Dan Ariely, behavioral economist and the "New York Times "bestselling author of "The Upside of Irrationality "and "Predictably Irrational," examines the contradictory forces that drive us to cheat and keep us honest.

"...Clear-eyed manifesto for re-centering our economics and politics on the idea of the common good. Robert B. Reich...demonstrates that a common good not only exists but in fact constitutes the very essence of any society or nation...We must weigh the moral obligations of citizenship and carefully consider how we as a country should relate to honor, shame, patriotism, truth, and the meaning of leadership...A fundamental statement about the purpose...

"In The Essential Writings of Machiavelli, Peter Constantine has assembled a comprehensive collection that shows the truth depth and breadth of a great Renaissance thinker. These new translations are faithful to Machiavelli's original writings." "The volume features essays that appear in English for the first time, such as "A Caution to the Medici" and "The Persecution of Africa." Also included are complete versions of the political treatise The Prince,...

One of the foremost examples of modern philosophy, Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince is notorious for the morality it expounds, often summarized by the phrase, "The end justifies the means." With The Prince, Machiavelli's intent was to provide practical advice for rulers and politicians, especially in regard to the unification of Italy. The Prince and Other Writings is an important book for those interested in history, politics, ethics, and human...

"This book collects some two dozen pieces from bestselling author Adam Hochschild, written over the past 25 years. All have been published before, most in the New York Review of Books but also in the New Yorker, Harper's, Mother Jones, and elsewhere. They are a mixture of essays about books, authors, one film, and the writing of history and on-the-ground journalism based on reporting from India, Africa, and elsewhere"--Provided by publisher.

"Finalist for the 2004 Lionel Gelber Prize" Michael Ignatieff, a writer, historian, and broadcaster, is Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. His books include Isaiah Berlin: A Life, Blood and Belonging, The Warrior's Honor, and The Needs of Strangers. His novel Scar Tissue was nominated for the Booker Prize, and his book The Russian Album, A Family Memoir won Canada's Governor General's Award and the Heinemann...

Describing the political effects of Original Sin, Professor Budziszewski shows how man's suppression of his knowledge of right and wrong corrupts his conscience and accelerates social collapse. The depraved conscience grasps at the illusion of "moral neutrality," the absurd notion that men live together without a shared understanding of how things are. After evaluating the political devices, including the American Constitution, by which men have tried...