Wisdom of the Ages reads like a workshop on "What the Masters can Teach You." Author Wayne Dyer offers wisdom taught by the world's "great teachers" (such as Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Michelangelo, and Emily Dickinson) and then provides an easy-to-digest interpretation for modern readers. The book is formatted into daily, quoted passages (around a page in length) from 60 of these teachers--the "60 Days to Enlightenment" in the book's title. After each quote, Dyer offers his own thoughts on how the "lesson" can be applied to contemporary life. After his essay, the author includes a list of exercises to put the teacher's advice to use. Each passage includes a heading--"Soulcenter" for a quote from Herman Melville's Moby Dick, or "Communication" for William Blake's poem "A Poison Tree," for example. While his tone is always reverent, Dyer's interpretations occasionally sound flat and obvious--as if he is dumbing down the language for his audience, rather than elevating readers to a higher consciousness (or at least a higher education). This is a shame, because when Dyer writes with the eloquent and enthusiastic voice that earned him his huge popularity--glimpses of that voice do appear in this book--one sees why so many consider him a "master teacher" in his own right. --Gail Hudson


From Publishers Weekly
Veteran self-help author and speaker Dyer (Manifest Your Destiny, etc.) chooses a new format in which to present his familiar material. Here, he offers essays inspired by 60 quotations from poetry and literature that express "life's greatest lessons." Intended as a daily inspirational, each essay focuses on a topic such as patience, leadership, divinity, prayer, grief, humanity, nonconformity, enthusiasm and forgiveness. The quotes are mostly recognizable, from such luminaries as Emerson, Thoreau, Shelley, Shakespeare, Yeats, Kipling, Melville and Shaw. Within this collection dominated by white men are a few surprises, including words from Chief Seattle, Confucius, Langston Hughes and Dorothy Parker. Each essay contains some biographical information about the source and is followed by suggestions for practicing the principle expressed in the quote and Dyer's discussion, such as "reverence for nature" and "unity consciousness." Dyer's pieces are of uneven quality, sometimes vague and undeveloped, simplistic or lacking the clear compassion and positive view required to offer readers genuine help or encouragement. Although the quotations themselves are inspiring, overall, Dyer's ruminations add little of worth. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
This is intended as a handbook of wisdom gleaned from 60 sources, ancient and contemporary, ranging from novelists, poets, sages, and saints to statesmen, including the likes of Herman Melville, Dorothy Parker, Shakespeare, Buddha, Jesus, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. Each chapter, prefaced by a quotation from an individual whose contribution to history is summed up in a few lines, revolves around a specific theme, such as forgiveness, work, family and home, divinity, individuality, and so forth. These writings are often rambling and take inspiration from individuals who have no bearing on the selected quotations. This book is self-actualization guru Dyer at his presumptuous best, capitalizing on the wisdom of others and devoting the final chapter to himself as a master worthy of the last word. Not much to recommend here.ABernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
An enhanced version of a commonplace book, Wisdom of the Age offers brief excerpts from the writings of 60 ``teachers'' (ranging from Buddha and Jesus up to George Bernard Shaw and Mother Teresa) followed by three- to four-page musings by Dyer (Real Magic, 1992, etc.) which attempt to explicate the sayings. The necessarily fragmentary nature of such an approach means that the book lends itself more to browsing than to study; the often bland and unsurprising analyses of the excerpts, and the only fitfully convincing effort to draw from each excerpt some plan of action for change and enhanced awareness would suggest that only the author's longtime fans are likely to find the volume of much interest or utility. (His fans are, of course, legion.) (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
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.


About the Author
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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bestselling author Wayne W. Dyer has crafted a powerful collection of writings, poems, and sayings by some of the greatest thinkers of the past twentyfive centuries. In succinct original essays, Dyer sets out to explain the meaning and context of each piece of wisdom, and, most important, how we can actively apply these teachings to our modern lives.A beautiful and thoughtful gift, this book shows us a window to wisdom and a door to greatness.

SYNOPSIS

Bestselling author Wayne W. Dyer has crafted a powerful collection of writings, poems, and sayings by some of the greatest thinkers of the past twentyfive centuries.

FROM THE CRITICS

Wayne W. Dyer

This book is not about appreciating poetry and philosophy as much as it is about applying the wisdom of these writers to our everyday lives. All the selections in this book convey messages from sensitive, highly creative, and productive individuals who were alive here at one time, just as you and I are today.

Wayne W. Dyer

This book is not about appreciating poetry and philosophy as much as it is about applying the wisdom of these writers to our everyday lives. All the selections in this book convey messages from sensitive, highly creative, and productive individuals who were alive here at one time, just as you and I are today.

Library Journal

This is intended as a handbook of wisdom gleaned from 60 sources, ancient and contemporary, ranging from novelists, poets, sages, and saints to statesmen, including the likes of Herman Melville, Dorothy Parker, Shakespeare, Buddha, Jesus, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. Each chapter, prefaced by a quotation from an individual whose contribution to history is summed up in a few lines, revolves around a specific theme, such as forgiveness, work, family and home, divinity, individuality, and so forth. These writings are often rambling and take inspiration from individuals who have no bearing on the selected quotations. This book is self-actualization guru Dyer at his presumptuous best, capitalizing on the wisdom of others and devoting the final chapter to himself as a master worthy of the last word. Not much to recommend here.--Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L.

Kirkus Reviews

An enhanced version of a commonplace book, Wisdom of the Ages offers brief excerpts from the writings of 60 "teachers" (ranging from Buddha and Jesus up to George Bernard Shaw and Mother Teresa) followed by three- to four-page musings by Dyer (Real Magic) which attempt to explicate the sayings. The necessarily fragmentary nature of such an approach means that the book lends itself more to browsing than to study; the often bland and unsurprising analyses of the excerpts, and the only fitfully convincing effort to draw from each excerpt some plan of action for change and enhanced awareness would suggest that only the author's longtime fans are likely to find the volume of much interest or utility. (His fans are, of course, legion.)