Trust and Honesty

Reviews / Votes

Tamar Frankel sounds a warning that America's commitment to minimal standards of good faith in business dealing is being progressively eroded, with Enron and World Com being only the tip of a very large iceberg. Disturbingly this corruption has been tolerated or even justified by decision-makers and opinion formers. Frankel provides a diamond-clear analysis, drawing on a deep knowledge of law, business, ethics, philosophy, sociology, and economic theory. She has produced a compelling case for American business, law and economics to make an account of the soul and repent. * Dr. Joshua Getzler, Fellow and Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Oxford University * Tamar Frankel has written a brilliant analysis of the ethical deterioration of corporate America and sets forth a practical way of redirecting our misguided culture. This immensely readable book pulls no punches in calling for a mass movement towards an 'honest society which will reap the rewards of honesty.' * Arthur Levitt, Former Chairman, United States Securities and Exchange Commission * Tamar Frankel's book, Trust and Honesty: America's Culture at a Cross Road, is a provocative and broad-sweeping assessment of American culture, especially business culture. Weaving together press stories, observations, and research from economics, law, psychology, and sociology, Frankel draws a disturbing conclusion: Those in positions in trust are less trustworthy and our society is weakened by this trend. * Peter Tufano, Sylvan C. Coleman Professor of Financial Management, Harvard Business School * In this timely and thought-provoking book, Tamar Frankel points out the important role that social norms and attitudes play in good corporate governance. What makes a society dishonest, Frankel argues forcefully, is not merely fraud but a general acceptance of fraud; when market participants begin to assume that others will cut corners whenever they can get away with it, the trust needed for economic prosperity will be undermined. A well functioning corporate system, Frankel suggests, is not merely the presence of good legal rules but also general aspirations to honesty. The book makes the reader stop and think, and no one who reads it will fail to recognize the importance of the issues it raises. * Lucian Bebchuk, Harvard Law School * A valuable contemporary contribution to longstanding inquiry about the optimal mix of markets and oversight in economic life; Tamar Frankel offers fresh perspectives emphasizing the role of honesty in the analysis."-Lawrence A. Cunningham, Boston College Law School