Customer Reviews

In Search of Ethics: Conversations with Men and Women of Character

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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.

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.

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

Based on our developmental experiences, we have adopted a set of values that guide our decision-making and actions. Interestingly, our actions and our espoused values are often out of sync -- it's as though we don't really believe that virtuous behavior is really the right way for us to achieve our goals.
This motivational and inspiring work offers compelling testimony that "success" in this life (as represented by: love, peace, justice, productivity, teamwork, contribution, etc) is best achieved through ethical conduct -- Good people, organizations, institutions, finish first.

Look at the table of contents. Interviews on ethics with whom? Great moral philosophers? Saints? Sages? Activists?

Nope. Interviews on ethics with the most amoral members of the most amoral institutions of our amoral country. Soldiers, politicians, judges, cops - and several CEOs. Yes, CEOs. I did laugh when I saw that one had been the CEO of Lockheed Martin. Yea, I think a guy who profits from making weapons and having wars started on his behalf, and hundreds of thousands of innocents killed, and millions of lives ruined, is really JUST the guy to talk about ethics. He's definitely the one to turn to to find the light.

Or wait, what about the soldiers? The General, West Point, all that? Well, if Lockheed Martin is a moral paragon, I guess the guys who actually DO the killing and use the weapons must be saints, too. Surely they have plenty to say on ethics.

There's also a judge (VERY ethical people, judges), a detective, and the coach of the Duke basketball team. You know, the guy who came out and defended Joe Paterno last month. A real ethical savant, that guy.

Here's a tip. If you want to read about ethics from actual ethical people, don't read this book. These are the very people and types of people and institutions that are responsible, directly and indirectly, for any collapse in our nation's prevailing ethical standards. These people should all be reading, not contributing to, a book like this.

I'm especially offended because ethics is the single most important subject in the world. It's everything. I'll suggest some actual Honest to God worthwhile ethical reading, then: first, try Jesus. There's no going wrong with Jesus, he said it, he meant it, he lived it, and it's all still really good advice. Most of the "ethicists" who wrote this book would have been the very people who'd kill a guy like Jesus. Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, the Stoics, are also good ethics teachers. You'll note I don't recommend Seneca, because he preached ethics while living unethically - he'd fit right in with the book I'm reviewing here, of course. Another great ethical writer, who lived an ethical life, was William James.

And then there's a book I think most people reading this would appreciate, the Boy Scout Handbook. My copy is from 1960 or so. It contains advice that is really wonderful. It's got a wonderful code. With a bit of modification (cross out the part about obeying all your nation's laws and all authority figures; add "to God and my Conscience" after "Obedience"), it's kind of a perfect book on ethics.

This, though, is a joke. I look forward to a book on leading a Christian life, featuring interviews with demons. Or a book on the wonders of vision featuring interviews with the blind.

The Other Kind of Smart: Simple Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence for Greater Personal Effectiveness and Success

Recently we have witnessed what appears to be a major meltdown of ethics and morality in North American society. It is very easy to become cynical and wonder if cases of fraud, corporate malfeasance, greed, corruption are signs of decay of society as we know it. During this time it takes courage and a belief in the ultimate goodness of human nature to write a book like this. Len Marrella seems to have a healthly dose of both and his book is sorely needed in these times. He brings to life for the reader, stories of men and women from a variety of walks of life that have managed to strive for higher ideals. Many of these individuals did not come from society's prviledged elite, which makes their stories even more compelling. The author offers a strong message of hope in the realization that there have always been and will continue to be men and women that will take the more difficult path and do the right thing, going far beyond their own self interest. As their stories are often not seen as sexy or newsworthy as those of the rogues and con artists in the world, their stories are often unknown and ignored. Thank you Len Marrella, for shining some light on these well deserving individuals and giving us a powerful message of hope in these difficult times.

Now in an updated second edition, In Search Of Ethics is an anthology of testimonials from businessmen and women who successfully balanced honor with the demands of earning a living, in an era when lying, cheating, and fraud seem to be at an all time high. Each interviewed subject was required to meet interviewer Len Marrella's stringent procedural process, and while they come from vastly diverse walks of life, each offers crucial insights to keeping one's balance amid greed and corruption. Chapters firmly address how to develop solutions to ethical problems, and means of instructing the next generation to keep to tenets of honesty and fairness. A philosophical yet valuable and much-needed resource in troubled modern times.

