There are a fair number of books about bad people, numerous biographies about Hitler and their ilk and how it is they became the embodiment of evil. But Eyal Press was interested in a more overlooked subject, why some people resist the worst inclinations of their neighbors, sometimes their entire societies, and act on the side of goodness, even at extreme cost to themselves. His short book consists of a prologue, four chapters, and an epilogue. Each chapter is a unique case history focusing on a different person, context, and period. These are, respectively, Paul Gruninger, a commander of the State Police who allowed Jews to enter Switzerland as refugees at a time when his country's official policy was to turn them away, Aleksander Jevtic, a Serb who protected Croats during their bitter war and ethnic conflicts, Avner Wishnitzer, an Israeli soldier who comes to sympathize with Palestinians, and Leyla Wydler, the whistle-blower on Standford Securities. Eyal examines each case closely and sheds light on what forces, both internal and external, might have led each individual to act the way they did. In light of our partisan, hate-filled times, it is soothing and sobering to read about these beautiful souls. ( )

Very timely and discussion-worthy book. ( )

A fascinating, provocative book that seeks to explain the behavior of "righteous" individuals--those who, when all those around them do evil or are silently complicit in it, are not--people who break ranks, act alone, and risk everything including their lives in order to do the moral thing. ( )

This is a wonderful book, a must read for anyone interested in how and why individuals in society decide to resist that which they believe to be wrong or evil. Philosophical but accessible, with examples from history as well as the present day, Press forces us to ask ourselves how "we avoid making uncomfortable choices in the course of our daily lives" by pinning responsibility for those choices to forces we decide we cannot fight. ( )