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The Moral Compass

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For the standalone "moral compass" term, see Morality.
The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey
EditorWilliam Bennett
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMorality
GenreAnthology
PublisherSimon & Schuster
Publication date
October 20, 1995[1]
Publication placeUnited States
Pages824[2]
ISBN0-684-80313-5

The Moral Compass (subtitled A Companion to The Book of Virtues and Stories for a Life's Journey) is a 1995 anthology edited by William Bennett. A follow-up to the 1993 collection The Book of Virtues, it consists of seven chapters devoted to different stages of life, with passages from Western civilization and various other cultures. As with its predecessor, the collection consists largely of public-domain material, features texts of escalating complexity in each chapter, and gives each individual selection a short introductory note by compiler Bennett.

Though Bennett intended the original Virtues as a one-off title, audience demand and feedback encouraged him by early 1994 to develop successor installments. Follow-up Compass was part of those efforts, and was published by Simon & Schuster the following October to mainly positive reviews; 730,000 copies were issued and 550,000 sold during its first year. It was also accompanied in 1995 by two children's spin-offs in print, along with the PBS animated series Adventures from the Book of Virtues in 1996.

Overview

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Following the model of 1993's The Book of Virtues, The Moral Compass consists of seven chapters, each pertaining to a different stage of life: "Home and Hearth", "Into the World", "Standing Fast", "Easing the Path", "Mothers and Fathers, Husbands and Wives", "Citizenship and Leadership", and "What We Live By".[3] This chapter scheme was devised by Bob Asahina, Simon & Schuster's vice president and senior editor.[4] As before, the collection draws predominantly from public-domain sources,[5][6] with the simple texts beginning each chapter giving way to more complex ones;[7][8] compiler William Bennett gives a short introductory note to each passage.[3][9]

Compass features selections from Thornton W. Burgess,[5] Alexis de Tocqueville,[3] Emily Dickinson,[2] Thomas Jefferson,[3] Edward Lear, Theodore Roosevelt,[10] Sojourner Truth,[5] Alfred Lord Tennyson,[10] Mother Teresa,[5] Mark Twain[3], and Eudora Welty[7] among others, with return appearances by Charles Dickens,[5][11] Leo Tolstoy[10][12] and Oscar Wilde.[3][12] Biographical stories about Ludwig van Beethoven, John Milton, Florence Nightingale, and Jackie Robinson are also included,[13] along with the legend of Pocahontas and John Smith.[5] According to Publishers Weekly, the passages "come mostly from times when masculine virtue was considered the norm and men took center stage. Most are from European or Western culture, but a not inconsiderable number are drawn from African, Asian and Latin American traditions."[14]

Development

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"In this age of sequels, another compilation of stories by American's self-appointed Virtues Czar is simply good economic sense."

Bob Hoover, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[15]

Simon & Schuster published The Book of Virtues in November 1993[16] to word of mouth and unexpected success.[17][18] Complier Bennett was a former Secretary of Education for the United States and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.[17] He initially ruled out a follow-up to the collection, "but was swayed by readers who urged him to do so and even sent in their own nominations."[4] This led to preparations for print and multimedia successors from March through September 1994,[19][20][21][22] with the print installments modeled after their 1993 precursor.[3][23][24] As Bennett joked to the Newsweek team, "Maybe I'll call [the sequel] 'Son of the Book of Virtues'."[21] John Cribb, a friend of his and a former speech writer for the Education Department, returned as assistant compiler.[3][25] The follow-up's official title, The Moral Compass, was revealed in a May 1995 Los Angeles Times story.[26]

Release

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The Moral Compass was published on October 20, 1995,[1] and debuted in 15th place on The New York Times Best Seller List (Nonfiction) for November 5.[27] Out of the 730,000 copies in its first printing,[4] 550,000 were sold in its first year of publication.[28] It was released alongside two companion titles for young audiences, The Book of Virtues for Young People[2] and The Children's Book of Virtues,[23] and the 1996 PBS animated series Adventures from the Book of Virtues.[29]

