The Wisdom of Baltasar Gracian, A Practical Manual for Good and Perilous Times by J. Leonard Kaye Book Review by William Edelen "The real danger of a world in chaos is the unhinging of your own integrity." This profound and disturbing observation is only one of the jewels of thought from a book that only recently came into my life. The book is The Wisdom of Baltasar Gracian, A Practical Manual for Good and Perilous Times, adapted and edited by J. Leonard Kaye. Baltasar Gracian (1601-1658) was a Spanish Jesuit philosopher and writer. A scholar and satirist, he frequently expressed himself in epigrams. Over 300 years ago, this worldly Jesuit priest, counselor to kings, the genius of his age, made a careful study of the powerful and elite who managed to prosper. Today, his words and thoughts still speak eloquently to the need for ethical behavior in our chaotic world. His writings were later confiscated and banned by the Church, but his wisdom survived. The greatest minds of Europe, Friedrich Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer, drew inspiration from his writings. His name is certainly not a household word, and was unknown to me until a few months ago. Since I am a firm believer in the truth that nothing in our life happens by accident, there is some good and positive reason that this little book came into my life, even as it is now coming into your life as you read these words. A few jewels: "The shortest road to being 'somebody' is knowing who to follow." "Material excessiveness produces more silent enemies than genuine friends." "Only the sins of little-known people are little known." "Affectation is the act of taking on an attitude of behavior not natural to oneself. All that is natural is always more pleasing than the artificial." "The man who will not listen is incurably the fool." "Few are friends of 'who' you are: most are friends of 'what' you are." I first received this book on a light morning, with no appointments and no demanding obligations. I promptly took it out with me into the backyard, moved my chair under my favorite cottonwood tree, a spot where I can enjoy the birds splashing in their morning bath, while the finches breakfast on thistle seed, and here in this place of beauty and natural rhythms I read through this man's wisdom and practical guidance. I opened this review with two lines from what I think is my favorite and most moving page in the entire book. I want to share it with you. "The world is in chaos. Honorable dealing is deteriorating, good friends are few, truth is held in disrepute, good service is underpaid, poor service is overpaid. Whole nations are committed to evil dealings: With one you fear insecurity, with another, inconsistency, with a third, betrayal. This being what it is, let the bad faith of others serve not as an example, but as warning. The real danger of the situation lies in the unhinging of your own integrity: accepting less than your best, being overly tolerant of stupidity, forgiving incompetence, fraternizing with the nonspiritual. The man of principle never forgets what he is, because he clearly sees what the others are." This is the type of book that does not have to be read from page one to the end. You can pick it up, open it anywhere, and start reading, for five minutes or an hour, and be rewarded. And so enjoy. It will be worthy summer refreshment for your brain/spirit. Published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon and Schuster. Table of Contents | 1993 Issues | Subscribe Truth Seeker | Feedback | Freethought.com Webmaster Credit card Orders call: 800-321-9054 or fax: (619)676-0433 Or send check or money order to: Truth Seeker / 16935 W. Bernardo Drive, Suite 103 / San Diego, CA 92127 $20.00 annual U.S. subscription ($35.00 international). Individual issues—$10.00 + $2.50 postage and handling Or be a committed freethinker and send $35.00 for a two year subscription. Truth Seeker is published by Truth Seeker Co., Inc. (ISSN 0041-3712) © 1996