A wonderful book about ethical living from a historical perspective. The author (B. Myers) allows the reader to reach a higher level of understanding of virtue without being prescriptive. I would recommend the book to anyone interested spiritual development and understanding.

I have always seemed to run across the same problem when trying to understand the philosophy of Ethics, since every model presented in the few philosophy courses I have taken, left me feeling empty, broken, and with very little faith in humanity as a whole. The conflicting flaws, or the sense that everything seems to work in these particular situations but don't look at situation X, or everything falls apart were partially to blame. But overall the presented systems did not seem to account for the way I approached ethical questions. In his book, Dr. Myers' seems to answer the question quite clearly for me as to why this is, it is because Ethics as it is normally approached asks questions in terms of; What law should I follow, What authority should I trust, or Which choice will do the most good? Instead Dr. Myers' presentation of the types moral of questions that were posed in ancient societies seems to ring more true to the types of moral questions I personally ask myself. These questions; Who should I be, How should I live, and How can I be happy? In a more general sense become What does it mean to be human, and what does it mean to live a worthwhile life? With these questions in mind Dr. Myers' takes the reader on a journey through time providing the answers to these questions and ultimately what it means to be a Virtuous person, from the heroic and classical societies of ancient Europe, through to various resurgences of these ideals of Virtue in historical movements, such as the Romanticism, and Merry Old England, and on to Today as seen in the Virtues displayed in the popularized fiction of Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. Virtue not only is alive and well in today's world it may possibly hold the key to answering some of the pressing problems today's world has to offer, when it comes to the understanding of the ethical dimension of a spiritual lifestyle, which is not built on dogmatic autocratic rules or institutional authorities. There are still some universal truths out there after all, I hope.

For Dr. Myers' "Virtue is the ancient idea that excellence in human affairs is the foundation of ethics, spirituality, self-knowledge, and especially the worthwhile life." The origin of Virtue can be found in what Dr. Myers' calls "The Immensity" those striking moments in ones life, which shake the foundations of who one is, calling into question ones very understanding of the world and one's place in it. The Immensity in other words is a spiritual experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, it forces one to become aware of one's own lack of power, and in doing so, it calls one to respond to it, To Act. This may be to launch one on a spiritual journey to understand not only the cosmos but ones place within it. Such as the case when one is confronted with the actuality of suffering in the world, and forced to account for it, in how they live their life. The importance of the Immensity though is not in the actual situation itself, it is how one responds to it, which defines one as a Virtuous person. It is easy to be a good person when everything is coming up roses, but a good man is truly defined in who he is when caught in the chaos of the world beyond his control. The act of storytelling is where the ethics of Virtue are learned. Dr. Myers' presents many examples throughout his text, of virtuous responses to such Immensities, in the characters found in myths and stories throughout the ages. What makes one a Virtuous person in one day and age may not necessarily be the same in another, although there are certain Virtues found common in many societies, the definition of a virtuous person relies on the society and times in which that person finds themselves. This definition can be found in the people held aloft by that society as praise worthy, and the stories that surround their actions. There are many specific Immensities of which one can talk about, and Dr. Myers' himself is quick to admit that the Immensity is something about which we can never fully understand. This does not mean we should not try and he begins by discussing three universal Immensities, the Earth, Other People, and Death, which I leave to the reader to enjoy in his book.

The book as a whole is at times extremely poetic, and Dr. Myers' use of imagery and prose is captivating. The quotes are valuable and brilliantly evocative of the ideas he is trying to convey. I find the symbolism, and ideas found in "The Other Side of Virtue" enriching. After reading it twice, since the first time was too quick for adequate digestion, I still continue to find new treasures of insight, which shed light not only on society as a whole, but on personal experiences, and interpretations I have found in my own journey. I look forward to further developments by Dr. Myers' of his ideas and understandings of the Immensity and what it, and the confrontation of it, have to offer in our personal understanding of a worthwhile life, and society as a whole.