The moral, as well as free market, is a complex system of feedback. Moreover, who if not economists can explain exactly how it works. The science of economics claims that morality – the very essence of this mechanism – cannot be controlled by humans. Smith addresses those who do not understand it and still seek to control it as the “people of the system ”. They imagine the world as if it was a chessboard, and people, with all their values and ideas, could be moved as figures. This lack of control, actually, suits the understanding of the concept of the modern world. It does not allow anyone to realize personal plans other people may have for the reconstruction of the world. In addition, within this configuration, each player has its own, albeit small, role in determining the moral code of the society.
In general, the book by Roberts is an entertaining read and a good introduction to the moral philosophy of Smith. According to Roberts, Smith’s moral principles are reduced to the simple rule of life, which states that everyone should seek wisdom and virtue. Everyone should behave as if he/she is followed by an impartial spectator (Roberts 89). The presence of the impartial spectator encourages every human being to go beyond the habitual thinking and look at everyone through the eyes of others. This is a bold exercise, which many of us are trying to avoid. However, if everyone could handle it, do it well, and analyze his/her own behavior, then eventually everyone would understand what they really are and how they could achieve the best results. Going beyond the personal self gives an opportunity to gain awareness, which is the art that teaches to pay attention to the habits and shortcomings. As Roberts is establishing a subtle distinction various life directions, he actually does not consider the importance of the concepts of moral philosophy of Adam Smith for the modern economy. Moreover, the ideas should really interest every representative of the society. It is possible to regret the inability to uphold these standards, because Smith’s ideas are relevant right now. The book under consideration is applicable anyone who wants to find a way to self-fulfillment and happiness. It applies the concepts of classic philosophy to the real life and teaches everyone to benefit from these ideas. When people praise immoral behavior and avoid the good, they take part in the deterioration of the world around them. These players small and almost imperceptible. Nevertheless, altogether their actions are crucial. Each step not taken in the direction of self-understanding moves an individual away from being “worthy of love” and being a part of civilization. This is the only one lesson from the book of Adam Smith that can really change lives, and it also captured by Russ Roberts.
In light of current trends, the book of Adam Smith about moral philosophy is really up to date. Despite the fact that Smith was one of the founders of the concept of the new economics, he was aware of the philosophic ideas as well, and he was thus able to implement them in life. Still, it is necessary to emphasize that his major work about moral sentiments appeared to be unknown in the circles of philosophers and other readers. Russ Roberts’ book brings the major ideas of Smith’s philosophical work back to the readers with the help of understandable patterns, which have made Roberts’ work a bestseller. Moreover, Russ Roberts writes in an interesting way, which excites everyone who reads the book. He seems rather enthusiastic about philosophical thoughts, and his attitude is clear throughout the book.
In the 20th century, the concept of starting the life from the very beginning or from the blank slate has become very fashionable. A man is born without the knowledge of good and bad, and the task of the society is to put educate this man as it sees fit. This is the idea of morality, which is enshrined by the culture, not genes. It would seem that with the help of this mechanism it is possible to save people from all evil, if only everyone acted together. Adam Smith believed that all people are born equal and they all have to receive a kind of moral compass form their society. It directs the desire to please other people, or at least, not make them hate you. Every human being wants to be loved and tries to win the love and be truly worthy of it (Roberts 40). People are not only afraid of hatred, but they are also afraid to be hateful. There is one subtlety, as there is a difference between “being loved” and “being worthy of love.” This distinction is very important as it may well be that people love, but know that this love is not deserved. Smith’s theory, by the way, puts in place another piece of the puzzle of human morality – the understanding of the concept of psychopathy. The defect here is that some people are not able to perceive the suffering of others as a sign that something is wrong.
Book Discussion
The work in question is full of colorful episodes and interesting patterns, which make reading it easy and pleasant. The volume could be divided into two parts. The first seven chapters are devoted to self-improvement. This section of the book provides the data about how one could make the personal self a little bit better than he/she is. The last three chapters are focusing on making the world better and brining the society to the happy harmony. Here, Roberts notes am important idea, which is also a major claim in the works of Smith. Everyone is seeking personal happiness and tends to pay no attention to the happiness of others not taking into consideration that happiness is common for everyone and comes from within. Therefore, the main idea of this book is that everyone should be honest, virtuous and wise. If these values are upheld, then there is an opportunity to improve the life of every human being. In such a way, it is also possible to have a positive effect on others and, ultimately, society as a whole.
