Poor Richard's Principle

Amazon.com Review The danger is that the message of this book will dissolve into the vague ambiguity of the debate on values. The message is this: most of us are good people with strong values but fail to consider these values in our economic decisions. For instance, by going into debt to purchase a nicer car than we really need, we ace ourselves out of time and money that could be spent on the things that are most valuable to us, such as family, friends, and community. We work harder to attain comfort, stability, and a high lifestyle, forgetting that love, companionship, and fulfillment cannot be purchased. Ben Franklin was notable for his self-examination, the most valuable value of all. His Poor Richard said, "Think what you do when you run into debt; You give to another, Power over your Liberty." From Publishers Weekly Readers of this heavy tome could be forgiven for echoing H.L. Mencken's classic riposte: "Down With Uplift." Wuthnow has paraded an extensive series of case histories chronicling all the strains of our times?family breakdown, disaffected children, financial insecurity, unhappiness in the workplace and much more. The author's credentials are impressive: director of the study of American religion at Princeton university. However, the bromides he offers to address these problems are a vague mixture of spiritualism and moral regeneration. Wuthnow has drawn heavily on the thoughts of Benjamin Franklin, including a portion of the title from his most famous work. Which is ironic for a work on morality, as Franklin was a well-known reprobate in his day. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.