Reception

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Response to The Moral Compass was slightly more positive than its forebear, albeit with a few reservations.[a] Kirkus called it "a colorful patchwork of pieces that are irresistible for bedtime reading aloud",[1] while Steve Lee of Arizona's The Daily Courier recommended it.[13] The Lexington Herald-Leader's Robert Kaiser called it a "reassuring read" and a "memorable journey" that was "even more delightful" than the original Virtues; he singled out "Distance", a short story by Raymond Carver, as the highlight of this volume. "Don't cheat yourself out of this literary treat," he added, "because of its somewhat sanctimonious title or the prominence of Bennett's name on the jacket."[10]

Melinda Miller of The Buffalo News called the book "a steady companion" for casual readers and parents alike, and took note of the Christian overtones, but warned of the dated nature and simplistic style of some passages.[5] John Sweeney of Wilmington, Delaware's News Journal lauded the selection quality, but said that "Bennett's running commentary seems distracted and often silly...[to the point of being] cryptic".[7] Terry Teachout of the National Review remarked that "The Moral Compass is to The Book of Virtues as Life with Mother is to Life with father....[and] is crammed full of very good things." With respect to the franchise's demographic prospects, however, he added that "Bill Bennett's heart is definitely in the right place. Unfortunately, it may be somewhat later than he thinks."[3]

In a less enthusiastic review, Michael Walzer of The New Republic pointed out the narrative and didactic shortcomings of the selections. "Bennett's retellings," he said, "are founded on distrust[, the] extent of [which] is comical."[30] While declaring Compass a modern-day update of Grolier's The Book of Knowledge, Bob Hoover of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette found fault with the paper quality and illustrations, comparing the latter to clip art. "If he or any moral reformer wants to 'do good,'" he concluded his review, "there are plenty of positive examples around today without resorting to 100-year-old platitudes. But, there's no royalty to pay on them."[15]

Overseas reviews were favorable; Canada's The Kitchener Record said that "it would make an excellent addition to any home, school, municipal or church library",[31] while Fong Leong Ming of Malaysia's New Straits Times wrote, "Bennett may sound patronising or preachy in his introductions at times but he's okay by me. Just read those wonderful stories he has compiled in this handy tome and you'd realise he's doing a great job at moral guidance."[32]

