RELEASED: Sept. 11, 2005

DANVILLE, KY—David Callahan, author of The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead, will speak at Centre College on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Callahan's lecture, which will count for a convocation credit, is open to all and will take place in Young 101.

The Cheating Culture, Callahan's fifth book, has been praised as "breathtaking" by the Los Angeles Times and "a damning and persuasive critique of America's new economic life" by Esquire. Reviews and feature stories about the book have appeared in over 100 newspapers and magazines.

Over the course of the past two decades, Callahan argues, harsh, unfettered markets and soaring income gaps have corroded American values and threaten to corrupt the equal opportunity Americans cherish. What Callahan dubs the "winning class" has enough money and clout that it can cheat without consequences- while many in the "anxious class" believe that cheating is the only way to succeed in a winner-take-all world.

In The Cheating Culture, Callahan examines cheating in all aspects of American life-"from the classroom to the boardroom to the playing field"-and proposes a number of solutions, ranging from strengthening of such government agencies as the SEC and IRS to a new commitment from colleges and universities to "teaching integrity and building character."

Callahan has written extensively about American history, business and public policy. In addition to The Cheating Culture, he is the author of four previous books, including Kindred Spirits: Harvard Business School's Extraordinary Class of 1949 and How They Transformed American Business.

Callahan's numerous articles have been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, and the American Prospect. He has also been a frequent commentator on television programs on CNN, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, and Fox News, and has been a regular guest on radio talk shows across the United States, including appearances on such programs as Morning Edition, The Connection and the Tavis Smiley Show. Callahan lectures frequently about issues of ethics and integrity to universities, associations and businesses.

In 1999, Callahan co-founded Demos, a public policy center based in New York City that works to strengthen democracy and expand economic opportunity within the United States. Prior to co-founding Demos, Callahan was a Fellow at the Century Foundation from 1994 to 1999. Callahan received his B.A. at Hampshire College and his Ph.D. in Politics at Princeton University. Born in 1965, he lives in New York City.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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