
Rooted in Decency
Finding inner peace in a world gone sideways
What happened to common decency? ... And how do we move forward to cooperation and kindness?
Take a quick scan of the headlines and… wow. From disrespect to deceptions, it’s easy to question whether indecency has taken root in our society. Some people are doing what they think is “right” while others think it’s terribly, morally “wrong.” It can make you wonder, Do we even share common values anymore?
Why we're feeling unstable and how to correct it
Rooted in Decency reveals some surprising reasons behind why people are acting so divisively toward each other and why that can make life feel so off-balance. Each chapter offers “a-ha” insights that
— guide readers to better understand how the current culture may be affecting them personally
— help us make sense of how other people are acting
— identify the core values that create inner peace, even when the world seems so unstable.
Approachable, conversational tone
While it’s based on intriguing research from modern science to ancient moral philosophy, Rooted in Decency is written in straightforward language for a busy audience. Each book chapter is a short conversation that presents brilliant insights—from neuroscience to happiness science, from Aristotle to Buddha—that bring new light to today’s moral dilemmas.
Find intriguing discussions like:
- Why people are so willing to believe lies
- How happiness is tied to self-respect
- Which core values the world’s major religions have in common
- Why you can’t shame someone into agreeing with you
Clarify your core values and next steps
Taken alone, each chapter offers new perspectives and actionable next steps that can change the tone of how we relate to each other. Or, journey through all the chapters to clarify your core values and develop a modern moral compass that can help move people move forward toward a life that’s rooted in decency.
Browse the Table of Contents | Read Sample Chapters
Brief Chapters with Journaling

Each short chapter in Rooted in Decency offers surprising nuggets of wisdom that can help shed new light on today’s moral issues.
Plus, optional journaling pages throughout the book help you explore your own experiences, if you choose.
Bringing nuance back into moral decisions
With all the extremes in how people approach life today, we often look at big issues with an over-simplified view of our options. But moral decisions are rarely all-or-nothing choices. Life is full of nuance so the way we think through what’s right and wrong should be also.
Take truth telling for example. Sometimes, a polite lie is the right thing to do. But where’s the line between white lies and deception?
Part Three of the book, Rooted in Decency, views today's contentious issues through a new lens that can bridge our divides and help us find a shared set of values that are rooted in decency.


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