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The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions
Perfect for your next dinner party discussion, The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions presents some of today’s most thought-provoking ethical questions in a welcoming, easy-to-discuss Q&A format, with guidance from a renowned ethicist.
Often a single question can spark a meaningful exchange—like “Would you apply for a job you know your friend is applying for?” Or “Should voting be mandatory?” Or what about police using facial recognition technology? Questions like these spur us to What would I have done? Is there one correct answer? And How can ethics help us navigate these situations to find the best outcome for ourselves and others?
An ethicist who advises leaders and organizations worldwide, Susan Liautaud asks intriguing questions that encourage lively discussion across a range of subjects, from family and friends to health and technology to politics, work, and consumer choices. She then walks through the ways you might approach each situation to find the best answer for you.
Grab the book, gather a few friends, and dive in!
Often a single question can spark a meaningful exchange—like “Would you apply for a job you know your friend is applying for?” Or “Should voting be mandatory?” Or what about police using facial recognition technology? Questions like these spur us to What would I have done? Is there one correct answer? And How can ethics help us navigate these situations to find the best outcome for ourselves and others?
An ethicist who advises leaders and organizations worldwide, Susan Liautaud asks intriguing questions that encourage lively discussion across a range of subjects, from family and friends to health and technology to politics, work, and consumer choices. She then walks through the ways you might approach each situation to find the best answer for you.
Grab the book, gather a few friends, and dive in!
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
336 pages, Hardcover
Published April 5, 2022
22 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2024
"The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions" by Susan Liautaud initially caught my attention with its intriguing list of thought-provoking ethical dilemmas. However, as I started reading the author's answers, it became apparent that they were not going to meet my expectations.
Ethics, by its nature, is a complex field with no clear-cut right or wrong answers. Yet, I anticipated a more structured approach to navigating these complexities. Unfortunately, Liautaud's exploration often feels arbitrary, lacking the methodological rigor I was hoping to find. Instead of a thorough examination of the ethical dimensions of each scenario, the author's opinions sometimes come across as no more enlightening than those of any other person.
What's particularly frustrating is that with some answers I vehemently disagreed. While disagreement is normal and even beneficial in ethical discourse, it was disappointing that the author sometimes did not adequately justify her answers which left me irritated. As an expert in ethics, one might expect Liautaud to provide robust reasoning behind her conclusions, yet this is often lacking.
To give an example, I found this most evident in the chapters on sustainable consumerism and giving. Liautaud's responses seem overly permissive, almost excusing unethical behavior under the guise of trying. This laissez-faire attitude towards issues like fast fashion sends a troubling message, suggesting that occasional harm is acceptable. While I am fully aware of the barriers to full sustainability, I would have expected a clearer emphasis on striving towards ethical standards rather than settling for a wishy-washy approach to trying from time to time.
The most interesting part in "The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions" is the list of questions. However, for those seeking nuanced discussions and well-reasoned answers, the book may leave you disappointed.
Ethics, by its nature, is a complex field with no clear-cut right or wrong answers. Yet, I anticipated a more structured approach to navigating these complexities. Unfortunately, Liautaud's exploration often feels arbitrary, lacking the methodological rigor I was hoping to find. Instead of a thorough examination of the ethical dimensions of each scenario, the author's opinions sometimes come across as no more enlightening than those of any other person.
What's particularly frustrating is that with some answers I vehemently disagreed. While disagreement is normal and even beneficial in ethical discourse, it was disappointing that the author sometimes did not adequately justify her answers which left me irritated. As an expert in ethics, one might expect Liautaud to provide robust reasoning behind her conclusions, yet this is often lacking.
To give an example, I found this most evident in the chapters on sustainable consumerism and giving. Liautaud's responses seem overly permissive, almost excusing unethical behavior under the guise of trying. This laissez-faire attitude towards issues like fast fashion sends a troubling message, suggesting that occasional harm is acceptable. While I am fully aware of the barriers to full sustainability, I would have expected a clearer emphasis on striving towards ethical standards rather than settling for a wishy-washy approach to trying from time to time.
The most interesting part in "The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions" is the list of questions. However, for those seeking nuanced discussions and well-reasoned answers, the book may leave you disappointed.
