Sissela Bok Biography

Sissela Bok

Bok's belief in the power of individuals to improve their own circumstances can be traced to her parents, social reformers Gunnar and Alva Myrdal, the only husband and wife to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in different fields (Economics, 1974; Peace, 1982). Throughout her career, Bok has continued to explore practical solutions to ethical problems. Among her works are: Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life (1978), Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation (1983), and Alva Myrdal: A Daughter's Memoir (1991). Since 1955, she has been married to Derek Bok (President of Harvard University, 1971–91).