If every representative of humanity were completely indifferent to the suffering of others, then the world would be quite different. Moreover, people would not walk along the streets with smartphones, without body armor and weapons, as it is happening in the modern world. However, Smith suggested that no one would agree to avoid tooth extraction by donating dozens of Chinese villages (Roberts 189). There must be some force opposing the obsession itself. Therefore, there is a feeling that people are the center of the world, at least for a short time. However, this behavior could be understood as the lack of the decision to think of the others and to recognize their rightness. Here, Adam Smith advises everyone to imagine an impartial spectator who would be able to analyze all the deeds of an individual with the help of some measure (Roberts 82). In fact, everyone should try to match the standards of this person, as he/she is better and smarter than anyone else.
Nowadays, ethics is coming back to the modern economy. The cause for its revival is lying in the emergence of the financial crisis, which has caused significant ruining consequences for the lives of average citizens and the global economy. The work by Adam Smith, which is titles The Theory of Moral Sentiments, has remained in the shadows of the bookshelves for many years. Nevertheless, sometimes these things, which have been forgotten, receive their second life. That is what has happened to Smith’s moral philosophy. The modern audience has been reminded about it in Russ Roberts’ book How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life. This report provides a summary of this printed work and emphasizes the major issues raised in it as well as their significance in the modern world.
In the 20th century, the concept of starting the life from the very beginning or from the blank slate has become very fashionable. A man is born without the knowledge of good and bad, and the task of the society is to put educate this man as it sees fit. This is the idea of morality, which is enshrined by the culture, not genes. It would seem that with the help of this mechanism it is possible to save people from all evil, if only everyone acted together. Adam Smith believed that all people are born equal and they all have to receive a kind of moral compass form their society. It directs the desire to please other people, or at least, not make them hate you. Every human being wants to be loved and tries to win the love and be truly worthy of it (Roberts 40). People are not only afraid of hatred, but they are also afraid to be hateful. There is one subtlety, as there is a difference between “being loved” and “being worthy of love.” This distinction is very important as it may well be that people love, but know that this love is not deserved. Smith’s theory, by the way, puts in place another piece of the puzzle of human morality – the understanding of the concept of psychopathy. The defect here is that some people are not able to perceive the suffering of others as a sign that something is wrong.
The moral, as well as free market, is a complex system of feedback. Moreover, who if not economists can explain exactly how it works. The science of economics claims that morality – the very essence of this mechanism – cannot be controlled by humans. Smith addresses those who do not understand it and still seek to control it as the “people of the system ”. They imagine the world as if it was a chessboard, and people, with all their values and ideas, could be moved as figures. This lack of control, actually, suits the understanding of the concept of the modern world. It does not allow anyone to realize personal plans other people may have for the reconstruction of the world. In addition, within this configuration, each player has its own, albeit small, role in determining the moral code of the society.
Book Summary
In light of current trends, the book of Adam Smith about moral philosophy is really up to date. Despite the fact that Smith was one of the founders of the concept of the new economics, he was aware of the philosophic ideas as well, and he was thus able to implement them in life. Still, it is necessary to emphasize that his major work about moral sentiments appeared to be unknown in the circles of philosophers and other readers. Russ Roberts’ book brings the major ideas of Smith’s philosophical work back to the readers with the help of understandable patterns, which have made Roberts’ work a bestseller. Moreover, Russ Roberts writes in an interesting way, which excites everyone who reads the book. He seems rather enthusiastic about philosophical thoughts, and his attitude is clear throughout the book.
