In Search of Ethics: Conversations with Men and Women of Character [Hardcover]

Len Marrella (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2001

American society seems to be in a constant state of recovery from a series of attacks on our social and economic morals and ethics. From the never-ending embarassment of the Clinton sex scandals to the fall of such personalities as Martha Stewart, it seems that there is a new character challenge every day. Pick up a newspaper or listen to the evening news and you'll find something to stimulate discussion at the dinner table or around the boardroom table. This stimulating and inspirational book points out the quicksand that we all walk upon daily and illustrates his message with interviews and commentaries with some fascinating people who had to look moral and ethical challenges in the face and decide for themselves how they were going to handle their own "Ethics Gate." Added to this edition are interviews with Charles Krulak, Vice Chairman of MBNA America Bank and Nancy Olivieri, MD, a Canadian physician who refused to turn a deaf ear on life-threatening drug testing on children and stood up for morality.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a remarkable book. It plumbs the depths of the human mind and soul..." -- Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, Author of the best seller, When Bad Things Happen to Good People

About the Author

Len Marrella is a decorated military leader, who graduated from West Point, served in Vietnam, and who held high-ranking positions in NATO. He ran a multi-billion dollar operation for International Paper and today is financial planner. He hosts a weekly radio program and head the Center for Leadership and Ethics. Len is a much-sought-after speaker and workshop leader. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 455 pages
• Publisher: Dc Pr; First Edition edition (April 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970844409
• ISBN-13: 978-0970844408
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,838,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shot in the Arm, May 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: In Search of Ethics: Conversations with Men and Women of Character (Hardcover)

Prior to purchasing In Search of Ethics I read the reviews that appear on the Amazon.com site. I thought it interesting that one review was extremely negative and written with a critical tone of superiority and what also "appeared" to be contempt, yet ended with the phrase that it was "flawed, but still useful." That prompted me to wonder almost more about the reviewer than the book -- but I was able to snap myself back to reality. I've now finished the book (obviously an edition that lacked some of the physical flaws the reviewer had pointed out). My reaction is simple: why don't more people read this highly positive, encouraging, and respectfully written book? The people Len Marrella selected to be interviewed are an interesting mix of personalities (only some of whom I had heard of before reading the book). Their stories and comments did make me pause and think. It is obvious that Mr. Marrella isn't writing for think tank types -- but he is obviously writing for the educated ordinary person. Whether a parent, educator, manager, minister or rabbi, military leader, or coach, In Search of Ethics is a great read. I've heard that some high school ethics classes are using this book -- and to me that makes sense. A friend mentioned that she had seen it being used at a major corportion for which she consults. And a recent History Channel special on West Point featured the book (which is mandatory reading for incoming cadets). The fact that basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke Blue Devils) -- one of the busiest people in sports -- felt comfortable enough to sit down with the author and give him an interview is a testament to Mr. Marrella's dedication to issues of character and ethics. Overall, while not a tome by Diogenes or some redefinition of "ethics" by the likes of Bill Clinton, In Search of Ethics is a book for our time. It is worthy of your time. It might even give you a shot in the arm (an affirming boost) and encourage you to keep living the ethical life you've no doubt already been leading.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, June 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: In Search of Ethics: Conversations with Men and Women of Character (Hardcover)

Thank you so much to the author of this book. It's easy to read, fascinating, and so needed. Success does go hand in hand with high ethical standards (even if it doesn't always seem that way). And that doesn't just mean "playing by the rules"; that means living up to our own values and personal standards. I found myself re-reading sections and writing down quotes to share with others. I've also found myself being a better person as my actions are motivated by that higher standard. The stories shared and the "how-to" information about how we can each make a difference was wonderful. This is one of the very few books I would recommend to virtually everyone I know.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The search needs a beacon...this is a bright one!, February 22, 2010

By 

Jim Bouchard "Jim Bouchard" (Brunswick, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Search of Ethics: Conversations With Men and Women of Character (Paperback)

If you're looking for some pedantic treatment of the complex field of ethics, as at least one reviewer seemed to be, this is not your book.

Len Marrella shares a window on the minds and hearts of some interesting and highly ethical people. He poses the questions that many of us would find important had we each had the opportunity to meet some of these fascinating people.

What I most appreciated about this book is that Marrella is not preaching at us. He obviously injects his personal values as part of his commentary, but he also presents a fairly wide range of thinking by introducing us to people from various social, political and to a degree, ethical backgrounds. His own acknowledgement of his reverence for the Code of Honor he learned and later exemplified as a leader at West Point, his involvement with the Institute for Global Ethics and his vast experience in applied ethics through his experiences in business give us insight into his personal viewpoint, but I did not feel as if he was imposing this viewpoint on the reader. He offered it as a gift to be accepted or not.

Having said that, Marrella is obviously not an ethical relativist. While allowing plenty of room for constructive dissent, there is a strong through-line here: Integrity. Without debating the academic subtleties of formal ethical study, he gives us some room to listen to people he identifies as people of high ethical character and allows us to find where and if their lives offer some useful place in our own.

The research and caring involved in this project is impressive to say the least; again without going off on a pedogogic rant. He's giving us a slice of life view of some people you'll recognize, and others you won't. It's too easy these days to go to the celebrities and elevate them to guru status. Marrella introduces us to some people who dedicated their lives to working in obscurity and others who kept their humility despite incredible fame and good fortune.

Marrella provides a sound introduction to some basic ethical principles, but again this is not neccessarily for the scholar but to make sure anyone struggling to understand and apply ethics in real life will have a solid foundation that makes his interviews even more accessible.

When you get right down to it, ethics is not about academia. It's about how everyday people decide what is right and what is wrong, how they make decisions and how they live with the consequences.

Len Marrella introduces us to some remarkable companions in our search for living an ethical life!

Jim Bouchard
Author of THINK Like a BLACK BELT