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Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life
 
 
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Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life (Paperback)

by Sissela Bok (Author) "Is it not naive to set forth on a general exploration of lying and truth-telling?..." (more)
Key Phrases: crude utilitarian principle, deceptive studies, paternalistic deception, Deceptive Social Science Research, United States, President Johnson (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Frequently Bought Together

Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life + Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation + How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A thoughtful addition to the growing debate over public and private morality. Looks at lying and deception in law, family, medicine, government.

From the Inside Flap
A thoughtful addition to the growing debate over public and private morality. Looks at lying and deception in law, family, medicine, government.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; Updated edition (September 14, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0375705287
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375705281
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,471 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking arguments on moral erosion and lying, January 25, 1998
By Brian Pawlowski (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Little White Lies, June 21, 2000
By Christopher Cooper (Carrollton, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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_.

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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A seminal book that changed my life, May 12, 1998
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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good start
I found this analysis of lying and it's moral implications very interesting and inspiring. The field of morality and psychology of lies is rather unexplored, and this book can... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Girts Grisans

5.0 out of 5 stars An alternative suggestion
Dissecting Pinocchio: How to Detect Deception in Business, Life, and Love

I own this book and believe it is one of the best philosophical texts on interpersonal... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Christopher Dillingham

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly Written and Argued
This book could be a model of how to make ethical arguments more accessible to general readers. One of the better books I have read. Read more
Published 17 months ago by William B. Swift

4.0 out of 5 stars Applied Ethics
"Lying" is a thought-provoking exercise in applied ethics. The author, Sissela Bok, applies her razor-sharp intelligence to a variety of common deceptive practices, such as... Read more
Published on January 7, 2007 by Reader

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth, but not perhaps all the truth, about 'lying'
There are certain books whose subjects seem so important that when one comes across them one immediately takes interest in them. Read more
Published on May 5, 2006 by Shalom Freedman

4.0 out of 5 stars Sissela Bok's Lying -- Good Book
really enjoyed reading Bok's thoughts on lying--her explorations into why we lie, how we justify it, and if our justifications are valid. Read more
Published on October 17, 2005 by Jenn

5.0 out of 5 stars Lying - Or How To Be Honest
In "Lying," Sissela Bok analyzes the mechanics of deceit. She does a masterful job of analyzing the implications, motivations, justifications and rationalizations that precede or... Read more
Published on October 17, 2005 by Christian Karlsson

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
In Lying, Bok's examination of the lie is deep and, indeed, thought-provoking. I was very much impressed by her ability to study the art of lying from the perspectives of both... Read more
Published on October 16, 2005 by K Laney

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good book
I think one of the greatest parts of this book is that Bok did not just state her ideas and opinions on the issues being discussed. Read more
Published on October 16, 2005 by S. D. Goodson

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
I thought this book was very intriguing, to say the least. Throughout the book, Bok brings up different "lying" scenarios that force the reader to think what would be right and... Read more
Published on October 15, 2005 by Jordan Bartlett

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