The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code

Dennis Prager is a moral giant. I cannot say enough good things about his newest book The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code. This book is simple, but not "simplistic" like Dennis says! He has taught the Old Testament in LA for over 25 years or so. I really trust him and his words, and if you have not read Happiness is a Serious Problem, order it today! A must read. The Ten Commandments Book shares a funny story. I was in the dental chair getting my second root canal, and had this book on my lap as I was reading it at the time and brought it from home to my appointment to distract me. Well, the Endodontist came in to the room and said "hey, did you get that in the front of my office? I just bought 9 of those on Amazon." LOL! It was indeed my book. He went on and on to say how valuable the book is and so did I. He got it for his children and wife, and I passed it on to my 23 year old daughter, and will then make sure my 2 other kids read it (oh, and my mom wants to)! He is such a wise man. I would not want to publicly get in an argument with him. His ideas just make sense and they are backed with facts and in this case, Old Testament knowledge and wisdom. It shows us how we come up with some of our policies in this country. Who knew that Thou Shall Not Kill really means Thou Shall Not MURDER? I did not know and I am a lifelong Catholic. This book opened my eyes on so many levels, yet stayed with me because it was concise, at less than 100 pages. I did not get boggled down in facts but retained what I learned. I am sure this was part of his idea in writing the book, because this could have been a 400 page book with a lot of details and history. But, in a day and age of information overload, I appreciated its brevity and depth. Well done Mr. Prager. I work while your radio show is on in Orange County, CA, but my faithful listener mom still uses cassette tapes to listen to your show. She used to drive my dad bonkers when she stepped out, because he had to remember to flip the cassette tapes over! Hilarious. We love Dennis. If you ever desire to write another book, I would love a 400 page book this time! :) Thank you Dennis for all you do. Get all his books. You will not regret it. Shalom! Can I say that? :) I just did, so it is ok I suppose.

I sent this book to younger family members and wrote: "Why send this to you? It is not to convert you to any religion. (Nor to atheism or agnosticism.) I have no ideas what your thoughts are about religion. You have in this book an intelligent and sincere explication of The Ten Commandments, which is enough of a recommendation. There is a lot of unintelligent, or misinformed, misunderstanding about these, some more than others. (See Thou Shalt Not Kill...) "So, first of all, this is an intelligent explanation of an important part of civilization as we know it. It will be a step forward if more people know what the Commandments actually mean before discussing their implications. I am aware that for many they have no implications. But an intelligent person should at least know what they are and what they are intended to say. Dennis Prager comes from a Jewish perspective. He has a gift for clarity of expression, and a gift for bringing Jews and Christians together. ""Second, I very much want you to know that The Ten Commandments do NOT provide "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Perhaps you already know this. If so, bravo! "That's it. So you can perhaps learn about a seminal document of all history, and so you can know, amidst all of the possible political and cultural arguments swirling around, that the Commandments do not proscribe killing, per se. "It is not my purpose to engage you in a discussion of theology, but it is important that I make this footnote, lest you misunderstand something. There are indeed Jewish and Christian believers, whole denominations, who argue that obeying the Commandments is not only possible, but required. I am not one of them. Such a discussion is beyond the purview of this letter. I do believe the Commandments came from God and are 'good.'"

A practical look at the 10 commandments and why they will never lose their value to mankind of any age. Dennis gives a worthwhile background of the commandments that help us to properly frame the intent of each commandment. This gives a good reference to build on in his following observations. The book is short, easy to read and understand, and gives you a new appreciation for these foundational, inspired, and amazing rules for life. I really liked the book and would suggest it for personal study, small groups and even bible classes. Great writing Mr Prager!

Succinct, thoughtful, and practical advice on the moral life, based on Mr. Prager's discussion of the 10 commandments. Since they are given by God, our creator, and loving Father we need to use them as a guide for right living and for true happiness and development of virtues.Our culture and it's philosophy of relativity (with nor objective truth or law) does not work and causes moral and societal destruction, as reflected in the rampant use of drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, sex outside of marriage, breakdown of the family, theft, lying, cheating and the like. For many, some perceived good (eg. savings on my taxes) justify whatever means (filing a dishonest return to get a refund). The end does not justify whatever means is needed to achieve the end. I recommend this short but articulate discussion of the 10 commandments. Well done and worth reading and reflecting upon in our own daily life.

I heard Dennis Prager discussing this book on his radio show, and was intrigued by the idea of the Ten Commandments simplified and explained in a modern context. After reading it myself, I handed it off to the other members of my family with a warning that there would be a "quiz" around the dinner table soon! For people who have had minimal religious education---or little focus on the Bible as reading material---this book is a great jumping-off point for theological discussion everyone can participate in. Each chapter is dedicated to one commandment, followed by discussion questions that both summarize and provoke additional debate. The interpretation of the commandment in a modern context seems like common sense, it's explained so simply and clearly. The idea that following these few commandments sets us on a path for a better life and a better world---wonderful!

These explanations go deeper than what we learned at catechism. There are more examples of how these principles apply to all areas of life - especially modern problems of morals and ethics. Highly recommend for Christian groups. Will buy more copies for our youth group.

I had this on my wish list for a while. Not knowing if I would have time to dig into it. Boy am I glad I did. Such an easy easy read. Short and sweet. You could read each commandment in 5 minutes. Stunningly how it makes mark and stays with you. Thank you sir for your efforts to make this so approachable. Love it

Dennis Pager is a national treasure! This is the simplest clearest book ever written explaining what is so important about the basis of our western value system, The Ten Commandments. You can be any religion or no religion to read this and see the value of this special summation of all that is important to a well ordered society. This is a critical tool for every parent to use to teach your kids right and wrong. Prager wrote this for all ages and with study questions even! You can even follow up each session with the Prager University videos he did for them on line. If every kid grew up learning these rules we would have vastly less moral confusion and vastly more love of our neighbors!

This book is a short and fun read. A great refresher for any Christian who takes the ten commandments for granted and hasn't thought in depth about the benefits they have brought to Western Civilization.

Sucinto mas faz levantamentos importantes. Propõe questões reflexivas sobre cada mandamento, tirando-nos da condição de ouvinte para agente. Muito interessante suas abordagens. Recomendo!

Prager knows his stuff and how to write about it in an attractive style

Incredible book. With a few words Dennis Prager manages to convince the reader why the Ten Commandments are indispensable to creating a better world, and not just to Jews and Christians. I strongly recommend this book to anyone pursuing good moral standards. This book is a must have.

I worried that this was going to be too religious or patronising for me. But it isn't at all. It's a conversation about common sense, simple decency, and Dennis Prager explains how our collective and individual measures of good/bad/right/wrong can all be linked back to the Ten Commandments. It's no leap to do the very same for other major religions and belief systems principles. It was good to read this and be reminded of why We must all stay true to our own moral compass.