Proposes that despite cultural differences, some values are shared and that a recognition of their universality can facilitate cross-cultural negotiation, understanding and cooperation. The book defines a minimalist set of values, those that are most commonly known to most people in most societies.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Sissela Bok is a Senior Visiting Fellow, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. She is also the author of numerous books, including Mayhem: Violence as Public Entertainment; Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life; Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation; A Strategy for Peace: Human Values and the Threat of War; and Alva Myrdal: A Daughter's Memoir.