Living In A 'Cheating Culture' ?

Here is a little quiz for you: Have you ever downloaded a song from the Internet, claimed a tax deduction that didn't apply to you, or "hooked up" cable without paying for it? If so, you're not alone.

Author David Callahan believes we have become a nation that's willing to bend the rules if it benefits us financially.

He talked about this trend in his new book, "The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead," on The Saturday Early Show. He also offered some thoughts about what can be done to turn the culture around.

Callahan cites many examples of cheating in our culture, including public figures in the business world as well as doctors, lawyers, and even students.

"Cheating is everywhere," he writes. "By cheating, I mean breaking the rules to get ahead academically, professionally, or financially. Some of this cheating involves violating the law; some does not. Either way, most of it is by people who, on the whole, view themselves as upstanding members of society. Again and again, Americans who wouldn't so much as shoplift a pack of chewing gum are committing felonies at tax time, betraying the trust of their patients, misleading investors, ripping off their insurance company, or lying to their clients."

Callahan has found that cheating happens in all professions, and he claims money is at the root of all such incidents.

Read an excerpt from Chapter One - PDF file.