Character is Destiny: the Value of Personal Ethics in Everyday Life Paperback – February 11, 2020

I bought and read this book months ago-it made an immediate impact and revealed some self-conflict. I just pulled it off my office shelf for a re-read. This book strikes at the heart of whether or not there is "right" and "wrong" in human relations, regardless of ones religious views. Almost 28 years of military service in leadership positions has utterly convinced me that there are undeniable "laws" at work in human relations-principles or laws, such as "being polite", "being neat", "being honest", "being helpful"... at work with undeniable consequences, whether or not we believe they are. We don't really break these "natural laws," we break ourselves against them and suffer consequences, sooner or later, directly or indirectly. Gough presents this very personal ethics issue in a simple, direct way that can be very helpful in developing your character and leadership! It should be included in every LEADER's kitbag!

This book was recommended by my college professor, as a good read for accounting professionals, and those searching for business acumen.

This book cuts to the heart! I was challenged and encouraged at the same time. The book is well written; simple, yet poignant. Gough proves that to be a person of character takes a lot of hard work every day. His example of the seatbelt was etched in my mind. Thank you for such an important book.

What a delightful book and how simply but powerfully it gets its message across. The subject of ethics is one of the most interesting of all - and Russell Gough gets you interested in making yourself better by showing you how to build your character. The search for what makes people successful and happy all seems to come back to one thing: our characters. As he says in this book, "life rewards those who are ethical."Here's a question for all people who claim to be ethical or who claim to operate ethical businesses: Have you ever read ONE book on the subject of ethics?! If not, begin with this book. I have placed an order for 700 copies. It will be placed on our company's 'must-read' list.Thank you for writing this book. You have helped make the world a better place.

Character is Destiny covers many elements of character and personal morality. Gough provides an outstanding depiction of the differences between character and personality and their respective values, and includes many insightful reflections on life and ethics.Gough references many philosophers to outline his chapters; each chapter being an idea or concept from past thinkers. As a result, there is little original or new content as the chapters merely summarize known ideas. Gough's ability to summarize these topics is admirable yet lacking.Gough speaks of the difficulty Emerson had in pushing students to desire to develop good character as oppose to merely learn of it; pointing out that Emerson never offered any practical process. I found it ironic considering that Gouhh's book illustrates the importance of good character, examples of good character, benefits of good character, yet does not provide practical means of developing good character.Gough is a talented and interesting writer, and if the book contained more originality to its content, I would rate it better. Those who are not familiar with many of the great thinkers of the past will find value in this book; however, if you are seeking the means of instilling good character or a new philosophical view, this book will not be worth your while.

I was browsing around for philosophical treatments of the difficult concept of personal charachter. I found this book and from the reviews I thought this might be a good place to start. I found however that it wasn't. It isn't often that I buy a book and then literally throw it away 2 hours later, but this is what I did in this case.Perhaps it is unfair to rate or judge this book based on its philosophical merits, but I feel that the books claims to be a philosohical one (the author is a professor of philosophy). As such it was a fantastic dissapointment.In one of the reviews, the reviever noted, "this is a well-written book that should be put in the hands of every serious-minded teenager, but adults--and those already familiar with philosophy--may want to sit at the feet of a more demanding tutor". I would like to say that the last sentence here is a nice way of saying that anyone over 12 is not likely to find anything useful in this book as far as a deeper understanding of character is concerned.The disposition of the book is as follows: each chapter is begun by a classic quote (Aristotle, Aquinas) and then the author goes on to describe some personal anecdote of his loosly related to this quoate; how some student once said something to him which he felt was... and so on. There are no attempts to break down an analyze the concept of character, what it is made up of, how the concept can be critized etc. The basic message of the book is more in line with "I think character is important, I have met many nice people with good character. Society is bad because of lack of character".I'm not good at writing reviews but amazon asked me, and since this was one case where I was thoroughly dissapointed, I felt I should at least write something.Conclusion: if you are interested in a philosophical treatment of the concept of character, this is NOT the book for you.

This short book takes a good look at the value of trying to be good. It's a subject that doesn't lend itself well to easy reading, but Gough has been able to write a book worth reading that is also enjoyable to read. I felt enriched when I was done with the book. Enriched, lifted up, and I find it easier to be my best self. I'm the author of Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on what works. This book works. It causes a positive and lasting effect in the reader.

Read and Act on the Truths shared in this book, whether young or old. Your Destiny depends upon it.