Many ethicists advocate normative ethics training and organizational ethics mechanisms--like formalized ethical codes--as means for boosting the ethicality of decisions, yet behavioral ethics research suggests otherwise. Such research can explain, for example, why rewards for ethical behavior and ethics compliance systems may perversely increase the incidence and severity of unethical behavior. In their well-written, easily accessible text, Bazerman (Harvard Univ.) and Tenbrunsel (Univ. of Notre Dame) rely on well-known cases of ethical failure and prior research, often previously popularized psychological studies, to frame the emerging field of behavioral ethics. From this evidence, the authors argue that intentionality is not a defining characteristic of ethical versus unethical behavior. Emotion, rather than careful reasoning (the impatient "want self" rather than the reflective "should self"), drives many ethically tinged decisions. Cognitive limitations (e.g., "ethical fading," a form of adaptation) can blind people to the ethical implications of their decisions, and adding an economic component to a predominantly ethical decision will obscure the ethical nature of that decision. Typical of texts in an emerging field, this one is long on description and short on prescription; nonetheless, it serves as an excellent introduction to the discipline. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, professionals/practitioners, and general readers. M. R. Hyman New Mexico State University

The authors, experts in the emerging field of behavioral ethics, explore an aspect of human nature that most of us would rather not shine a light on: our tendency to overestimate our own ethical behavior and our corresponding failure to notice when we are behaving unethically. Touching on such essential notions as ethical fading (behaving differently from the way we think we would behave), discounting the future (ignoring potential consequences of our actions), in-group favoritism (which can manifest itself as racial discrimination), and motivated blindness (where we ignore unethical behavior when it suits us), the authors demonstrate that our lives are full of ethical decisions, and that we handle many of them badly. But have no fear: there are things we can do to put ourselves on the right track simple things like identifying our biases, being aware of the reasons for our decisions, and paying more attention to the impact of our actions. A smart and highly readable book.--Pitt, Davi. Copyright 2010 Booklist