Book Reviews
Scientific and Medical Network, The - Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
3/20/2004
In 1987 Sir john Templeton initiated a Laws of Life Contest in Franklin County, TN, where he had grown up. He relates how he himself had been able to discover his own laws of life with so many models and examples of positive character, and wanted to give contemporary young people the same opportunity. From the start he put the success of the Contest down to two factors: cash prizes worth from $100 to $2,000, and the fact that young people were not told what to write about. They reflected on their own beliefs and principles and were publicly recognized at a prize ceremony for affirming the values by which they wanted to live; for instance, love, compassion, honesty, forgiveness and perseverance. The popularity of the Laws of Life Essay Contest has grown almost exponentially so that tens of thousands of students are taking part every year (see www.lawsoflife.org).
These three books are the fruit of this reflection. The first is Sir John’s update of his earlier book Worldwide Laws of Life , reviewed in a previous issue, while the other two are collections of essays written by young people from around the world who have taken part in the Contest. Sir John’s book is the basis of the Network Project Practical Wisdom in Education, reported under Network News in this issue. The book’s structure consists of 200 sections divided into forty weeks and five sections per week, so that the book can be studied over the course of an academic year where suitable. Each section is headed by an aphorism or pithy observation, many of which are by Sir John himself. ’Happiness is always a by-product,’ ’What the mind can conceive, it can achieve,’ ’Your life becomes what you think’ (Marcus Aurelius), ’Nothing can bring you peace except yourself’ (Emerson), ’Service is love made manifest’ (Maharishi Sadshiva Isham). Then there is a commentary with sidebar quotations from the world’s scriptures, sages, philosophers and saints East and West along with stories that illustrate the point being made. The standard and range of the quotations is quite exceptional and is in itself a rich resource. At the end of each week there is a series of ’spotlights’ or reflections on the week as a whole and a paragraph on what it means to live the various spiritual laws.
The book is ideally suited for contemplative reading since the chapters are short and the reflections and quotations so pithy. A number of principles recur during the book, such as the importance of a positive and loving attitude, of determination and perseverance, of forgiveness and humility. Needless to say the selections reflect the life experience of Sir John himself, who at 91 is still actively engaged in his extensive philanthropic work. Sir John is an exemplar of many of the qualities about which he writes so eloquently. The book contains the kind of insights that one would associate with advice given by a wise old relative or teacher; many more experienced readers will recognize their own life lessons in the text but younger readers may glean some valuable understanding that will support them through their journeys.
The other books are the fruit of the Laws of Life Contest and show how there is an innate wisdom in younger people that is waiting to emerge in the right circumstances. The editors analyze the contents of Writing From The Heart into the three categories of Positive Character Traits, Principles for Successful Living and Conduct Towards Others. My analysis of Sir John’s themes threw up the additional category of Obstacles to Success, which one cannot afford to ignore! The essays in this book are also titles with a quality and a sub-heading, for example ’On Respect: What I learned from Carl,’ ’On Love: Don’t Let the Chain of Love Stop with You,’ ’On Living by Your Values: A Recipe for Character.’ This last essay is one of the most original in the book, divided as it is into Ingredients, Directions, Preparation Time (1 lifetime!) and Yield - one (1) heaping pile of character.
What Matters is set out rather differently and does not have photos of the authors. It is associated with The Young Authors Foundation (Teen Ink) and is subdivided into nine sections: What Matters, Challenging Matters, Family Matters, World Matters, Life Matters, I Matter, Heroes Matter, Younger Matters and Moments Matter, making 90 entries in all. It is clear from the authors’ own comments how valuable the exercise of writing the essay is as an opportunity for reflecting on the deeper values and purpose of life. The writing here is vivid and direct, the lessons clear - the reader cannot fail to be moved by these vignettes and the events that touched the young writers and gave them an insight into one of life’s laws or principles. As one of them observes, wisdom does not automatically come with age; we need to learn deeply from experience as we go along.
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American Book Publishing Record, New Providence, NJ
8/1/2002
Introduces the laws, principles, and teachings of Buddhist, Christian, Confuscianist,
Hindu, Islamic, Jainist, Jewish, Persian, Native American, Sikh, Taoist, Zen,
and Zoroastrian faiths.
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David Waters, GoMemphis.com
6/30/2002
"Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth."
