In his essay "How Not to Solve Ethical Problems," Harvard philosopher Hilary Putnam quipped, "When a philosopher 'solves' an ethical problem for one, one feels as if he had asked for a subway token and had been given a passenger ticket valid for the first interplanetary passenger-carrying spaceship instead." Martin (Chapman Univ.) has spent a career overcoming this stereotype. Known for his work in professional ethics, he has produced a number of thoughtful works in ethics that are aimed at students and nonacademics, such as Happiness and the Good Life (CH, Aug'12, 49-6812). In the present book, the author makes the case that mottos--such as "Look before you leap" or its contrary, "He who hesitates is lost"--are not simplistic sound bites, but rather are fecund tools for coping in the world. He enunciates four generic functions of mottos: expressing the identity of individuals and groups; providing guidance as ends and means of behavior; motivating actions and habits; and justifying actions and policies. Along the way, Martin illustrates how mottos relate to both normative ethics and virtue ethics. The writing is straightforward and jargon free, without talking down to the reader.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readersnds and means of behavior; motivating actions and habits; and justifying actions and policies. Along the way, Martin illustrates how mottos relate to both normative ethics and virtue ethics. The writing is straightforward and jargon free, without talking down to the reader. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readersnds and means of behavior; motivating actions and habits; and justifying actions and policies. Along the way, Martin illustrates how mottos relate to both normative ethics and virtue ethics. The writing is straightforward and jargon free, without talking down to the reader.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readersnds and means of behavior; motivating actions and habits; and justifying actions and policies. Along the way, Martin illustrates how mottos relate to both normative ethics and virtue ethics. The writing is straightforward and jargon free, without talking down to the reader. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers.