A Handbook Of Wisdom

A topic ignored in mainstream scientific inquiry for decades, wisdom is beginning to return to the place of reverence that it held in ancient schools of intellectual study. A Handbook of Wisdom, first published in 2005, explores wisdom's promise for helping scholars and lay people to understand the apex of human thought and behavior. At a time when poor choices are being made by notably intelligent and powerful individuals, this book presents analysis and review on a form of reasoning and decision-making that is not only productive and prudent, but also serves a beneficial purpose for society. A Handbook of Wisdom is a collection of chapters from some of the most prominent scholars in the field of wisdom research. Written from multiple perspectives, including psychology, philosophy, and religion, this book gives the reader an in-depth understanding of wisdom's past, present, and possible future direction within literature, science, and society.

This valuable resource introduces readers to the Old Testament books of wisdom and poetry--Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs--and helps them better understand each book's overall flow. Estes summarizes some of each book's key issues, offers an exposition of the book that interacts with major commentaries and recent studies, and concludes with an extensive bibliography. Now in paperback.

This is a comprehensive review of the psychological literature on wisdom by leading experts in the field. It covers the philosophical and sociocultural foundations of wisdom, and showcases the measurement and teaching of wisdom. The connection of wisdom to intelligence and personality is explained alongside its relationship with morality and ethics. It also explores the neurobiology of wisdom, its significance in medical decision-making, and wise leadership. How to develop wisdom is discussed and practical information is given about how to instil it in others. The book is accessible to a wide readership and includes virtually all of the major theories of wisdom, as well as the full range of research on wisdom as it is understood today. It takes both a basic-science and applied focus, making it useful to those seeking to understand wisdom scientifically, and to those who wish to apply their understanding of wisdom to their own work.

The current financial and on-going ecological crises have taught us that without practical wisdom, business, organisations and leadership cannot be sustainable. In response to this situation, the Handbook of Practical Wisdom presents a critically informed understanding of wise practices, contributing to more integrative organizational and leadership studies and practice. The focus on integration emphasises the interdependencies of practical wisdom in relation to members, groups and cultures of organisations in their socio-cultural spheres. Wisdom has long slipped from the scholarly map, and so this handbook provides revived and new mappings for today and the future. Seeking to actualize creative potentials of practical wisdom, this book and series aspires to contribute to the contemporary odysseys and quests for orientation in organisation and management research and practice. Wisdom research, as presented in this book, provides bridges to underestimated, neglected or forgotten knowledge and offers transformative passages between Scylla - the rocks of dogmatic modernity - and Charybdis - the whirlpool of dispersed post-modernity. Practical wisdom allows for a better equipped and more experiential and reflexive journey and fosters the art of mindful travelling, beyond a reactive, moralizing sentimentalism. Accordingly, this handbook serves as a medium for reassessing and rearticulating more responsible ways of ‘praxis’ in the field of organization and management. In this spirit, each chapter opens a space for dialogue and debate, inviting further inquiries, conversations and explorations by and among its readers: students, academics and practitioners.

"A brilliant and comprehensive introduction to the most seminal component of leadership: wisdom. The diversity of the readings and wisdom of the authors make this a most original and valuable addition to the management canon." —Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Management, University of Southern California and author of On Becoming a Leader "This wonderful compilation proves that management is as much art as science, and that deep thinking can inform and inspire practice to be more humane, ethical, and, yes, wise." —Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School Professor and best-selling author of Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End "If you'll forgive a pun, this is a wise book about organizational and managerial wisdom. It shows what's possible when some of our best thinkers turn their collective attention to such timely subjects as EQ, negotiation, global politics, and individual and organizational ethics." —Steve Kerr, Chief Learning Officer, Goldman Sachs, and Past President of the Academy of Management "One of the 'most promising' forthcoming management books." —EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT "To wade into the topic wisdom is to see organizing differently. To wade into this volume is to see wisdom differently. Both forms of effort embody a wonderful moment of wisdom itself." –Karl E. Weick, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Behavior and Psychology,University of Michigan Some interesting issues emerge when one views organizations from a wisdom-based perspective. Does technology promote or inhibit wisdom? How do HR systems, organizational forms, management practices, and operational capabilities relate to wisdom? What are the ethical and social dimensions of wisdom? What makes a wise leader? Can wisdom be developed and utilized strategically? Do conceptions and manifestations of wisdom vary across cultures? Can one teach wisdom? Editors Eric Kessler and James Bailey have produced a ground-breaking compendium of globally renowned thinkers in the Handbook of Organizational and Managerial Wisdom. This Handbook systematically explores the characteristics of understanding, applying, and developing organizational and managerial wisdom. Key Features Organizes wisdom around the five primary philosophical branches—logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, and metaphysics Applies wisdom in organizations and management through international examples that synthesize a set of practical principles for academics and practicing managers Offers an outstanding collection of world-renowned scholars who give profound insights regarding wisdom

"By opening this Handbook for wise thinking and living, you open the door to your new identity, because across the threshold there is only the lightness of Being, and infinity in all directions."—Deepak Chopra In The Wisdom Principles, Dr. Ervin Laszlo, authority in the fields of new science, consciousness, and spirituality, bridges the chasm between our understanding of science and the truths of spirituality, bringing an essential and timely message of wisdom to the world. Laszlo offers readers principles of empowerment that will guide the choices they make for years to come and will allow them to move confidently toward a better future. This book is the distillation of Laszlo’s sixty plus years spent delving into the mysteries of science and a lifetime of keen spiritual insight. The nuggets of timely wisdom offered in The Wisdom Principles, and the timeless truths revealed on its pages, are a precious resource for wise thinking and living. As we stand at a crossroads of civilization there has never been a greater need for them than today. Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, and Gregg Braden are among the renowned thought-leaders who lend their voices to Laszlo’s work, framing the book and underscoring the power of its life-changing principles.

The Wisdom Literature of the Bible (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs) is filled with practical principles for everyday life. While some Christians are deterred by the pragmatic character of these matter-of-fact guidelines, they are as integral to God's purposes for His people as the explicitly theological material that dominates other parts of Scripture. The Wisdom books tie these two streams of God's revelation together in a way that enriches and strengthens the church. It is a thorough resource for pastors and teachers to help them navigate the sometimes bewildering waters of the Wisdom Literature.

A well-rounded collection of psychological views on wisdom.