On CHARACTER/ Essays by James Q. Wilson (Landmarks of Contemporary Political Thought)

This is a very worthwhile collection of essays from the past 15 years by one of America's foremost social policy intellectuals, who, unlike many of his fellow social and political conservatives, is thoroughly fair and careful in his arguments. This book traces the emergence of Wilson's belief that strengthening personal character -- defined by him as empathy and self-control -- is a key component of solutions to the problems of crime, the schools and the family. Wilson points out that so defined, character is more a matter of the heart than the head, which is why he thinks over-intellectual approaches to the problems of our day have come up so short.