Above all, Roberts’ interest concerns the considerations of ambition and thirst for approval, both of which move men. To achieve an aim, a person needs to properly look into the eyes of others. Then, Roberts discusses the futility of owning iPhones and tips on how to be good, happy and loved. The concept of an impartial observer arises as an image of a moral behavioral motivator, and it is an extremely powerful idea throughout the book of Russ Roberts. However, Roberts does not bring the current form of thinking to its logical conclusion, because it is too intent to consider the Theory of Moral Sentiments as a book on self-improvement. Adam Smith emphasizes trust as an important characteristic of civilization. When an individual can easily rely on the community not fearing to be used for someone else’s benefit, life becomes more attractive, and economic living appears to be much easier.
If every representative of humanity were completely indifferent to the suffering of others, then the world would be quite different. Moreover, people would not walk along the streets with smartphones, without body armor and weapons, as it is happening in the modern world. However, Smith suggested that no one would agree to avoid tooth extraction by donating dozens of Chinese villages (Roberts 189). There must be some force opposing the obsession itself. Therefore, there is a feeling that people are the center of the world, at least for a short time. However, this behavior could be understood as the lack of the decision to think of the others and to recognize their rightness. Here, Adam Smith advises everyone to imagine an impartial spectator who would be able to analyze all the deeds of an individual with the help of some measure (Roberts 82). In fact, everyone should try to match the standards of this person, as he/she is better and smarter than anyone else.
Nowadays, ethics is coming back to the modern economy. The cause for its revival is lying in the emergence of the financial crisis, which has caused significant ruining consequences for the lives of average citizens and the global economy. The work by Adam Smith, which is titles The Theory of Moral Sentiments, has remained in the shadows of the bookshelves for many years. Nevertheless, sometimes these things, which have been forgotten, receive their second life. That is what has happened to Smith’s moral philosophy. The modern audience has been reminded about it in Russ Roberts’ book How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life. This report provides a summary of this printed work and emphasizes the major issues raised in it as well as their significance in the modern world.
Some notable books to choose from for your book report writing assignment are mentioned below:
After you have completed all the steps above, start writing your book report. Stay focused on the points and quotes that you have gathered and follow the outline closely. Usually, it includes both basic information of the book and its complete analysis.
Before heading towards the writing process of your book report, it is a good idea to have a look at some of the book report examples and a book report rubric written by professionals. In this way, it will be easier for you to understand the writing techniques and format to get a better idea for your own book report.
Creating a book report outline before writing the report is necessary and important. It helps you in staying organized and completing your book report on time.
Book Report Examples
An outline is important for a good and strong book report. When making the outline, make sure that you add all the important points to it. An outline helps the writer stay organized and focused on the points and content that he is working on.
Everyone has a different writing style therefore, reading the book yourself before writing is important. Reading is important because otherwise, you will not be able to get to the depth of the story, which is necessary for writing the report.
If you are still not sure about how to write a book report that will help you earn an A, then you should consider taking help from a professional essay writer.
The format and outline are the same as other essays but it may not have a thesis statement.
What can help you write book reports efficiently is the list of questions to direct your thinking and writing. You can google phrases like “book report questions for high school” or “book report questions for middle school” depending on what your level of writing is. But in order to save some time for you, we have decided to come up with our own list of questions that should help develop a good book report. Therefore, there is no need to type something like “write my book report” in a google search tab in hopes to find someone who will do it all for you. Instead, you may consider the questions to ask for a book report and try to write it on your own. Here is the list:
Do you think that the author could have come up with a better solution (if there is one)?
This form of book reports allows exploring the themes and big ideas that are interwoven within the entire story. You can simply choose a theme that seems to be the most important or the one you like the most and try to bring some of your thoughts to highlight the topic.
Book reports can be of different types and formats. Most common forms of book reports are plot summaries, theme and character analysis. This type of assignment will help you practice expressing your own opinion about different aspects of the text and eventually expressing your thoughts on pretty much any subject in future. But no matter what type of book report you are about to write, there are some common things you have to include into your paper:
Character Analysis
List the names of the characters briefly describing each one of them (at least those you will be discussing in the report)
Here you can explore the traits of the main characters and how they affect the development of the plot in the book. There are many things you can pay attention to when analyzing the characters, such as clothing, moral flaws, dialogues, actions, etc.
Did you have any associations coming to your mind when you were reading the story?
Do you like the book? Why so? If yes, would you recommend it to your friends?
- Make a mobile – create your favorite scene
- Create a timeline – include the important topics
- Create a magazine ad for the book
- Make a board game
- Put together a Power Point Presentation
- Write a letter to a friend informing them why they should read the book
- Make a bookmark of your favorite chapter
- Make a crossword puzzle – let someone who’s read the book work the puzzle
- Make a memory game – use index card with vocabulary words
- Outline your favorite chapter
Looking for other ways to help kids work on reading comprehension and summarizing a book they read? Try these free resources:
Check out the clever book report mobile, timeline idea, magazine ad, game board, book report project or even a book report crossword puzzle – there are so many unique 3rd grade book report ideas! Pick a 4th grade book report ideas for the whole class to try or let everyone do their own unique projects based on their interests.