April 23, 2023
I’d like to clarify for me 3 stars isn’t a bad amount- it’s still a good rating it’s saying this book didn’t disappoint it met my expectations and there were a lot of very interesting explorations of morality, ethicality and ethics in practice. It had many brilliant quotes- my favourite being “you are only as ethical as your last action”. That being said, as the book strove to cover such a wide variety of subjects (from consumerism to technology to family), there were parts I just didn’t find as interesting. I would still 100% recommend reading this book, because for every 1 question topic you find boring there’s 20 very interesting exciting pieces. But 4 or 5 stars to me is saying you can’t put the book down, whereas for me this was more of an occasional read when I wanted to challenge my current thoughts and broaden my “ethics horizons”.
October 13, 2022
Fascinating read with an old friend who prefers digging deep to small talk. The author is an ethics consultant and advisor for corporate, governmental, academic, and non-profit organizations. Questions like: Are you ethically obligated to help a neighbor? Should you read your teenager's diary? Should organ donation be opt-in or opt-out, from an ethical perspective? Liautaud approaches each situation within a couple/few pages, from a factual standpoint, then from both sides of the ethical issue, leaving lots of room for thought and for meaty discussion with wise friends.
August 2, 2022
I thought this book would be incredibly thought provoking. I was incredibly wrong. I thought this would have definitive stances on right and wrong. I was definitively wrong. Every scrupulous question was written with every possible outcome. Chances are no matter where you stood on any topic, it was included in the "answer." This was not a book of answers to ethical questions as much as it was every outcome possible outlined to the ethical questions the author chose. No groundbreaking words of wisdom here.
September 2, 2022
I teach an ethics course and love to work with students on applying general principles to real-life situations they might actually confront, as opposed to the "trolley problem," insufficiently spacious life boats whose seats you must ration among various candidates, etc. etc.
And this book addresses many such concrete, specific questions ("do you have an obligation to inform guests that you have a digital assistant on in your home when they visit?" "what are the key ethical considerations behind museums returning artifacts to the countries of origin?"). Format is that she lays out a bit of background to the question, then conducts a brief (average of maybe 2 pages) "exploration" of it, typically ending in an "it depends" or "one could argue that......" but sometimes just a clear answer (e.g., yes, you should tell me if Alexa or whatever is on when I come visit).
I almost always found myself agreeing with her, which made for a pleasant reading experience, but I guess what was lacking for me was that, perhaps because of the brevity of each piece, there was not much of an attempt to apply abstract principles. She clearly favors being honest and hates racism, but most of the arguments rest seemingly on "here's what I think, and here are some of the nuances that sometimes make me respect the other side of it" [not about COVID-19; anti-vaxxers would hate this book], and it's not obvious why someone who doesn't already agree with her might change their mind.
I guess not pontificating about how the categorical imperative might apply or what not helps with the stated purpose of serving as a springboard for discussion, but thinking about it as a possible reading assignment I'd want more -- my students are already great at going with their gut and pronouncing things/actions they don't like as "straight-up unacceptable" (p. 277), and their growth edge is more in trying to apply an organized general framework to the specific scenario.
Naturally, if you are approaching the book with some mindset other than "this could maybe be used in my course," your experience may well differ.
And this book addresses many such concrete, specific questions ("do you have an obligation to inform guests that you have a digital assistant on in your home when they visit?" "what are the key ethical considerations behind museums returning artifacts to the countries of origin?"). Format is that she lays out a bit of background to the question, then conducts a brief (average of maybe 2 pages) "exploration" of it, typically ending in an "it depends" or "one could argue that......" but sometimes just a clear answer (e.g., yes, you should tell me if Alexa or whatever is on when I come visit).
I almost always found myself agreeing with her, which made for a pleasant reading experience, but I guess what was lacking for me was that, perhaps because of the brevity of each piece, there was not much of an attempt to apply abstract principles. She clearly favors being honest and hates racism, but most of the arguments rest seemingly on "here's what I think, and here are some of the nuances that sometimes make me respect the other side of it" [not about COVID-19; anti-vaxxers would hate this book], and it's not obvious why someone who doesn't already agree with her might change their mind.
I guess not pontificating about how the categorical imperative might apply or what not helps with the stated purpose of serving as a springboard for discussion, but thinking about it as a possible reading assignment I'd want more -- my students are already great at going with their gut and pronouncing things/actions they don't like as "straight-up unacceptable" (p. 277), and their growth edge is more in trying to apply an organized general framework to the specific scenario.
