Title: Integrity: Do You Have It? (2nd Edition)
Author: Dennis AuBuchon
Reviewed by Steven G. Lauck

In the last few months I have read and/or reviewed several books on ethics and integrity. I am not sure why there are so many books appearing, but it may have to do with the era just past, the Enron and WorldCom fiascos or possibly the current political environment. In either case Dennis Aubuchon has written a book that sets the definition standard for integrity: Integrity, Do You Have It? The book not only provides a definition of Integrity and how to spot it or the lack of it, it provides a guide to live with more Integrity. Note: While this is a second edition it is my first read.

The first chapters, Definitions, Integrity Characteristics and Types, guide the reader through what Integrity is and review of Integrity's concepts and characteristics. They provide a definition of Integrity that can be measured by everyone no matter the background or experiences. This is an important measure, as the author explains, each of us has our own definition of integrity based on our experiences and our values. We are presented various definitions from our families, business, educational systems, and the government.

Chapter 3, The Bible and Integrity, I found very interesting and enlightening. I have heard some of the verses quoted by speakers but never realized the statements had roots in the Bible. It was also interesting to see the King James Version compared to the Living Translation version of the Bible. If you are not the most religious person do not let this chapter turn you off to this book. The information provides insight where some of the accepted definitions of Integrity originate.

The balance of the book presents specific areas of Integrity:
Personal
Quality and Integrity
Job
Education
Political
Real Estate
Integrity in The Boy Scouts of America
Integrity in the News

The text had some ah-ha moments for me. The first is Chapter 8 Political Integrity. The author has provided information from The Ethics Manual of The U.S. House of Representatives. This provides a peek into how Integrity is managed at the Congressional level - information, as the author mentions, which is not readily available to the general public. In Chapter 9 is the Code of Ethics for Realtors. Some of this information is worth the purchase price of the book

The second ah-ha moment is Chapter 10, Integrity in the Boy Scouts of America. The book reminded me of something one of my mentors always said, " If you live by the Boy Scout Oath and Law you will live a great life". The author does a great job of presenting the Oath and Law with explanation of each characteristic plus some history and data about the organization.

I highly recommend this book, not only for the reasons mentioned above, but also because throughout the text and in the Appendix the author provides websites and resources for background information and additional information. I see this book as a start to the real-world understanding of Integrity. It is up to those who choose to digest this book to go forth and apply the standard.