Absolutely hilarious; the thesis is that some moderate amount of any of the seven deadly sins is beneficial for us. The editor has collected snippets and full essays in support of his point. It's worth some consideration. ( )

This book came out in response to the era when everyone and their stupid uncle had William Bennett's "The Book of Virtues" on their nightstand and was pretending to read it. Like "Virtues," "Vices" is a compendium of essays, short stories and literary excerpts that illustrate moral principles. As you might expect, "The Book of Vices" highlights the negative of the concept of morality. It is thoroughly enjoyable, but it is not a light read. With quotes and excerpts from everyone from Muhammed Ali to Xenophon, the book goes heavy on Greek philosophers and medieval writers like Bocaccio. If you like that sort of thing, I think you'll enjoy reading these selections, which are conveniently organized according to the particular deadly sin they illustrate, with happy little quotes at the beginning of each section, such as St. Augustine's "Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli modo" ("Give me chastity and continence--but not yet!") How can you beat something like that?

But, like "Virtues," it's really quite heavier intellectual lifting than you might be expecting from a book with this premise, hence the reason so many people bought "Virtues" and never read it, is basically the same reason this little gem never took off in popularity. It's one of my personal favorites, however. I find the selections witty, apt, thought-provoking, and a great way to encourage you to read more of a particular author or work you discover. Nearly all the works are available in the public domain and therefore accessible on places like gutenberg.org. Enjoy. ( )