This book could be considered a dangerous piece of work by modern standards. In the continuing trend of shirking accountability and rationalizing deviant behavior, the concept of responsibility has been lost. In some cases the concept of responsibility is not merely lost, but is even confronted and disparaged. This issue becomes extremely salient when applied to criminal justice, where a multitude of concepts must reify questions of responsiblity every day.

Kamerman mentions that this book has been constructed on a foundation of psychological, occupational, organizational, and societal perspectives, and rightly so. Each of these avenues of thought presents a contrasting view. There is a little battle in each one of these words. How do we make decisions? Is it free will or societal pressure? Do we use cold logic or emotion? Is it necessary that we employ an absolutist or relativist approach? Ah, "absolutist or relativist", so there is an ethical tie...not only an ethical tie, but an ethical framework from which each decision should eminate. Somewhere between deontological and teleogical perspectives; between idealistic and contextual propositions, is an answer. Not necessarily the right answer, mind you, and definitely not an indisputed one, but rather a functional one. Therin is the basis for this book. Disaggregate the argument into its ethical components and then make a decision by negotiating responsibility; a daunting task which Kamerman approaches in a bold, successful manner, from his pensive input to each contribution he includes.