A Handbook of Wisdom: Psychological Perspectives

Description

A topic ignored in mainstream scientific inquiry for decades, wisdom is beginning to return to the place of reverence that it held in ancient schools of intellectual study. A Handbook of Wisdom explores wisdom's promise for helping scholars and lay people to understand the apex of human thought and behavior. At a time when poor choices are being made by notably intelligent and powerful individuals, this book presents analysis and review on a form of reasoning and decision-making that is not only productive and prudent, but also serves a beneficial purpose for society. A Handbook of Wisdom is a collection of chapters from some of the most prominent scholars in the field of wisdom research. Written from multiple perspectives, including psychology, philosophy, and religion, this book gives the reader an in-depth understanding of wisdom's past, present, and possible future direction within literature, science, and society.

Robert J. Sternberg (PhD) is IBM Professor of Psychology and Education at Yale, Director of the PACE Center at Yale, and was the 2003 President of the American Psychological Association. He is the author of over 1000 publications on topics related to cognition and intelligence. He has won numerous awards from professional associations and holds five honorary doctorates. Jennifer Jordan (MS; M Phil.) is currently an advanced doctoral student in psychology at Yale University. Much of her graduate school career has been spent studying wisdom, both at the Yale University PACE Center and at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany. Her dissertation examines moral awareness within the business-expert population.

"This handbook provides a valuable compendium of the current state of knowledge about wisdom. It is a worthwhile read, and the conscientious reader will be more knowledgeable if not wiser." -David D. Simpson, PsycCritiques "Wisdom appears to have much to do with outstanding futures-thinking, and thus in a very broad sense can be seen as a method to be cultivated." -Future Survey