, and service. An unabashed supporter of Judeo-Christian ethics and the golden rule, DeVos is at pains to ensure that readers do not confuse his concept of liberty with license. In his book, freedom involves real responsibilities to one's family, community, country, and fellow human beings. Nor does he engage in extended tirades against government, noting only that ``human dignity is better preserved when we restrain ourselves rather than when we have restraints imposed upon us by laws and law enforcement agencies.'' By no coincidence, moreover, the vignettes he employs to illustrate his points attest to the efficacy of individual and grass-roots action. Perhaps best of all, the author manages the near-impossible task of extolling rectitude without lapsing into self-righteousness. A down-to-earth paean to simple goodness (with a foreword by former president Gerald R. Ford). -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be required reading!,
By Darryl Liston (dliston@metroffice.com) (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rediscovering American Values: The Foundations of our Freedom for the 21st Century (Hardcover)
DeVos inspires us to take charge of our lives, to live it to the fullest. Outlines principals and values we all should be living by. If we all did, this world would be a better place to live and work.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
How Does One Achieve Freedom?,
By
This review is from: Rediscovering American Values: The Foundations of our Freedom for the 21st Century (Paperback)
Rediscovering American Values, written by Amway President Richard DeVos, is a book about freedom and the steps necessary to make freedom reality. Many books have been written about this subject, but this one takes a slightly different approach than others; combining the ideals of moral values and character building with the notion of freedom.
DeVos believes that strong character and a strong moral foundation are essential for anyone to be truly free and he emphasizes this belief on most every page of this book. Starting with honesty, integrity, fairness, etc., DeVos lays down the building blocks that he feels are most essential for humans to achieve freedom. In DeVos' mind, freedom isn't achieved until one strives to behave according to a strong moral code that includes basic ethics and decency. In his view, one will not be truly free until these building blocks are in place. And even then, the path toward freedom will not be complete until one learns to encourage freedom in others through forgiveness, compassion, service to mankind, etc. This book offers some good, common sense advice on old- fashioned moral values and most people would certainly agree that traits like honesty, humility, compassion, and stewardship are desirable qualities for all people to possess. But I do have some problems with the approach this book takes on the freedom issue, as well as its overall message. I can agree that most of the foundations laid out are important for achieving individual freedom, but I don't agree with some of DeVos's assertions about freedom in general. He uses a few too many extremes when he writes, leading the reader to believe that freedom absolutely cannot be achieved unless each and every one of the traits he mentions are firmly in place and routinely practiced. I know many people, for example, who have achieved freedom and yet are not all that humble or all that inclined toward stewardship. I also do not necessarily agree with the general direction of this book. DeVos refers to religion constantly as he writes and he seems to believe that religion is a necessary prelude to freedom. I know many people who would strongly disagree with this assertion. Not only would some disagree, they would also make some very convincing counter- arguments that religion diminishes freedom rather than enhances it. DeVos likes to offer examples to illustrate his points and there are countless stories in this book about people DeVos has known through the years who have lived their lives according to the principles mentioned and have something to share that seems to back the author's line of reasoning. These examples are sometimes helpful, but other times, they are a little too distracting. The problem is that there are a few too many of them, and they often get in the way of a sound discussion on the topic at hand. It almost seems like DeVos was running out of gas in a few instances; unable to offer any more personal anecdotes for his thoughts and thus inclined to offer a story about someone else instead, as a substitute for intellectual discussion. When I think about this book, its message, and its style, one common thought keeps going through my mind: If an average Joe or Jane had written a book like this, it most certainly would have never been published. The reason I feel this way is because this book, while certainly sensible overall and chock full of good ideas, isn't very original or intellectual. It doesn't really offer anything new and what it talks about has been stated in far more convincing ways by other authors. These facts convince me that the only reason this book ever went to press is because of the person who wrote it. And I find this very ironic, considering that part of the book's theme is the ideals of freedom. I guess the freedom to get a book deal is enhanced exponentially when your father is a rich and famous businessman. Overall, Rediscovering American Values is a book that earns an average grade, making it good enough to recommend reading if nothing else is available. What the book discusses is generally good and its emphasis on certain character traits will likely lead to becoming a better person overall, even though what it talks about has been said a thousand times before and often in a more convincing way.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Must Read" for ALL Americans...Great High School Hx Text,
By burbacher@juno.com (California, Napa Valley) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rediscovering American Values: The Foundations of our Freedom for the 21st Century (Hardcover)
I was pleased that the book was NOT another GREAT AMWAY oracle. Practical applications outlining true leadership qualities we all should aspire towards. Coming from the "Business Community" a real breath of fresh air!
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