Winston Churchill once remarked, "It is a good thing for an educated man to read books of quotations." This is a result of the immense power that is concealed in the thoughts of great individuals. Quotations not only make us wiser, they help to swiftly connect us to the most sacred inner thoughts of an individual. Joseph Roux finely states "a fine quotation is a diamond in the hand of a man of wit and a pebble in the hand of a fool." This book has been compiled to act as a direct and insightful source of African maxims. It covers categories such as family life, food, friendship, love beauty and wisdom. It consists of the best maxims from the many wonderful countries that make up the unique continent of Africa. "If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings." "A child's fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which his mother puts into his palm." "However long the night, the dawn will break." "To run is not necessarily to arrive." "Love is a despot who spares no one." "One thread for the needle, one love for the heart."

A comprehensive introduction to ancient wisdom literature, with fascinating essays on a broad range of topics. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature is a wide-ranging introduction to the texts, themes, and receptions of the wisdom literature of the Bible and the ancient world. This comprehensive volume brings together original essays from established scholars and emerging voices to offer a variety of perspectives on the “wisdom” biblical books, early Christian and rabbinic literature, and beyond. Varied and engaging essays provide fresh insights on topics of timeless relevance, exploring the distinct features of instructional texts and discussing their interpretation in both antiquity and the modern world. Designed for non-specialists, this accessible volume provides readers with balanced coverage of traditional biblical wisdom texts, including Proverbs, Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes; lesser-known Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom; and African proverbs. The contributors explore topics ranging from scribes and pedagogy in ancient Israel, to representations of biblical wisdom literature in contemporary cinema. Offering readers a fresh and interesting way to engage with wisdom literature, this book: Discusses sapiential books and traditions in various historical and cultural contexts Offers up-to-date discussion on the study of the biblical wisdom books Features essays on the history of interpretation and theological reception Includes essays covering the antecedents and afterlife of the texts Part of the acclaimed Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion series, the Companion to Wisdom Literature is a valuable resource for university, seminary and divinity school students and instructors, scholars and researchers, and general readers with interest in the subject.

This extensive collection of 1755 proverbs spans all regions of the African continent, revealing much about the wisdom, humour, and character of its people and culture. Each proverb is arranged alphabetically by key words and includes the country, province, or tribe of origin. Charmingly illustrated with traditional African art from museums and collections around the world.

3. THE KEMETIC DIET: GUIDE TO HEALTH, DIET AND FASTING Health issues have always been important to human beings since the beginning of time. The earliest records of history show that the art of healing was held in high esteem since the time of Ancient Egypt. In the early 20th century, medical doctors had almost attained the status of sainthood by the promotion of the idea that they alone were "scientists" while other healing modalities and traditional healers who did not follow the "scientific method' were nothing but superstitious, ignorant charlatans who at best would take the money of their clients and at worst kill them with the unscientific "snake oils" and "irrational theories". In the late 20th century, the failure of the modern medical establishment's ability to lead the general public to good health, promoted the move by many in society towards "alternative medicine". Alternative medicine disciplines are those healing modalities which do not adhere to the philosophy of allopathic medicine. Allopathic medicine is what medical doctors practice by an large. It is the theory that disease is caused by agencies outside the body such as bacteria, viruses or physical means which affect the body. These can therefore be treated by medicines and therapies The natural healing method began in the absence of extensive technologies with the idea that all the answers for health may be found in nature or rather, the deviation from nature. Therefore, the health of the body can be restored by correcting the aberration and thereby restoring balance. This is the area that will be covered in this volume. Allopathic techniques have their place in the art of healing. However, we should not forget that the body is a grand achievement of the spirit and built into it is the capacity to maintain itself and heal itself.

Using good manners and doing the right thing never go out of style. And in An Ancient African Wisdom Book, author Angela Chamblee analyzes The Instruction of Ptahhotep, one of the oldest textbooks on earth; a self-help book, it teaches good manners and ethics and provides advice about how to be successful in life. Aided by illustrations, An Ancient African Wisdom Book dissects this eighteen page book of maxims that was written 4,500 years ago and translates these maxims into information that can be applied to life today. The maxims provide advice on how to do the following: - Effectively dispute with a supervisor, peer, or subordinate - Speak to a powerful person - Deal with success - Guard against greed - Survive middle management - Be a better listener - Have a better marriage In addition to an explanation of the maxims, An Ancient African Wisdombook also includes teaching suggestions, writing assignments, group lessons, and commentary to help teachers formulate lesson plans to teach ancient African wisdom. Ptahhotep's book helps to lay the foundation for black literature and culture throughout the world, and it lays the ethical foundation for a golden age of African achievement.

Ubuntu is an old African concept, a way of life that was like a religion in many African societies long before the days of colonisation. Ubuntu means to sacrifice for others selflessly, caring for and protecting your fellow human beings. Applying ubuntu in the workplace is not always understood. Ubuntu: Shaping the current workplace with (African) wisdom looks at how we can use the old values and wisdom of our forebears to create more humane and productive workplaces. In Ubuntu: Shaping the current workplace with (African) wisdom Professor Vuyisile Msila presents the five Ps of ubuntu, which contain the elements enabling organisations to thrive. An ubuntu-inspired workplace focuses on: ? Dependability ? Team work ? Interconnectedness ? Caring ? Being led by a collective vision ? Performance ? Loyalty ? Openness ? Honesty ? Transformational leadership

Through The Healing Wisdom of Africa, readers can come to understand that the life of indigenous and traditional people is a paradigm for an intimate relationship with the natural world that both surrounds us and is within us. The book is the most complete study of the role ritual plays in the lives of African people--and the role it can play for seekers in the West.

A matrix is a foundation upon which something is created. It is also a framework or structure that a construction can be based upon. The matrix is a guide. The question is what are the ideas and principles that African culture and society has been based on from time immemorial? In terms of African society and civilization the matrix is proverbial wisdom teachings. African proverbial wisdom teachings are aphorisms that may be found from ancient to modern times that contain a uniquely African perspective on life, social organization and spiritual existence that has been refined and encapsulated over generations. African proverbial wisdom teachings contain the guiding principles that were used by ancient African societies and which can still be found in use throughout Africa for the transference of wisdom containing a code for the architecture of a well ordered society and also for personal material and spiritual fulfillment. This volume is dedicated to outlining those principles embedded in African Proverbial Wisdom teachings for those who want to recapture the innate African acumen for creating political and economic well-being and spiritual connection to the universe.

What does liberal order actually amount to outside the West, where it has been most institutionalised? Contrary to the Atlantic or Pacific, liberal hegemony is thin in the Indian Ocean World; there are no equivalents of NATO, the EU or the US-Japan defence relationship. Yet what this book calls the 'Global Indian Ocean' was the beating heart of earlier epochs of globalisation, where experiments in international order, market integration and cosmopolitanisms were pioneered. Moreover, it is in this macro-region that today's challenges will face their defining hour: climate change, pandemics, and the geopolitical contest pitting China and Pakistan against the USA and India. The Global Indian Ocean states represent the greatest range of political systems and ideologies in any region, from Hindu-nationalist India and nascent democracy in Indonesia and South Africa, to the Gulf's mixture of tribal monarchy and high modernism. These essays by leading scholars examine key aspects of political order, and their roots in the colonial and pre-colonial past, through the lenses of state-building, nationalism, international security, religious identity and economic development. The emergent lessons are of great importance for the world, as the 'global' liberal order fades and new alternatives struggle to be born.

A natural sequel to Some's book on ritual and intimacy, this book draws on the wisdom of the African ancestors to show how to build communities where children are not only welcomed but prized.