The subject of this Dewey decade is moral philosophy, or ethics, and it is really popular at my little local library! There are discussions of business ethics, personal ethics, and specific virtues like honesty and courage. A lot of big names turn up in this section, right next to a lot of slim volumes of inspiration. I may have bitten off more than I can read, but here's what I came home with:
Rediscovering Values: A Moral Compass for the New Economy by Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners. My husband said this is the book I should read. I reminded him that he says Wallis always writes the same book. He retorted: "Yes, but have you read it?" Touche.
Learning from the Heart by Dan Gottlieb. He is a psychologist who used to write a charming advice column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He still has a popular radio program and, whether in print or on the air, comes across as a stand-up guy... despite the fact that he's a quadriplegic. He knows something about finding happiness and doing right when it seems like you don't have much to work with. So, granted, the title of the book is hokey, but sometimes hokey is just what you need.
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. I mean, Karen Armstrong? That former nun who talked back to Richard Dawkins via The Case for God? Yes, please-- which is to say, I like the idea of trying to read her, anyway. By the way... I don't know why there are 12 steps instead of nine (or none-- is compassion really that simple?). I don't think it has anything to do with AA. But that brings us to the book that I am actually reading...
Deliberate Acts of Kindness by Meredith Gould. I know, she's not a household name like the other three, but her book won because a) it's short and breezy and b) it can be used as a devotional. Oh-- and she's the one who tells you in the preface that the idea for this book came to her from a 12-step program.
So much moral philosophy! If you want to know how to be good, the library can help you!
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