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Os Guinness
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When No One Sees: The Importance of Character in an Age of Image Paperback – July 5, 2000

by Os Guinness (Author), Virginia Mooney (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings
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The issue of personal character is hotly debated in our newspapers and on our airwaves today. When No One Sees is perfect for the reader of any denomination or spiritual standing who is seeking insight and direction on character development and why character counts. Presenting the truth of the Bible in the context of modern society, other faiths, and 3,000 years of history, Guinness offers a compelling analysis of current culture along with profiles of historic individuals of model character. Using both classical and modern examples, he illustrates how character is built and tested, presenting practical help for bringing about change in personal character. This is the first in a series of six Trinity Forum studies which combine classical and current readings with provocative discussion questions. They have been successfully using this format for over eight years in their private leadership forums.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Navpress Pub Group
  4. Publication date
    July 5, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    7.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1576831590
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1576831595
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DR. OS GUINNESS' deep concern is taking things that are academically important and making them practical to a wider audience, especially matters of public policy. He has been involved in several projects in this area, including a BBC television documentary on the presidential election in 1980, a major public opinion survey, and the American Express study on the United States, America in Perspective. He is a senior fellow of the Trinity Forum in McLean, Virginia, whose interactive seminars led to the writing of When No One Sees. Os has written and edited more than fifteen books, including The American Hour (Free Press), Invitation to the Classics (Baker), The Call (Word) and Time for Truth (Baker). Former resident of England and Switzerland, Os lives in McLean, Virginia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Navpress Pub Group; 0 edition (July 5, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1576831590
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1576831595
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

About the author

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Os Guinness

Os Guinness

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Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford.

Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, and The Global Public Square. His latest book, Last Call for Liberty: How America’s Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat, was published in 2018.

Since moving to the United States in 1984, Os has been a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies, a Guest Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and the EastWest Institute in New York. He was the lead drafter of the Williamsburg Charter in 1988, a celebration of the bicentennial of the US Constitution, and later of “The Global Charter of Conscience,” which was published at the European Union Parliament in 2012. Os has spoken at many of the world’s major universities, and spoken widely to political and business conferences across the world. He lives with his wife Jenny in the Washington DC area.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
17 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Erik Gfesser
5.0 out of 5 stars Character versus competence and charisma
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2011
Verified Purchase
This reviewer finds it surprising that no readers have submitted a review of this work for almost five years, given that this book is among the best collections of essays this reviewer has read in quite some time. "When No One Sees" is part of a book series entitled "Trinity Forum Study Series" edited by Os Guinness that is intended "to help thoughtful people examine the foundational issues through which faith acts upon the public good of modern society". Before setting out to help the reader sort through the various arguments between whether "character counts because character has consequences" and "competence and charisma matter more", the author discusses the answers to three broad questions: "What is character?", "Why is the character issue so confusing and uncertain today?", and "Why does character matter?"

The reading selections from 28 different classical and modern authors in this series entry are broken down into five parts. The first part, "The Importance of Character", provides foundational readings on the Western discussion of character's importance. The second part, "Character in the Crucible", discusses the prominent historical theme that character is revealed most clearly in crisis rather than success or routine. The third part, "Cultural Erosions of Character", highlights modern erosions of character. The fourth part entitled "Spiritual Foundations for Strong Character" presents readings that emphasize spiritual foundations for strong character. And the last part, "Heroes of Character", provides examples of noble character from Western history.

