A Quaker Book of Wisdom: Life Lessons In Simplicity, Service, And Common Sense

As a background: I was a graduate economics student of Kenneth Boulding in 1985. He and his wife Elise were among the most prominent Quakers in the U.S. during the latter half of the 20th century. I learned much from Kenneth, and had the opportunity to ask him questions about Quakerism in his office. It resonates with some of my views on religion and personal responsibility.

When I came across Smith's A Quaker Book of Wisdom recently on Amazon, I ordered it with great anticipation. Having read it cover to cover when it arrived yesterday, I can say it is an enjoyable book for an onlooker like me, but I was expecting (or maybe "hoping" is a better word) that it would provide a deeper exploration of the Quaker vision than it actually did. It kept my interest, but I wanted more. I was going to share it with my son, who is interested in comparative religion, but there's just not that much here to make it worthwhile. 3.8 stars rounds to 4.

As an old/new member of the Quaker faith this book was not just some shallow sayings, with washed up meanings, but instead it was truly amazing! I have a heritage of Quakers within my family and I found this to be a worthwhile read. While some have labeled this a liberal book, with liberal Quaker views, I would argue that the theology and basis of Quakerism is to see the light in every person regardless of creed or religion. Smith does an excellent job of reinforcing these ideals for me, and furthermore makes it clear in each chapter what is expected of those who are Quakers. Simply, it comes down to a choice ocean of light or darkness, and I chose the light with the help of this great book.

This little book is clear, thought-provoking, and most of all, inspiring. I have recommended it to all my friends and I have purchased it as a gift for one. How refreshing to be exposed to wisdom as opposed to indoctrination and dogma. It is a breath of spiritual fresh air.

The author would have done better to label this work as his personal story and musings, and stay closer to his first-hand knowledge rather than present himself as an expert. When trying to describe Quakers in general he makes several mistakes that some readers will find glaring and have been noted such in Quaker media. Unfortunately, most readers being non-Quakers and casual Quakers, will be unaware of this deficit. With a different title and all the generalizations removed or corrected, this book could have been an interesting and informative autobiographical account.

This book is simple, a good read, and an excellent book that introduces you to the Quaker practice. I have enjoyed it very much and I am delighted to discover how much Quaker teachings go hand-in-hand with simplicity and Unity ideals. This book has encouraged me to investigate more in to Quaker beliefs. This would be an excellent addition to any library for those who enjoy searching for and reading spiritual books.

I happen to be a Quaker. This book, however, is practical inspiration in a very readable form, from a very wise man, for anyone. I like to keep it next to my bed to read a bit before going to sleep. Excellent insight to help guide our very busy and sometimes confusing lives. I have bought 5 copies, and given them to my favorite people.

Robert Lawrence Smith, a lifelong Quaker, offers a lovely mix of introductory to Quaker thought, memoir, and personal insight in this small volume (190 pages of a small-sized book). Besides visiting a Quaker meeting once, I haven't much familiarity with the faith. Smith's book is great. He divides the book into ten chapters, each on either a core principle of the Quaker faith (Silence, Truth, Nonviolence, Service) or on how the Quaker faith applies to an aspect of life (Business, Family). In each chapter, he discusses both the Quaker perspective and his own experience observing it among his parents and grandparents or in his adult life as a husband, parent, friend, and director of a Quaker school. One good example is in the chapter on Conscience, when he discusses how he and other Quakers made different decisions in the face of World War II, and how he respected both decisions: "I believe wholeheartedly that the Quakers who were conscientious objectors did the right thing. They were keeping alive a precious ideal--affirming the role of peacemaker and the place of nonviolence in human affairs. Those who went to war did the right thing too. 'Doing the right thing' can only be defined as letting your conscience guide you, as listening to that small voice of God within you, and doing you best to follow the path of truth." He brings it all together in an epilogue of ten life lessons derived from the Quaker faith and his own experience.

It took me a little while to get through the book; not all sections were equally captivating. But on the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I made notes on many passages.

I completely recommend it as an introduction to the faith. I have already purchased a copy as a gift.

Here is a summary passage I enjoyed from the epilogue: "Quakerism offers some vital reminders to keep all of us on track: that there is that of God in each of us; that we all possess an inner, guiding light; that truth is the way, and that often 'way opens' in the midst of silence. Quakers have also shown us that 'trying what love can do' to improve the lives of others in this world can have unimagined consequences for good; that all of us share the same humanity and the same future; that each of us can find his or her best self in service to a cause that is more durable than self-gratification and self-aggrandizement."

To close, here's some of the finest and most distinctive professional advice I've seen: "Make your love visible in the world through your work. You're likely to funnel most of your waking time and energy into work. Make it count. Take it seriously. In work you can express your own moral voice. Find a sense of self-worth in your work by making yourself an instrument for healing, for service, for siding with the ocean of light against the ocean of darkness. Try what love will do."

This is a great book. If you are interested in learning more about the Quaker faith this is a wonderful guide to applying Quaker tenants to everyday living. If you are looking for spiritual direction in your life this book shows you the Quaker path. I enjoyed reading it on many levels. I recieved it as a gift and have since give it as a gift.

I am not a quaker, but have been interested in the religion. This book helped me with some of my questions about it. The author talks about his own experience with various parts of the religion, and relates to things like being honest, being there for people, ect. It is a thought-provoking book, as it looks at our world today, and how things have changed. I bought this book sometime last year, and still re-read it today, and have found it extremely interesting and helpful to me. Overall, I would recomend this book for anyone, really.

As the author states, this is a book written by an older man for his grandchildren and others their age. It is a good general book with stories about how to live out various aspects of Quaker tradition. It is not a reference book nor does it offer a great deal of historical information. I found it a bit "light" for a mature reader, although it does not talk down to younger people. I passed it on to someone younger and it was just what they were looking for. I don't wish to give the impression that it was a bad book. It was just more of an appetizer when I was looking for dinner.