BECAUSE I SAY SO is a provocative exploration of the role of moral authority in contemporary American culture. Stern begins with her own experiences as a 9/11 widow and goes on to examine the connection between moral authority and certainty to demonstrate how fear or close-mindedness might cause some to cede the high ground and others to claim it. Finally, she suggests that critical thinking, combines with a tempered optimism, might lift us past our desperate need for absolutes. desperate need for certainty and towards a more practical approach. This heartful and at times humorous book ends on a cautiously hopeful note.