Book excerpt: Ethics are more than a personal philosophy From the crimes of Bernie Madoff to the accusations of war crimes and torture to the massive greed-inspired fraud perpetrated by the financial institutions around the world, this new edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Understanding Ethics, Second Edition, helps clarify the history and evolution of ethics and their application to real life in the twenty-first century. • Covers ethics in such hot button topics as politics, war, medicine, and business and finance • Features up–to–date ideas on ethical behavior on the Internet when dealing with privacy issues • Discusses the personal ethics surrounding reproductive issues