In general, the book by Roberts is an entertaining read and a good introduction to the moral philosophy of Smith. According to Roberts, Smith’s moral principles are reduced to the simple rule of life, which states that everyone should seek wisdom and virtue. Everyone should behave as if he/she is followed by an impartial spectator (Roberts 89). The presence of the impartial spectator encourages every human being to go beyond the habitual thinking and look at everyone through the eyes of others. This is a bold exercise, which many of us are trying to avoid. However, if everyone could handle it, do it well, and analyze his/her own behavior, then eventually everyone would understand what they really are and how they could achieve the best results. Going beyond the personal self gives an opportunity to gain awareness, which is the art that teaches to pay attention to the habits and shortcomings. As Roberts is establishing a subtle distinction various life directions, he actually does not consider the importance of the concepts of moral philosophy of Adam Smith for the modern economy. Moreover, the ideas should really interest every representative of the society. It is possible to regret the inability to uphold these standards, because Smith’s ideas are relevant right now. The book under consideration is applicable anyone who wants to find a way to self-fulfillment and happiness. It applies the concepts of classic philosophy to the real life and teaches everyone to benefit from these ideas. When people praise immoral behavior and avoid the good, they take part in the deterioration of the world around them. These players small and almost imperceptible. Nevertheless, altogether their actions are crucial. Each step not taken in the direction of self-understanding moves an individual away from being “worthy of love” and being a part of civilization. This is the only one lesson from the book of Adam Smith that can really change lives, and it also captured by Russ Roberts.
Above all, Roberts’ interest concerns the considerations of ambition and thirst for approval, both of which move men. To achieve an aim, a person needs to properly look into the eyes of others. Then, Roberts discusses the futility of owning iPhones and tips on how to be good, happy and loved. The concept of an impartial observer arises as an image of a moral behavioral motivator, and it is an extremely powerful idea throughout the book of Russ Roberts. However, Roberts does not bring the current form of thinking to its logical conclusion, because it is too intent to consider the Theory of Moral Sentiments as a book on self-improvement. Adam Smith emphasizes trust as an important characteristic of civilization. When an individual can easily rely on the community not fearing to be used for someone else’s benefit, life becomes more attractive, and economic living appears to be much easier.
The work in question is full of colorful episodes and interesting patterns, which make reading it easy and pleasant. The volume could be divided into two parts. The first seven chapters are devoted to self-improvement. This section of the book provides the data about how one could make the personal self a little bit better than he/she is. The last three chapters are focusing on making the world better and brining the society to the happy harmony. Here, Roberts notes am important idea, which is also a major claim in the works of Smith. Everyone is seeking personal happiness and tends to pay no attention to the happiness of others not taking into consideration that happiness is common for everyone and comes from within. Therefore, the main idea of this book is that everyone should be honest, virtuous and wise. If these values are upheld, then there is an opportunity to improve the life of every human being. In such a way, it is also possible to have a positive effect on others and, ultimately, society as a whole.
Yep, this concise one sheeter works as either a book report template 3rd grade printable or a grown up printable! In fact, if you’re hosting a book club, consider printing copies for everyone. It’ll help them keep in mind different things to look for while reading.
This 5th grade book report template (or whatever grade you think is suitable) doesn’t have to be only for school. If you want to encourage your child to expand their literary knowledge, you could assign this as home work (get it? 🙂 ). In other words, have your child read a book at home and complete this free book report template.
Was finding a free book report template (or three) on your to-do list? If not, you might want to add it! Believe it or not, a printable book report template has a lot of uses, both at home and school, and for kids and adults!
The second free book report template asks all the same questions as the first printable
Gray Printable Book Report Template
The benefit of having this book report template 3rd grade (or whatever grade) printable on-hand is that your child can review it before cracking open a book. This means he or she will know exactly what to look for while reading. Spoiler alert: It’s way easier to take notes while reading than to try to remember everything and then write it down after finishing.
Do you have a little one who is nowhere near ready for a 4th grade book report template or a book in general? If your child is just learning to appreciate the ABCs, here are some educational printables and activities you may want to download:
Well, I’m prepared to turn that “not meatloaf” dread into “it’s pizza day!” joy with the help of a free book report template. Yep, whether your child has been tasked with reading a book or you want to dive deeper into that book club novel, these free downloads can help. Trust me, this is not your traditional boring old 4th grade book report template!
Tip: In fact, you could make it one of their chores! Add reading a book and completing a report to the free printable chore chart for kids to keep your kid accountable. To motivate your child, consider letting him or her pick from a list of books and perhaps assign different point values based on the difficulty of the book they choose!
