book reviews

Book reviews for scholastic growth; read material from the world's top educators with our collection of novels, memoirs, biographies, philosophical texts and textbooks.

THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS
"fighting against circumstances?” Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. Man is manacled only by himself; thought and action are the jailors of Fate--they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of Freedom--they liberate, being noble. Not what he wished and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions. In the light of this truth what, then, is the meaning of "fighting against circumstances?” It means that a man is continually revolting against an effect without, while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his heart. That cause may take the form of a conscious vice or an unconscious weakness; but whatever it is, it stubbornly retards the efforts of it possessor, and thus calls aloud for remedy. Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is as true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose sole object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life? Here is a man who is wretchedly poor. He is extremely anxious that his surroundings and home comforts should improve, yet all the time he shirks his work, and considers he is justified in trying to deceive his employer on the ground of the insufficiency of his wages. Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of those principles which are the basis of true prosperity, and is not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness, but is actually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling in, and acting out, indolent, deceptive, and unmanly thoughts. Here is a rich man who is the victim of a painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony. He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it, but he will not sacrifice his gluttonous desires. He wants to gratify his taste for rich and unnatural foods and have his health as well. Such a man is totally unfit to have health, because he has not yet learned the first principles of a healthy life. Here is an employer of labor who adopts crooked measures to avoid paying the regulation wage, and, in the hope of making larger profits, reduces the wages of his workers. Such a man is altogether unfitted for prosperity. And when he finds himself bankrupt, both as regards reputation and riches, he blames circumstances, not knowing that he is the sole author of his condition. I have introduced these three cases merely as illustrative of the truth that man is the causer (though nearly always unconsciously) of his circumstances, and that, whilst aiming at the good end, he is continually frustrating its accomplishment by encouraging thoughts and desires which cannot possibly harmonize with that end. Such cases could be multiplied and varied almost indefinitely, but this is not necessary. The reader can, if he so resolves, trace the action of the laws of thought in his own mind and life, and until this is done, mere external facts cannot serve as a ground of reasoning. Circumstances, however, are so complicated, thought is so deeply rooted, and the conditions of happiness vary so vastly with individuals, that a man's entire soul condition (although it may be known to himself) cannot be judged by another from the external aspect of his life alone.
By ephraim2 years ago in Education
Thought And Circumstances
Effect Of Thought On Circumstances A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind. Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful and pure thoughts. By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also reveals, within himself, the flaws of thought, and understands, with ever increasing accuracy, how the thought-forces and mind elements operate in the shaping of character, circumstances, and destiny. Thought and character are one, and as character can only manifest and discover itself through environment and circumstance, the outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state. This does not mean that a man's circumstances at any given time are an indication of his entire character, but that those circumstances are so intimately connected with some vital thought-element within himself that, for the time being, they are indispensable to his development. Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err. This is just as true of those who feel "out of harmony" with their surroundings as of those who are contented with them. As a progressive and evolving being, man is where he is that he may learn that he may grow; and as he learns the spiritual lesson which any circumstance contains for him, it passes away and gives place to other circumstances. Man is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself. That circumstances grow out of thought every man knows who has for any length of time practiced self-control and self purification, for he will have noticed that the alteration in his circumstances has been in exact ratio with his altered mental condition. So true is this that when a man earnestly applies himself to remedy the defects in his character, and makes swift and marked progress, he passes rapidly through a succession of vicissitudes. The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchartered desires, and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives it own. Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit. The outer world of circumstances shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As the reaper of his own harvest, man learns both of suffering and bliss. Following the inmost desires, aspirations, thoughts, by which he allows himself to be dominated (pursuing the will-o'-the wisps of impure imaginings or steadfastly walking the highway of strong and high endeavor), a man at last arrives at their fruition and fulfillment in the outer conditions of his life. The laws of growth and adjustment everywhere obtain. A man does not come to the alms-house or the jail by the tyranny of fate or circumstance, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of any mere external force. The criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of opportunity revealed its gathered power. Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself. No such conditions can exist as descending into vice and its attendant sufferings apart from vicious inclinations, or ascending into virtue and its pure happiness without the continued cultivation of virtuous aspirations; and man, therefore, as the lord and master of thought, is the maker of himself and the shaper of and author of environment. Even at birth the soul comes of its own and through every step of its earthly pilgrimage it attracts those combinations of conditions which reveal itself, which are the reflections of its own purity and impurity, its strength and weakness.
