The Cheating Culture

Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead

By: David Callahan

Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

In this provocative audiobook, author David Callahan examines the cheating epidemic, at work, in school, on the ballfield and everywhere else, that is the new American plague.

What would you do if your bank machine couldn't keep track of your account information? Callahan thinks most people would overdraw their accounts, like the 4,000 people who helped themselves to 15 million dollars from the Municipal Credit Union of New York following the September 11 terrorist attacks. America has become a nation of cheaters. Now more than ever, people are bending rules and breaking laws to get what they want.

From the Enron scandal to the dot-com collapses to the plagiarism that has rocked the publishing world, this remarkable book exposes the new culture of cheating while offering reasonable suggestions for righting the wrongs.

©2004 David Callahan (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The book's strength lies in tying together assorted detailed descriptions of cheating throughout the system and explaining the connections between disparate acts.... He offers straightforward, commonsensical solutions, including increased funding for federal enforcement agencies." (Publishers Weekly)
"Callahan took a broad approach, encompassing different professions, our government and legal system, the economy, popular culture, and people's values....Meticulously researched." (Booklist)

Fix the chapter starts!

While I had thought that the book and the voice over had been great the chapters do not start and stop along with the book.

Eye-Opening

Well-narrated book chock-full of examples of how cheating exists everywhere in our nation. It keeps your attention with various examples and makes its point that cheating is rampant. The book is light on solutions--but it only intends to shed light on a growing problem. This book makes you re-evaluate your definition of cheating, honesty and ethical behavior.

critical analysis

Not a mainstream read. This book was very good.

Thinking Required

By the author?s own admission, there is little statistical data on the cause of cheating in our culture. Nonetheless, he uses well-documented statistical analysis as well as anecdotal evidence to support his theories for the causes of cheating and for his recommended solutions.

His thorough examination covers a wide range of venues from families to businesses; from pre-school through graduate programs; from academics to politics. His indictments range from those in lower economic brackets who steal from their employers or cheat on their taxes to the recent spate of multi-million dollar corporate scandals. Whether rich or poor, male or female, liberal or conservative ? all are called to task.

The proposed solutions also require changes at all levels of society. Those who like simple solutions ? or who want to blame others without taking responsibility themselves ? will not like this book and will no doubt want to label it or the author dismissively. However, for open-minded people, the author suggests solutions that require both global changes to the inequalities in society as well as changes in how we view individual responsibility. He provides specific achievable steps that we can take to accomplish these goals.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the author?s proposals or the many causes he details for cheating, few will say that the problem doesn?t exist, or that it does not need to be addressed. Ultimately, the book is well-written, engaging and, if one is so inclined, it certainly inspires examination of one?s own circumstances, and how one views the subject.

Something has to be done

If you are convinced that power and money is not the most precious motivation of a human being then we have to act accordingly. This book is a great opportunity to think in what's the true motivation of us as social animals that we are

Not worth your time

This book does a very good job of maintaining an aura of sholarliness without sullying itself with any real research. The author has an obvious liberal axe to grind. Some of the problems he brings up are real, and worthy of serious consideration. Consideration the aouthor obviously has no desire of really exploring or solving.

Bad text, worse audio

The author has the most bizarre agenda in writing this book. Sadly, none of it is a thorough examination of what has happened to morals and ethics in this country.
Rather, the author is on a tear to go against anyone who believes in making money. Cheating isn't the problem to this author, wanting to make money is.
The author goes on and on about the inequities of salaries in this country, but talks little about actual cheating, stealing, etc.
Meanwhile, the narrator has such an over-the-top delivery that it is hard to take any of this seriously.
I was seriously looking forward to this book. But I gave up halfway through.

All Bush's Fault

Typical liberal drivel. Everything that is wrong is GW Bush's fault and taxes need to be raised so there will be a level playing field and no more cheating. Country needs big taxes on luxuary goods so we can achieve what the first luxuary taxes accomplished. Layoffs in those industries. Author looking for a craddle to grave society like Norway with beaucrats making the academically appropriate decisions for the people. Don't waste your time with this nonsense.