This book of quotations includes chapters on topics such as “War & Peace,” “Science & Technology,” and “Education.” Each chapter includes musings by a wide range of famous figures, from Oprah Winfrey to Socrates to Joseph Conrad. The topic of “Government, Politics & Social Justice” includes such varied sources as Benjamin Franklin (“Pardoning the bad is injuring the good”) and Margaret Thatcher (“When people are free to choose, they choose freedom”). “Creativity, Innovation & Curiosity” quotes filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille (“Creativity is a drug I cannot live without”) and novelist Ellen Glasgow (“No idea is so antiquated that it was not once modern. No idea is so modern that it will not someday be antiquated”). Each chapter includes further commentary from Jones. On the contents of “Spirituality, Faith & Philosophy,” he points out that “we are warned not to lose our leisure if we want to retain our souls.” Additional elements include the intriguing “Great Minds Think Alike,” in which Gore Vidal is credited with “A work of art is never finished; it is only abandoned” and George Lucas with “Films are never completed, they are abandoned.” Sports figures Bobby Unser, John McEnroe, and Tommy Lasorda all share thoughts on the desire to win, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Cicero, Woodrow Wilson, and George Bernard Shaw offer views on the responsibilities of liberty. “Wisdom Meditations” provide readers with an opportunity to use ideas from several sources to focus on a “Central Question,” such as “What is happiness?” or “Why am I not more creative?”
Much of the content is undeniably thought provoking. For example, “Humor & the Immortal Yogi Berra” includes an insightful remark from Shaw: “When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.” A page devoted to “The Many Sides of Failure” contains familiar gems such as “Failure is the fertilizer of success” from motivational speaker Denis Waitley. Although the idea is nothing new, hearing it from a group of successful people has real impact. Some quotes, though, are perhaps a bit too recognizable to have much power; J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Not all those who wander are lost,” from The Fellowship of the Ring, or Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” appear in many similar collections. Nevertheless, what sets this book apart from others is the author’s clear goal for readers to make complex connections and learn something from it all. Each chapter contains recommendations for other chapters, and the “Wisdom Meditations” offer a novel way of thinking deeply on various questions. The emphasis is not on simply reading the quotes for fun, but on using them in practical ways. As the author concludes, “Wisdom’s true value becomes realized when we put it into action.” Overall, this is certainly not just a random assortment of quotes, since it allows for contemplation in a carefully curated way.