By ephraim2 years ago in Education
As A Man Thinketh in his mind
As A Man Thinketh in his mind, has inspired millions around the world and has influenced many ,that man’s visions can become reality, simply through the power of thought. the result of meditation and experience is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that "They themselves are makers of themselves" by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happiness.
By ephraim2 years ago in Education
Columbia College president pummels grounds discrimination against Jews
At a legislative hearing, Columbia College's leader has denounced discrimination against Jews, while safeguarding her treatment of Gaza war fights.
By Shamsul Haque2 years ago in Education
A YEAR CALL 2024
Afterward, she would recollect that moment in explodes: like she were remaining behind a splendid light that blazed between scenes, gleaming strangely with colors that were too brilliant before her eyes:
By olayinka peter2 years ago in Education
The Coddling of The American Mind: Book Review
Lukianoff and Haidt set the stage for their exploration of the cultural shifts on college campuses and in society at large that they argue have led to the coddling of young people's minds. They introduce the concept of "safetyism," the belief that people are fragile and need to be protected from potentially harmful ideas or experiences, and discuss its implications for free speech, academic freedom, and mental well-being.
By Booda2 years ago in Education
Creature Behaviorist Pummels Paid "Superstar" PETA Representative For Misleading Enemy of Zoo Cases
When it comes to how celebrities influence how the general public thinks, feels, and live out their lives, there is no arguing that they do manage to show it all off through social media platforms that focus on anything that has nothing to do with the glitz and glamor like it once was in the 50s and 60s. No, instead, it is a lot more focus on political, social, and even environmental-related causes or whatever may make them look more like international humanitarian workers and less like glamorous stars of film and television.
By olayinka peter2 years ago in Education
charming panda
The panda, a cute and magical creature, celebrates China's national treasure. They live in the bamboo forests of China. They have soft black and white fur and big round eyes, giving people a gentle and kind feeling.
By olayinka peter2 years ago in Education
UNDERSTANDING WHAT TIME IS SAYING
The vast majority accept that Pressure is Terrible. Notwithstanding, it truly doesn't work like that in People. It's just plain obvious, Stress itself is neither Great nor Terrible intrinsically.
By olayinka peter2 years ago in Education
Revolutionizing Medical Biotechnology: The Journey to a Multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 System
Revolutionizing Medical Biotechnology: The Journey to a Multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 System In the bustling corridors of an innovative biotech startup, a team of visionary scientists embarked on a mission that could turn the tide in the global fight against antibiotic resistance—one of the most daunting challenges in modern medicine. At the heart of their endeavor was the development of a groundbreaking multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 system designed to target and edit multiple antibiotic resistance genes within bacterial pathogens simultaneously.
By Joseph Odongo2 years ago in Education
Arcadia Books: Where Every Page Sparks Discovery
At the center of a bustling metropolis, there was a one-of-a-kind bookstore that had become an essential component of the community. This bookstore was known as "Arcadia Books." This was not any ordinary bookstore; rather, it was a haven for those who were in search of knowledge, possessing shelves that contained the keys to a vast number of different realms of comprehension. Marcus, a former college professor with a passion for imparting knowledge, owned Arcadia Books, which provided more than just books; it was a gateway to education and enlightenment.
By Vladimir Nascimento2 years ago in Education
EnlightenMint Books: A Beacon of Knowledge in the Heart of the City
In the heart of a bustling city, nestled between a café and a boutique, stood the beloved bookstore, "EnlightenMint Books." Samantha Powers, a woman with an infectious passion for learning and sharing knowledge, owned and operated the bookstore, which had carved out a special place in the community. EnlightenMint was more than just a store; it was a thriving hub for educational exploration and discovery.
By Vladimir Nascimento2 years ago in Education