Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time.

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In his inspiring new book, Wisdom of the Ages, bestselling author Dr. Wayne W. Dyer poses the question:

"What do our ancestral scholars, whom we consider the wisest and most spiritually advanced, have to say to us today?"

The answer lies in this powerful collection of writings, poems, and sayings by some of the greatest thinkers of the past twenty-five centuries. In succinct original essays, Dyer sets out to explain the meaning and context of each piece of wisdom, and, most important, to explain how we can actively apply these teachings to our modern lives. From sixty ancestral masters--Buddha, Michelangelo, Rumi, Whitman, Jesus, Emily Dickinson, and Emerson, among others--here are treasured passages on a variety of subjects, including solitude, time, and passion. Among the contributions are words on inspiration from Pantanjali (c. 1st to 3rd century b.c.), author of the Hindu classic, Yoga Sutras; teachings about the power of prayer from 13th-century monk St. Francis of Assisi; and thoughts about the importance of action written by Mother Teresa.

The voices collected here cut across a wide range of historical eras and cultures, yet they communicate universal truths about the human experience. Wisdom of the Ages provides us with a marvelous dual opportunity: to receive guidance from our great ancestors and to recognize our own potential for greatness.

Dyer takes the wisdom of the wisest minds throughout history--including Rumi, Whitman, Jesus, Einstein, Buddha, and Shakespeare--and explains the meaning and context of each concept.

Wayne W. Dyer is one of the most widely read authors today in the field of self-development. He is the author of many books, including such bestsellers as Your Erroneous Zones, You'll See It When You Believe It, and Real Magic.

A psychotherapist, Dyer received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan, and has taught at many levels of education from high school through graduate study. He is the co-author of three textbooks, contributes to numerous professional journals and lectures extensively in the United States as well as abroad.

He appears regularly on radio and television shows around the country.