Integrity: Do You Have It? [Paperback]

In the last few months I have read and/or reviewed several books on ethics and integrity. I am not sure why there are so many books appearing, but it may have to do with the era just past, the Enron and WorldCom fiascos or possibly the current political environment. In either case Dennis Aubuchon has written a book that sets the definition standard for integrity: Integrity, Do You Have It? The book not only provides a definition of Integrity and how to spot it or the lack of it, it provides a guide to live with more Integrity. Note: While this is a second edition it is my first read.

The first chapters, Definitions, Integrity Characteristics and Types, guide the reader through what Integrity is and review of Integrity's concepts and characteristics. They provide a definition of Integrity that can be measured by everyone no matter the background or experiences. This is an important measure, as the author explains, each of us has our own definition of integrity based on our experiences and our values. We are presented various definitions from our families, business, educational systems, and the government.

Chapter 3, The Bible and Integrity, I found very interesting and enlightening. I have heard some of the verses quoted by speakers but never realized the statements had roots in the Bible. It was also interesting to see the King James Version compared to the Living Translation version of the Bible. If you are not the most religious person do not let this chapter turn you off to this book. The information provides insight where some of the accepted definitions of Integrity originate.

The balance of the book presents specific areas of Integrity:
Personal
Quality and Integrity
Job
Education
Political
Real Estate
Integrity in The Boy Scouts of America
Integrity in the News

The text had some ah-ha moments for me. The first is Chapter 8 Political Integrity. The author has provided information from The Ethics Manual of The U.S. House of Representatives. This provides a peek into how Integrity is managed at the Congressional level - information, as the author mentions, which is not readily available to the general public. In Chapter 9 is the Code of Ethics for Realtors. Some of this information is worth the purchase price of the book

The second ah-ha moment is Chapter 10, Integrity in the Boy Scouts of America. The book reminded me of something one of my mentors always said, " If you live by the Boy Scout Oath and Law you will live a great life". The author does a great job of presenting the Oath and Law with explanation of each characteristic plus some history and data about the organization.

I highly recommend this book, not only for the reasons mentioned above, but also because throughout the text and in the Appendix the author provides websites and resources for background information and additional information. I see this book as a start to the real-world understanding of Integrity. It is up to those who choose to digest this book to go forth and apply the standard.

Reviewed by William E. Cooper for Reader Views (1/07)

Integrity. We live in a world where integrity has often become situational. We don't always agree what it is or when it applies. Many people simply have never been taught its value or applications. The pace of today's world too frequently does not allow many people or organizations the time or ability to consider the ethical implications of decisions or actions. Unless one is grounded in integrity and practices it as a rule, the consequences of taking the "easier" option in the long run may become significant.

As a retired police chief it was my responsibility to insure the integrity of everyone and everything in my department. The public entrusted us with considerable power, and the criticality of maintaining the highest standards was the rule of the day. Absolute, unquestioned integrity must come from the top and be set through example and actions. In addition, the leader of the organization must have the courage to act when ethics violations occur. So it is in an organization, and in any person.

We are constantly barraged by ethics problems in the daily media, yet the majority of organizations and people are honest and truthful. It is our responsibility to teach it and conduct ourselves accordingly. Mr. AuBuchon has written a truly good book on the subject, and I encourage everyone to buy this book and read it. He provides an excellent journey through the subject and adds cases, examples, policies, and directives, as well as references to the law. I believe this book should be part of every home, business, library, and educational institution. It is too important to ignore or let get away from us. Any discussion of religion, politics, government, or education must have as its basis integrity and ethics. The author provides his readers with definitions of ethics, applicability to each of the parts above.

I've taught ethics in the police academy and in graduate school courses. I've written on the topic and have found that many of the ideas and beliefs I teach are discussed and promoted in this book. I have to provide a high recommendation for "Integrity: Do You Have It?" because it deserves it.

Received book free of charge.

Bravo and thank you Dennis for taking a fresh and in depth look at a timeless principle - integrity! Dennis reminds us that integrity is inarguable, self-evident and a natural law if you will. This book is so keenly aligned with our natural instincts to seek out those that demonstrate integrity as our most admired models. In Stephen Covey's newest release "The 8th Habit", he cautions that 90% of all leadership failures are character failures. Truly an integrity yardstick that I have already used to make my daily interactions more effective. Bob Huggins needs to take a look at this one!!!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  5.0 out of 5 stars