Personal favorites include passages from "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, which provide some unique twists to the conventional theme of a man selling his soul to the Devil, starting with his being a modern agnostic who includes no real Devil in the story, "Everyman for Our Times" by Richard Sennett, a professor of sociology, which argues that "work ethic is undermined when the idea of gratification is separated from the idea of hard work", and "The Great Divorce" by C. S. Lewis, which provides a particularly haunting passage involving a ghost, an angel, and a little red lizard. While the readings are well chosen, what helps make this book work are the brief author biographies which introduce each reading, as well as the hundreds of sidebar quotes by a wide selection of individuals, from a broad spectrum of world views, conveniently inserted throughout.
7 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars When all is said and done what matters more?
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2023
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I am saddened by the erosion of character in today’s anything goes culture. I appreciate the value of character and find this book highly relevant in a society that has accepted leadership without the basic traits and values that was once an instant disqualification. If you value characteristics over appearance or want to be uplifted with examples of good character and armed with examples of poor character (don’t get fooled by pretenders) than this book is recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Gromark
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2016
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Our study group is studying it now. Many of us are very interested.
One person found this helpful
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kra
5.0 out of 5 stars This book changed my life! Because it defies the ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2018
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This book changed my life! Because it defies the definition and fallacy of "I will believe it when I see" by providing the true reality that most of the things that are true are actually not seen.
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Eva Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars What's the real winner, character or image?
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2016
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The book is very good and thought provoking. Certainly good for our times of emphasis on image. The books were in good condition.
One person found this helpful
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HERTMAN CASABLANCA
5.0 out of 5 stars best teaching on the issue of personal character
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2013
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This is the best discussion of personal integrity on the market. Learn why honesty and strong moral character are so important to our everyday lives and how it impacts our culture.
One person found this helpful
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Michael Erisman
5.0 out of 5 stars The importance of character in an age of image
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2005
Os Guinness has a knack for taking difficult and complex subjects and capturing and presenting information that allows small chunks of the philosophy to be grasped and pondered deeply. This book is no exception. The fact that it is also a study guide is even more effective in delivering the message while directing the reader to several key questions to consider in each section.

One of the best aspects of the book are the hundreds of quotes and essays, all around the central theme of the importance of character. While our culture often acts to create an "end justifies the means" behavioral set, never before has character been so important, or so difficult to really practice and live.

The book begins with some essays from famous leaders; from Plato to George Washington, Winston Churchill to Machiavelli, and compares and contrasts what each felt about the importance of character, and how it was to be demonstrated. Much of the material is pretty well known, yet the ability to so easily read and discuss different styles and approaches is well worth the effort.

My favorite sections were on the "Cultural Erosions of Character" in which the many examples of how society pushes and changes the definition and meaning in life impacts what we define as important at all. From advertising, to media, the pressure to conform is greater than ever, but in some ways has always existed.

One of the best essay's in my opinion is called the "Revenge of Failure" wherein Henry Fairlie rips the "legend of our times", as envy at its worst. No longer content to envy what others have and we do not, we now attempt to destroy in others that which we cannot achieve ourselves. This process degrades talent and is a poor attempt to "buy" our way into importance not through the achievement of something remarkable, but through the tearing down of the remarkable achievement into something attainable. Thus character becomes something that is no longer "earned".

The sections on plastic surgery and other shifts into a looks based culture further erode the importance of character. In this relentless and obsessed pursuit of the elusive perfection, the hunter becomes the hunted, and always loses in the battle to fight against aging and the myth of happiness in ones physical appearance. Powerful depictions of how this societal pressure has claimed far too many who sacrifice character for fleeting and shallow appearance, are depicted with a convicting clarity.

Overall, this is a very well done and thought provoking book. As a study guide it would be ideal for small groups, or even personal reflections. The book is so full of quotes and essays that it can be read at once, or in dozens of small bites with equal effectiveness. Highly recommended.
20 people found this helpful
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Teresa
5.0 out of 5 stars A great teaser for in-depth character studies
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2006
This book is another in a long line of books that continue to feed my appetite for serious discussion on the movers and shakers of history. I would say that this book is like a wonderful appetizer to vital historical and philosophical studies. It's perfect for a small group and likely to cause some heated debate. It definitely causes reflection on the differences between cultural Chrisitanity and Christianity through conviction. In a climate where working life and decisions therein are a sort of stage and life behind that curtain is accepted as a completely different arena of actions and ideas, this book is a spark that will definitely light a flame in your soul. What is your source and where do you stand?
6 people found this helpful
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