Jane Eyre - young orphan girl
Edward Rochester - Thornfield Manor's owner
Bertha Mason - the ill wife of Rochester
Sisters Mary and Diana of Jane
Rev. St. John Rivers - the minister
Hans Brinker - a hard-working Dutch boy
Gretel - her gracious sister
Dame Brinker - mother of Hans and Gretel
Dr. Brockman - a surgeon who save the Brinker's father
Hilda Van Gleck - daughter of a burgomaster owner
Katinka Flank, Annie Bouman, Jacob Poot, and Peter - Brinker's friends
Selina had a happy school days life at Miss Fister's school based in Chicago but soon ended when her father died. She finished her studies and became a school teacher in a Dutch farm community of High Prairie. There she learned and became a nature lover.
Elnora - part-time moth collector
Philip Ammon - the one assist in insects hunting
Mrs. Comstock - mother of Elnora
Wesley and Margaret Sinton - Elnora's relatives
Edith Carr - girl who grows in the city
Billy - an orphan boy
Around The World In 80 Days
A gigantic dog named Buck is the son of a Scotch shepherd-dog mother and a St. Bernard father. Buck has incredible power and cleverness, that’s why he was stolen and owned by a harsh master in Klondike who teaches him to be a sleigh dog.
Mary Lennox - a young orphan little lady
Colin Craven - his confined to bed cousin
Dickon - a community young man who's very helpful
Ben Weatherstaff - gardener of the family
Martha - the maid of the house
The Brinker family was suffering from poverty because Raff Brinker, head of the family lost his mind ten years ago. Dame Brinker, the mother is the one who supports their family by knitting, sewing and raising vegetables. Hans, who is only 15 years old and her sister Gretel, 12, was always tease because they their mother can’t send them to school.
There are two different styles of lines in the download to accommodate both younger elementary and middle school students. Both styles of the free book report include the following:
By downloading from my site you agree to the following:
Don’t miss all our free first grade worksheets and our other printable worksheets for prek-12th grade students. We have free printable math worksheets, english worksheets, history for kids, cool science experiments, and even fun activities for kids to go with every season and holiday throughout the year!
We’ve been using my in depth book report I shared last year. But I decided we need some shorter to the point book reports that my kids could easily use more often as they were shorter and to the point. I find book reports do such a good job of helping them retain what they read, process what they read, and practice writing.
Book Report Form
Help students learn to give a good summary of a book with this FREE printable book report template. This book report form is a great resource for parents, teachers, and homeschoolers of kindergarteners, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade children.
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- Library Scavenger Hunt – help kids learn to navigate a library, the Dewey decimal system, book genres, and so much more with this pack of free printable scavenger hunts for kids!
- Bookshelf Reading Log – to help encourage kids to read!
If you are looking for some book recommendations to help kids pick really great books they will love to read, don’t miss these book lists!
Writing a book report is a common activity students are required to go through today. Reading is one thing but the ability to summarize and analyze information is totally different. One can read a lot of books but still be unable to develop a good book report due to the lack of knowledge of what it should look like. Therefore, students often seek book report help in order to understand how to write one. In this article we are going to provide some good book report questions that will provide guidance as to which direction to go when choosing a format of a book report. Even if you have never faced the challenge of writing one, it is most likely that you will soon receive such assignment. And it is always better to face it prepared knowing what to do. So keep reading to get to know more about how to develop a good one. Even if you have written one or many reports by now, you can still find out more to polish up your writing skills. Questions for a book report provided below will serve a good foundation for every student.
List the names of the characters briefly describing each one of them (at least those you will be discussing in the report)
How does the story start? Why do you think the author chose to start his book this way?
Did you have any associations coming to your mind when you were reading the story?
How to Write a Good Book Report
Do you think that the author could have come up with a better solution (if there is one)?
What can help you write book reports efficiently is the list of questions to direct your thinking and writing. You can google phrases like “book report questions for high school” or “book report questions for middle school” depending on what your level of writing is. But in order to save some time for you, we have decided to come up with our own list of questions that should help develop a good book report. Therefore, there is no need to type something like “write my book report” in a google search tab in hopes to find someone who will do it all for you. Instead, you may consider the questions to ask for a book report and try to write it on your own. Here is the list:
Do you like the book? Why so? If yes, would you recommend it to your friends?