Naturally, if you are approaching the book with some mindset other than "this could maybe be used in my course," your experience may well differ.
January 15, 2024
I was gifted this book by my best friend because I’ve been pondering quite a few ethical questions these past few years. The book was easy to pick up and down given the Q&A style, which has the added benefit of being able to be read in any order, but I just personally prefer a more narrative style. The book explores various real life examples with an ethical lense - something I thought I knew a lot about but apparently not! Lots of thinking involved, which is natural given the topic. It taught me my “go hard or go home”logic doesn’t serve me well ethically and how I should be a bit removed? from the situation to be a good ethical judge.
My favourite quotes:
“The fact that life, and our decisions, don't have perfect outcomes doesn't mean we aren't doing our best ethically.” p39
“Our principles define us. They tell the world who we are, how we will behave in a given situation, and what we would hope for from others. We don't get to cherry-pick principles based on convenience. And we don't get free passes. Honesty and integrity are just as valid at the supermarket, and with respect to small amounts, as they are with our family, friends, and work colleagues and bigger transgressions.” p58
“Guilt has no place in ethics. It neither solves problems nor improves the quality of our decision making. In this case, it makes the decision about us, rather than about the relative living with dementia. Ethics are about decisions-not about labeling ourselves or others as "bad" or "good."” p252
My favourite quotes:
“The fact that life, and our decisions, don't have perfect outcomes doesn't mean we aren't doing our best ethically.” p39
“Our principles define us. They tell the world who we are, how we will behave in a given situation, and what we would hope for from others. We don't get to cherry-pick principles based on convenience. And we don't get free passes. Honesty and integrity are just as valid at the supermarket, and with respect to small amounts, as they are with our family, friends, and work colleagues and bigger transgressions.” p58
“Guilt has no place in ethics. It neither solves problems nor improves the quality of our decision making. In this case, it makes the decision about us, rather than about the relative living with dementia. Ethics are about decisions-not about labeling ourselves or others as "bad" or "good."” p252
May 7, 2022
I was very interested in exploring this title. I am a reader of the NYT’s weekly Ethicist column and that paper’s Social Q’s. I enjoy reading about a situation and thinking about what I would do or advise regarding it. So, I wanted to try my hand at some of the situations that Ms. Liautaud presents and to consider her responses as someone educated in the the field of ethics.
The introduction to the book is very helpful. In it, the author suggests approaches to thinking about ethical issues. For example, start with facts and don’t only think in stark yes and no terms.
Given the current state of politics, I admire the author for plunging right in. Her first question is about whether a person can be friends with someone who has vastly different political views. Another example of a dilemma is whether one is ethically obligated to help a neighbor.
The book is divided by topic. These include Family and Friends; Politics; Work; Technology; Consumer Choices and, Health. Read in order or by interest.
I sometimes had different thoughts from the author. This is not a criticism but more an invitation to look at issues from different perspectives.
Read, think, enjoy and discuss with someone you know. There is plenty of food for thought.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this title. All opinions are my own.
The introduction to the book is very helpful. In it, the author suggests approaches to thinking about ethical issues. For example, start with facts and don’t only think in stark yes and no terms.
Given the current state of politics, I admire the author for plunging right in. Her first question is about whether a person can be friends with someone who has vastly different political views. Another example of a dilemma is whether one is ethically obligated to help a neighbor.
The book is divided by topic. These include Family and Friends; Politics; Work; Technology; Consumer Choices and, Health. Read in order or by interest.
I sometimes had different thoughts from the author. This is not a criticism but more an invitation to look at issues from different perspectives.
Read, think, enjoy and discuss with someone you know. There is plenty of food for thought.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this title. All opinions are my own.
March 12, 2022
In this short little book, ethicist Susan Liautaud brings the reader through a multitude of ethical conundrums and provides bite sized answers with fairly balanced (there's a little editorializing the happens in a few subjects) advice. It's easy to read on one hand, because each question is only about a page or so long, but on the other hand, it's probably not the type of book I would read cover to cover. At about 80% of the way through, my eyes started to glaze over, so for me it would be great as a reference rather than anything else. But the writing is clear and accessible and this is something I'd recommend. I like that Liautaud frames her answers without shaming people for their decisions--as she says, our ethical choices are seldom black and white.
