The Private Adam Becoming a Hero in a Selfish Age

Contemporary culture blasts us daily with dubious models of how we should behave -- from the strip club aesthetics of MTV teen idols to the clawing, hell-bent competitions of reality TV, it seems that every corner of our media-drenched society is saying: Shed your dignity, exploit yourself and others, and you'll be on the path to glory. In The Private Adam, the noted rabbi and social commentator Shmuley Boteach reflects on the role of the hero in contemporary culture and contends that the media celebrates and rewards the values of the classical hero -- the aggressive macho warrior of ancient Rome who is motivated solely by self-promotion -- and that the glorification of this figure has rendered us a crueler, harsher, and more shallow society. In contrast, Boteach celebrates the Private Adam, the everyday men and women whose heroism stems from their lives of selfless actions and small sacrifices, even if an equestrian statue will not be erected in their honor. lluminated with inspiring examples from history and contemporary life and filled with valuable advice, The Private Adam is Boteach's most thoughtful book yet.