Kirkus Review

A retired professor contemplates life and ethics in this collection of short essays, songs, and poems.

An ethics professor for three decades at Vanderbilt University, Welch has written five books that largely center on the intersection of public policy and ethics. Now retired, he presents in this volume pieces that eschew the trappings of academic writing in favor of ruminative, personal musings on “everyday living.” In a “sound bite world” whose discourse is often reduced to clichéd, “pre-packaged answers,” the author offers readers “an invitation to look below surfaces and beyond first appearances.” The result is a wonderfully paradoxical read that provides profound, moving insights in vignettes that are typically no longer than one or two pages. It is clear from the first chapter’s opening line that “words matter” to Welch, and the subsequent reveries carefully balance brevity with meticulously polished depth. His poem “Honoring Time,” for instance, laments the indifference implicit in the oft-used phrase “I’ve got an hour to kill,” reminding readers that time is “our great gift.” Other pieces focus on a sleeping granddaughter awakened from her nap by a chainsaw, lessons that Covid-19 taught readers, and “Barriers” that separate humans from Earth and one another. The book’s central themes consist of basic ethics, including an “Ethics Primer” of 18 maxims; environmentalism; family; and the value of living simply. And while religion and Christianity make a number of appearances, the book never proselytizes and explicitly rejects “dogma” that “claims the only version of truth.” Always incisive, the collection is deliberately approachable and written in a charming, almost quaint style that even censors four-letter curse words. Although it’s under 150 pages, this volume is not designed to be read in a single sitting; instead, each piece merits additional time spent pondering and applying its message. That said, the eclectic assemblage could have used a bit more thematic organization beyond its cryptic subdivisions of “Heard,” “Seen,” “Thought,” and “Sung.” Nevertheless, this is a delightful book by an author whose career has been dedicated to exploring ethical living.

A poignant compilation that delivers astute reflections on creating a rich, meaningful life.