A Word from the Wise [antikvár]

NTRODUCTION An angel appears at a college faculty meeting and tells the dean that in return for his exemplary behaviour, the Lord will reward him with his choice of infinite wealth, wisdom or beauty. Without hesitating, the dean chooses infinite wisdom. 'Done' says the angel, and disappears in a puff of smoke and a bolt of lightning. All heads then turn towards the dean, who is bathed in a halo of light. At length, one of his colleagues whispers, 'Say something.' The dean looks at them and says, 'I should have taken the money.' That's the trouble with wisdom - you don't get it until after you need it. If only there was a way to acquire the wisdom without first having to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, how much easier would that make our journey through life. 'To know the road ahead ask those coming back,' goes an old Chinese saying. Who better to offer guidance than those who've been there, done that, got the metaphorical long white beard and furrowed brow? 'Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own,' declared Aesop. They suffer the slings and arrows so you don't have to. A Word from the Wise gathers together hundreds of fellow travellers on life's highway to share their pearls of hard-won wisdom. They cover all the hot-button issues including life, death, war, peace, truth, beauty, and how to test the ripeness of Camembert cheese. Subjects are arranged alphabetically so whatever challenge you're facing, you can speedily locate some nugget of wisdom to inspire, console or amuse.