Notes

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  1. ^ For details, see The Book of Virtues §§ Reviews​ and Critiques.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Review: 'The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey'". Kirkus Reviews. No. 17. September 1, 1995. ISSN 1948-7428. ProQuest 917201383. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Paterson, Katherine (October 15, 1995). "Family Values: Advice on how to raise ethical children from William J. Bennett and a prominent rabbi". The New York Times Book Review: 32. ISSN 0028-7806. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Teachout, Terry (October 9, 1995). "The vice of a virtue — The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey edited with commentaries by William J. Bennett". National Review. Vol. 47, no. 19. p. 60. ISSN 0028-0038. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ a b c Oder, Norman (October 16, 1995). "The spawn of 'Virtues': a successor from S&S, a rival from HarperCollins". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 242, no. 42. p. 22. ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Gale General OneFile.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Miller, Melinda (December 10, 1995). "A steady companion for journey of morality". The Buffalo News. p. G-5. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Bates, James (February 17, 1995). "Company Town: Will 'Virtues' Bring More Rewards?". Los Angeles Times. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  7. ^ a b c Sweeney, John (October 8, 1995). "Book Review — The Moral Compass: Tales teach youngsters morality / But parents should supply interpretation". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. p. J4. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Hall, Barbara (December 13, 1993). "Bennett's 'Virtues' transcends politics". The Baltimore Sun. p. 6D. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ Shannon, Patrick (March 14, 2014). "Books of Virtue". Reading Poverty in America. Routledge. p. pos. 69. ISBN 978-1-317-93577-3. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b c d Kaiser, Robert (December 31, 1995). "Virtuous reading: 'The Moral Compass' points the way to become a good citizen and person". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. E4. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Wilson, James Q. (April 1994). "Tales of virtue — The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett". Commentary. Vol. 97, no. 4. p. 30. ISSN 0010-2601. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  12. ^ a b Paulos, John Allen (November 14, 1993). "If Everybody Knows So Much About Education, Why Doesn't Education Work?". The New York Times Book Review. p. 14. ISSN 0028-7806. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ a b Lee, Steve (April 29, 1996). "Bennett's book has many good old stories to enjoy". The Daily Courier. Prescott, Arizona. p. 4A. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via Google News Archive.
  14. ^ "Review: 'The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey'". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 242, no. 41. October 9, 1995. p. 47. ISSN 0000-0019. Gale A17562223. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hoover, Bob (December 17, 1995). "The value of Virtues". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. G-9. Retrieved October 6, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  16. ^ "When Bad Taste Fouls the Airwaves". The Christian Science Monitor. October 21, 1993. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  17. ^ a b Bill Bennett on Education Reform, the Book of Virtues, & the War on Drugs. Conversations with Bill Kristol. The Foundation for Constitutional Government Inc. February 16, 2015 [November 7, 2014]. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Bill Bennett Transcript. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  18. ^ Lawrence, Jill (February 25, 1994). "Washington Today: William Bennett pens "The Book of Virtues"". The Mayfield Messenger. Mayfield, Kentucky. Associated Press. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ O'Donnell, Rosemary (May 28, 1994). "Religion: In praise of virtues: William Bennett, former secretary of education and drug war czar, compiles anthology to help children develop a moral compass". The Spokesman-Review. p. E3. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. Originally published on March 17, 1994 in the Catholic Diocese of Spokane's Inland Register.
  20. ^ "Bennett Rules Out '96 White House Bid". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. August 25, 1994. p. 6. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  21. ^ a b Open access icon "With the Fraying of America's Moral Fabric, Craving for Virtue Is Creating a New Kind of Politics and a New Class of Leaders. Who's Pitching It--and Can Anyone Put Us Back on Track?". Newsweek. June 13, 1994. Reprinted in "Message from Father Mike". Bidin' Times. Salem, Oregon: Oregon Women's Correction Center. July 8, 1994. p. 2. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via JSTOR.
  22. ^ Berke, Richard L. (September 18, 1994). "Reporter's Notebook; Quayle Looks to Right For Votes (and Sales)". The New York Times. p. A.28. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  23. ^ a b Hance, Mary (November 15, 1995). "'Book of Virtues' perfect for young one". Nashville Banner. p. C.3. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  24. ^ Cummings, H J. (July 29, 1995). "Read This". Newsday. p. B.03. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  25. ^ Taylor, Paul (July 1, 1995). "Bennett Finds Virtue in a Soapbox on the Sidelines; Author, Former Cabinet Member and Non-Candidate Happy to Be Heard, Not Skewered". The Washington Post. p. A.04. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  26. ^ Bold, Kathryn (May 25, 1995). "R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY: Words from the Man of 'Virtues': Former Cabinet member William J. Bennett talks about his best-selling book at an Irvine fund-raiser". Los Angeles Times. p. 5. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  27. ^ "Best Sellers: Nonfiction". The New York Times Book Review. November 5, 1995. p. 18. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  28. ^ Abate, Michelle Ann (2010). "'Give Me Some of That Old-Time Reading': William Bennett's The Book of Virtues and the Rise of Right-Leaning Literature for Young Readers". Raising Your Kids Right. Rutgers University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-8135-4995-8. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Project MUSE.
  29. ^ "Clean TV". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 8, 1995. p. 2. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  30. ^ Walzer, Michael (November 27, 1995). "Pulp fiction — The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey edited and with commentary by William J. Bennett". The New Republic. Vol. 213, no. 22. p. 36. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  31. ^ Kilpatrick, Ken (March 16, 1996). "A map for the modern, moral maze". The Kitchener Record. p. A10. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
  32. ^ Leong Ming, Fong (March 2, 1996). "Life and Times: Pointing the way: 'The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey'". New Straits Times. p. 9. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via ProQuest.
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