Nick Smith, I Was Wrong: The Meanings of Apologies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), xi + 298 pp. Given (1) the frequency with which we offend and are offended by others, and (2) the role that apologies play in helping to mend the relationships that have been strained by these offenses, it is surprising how little attention philosophers have given to the nature and functions of apologies. In I Was Wrong, Nick Smith attempts to fill this gap by providing the first book-length philosophical treatment of the subject. Drawing upon work in sociology, psychology, law, and religious studies, as well as on numerous examples of recent, public apologies, Smith has produced a work that will be essential reading for anyone doing future research in the field.
