Book excerpt: Finding Wisdom: Learning From Those Who Are Wise looks at wisdom through the lives of nineteen wise individuals from five distinct cultures—Navajo, Japanese, Kenyan, Saami, and Western European. The philosophies of these men and women unfold through their life stories. Traveling the world to meet these extraordinary men and women, the author discovered what the wise have in common, regardless of their cultures. All of us can benefit from those individuals who generate wise thoughts and actions. Through learning about “wise ones” who live among us, readers will find guidance for navigating through difficult times in their own lives and will learn to recognize the universal attributes of wisdom. Finding Wisdom explores wisdom as an attribute that men and women can and do attain. The book also addresses the questions: What is wisdom? Who is wise? What makes them so? How does one seek wisdom? Can wisdom be taught? and What difference can wisdom make in contemporary society?