Whether you are a parent working on improving your child’s reading skills, a classroom teacher getting ready for back to school, or a homeschooler – we’ve got a book report project ideas for everyone!
Book report project ideas
From dioramas to book jacket designs, book report t shirts to cereal box presentations, and posters to letters to authors – we have so many book report ideas for 3rd grade! These ideas are great for book report ideas for 5th grade and elementary age students.
We have even more creative book reports from 4d trioramas to pizza book reports, book report flaps to lapbooks, sandwich book reports and more! Which ones of these 5th grade book report ideas is your favorite?
- Handy Reading Comprehension Bookmarks (any book: fiction or non fiction)
- Book Report Template
- Book Report for Kids
- 26 more clever Book Report Ideas
- Library Scavenger Hunt – help kids learn to navigate a library, the Dewey decimal system, book genres, and so much more with this pack of free printable scavenger hunts for kids!
- Bookshelf Reading Log – to help encourage kids to read!
- Make a diorama – these still my children’s favorite
- Create a book jacket – different than the original
- Kids will love making these book report t-shirts
- Present an oral book report – dress up as your favorite character
- Try creative cereal box book reports
- Make a poster – pretend your book is going to be made into a movie
- Write the author a letter – state why or why not you liked the book
- Illustrate and design a comic book
- Why not make a tasty book report (love the cake book report)
These illustrative reports are excerpts from the latest edition of chapter 16 of the SLG Guide. They have been reviewed by members of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board. The illustrations include a sampling of various example reports contained in the SLG Guide of financial statement audit reports for a state and local government when the audit is being performed only under AICPA generally accepted auditing standards. (Illustrative auditor's reports on governmental financial statements conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards are discussed in the GAS-SA Guide (see section above.) Purchase the SLG Guide to access the full set of examples.
The illustrations include a sampling of various example reports contained in the GAS-SA Guide to meet the reporting requirements of the Uniform Guidance for compliance for each major program and internal control over compliance.
The GAS-SA Guide includes examples of the various reports that are issued to comply with Government Auditing Standards and the Uniform Guidance. The following report examples are excerpts from the current edition of the Guide.
These illustrative reports are excerpts from Appendix A of chapter 4 of the GAS-SA Guide. They have been reviewed by members of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board, the Government Accountability Office, and various federal agency representatives. Purchase the 2020 edition of the GAS-SA Guide to access the full set of examples.
Uniform Guidance Report Illustrations
The SLG Guide includes examples of the various reports for state and local governments that are issued to comply with generally accepted auditing standards. The following report examples are excerpts from the current edition of the Guide.
- Access illustrative Uniform Guidance reports
- Access illustrative Uniform Guidance program-specific audit reports
- Note: The illustrations posted above and the additional illustrations in the 2020 GAS-SA Guide have not been updated to reflect new reporting standards established by AICPA Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS) Nos. SAS Nos. 134 through 140. That is because SAS No 141 delayed the effective date of these reporting standards to audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after December 31, 2021. While early implementation of SAS Nos. 134–140 is now permitted, it is recommended that SAS Nos. 134–140 be implemented at the same time. The GAQC is currently developing updated reports that will reflect the requirements of the new reporting standards. Our goal is to post examples here, before the end of the calendar year, for auditors that plan to early adopt the new reporting standards.
The AICPA Audit Guide, Government Auditing Standards and Single Audits (GAS-SA Guide), issued annually, presents guidance on the audits of financial statements conducted in accordance with the 2018 edition of Government Auditing Standards (also referred to as the Yellow Book). It also includes recommendations for the conduct of single audits. You can purchase a copy of the most recent edition of the GAS-SA Guide (with conforming changes as of April 1, 2020) online or call AICPA Members Services at 888.777.7077 (product number is AAGGAS20).
- Access illustrative Government Auditing Standards reports from the 2020 edition of the Guide
- Note: The 2018 Yellow Book became effective for June 30, 2020, year-end financial audits and resulted in slight revisions to the chapter 4 illustrations. As a member service, access a red-lined version of Example 4-3 to more easily identify what has changed. These same changes were made to illustrative reports 4-4 through 4-9.
- Note: The illustrations posted above and the additional illustrations in the 2020 GAS-SA Guide have not been updated to reflect new reporting standards established by AICPA Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS) Nos. SAS Nos. 134 through 140. That is because SAS No 141 delayed the effective date of these reporting standards to audits of financial statements for periods ending on or after December 31, 2021. While early implementation of SAS Nos. 134–140 is now permitted, it is recommended that SAS Nos. 134–140 be implemented at the same time. The GAQC is currently developing updated reports that will reflect the requirements of the new reporting standards. Our goal is to post examples here, before the end of the calendar year, for auditors that plan to early adopt the new reporting standards.