By Bill Ellis

SCOTT DEPOT, WV — Is there such a thing as “The little red book of wisdom ?” If so, where can you find it and how much will it cost and will it be worth the price ?

When I listen to the daily news reports, I usually ask, “What happened to intelligence and wisdom ?” Where are the men and women of even a modest degree of either ? Are we in danger of becoming a world of babblers ? I hope not.

Wisdom is related to knowledge, experience, erudition, insight, sagacity and common sense. It was Ambrose Bierce who defined wisdom as “A special knowledge in excess of all that is known.” Jacob Anatoli called it “The soul’s natural food.”

We often show our lack of wisdom when we try to discuss things we know little about. Wisdom is knowing how to deal with what we think we know. I have been reminded and reprimanded more than once of this truth, “Keep your mouth shut and others will never know the scope of your ignorance. Open it and quickly remove all doubt.”

Recently, I discovered “The Little Red Book of Wisdom” (Thomas Nelson, 2007). It is definitely red and little with only 169 pages. Captivating, dynamic, powerful, straight to the mind and heart and filled with what we all need to know only begins to describe it. It is a “must read” and a slow reader can capture it in an hour or two.

I started with the title page and moved quickly to the exciting dedication pages, eagerly read the interesting and informative acknowledgements, was excited by the table of contents and found the preface to be priceless. What a book ! I usually skip all those pages. I was nearly out of breath when I reached chapter I and it was titled “A Matter of Death and Life.” How exciting can a book get ?

This book of wisdom has just 23 brief chapters which deal with the extremely important things that every parent, student, teacher, doctor, preacher, lawyer, banker, athlete, laborer, factory worker, psychologist, carpenter, mother, father, business leader, farmer, coal miner, policeman, secretary, teenager, husband, wife, cook, scientist, clerk, car salesman and everybody else needs to read. It deals with all the major issues of life such as thinking, learning, earning a living, sex, listening, the umbrellas of life and the turtle sitting on the fence post.

I wish I could have read this book 40 years ago. Had I done so my life would have been a lot more fulfilling and successful. That, however, would have been impossible. The brilliant writer and man of wisdom, Mark DeMoss, was still a child when I really needed his book. I read it when I was past 50, but it is already proving to be a valuable asset. It is the kind of book I will read over and over.

Somebody said : “The only person less popular than a wise guy is a wise guy who is right.” A highly perceptive person added : “What this country needs is a special encyclopedia with blank pages for those who know everything.” Lord Chestefield in “Letters to His Son”, advised, “Be wiser than other people if you can ; but do not tell them so.” There is wisdom and humor in those words.