Synopses & Reviews
A compelling investigation into one of our most coveted and cherished ideals, and the efforts of modern science to penetrate the mysterious nature of this timeless virtue.
We all recognize wisdom, but defining it is more elusive. In this fascinating journey from philosophy to science, Stephen S. Hall gives us a dramatic history of wisdom, from its sudden emergence in four different locations (Greece, China, Israel, and India) in the fifth century B.C. to its modern manifestations in education, politics, and the workplace. We learn how wisdom became the provenance of philosophy and religion through its embodiment in individuals such as Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus; how it has consistently been a catalyst for social change; and how revelatory work in the last fifty years by psychologists, economists, and neuroscientists has begun to shed light on the biology of cognitive traits long associated with wisdomand, in doing so, begun to suggest how we might cultivate it.
Hall explores the neural mechanisms for wise decision making; the conflict between the emotional and cognitive parts of the brain; the development of compassion, humility, and empathy; the effect of adversity and the impact of early-life stress on the development of wisdom; and how we can learn to optimize our future choices and future selves.
Halls bracing exploration of the science of wisdom allows us to see this ancient virtue with fresh eyes, yet also makes clear that despite modern sciences most powerful efforts, wisdom continues to elude easy understanding.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
We all recognize wisdom, but defining it is more elusive. In this fascinating journey from philosophy to science, Stephen S. Hall gives us a penetrating history of wisdom, from its sudden emergence in the fifth century B.C. to its modern manifestations in education, politics, and the workplace. Hall’s bracing exploration of the science of wisdom allows us to see this ancient virtue with fresh eyes, yet also makes clear that despite modern science’s most powerful efforts, wisdom continues to elude easy understanding.
Synopsis
and#8220;Thereand#8217;s no fool like an old fool,and#8221; as the saying goes; but just what, precisely, is wisdom? And who is wise? Wisdom has fascinated the human race for thousands of years; ancient authors sought to capture it in collections of proverbs and fables, while modern thinkers seek to uncover its essence. It has been thought about in many different ways and searched for in many different places. Philosophers have claimed to be lovers of it and scholars have always tried to define it, yet wisdom is as elusive today as it has ever been.
All societies have had to deal with the problems posed by the basic facts of human existence, such as love and death, and have sought wise solutions to them. Across the world cultures have believed that wisdom is something divine, and have attributed it to deities such as Sarasvati, Apollo, and Odin. In this book Trevor Curnow provides an introduction to wisdom in its many forms through human history. and#160;Giving new insight into what wisdom actually is, and where to find it, this book will interest all those seeking and#8220;a word to the wiseand#8221; in their lives.
Synopsis
and#147;Thereand#8217;s no fool like an old fool,and#8221; the saying goes. What is it about wisdom that sets it apart from mere intelligence? What is that elusive difference between a simple grasp of the facts and profound understanding? Wisdom has fascinated the human race for thousands of years; philosophers are notorious for being
in love with it, and for centuries writers have tried to capture its essence in proverbs and fables. In this book, Trevor Curnow provides an accessible introduction to wisdom and the many ways we have thought about and tried to achieve it throughout history.
Drawing on examples from a diversity of eras and placesand#151;from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe to modern Africaand#151;Curnow explores the ways we have sought to overcome the problems posed by our existence, such as love and death, with a steadfast wisdom. He shows how many cultures have attributed wisdom to deities such as Apollo, Odin, and Sarasvati, and how, especially, we have placed it within the vehicle of the proverb, which has safeguarded its lessons throughout time and across cultures.
Including a collection of one hundred sayings that offer a rich record of wisdomand#8217;s reification, this history gives new insight into what wisdom actually is and where we might find it.and#160;
About the Author
For twenty-five years, Stephen S. Hall has written about the intersection of science and society in books, magazine articles, and essays, primarily in
The New York Times Magazine. He is the author of five previous critically acclaimed books, including
Invisible Frontiers and
Merchants of Immortality. He has received numerous awards, including in 2004 the Science in Society Journalism Award for book writing from the National Association of Science Writers and, in 1998, the William B. Coley Award from the Cancer Research Institute. In addition to science, Hall has written extensively about travel, baseball, and Italy. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two children.
Visit the author's website at: www.stephenshall.com.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Wisdom, Gods and Goddesses
2. Wisdom, Myth and Legend
3. Wisdom in History
4. Wisdom and Literature
5. Wisdom and Divination
6. Wisdom and Philosophy
7. Wisdom, Mysticism and Magic
8. Wisdom and Proverbs
9. Wisdom and Present Day
Conclusion
Postscript: A Century of Wisdom
and#160;
References
Further Reading
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index