In the current business environment where scandals such as Enron exist, Dorothea E. Gaulden's book, RIGHT MAKES MIGHT: Reviving Ethics to Improve Your Business is a much-needed breath of fresh, ethical air.

The author knows whereof she speaks; her background is in business, the financial sector to be exact, and has held positions such as vice president and controller at ITT Corporation and director of government financial relations. At present, she holds adjunct positions at several universities as a business professor for undergraduate and graduate classes.

Dr. Gaulden does not debate the issue of whether ethics in business is essential; her stand on that issue is clear: yes. She does discuss what scholars of the past have had to say about ethics and morals in general. She discusses how all too often unethical business practices such as embezzlement, questionable accounting methods, and violation of environmental protection laws is becoming more the norm than the unusual. The book shows how unethical business practices effect not only the businesses themselves, but also the culture and consumers as a whole.

Then Dr. Gaulden does something oft times not found in other books of the same nature: She offers a realistic solution to doing business in an ethical manner. Considering that businesses are most often time the most influential in effecting public policy and law due to their abilities to afford lobbyists, changing the way companies do business and do so in an ethical manner, can only lend to positive changes for everyone, including the general public and even our democratic way of life.

When untruthfulness in business is no longer the norm, perhaps we will no longer accept that our politicians are untruthful. If we no longer accept deceit from the nation's leaders, perhaps voter apathy will abate. Just as negative actions have a snowballing impact, so do positive changes. Dr. Gaulden's book and ideas are a big step in the right direction.

In my mind, RIGHT MAKES MIGHT should be required reading for every business student and has practical applications for the philosophy student as well. But you don't have to be a business major or corporate administrator to benefit from reading Dr. Gaulden's book. Everyone can benefit from reading RIGHT MAKES MIGHT because knowledge and understanding of this issue can only serve to improve us as individuals, and as citizens.