The Wisdom Principles: A Handbook of Timeless Truths and Timely Wisdom

Hungarian philosopher Laszlo (Reconnecting to the Source) melds science and spiritual practice in this shrewd guide to enlightened living. He begins by highlighting the need to live a life that is both healthy for Earth and beneficial to oneself, stressing that if readers “think globally, [their] life [will] become richer and healthier.” Laszlo explores how spiritual thinking, which is concerned with “experiential and presentational” knowledge, and the concept of “oneness” allows access to knowledge beyond one’s sensual understandings of the natural world. While he discusses a number of simple steps and tools—such as eating naturally produced food, making sustainable lifestyle choices, “avoiding ostentation,” deriving satisfaction from enhancing the “chances of life and well-being of other people,” and being “careful not to consume in ways that prevent the options of others”—his advice is more abstract than practical. Guest contributors—Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, and Gregg Braden among them—also chime in to expand on the concepts at play. While the New Age jargon may turn off some readers, Laszlo’s worldview will appeal to ecologically conscious spiritualists. (Sept.)