The Ten Commandments of Character: Essential Advice for Living an Honorable, Ethical, Honest Life

By Joseph Telushkin

Book Overview

Here is a wealth of astute and warmhearted counsel on many of life's most difficult ethical dilemmas. Joseph Telushkin outlines his ten commandments of character, explaining why each one is so vital, and then addresses perplexing issues that can and often do crop up in our lives relating to family, friends, work, community, medical ethics, and money, such as: * How honest should you be when you are asked to give a reference? * How much assistance should you give your son with his college application essay? * Is it wrong to receive a kidney from an executed prisoner in China? * What should you do if your father begs you to end his life rather than allow him to descend into the hell of Alzheimer's? * Should a brother give up part of his inheritance if his sister has children and considerable expenses and he doesn't? * Should a dying woman reveal to her husband that their son is not really his? Many of us are finding it increasingly hard to tread the fine line between right and wrong. In The Ten Commandments of Character , Telushkin faces these issues squarely and shows us how to live a life of true integrity. "At a time when so many people are looking for moral guidance, we are lucky to have Joseph Telushkin as our guide and teacher. I am thoroughly impressed by his wisdom and good sense."--Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609809865
• ISBN13: 9780609809860
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Harmony/Rodale/Convergent
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding . This Rabbi Never Disappoints

If you have read any of Rabbi Telushkin's work, you can understand when I say that once you start reading this one, it will be next to impossible to put it down

A List to Live By

Loved this book. I printed up the list and put it on the wall in my kitchen. I refer to it every day when deciding how to handle challenging situations. This book made me realize, in part, how much work I needed to do on myself and why some persistent traits of my ex-husband bothered me so much. Worth reading.

Compassionate Ethical Advice

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin is a noted and scholarly Orthodox Jewish rabbi, but this is a book that will appeal to anyone, Jewish or otherwise (even agnostic or atheist) who wishes to live an ethical life. The book is built around a collection of Q & A's on moral dilemmas collected from a column Rabbi Telushkin wrote on Beliefnet.com. Many of his correspondents are not Jewish and although he draws on Jewish sources like the Talmud, his answers to questions ranging from "If my neighbor is a terrible person, is it okay to steal his paper on a morning when mine was stolen?" to "Should I agree to my father's request to kill him if he develops Alzheimer's"? Rabbi Telushkin gives even the most basic questions a lucid and well reasoned answer. The reading and writing level is not difficult and would be completely understandable for a high school level reader. He wrestles openly with difficult questions and when he doesn't know, he says so. If he later changed his mind or added additional reasoning based on reader response, he acknowledges it. NO matter what, he is compassionate and caring to the people who write to him. A fast but very worthwhile read, I recommend it.

well done and interesting . . .

but I've liked some of his other books better. Perhaps because Telushkin is more focused on borderline cases on this book (the sort of problems that hopefully will trouble most readers once in a lifetime or better yet never), I found this less moving and less useful than his "Words That Hurt, Words That Heal" or his "Book of Jewish Values." But if you have a few hours on your hands you could do much worse.

Provocative and thought-provoking exploration of ethics.

Joseph Telushkin, in his latest book, "The Ten Commandments of Character," explores a variety of ethical dilemmas that make life challenging for people who worry about doing "the right thing" whenever possible. Most of the book is written in a question and answer format, and it includes material that was previously published in Telushkin's ethical advice column found on the Web site, Beliefnet.com. Telushkin begins by outlining what he calls the "ten commandments of character," and he then devotes the eight chapters of his book to ethical questions that relate to family, children, friends, work, money, medical ethics, everyday dilemmas, and community.It is a pleasure to read Telushkin's clear, straightforward, and always entertaining prose. He tackles a wide variety of questions that vary in importance from "Should I assist my child in writing his or her college essay?" to "Should I promise my father that I will help him commit suicide if he develops Alzheimer's Disease?" Telushkin is never flippant when he discusses grave matters. He is caring, compassionate, and at times, ruthlessly honest. Although I do not agree with all of Telushkin's advice, I find his ideas to be lucid and thoughtful. Telushkin is a rabbi, but this book is not geared specifically to Jewish readers. Many of the writers seeking advice are not Jewish, and Telushkin has the courage to admit that he holds some personal beliefs that are not strictly in line with Orthodox Jewish doctrine. "The Ten Commandments of Character" is a practical book that ecourages people to examine their actions a bit more critically. Telushkin urges the reader to make ethical decisions based on an honest assessment of the right and wrong of the situation, rather than settling for a convenient rationalization. Admittedly, there are no absolutes in questions of morality and ethics, nor does the author claim omniscience or a special pipeline to God. However, Telushkin performs an important service by making us think about such diverse questions as, "Is stem cell research ethical?" and "Is it ever morally right to declare bankruptcy?" If Telushkin's book makes at least a few readers behave with more honesty, self-control, compassion, and fairness, then he will have accomplished a great deal.