Matters of Consequence [Paperback]

People, today, seem to be divided into a few "camps," so to speak. Those who choose to live in the past have little to offer, and we can only hope that those individuals interested in consumption, power, and money will shift their perspectives as the seriousness of the human situation becomes ever more obvious. There are those who are interested only in their own personal growth and spiritual development. If they stay with it, they will mature and care for what is outside of themselves as well as what is within.

There are "progressives" who spend all their time exposing failures and wrongdoings of the moment, but never extrapolate from that to the creation of solutions. Career activists are valuable, to be sure, but some of them seem to have based their lives solely upon campaigning AGAINST something - never seeming to move forward to creation of something better.

Then we have the very few who think and feel holistically. These are the people who have real wisdom to offer. Paul Ray, author of the Cultural Creatives study, frankly states that Matters of Consequence is the one book he always hoped he would find.

It really is the most comprehensive piece of writing I have ever read - particularly between the covers of one book. Wisdom resides on every page, and his deep research, and the breadth and scope of his knowledge and vision are astonishing.

Given the truly desperate situation facing humanity today, if you read only one book this year, I honestly hope, for all our sakes, that you consider making it this one.

A central message of the book is that direction and purpose will come naturally to a person who acquires what the author calls 'deep understanding'. To achieve deep understanding, two key ingredients are necessary. The first is knowledge of humanity's place in the cosmos and of the complex processes that impact on humanity and will determine our future. The second is self-knowledge and spiritual development. The author argues convincingly that it is only when this second essential ingredient is added that individuals will know how to respond appropriately to the great challenges facing humanity and will find the motivation and energy to do something positive about them. Knowledge alone, no mater how comprehensive and intelligent, is not enough.

Importantly, the book makes out a strong case for a spirituality that is fully and deeply engaged with the world and that will drive social and political activism. It convincingly rejects a sterile and sequestered spirituality that is disengaged from the human condition and disinterested in political and social issues.

In large part 'Matters of Consequence' is a manual for achieving 'deep understanding'. It provides an integrated and cutting edge survey of all the key areas of knowledge that must be mastered for a proper understanding of the human condition - the book includes wonderful syntheses of cosmological, evolutionary, socio-cultural, economic and environmental knowledge. It then integrates these with approaches to developing introspectively-acquired self-knowledge and creating a life of purpose, meaning and significance. The book concludes with a thorough examination of the key challenges facing humanity over the next 50 years and how deep understanding can be put to use to respond to these. It identifies the personal and societal transformations that we must implement. A series of detailed Appendices identify further resources that we can use as we engage with these challenges.

Despite the complexity and breadth of the issues and knowledge that the book covers, I found it effortless to read. It is written extremely clearly and simply.

I do not know anyone who would fail to learn something of significance from reading 'Matters of Consequence', and who would not enjoy doing so. This is an important and timely book.