Now in an updated second edition, In Search Of Ethics is an anthology of testimonials from businessmen and women who successfully balanced honor with the demands of earning a living, in an era when lying, cheating, and fraud seem to be at an all time high. Each interviewed subject was required to meet interviewer Len Marrella's stringent procedural process, and while they come from vastly diverse walks of life, each offers crucial insights to keeping one's balance amid greed and corruption. Chapters firmly address how to develop solutions to ethical problems, and means of instructing the next generation to keep to tenets of honesty and fairness. A philosophical yet valuable and much-needed resource in troubled modern times.

It is obvious that our country is sorely in need of an "ethical time out." One doesn't have to look to far to see the scandals that are hitting out largest corporations, to see to what low levels our political campagins have stooped, and to view the politicized circus that the 9/11 Commission hearings have become. This book affirms one's belief that good people do exist in our society and they don't have to be famous to get our respect. We don't have to idolize movie, recording or sports stars -- nor direct our lives by theirs. There are sufficient heroes for our society to look up to -- and they are "us." Ethics and character are elements of a strong cultural backbone that our nation needs at this time more than it ever has. Reading this book can give you a perspective that you won't find on the front page of your daily newspaper or see on the evening news -- although that perspective should be there. Thanks for a great read!

Once upon a time, in the dark of night, a man lost a ring. A kindly woman went to help him find it. They sought the ring under a lamppost for a long time. Frustrated, the woman asked the man if he had, in fact, lost the ring under that lamppost. "Oh, no," said the man. "I lost it in that field over there." "Why aren't you looking there, then?" asked the exasperated woman. "Because there's no light there," responded the man. Len Marrella is, very clearly, a concerned citizen and a very decent man. But the book he's produced is disappointing and somewhat distressing. In conversations with a number of people, Mr. Marrella asks such questions as, "Would you march on Washington for a cause?" and "What makes you smile?" What he produces, finally, is a view of character which suggests that we are the architect of our character (5), that character is about deciding what's right and doing it (8), that the key lies in shared values (202), that conscience decides right from wrong (219), and that character "means having the courage of your convictions" (224). Along the way, Mr. Marrella tells exactly the wrong story about Peter Jennings (52); misunderstands a Shakespearean quotation (147); misspells the names of General Ridgway(181), of Heraclitus (190), of Francis Fukuyama (201), and of Kenneth Blanchard (201); confuses "tenet" with "tenant" (177); confuses "quote" with "quotation" (passim); isn't sure whether "ethics" and "media" are singular or plural; and doesn't know whether commas go inside or outside quotation marks. Much of this is a reflection upon the publisher, which ends the book by self-servingly appealing to readers to "call for a list of our authors/speakers/presenters/consultants." At least they did not say "editors." Mr. Marrella suggests that Army Values (173) can be used to solve numerous problems--his lamppost. But Army values were forced, as if by Procrustes, into the acronym LDRSHIP. The problem with the book is that there is so little concern with what lies in the "dark field" of objective morality, toward which, with Charles Colson's useful help, Mr. Marrella points (cf. pp. 228-229) but to which he never effectively goes (see, e.g., the encyclical "The Splendor of Truth," by Pope John Paul II). Conscience and character are NOT about doing what one THINKS is right; they are about doing what IS right. We do not self-appealingly DECIDE what is right; we DISCOVER what is right, by and through an informed conscience (Acts 24:16, Heb 13:18). Mr. Marrella offers repeated lists of bromides about morality; he seems not to understand that lists of core values or expressions of sentiment about doing good can be, and have been, used or abused by numerous tyrants. Communists and Nazis were, no doubt, sincere; and they had "shared values." It is all very well--and it IS important--to preach duty and honor and country, but it is not enough. For men and women of true character must ask the question of ends as well as of means. That Mr. Marrella would quote approvingly from Richard Rorty (75-76) indicates the confusion attending this very well-meaning but somewhat perplexed book. Ultimately character can and must be judged by the extent to which it conforms to just claims of Truth, and one's sense of worth comes from peace of soul (cf. Phil 4:7). This is a commendable effort by a very good man, but it fails because it's too breezy and too congested with undigested quotations. James Davison Hunter's book, "The Death of Character," is a key book about ethics and character unfortunately not even mentioned in Mr. Marrella's bibliography. Also very useful is Alfonso Gomez-Lobo's book "Morality and the Human Goods"; ch. 5 of Gomez-Lobo will prove very valuable to readers of Mr. Marrella's flawed, but still useful, volume.