"Help yourself by helping others."
"Those who do good do well."
Those are three of the universal spiritual laws Templeton writes about in his
latest book, Wisdom from World Religions.
Written as a textbook, it’s a compendium of 200 spiritual laws Templeton has
drawn from all the world’s major religions. It’s also a product of his lifelong
search for purpose, meaning and wisdom.
Templeton attributes his wisdom as an investment counselor to hard work and
open-minded study. He based his financial judgments on good information.
He studied every company he invested in, looking for each company’s true, long-term
value, rather than its on-paper, short-term value. And he didn’t just study
the Western corporate world. He was among the first to push investing in post-war
Japan, for example.
Templeton has taken the same open-minded, long-range, global approach as a
spiritual counselor.
"We should admit that no human being has ever known one percent of the
infinity of God. We are terribly ignorant," Templeton said.
Templeton thinks we can and should know much more about God than we do.
In 1973, he established the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, a sort
of Nobel Prize for spirituality given each year to someone who has "shown
originality in advancing humankind’s understanding of God."
In 1987, he established the John Templeton Foundation. Its main goal is to
encourage the use of scientific methods to discover more about the spiritual
realm.
Templeton also thinks we know more about God than we realize. He has spent
the past few decades of his life studying all of the world’s major religions.
"The world operates on spiritual principles just as it operates on the
laws of physics and gravity," Templeton wrote.
"It is up to us to learn what these laws or principles are and then choose
to live by them."
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SHOFAR
6/21/2002
Particularly suited for young people, this book brings spiritual laws to life
through stories and anecdotes. A selection of ancient and modern readings is
offered from the teachings of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism,
Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Persian, Native American, Sikhism, Taoism, Zen, and
Zoroastrianism.
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Theology Digest - St. Louis, MO
6/21/2002
Sir John Templeton is founder of the John Templeton Foundation and the founder
of the Templeton Peace Prize. His book presents 200 "laws of life"
divided into 40 weeks, 5 laws for each week. Many of the laws are taken from
the world’s great religious traditions, from Buddhism to Zoroastrianism. For
example, the laws for Week Eight are 1) With God, all things are possible (Matthew
19:26), 2) I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him (Booker
T. Washington), 3) Do your allotted task! Work exceeds idleness (Bhagavad-Gita),
4) Enthusiasm is contagious (John Marks Templeton), 5) Small attempts repeated
will complete any undertaking (Og Mandino). Each law is explained and supplemented
with excerpts from world religious literature and suggestions for living.
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NAPRA Review
5/15/2002
Having spent his life studying world religions and spiritual practices, Templeton has translated this mass of information into 200 “laws of life.” Arranged in weekly sessions of study, the book is specifically organized to accommodate the school calendar as well as study groups and organizations. Templeton’s sources are extensive, including teachings from Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Native American, Jainism, ancient Persian texts, Confucianism, Taoism, Sikhism, Zen, and Zoroastrianism. The material was chosen for its ability to uplift the mind, provide answers to life’s most profound questions, and contribute to the growth of wisdom and a peaceful heart. At the end of each section, there are highlights from the week’s study material, suggestions for putting the laws into practices in daily life, and a place for personal notes. Reading through this book is a calming experience, a welcome break from stressful and agitated thinking.
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Mid-West Book Review, The - Oregon, WI
5/1/2002
Wisdom From World Religions: Pathways Toward Heaven On Earth by Sir John Templeton
(Rhodes scholar and founder of the John Templeton Foundation and the Templeton
Prize for Progress in Religion) is an impressive and memorable collection of anecdotes,
meaningful teachings, insights, and much more thoughts of spiritual enlightenment
drawn from religions and religious individuals worldwide, ranging from Christianity
and Islam to Hinduism and Confucianism. One does not necessarily need to practice
a religion or hold to a particular belief system in order to incorporate the fruits
of this cornucopia of wisdom teachings into one’s life. A broad, exhaustive, powerful
compendium of tenants for self-improvement, morality, and love, Wisdom From World
Religions is a most profound book and highly recommended for reading for students
of religion, spirituality, ethics, and morality.
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Napra Review - Eastsound, WA
1/1/2002
An inspirational presentation of the basic principles from several world religions, to help one lead a joyful and productive life.
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