When was the last time you heard, "How was I suppose to know?" "It's not in my job description", or "I'm too old to change"? According to Vincent Barry in The Dog Ate My Homework, now available in paperback, these are among the heard all-too-often expressions that have made copping out a national pastime. Barry not only explores personal responsibility, but also shows what to do about it. He suggests a philosophy of self-responsibility built around courage and self-knowledge, conscience and community, confidence and commitment, exemplars and whole, heartedness.