There's something here for everyone, and topics range from friends/family to politics to the workplace. Many questions are probably ones that you've already thought about (should we get rid of art made by people convicted of sexual assault? How should we handle companies whose business practices clash with our values?), while others may be completely new (should robots care for the elderly?).
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a review.
There's something here for everyone, and topics range from friends/family to politics to the workplace. Many questions are probably ones that you've already thought about (should we get rid of art made by people convicted of sexual assault? How should we handle companies whose business practices clash with our values?), while others may be completely new (should robots care for the elderly?).
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a review.
September 5, 2023
To be fair to the author, I couldn't get past the third or fourth ethical question she posited. Maybe the book gets better later, but as a direct comparison to How to Be Perfect, this book is an awful primer on ethics/morality. Not only does the author not do anything to explain more fundamental ethical rules or the reasoning behind it, every question seems to be an equivocation that allows people to act in just the way they want to (as long as they at least tried to help someone).
Her dinner party conversation at the beginning and the framing and answers she gave to the early ethical questions seems designed to assuage wealthy white people's personal guilt. I got fed up when she said we had no obligation to underwrite healthcare for other people (family or not) and "we are under no ethical obligation to make up for an inadequate healthcare system". Just an extreme amount of stupidity and abstracting ideas to the point of uselessness or even harmfulness in the real world.
Being as charitable as possible, maybe the author intended to imply that we don't have ethical obligations, but there are still good things we should choose to do, but as poorly explained as it all was, it didn't lead to much nuance.
Her dinner party conversation at the beginning and the framing and answers she gave to the early ethical questions seems designed to assuage wealthy white people's personal guilt. I got fed up when she said we had no obligation to underwrite healthcare for other people (family or not) and "we are under no ethical obligation to make up for an inadequate healthcare system". Just an extreme amount of stupidity and abstracting ideas to the point of uselessness or even harmfulness in the real world.
Being as charitable as possible, maybe the author intended to imply that we don't have ethical obligations, but there are still good things we should choose to do, but as poorly explained as it all was, it didn't lead to much nuance.
July 28, 2025
For whatever reason, it came off as super pretentious to me. I didn't like how the author was all "always do the ethical thing no exceptions" but then on any subject where she admitted to not doing the perfectly ethical thing, she'd suddenly switch up and be all "it's okay to make mistakes we all do". This book definitely should not be advertised as "discussion questions", because it's just a collection of essays. There's no room for conversation, because the book already works through all of it and comes up with it's own conclusion.
All in all, it was just a disappointment for me, mainly because I was expecting something that would make me think about the world we live in. It was interesting to see how much a strong emphasis on ethics makes me bristle though.
All in all, it was just a disappointment for me, mainly because I was expecting something that would make me think about the world we live in. It was interesting to see how much a strong emphasis on ethics makes me bristle though.
September 1, 2025
The book is formatted as a series of controversial questions for contemporary society, then promises to list all the facts that shape the ethics of each issue for readers to ponder. I was intrigued by this premise, hoping it would help guide balanced discussions which are much needed in today's polarized environment.
Sadly, the book failed on execution. The facts for each question were often incomplete and sometimes simply wrong. The author frequently stated her personal opinions as the ethical choice, departing from the mission of the book as an unbiased conversation starter.
I challenge the author to revise this book to remove her personal bias; it might then be a useful tool. As is, not so much.
Sadly, the book failed on execution. The facts for each question were often incomplete and sometimes simply wrong. The author frequently stated her personal opinions as the ethical choice, departing from the mission of the book as an unbiased conversation starter.
I challenge the author to revise this book to remove her personal bias; it might then be a useful tool. As is, not so much.
April 17, 2023
I liked how this book was able to ask questions that come up very frequently in life. I also like how it was able to spark conversations about Epix that we think we know the answers to but that requires some thinking. The answers to each questions are short, about 2 to 3 pages. I think that some of the answers could’ve benefited from longer explanations. I also noticed that every answer was written from a similar point of view.
Some answers did not have both sides explained and only focused on the point of view of the author.
I would recommend borrowing this book from the library and checking it out before to committing to buying it and keeping it in your library
Some answers did not have both sides explained and only focused on the point of view of the author.
