Who would've thought character development has anything to do with chocolate chip cookies? That's the basis of the author's argument. He says, if you consistently bake great cookies, but one time the cookies come out tasting terrible, do you find a new recipe? No. You look for the missing ingredient.

In the same way, our culture used to produce people with moral virtues, such as respect, honesty, courage, resourcefulness, and gratitude. Not so much anymore. What are the missing ingredients?

Each light-hearted chapter highlights, one icon of bygone days that represents a key ingredient in developing a particular moral virtue, an ingredient largely missing in modern life. For example, a chapter called "Castor Oil" shows how unpleasant experiences help produce perseverance. A chapter called "Cold Peas" teaches the value of deprivation in producing gratitude

However, rather than bemoaning the demise of moral virtue, Homemade Character provides hope through realistic suggestions for replacing these missing ingredients in the "mini-cultures" of home, church and school.

Largely written as an aid to those who shape children, people of any age will find Homemade Character useful as an easy-to-read, self-help guide for improving moral character and becoming the kind of person they want to be.