The Jewish Encyclopedia of Moral and Ethical Issues

Rating:
Summary: "So, how can Judaism make me a better person?"
Review: If you've asked that question, peruse this book and discover for yourself whether the morals and ethics of Judaism appeal to you. If they do, you will find this book's brief but thorough looks at most subjects of ethical and moral interest in our lives to be quite enriching.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a gem.
Review: Nachum Amsel has written a gem. He very clearly, succinctly, and thoroughly examines the Jewish view on 71 issues--from advertising and animals to war and zero population growth. Most of the topics reflect popular social and political controversies, but about a dozen (e.g. the chapter comparing Judaism and Christianity) focus on religion itself. Each subject is covered separately in just a few pages, so readers can study a single issue thoroughly even in their spare moments. The author provides full citations from the Torah, the Talmud, and other sources to support his explications, and has an appendix with Hebrew sources for learned readers. This book will be very useful for students writing papers on controversial matters, and for any one who wants to examine the various subjects more thoroughly. The chapters focusing specifically on Judaism will provide valuable insights for most readers and a review for even advanced scholars. Like several books by Joseph Telushkin, this book provides a wonderful introduction to many issues. It differs from the Telushkin books by focusing on fewer topics in more depth, and in addressing many points of general and not just Jewish interest. I first used it in a library, and then bought it because it is such a valuable reference.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Manual To Jewish Ethics
Review: Rabbi Amsel has done almost a miracle, in explaining the most complicated moral issues in Judaism, in a easy to read, easy to understand language, suitable for readers from teenage years to great grandparents. This book could be literally THE handbook on Jewish moral and ethics.