I would recommend borrowing this book from the library and checking it out before to committing to buying it and keeping it in your library
October 17, 2022
This is a great book if you’re interested in thinking more deeply about ethical questions. I read Susan’s other book not long ago and had to grab this one because she’s now one of my favs when it comes to this topic. The book keeps chapters short and presents great questions as well as a framework to think about them. Aside from big questions that make us think about the environment and human rights, there are everyday questions that apply to our relationships with friends, family members and coworkers.
December 22, 2022
I love how engaging with each question I was fraught by my own ethical dilemma. What would have I done in certain situations I would in a million years never think would happen to me. This book made me evaluate my own personal ethical system and how I would handle certain situations. I love how the author state that when it comes to ethical decisions is it our story to tell others or is it something that can be raised but not have us explicitly be the one telling it.
January 30, 2023
The only good thing about the book is the list of questions. Although I must admit that some of them loon quite buzzard for me. Anyway, the authors switches between the paternalistic personal judgements and “decide yourself”. I might be unfair here, but what I disliked the most about the book is not author’s inconsistency while considering tuff ethical questions, but the shallowness of badly-written arguments.
December 26, 2022
one of the worst books I have ever read.
it doesn't critically analyse or dissect each ethical topic of concern and the reasonings by this author were very poor.
the author comes across as smug and self aggrandising
it doesn't critically analyse or dissect each ethical topic of concern and the reasonings by this author were very poor.
the author comes across as smug and self aggrandising
February 10, 2023
Interesting ethical dilemmas and moral conundrums. No right or wrong answer, but the author offers possible considerations. Good for self awareness and growth through reflection and honest evaluation of thought process and values
August 10, 2023
The questions are interesting, but the authors coverage of each question is unhelpful. There are no principles or guideposts or framework to open the book, and often she just takes a side and summarily declares a "correct answer" to the discussion. I found it quite disappointing.
May 2, 2025
Fun to dip in and out of in the evening, like a book you don't have to read in order, most of the answers weren't actually really that helpful or interesting, but I guess that just depends if you like ethics / philosophy / debating things where you can see both sides of the argument.
February 15, 2022
Really got me thinking about those everyday, ethical questions...
April 12, 2022
This is a little gem of a book that brings forth lots of questions. I enjoyed the explanations- and thinking through how I work through each of these questions.
Read
April 25, 2022My interview with Dr. Susan Liautaud about "The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erXEm...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erXEm...
July 8, 2022
I wish it had less questions but dived in more in depth to each question. I felt that we didn’t really have a discussion more of a preview. I enjoyed the different questions tho👍
November 16, 2022
Very interesting, not extremely profound but will give you some tools to think about the world through an ethics mindset, I love books with tons of scenarios and ethical dilemmas which I can chew on
December 8, 2025
a renowned ethicist presents a series of provocative moral dilemmas, offering her own guidance for each
likes:
• excellent dilemmas to spark conversation, with a wide variety of interesting topics. perfect for a dinner table conversation
• straightforward Q&A-style format is exactly what i was looking for
dislikes:
• zero introduction to the author or to her ethical framework, which left me unsure how she approaches these questions. i wanted to know why different people might land on different sides of each dilemma, what values or assumptions shape those views, and which factors potentially shift our answers.
• instead, it feels like the book jumps straight from "here’s the dilemma" to "here’s my conclusion" which felt too tidy. without looking her up outside the book, i honestly wouldn’t have known the author is a respected and accomplished ethicist; the text offers so little methodological framework that liautaud comes across like she's just sharing personal opinions instead of drawing on professional expertise.
likes:
• excellent dilemmas to spark conversation, with a wide variety of interesting topics. perfect for a dinner table conversation
• straightforward Q&A-style format is exactly what i was looking for
dislikes:
• zero introduction to the author or to her ethical framework, which left me unsure how she approaches these questions. i wanted to know why different people might land on different sides of each dilemma, what values or assumptions shape those views, and which factors potentially shift our answers.
• instead, it feels like the book jumps straight from "here’s the dilemma" to "here’s my conclusion" which felt too tidy. without looking her up outside the book, i honestly wouldn’t have known the author is a respected and accomplished ethicist; the text offers so little methodological framework that liautaud comes across like she's just sharing personal opinions instead of drawing on professional expertise.
August 8, 2022
Great book with a series of questionable situations that you really need to think about. Ideal use for a group discussion or reading on your own but definitely a must read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews