Preface to The Brook
The Brook presents a simple and practical philosophy of life expressed as a collection of actions. It provides the foundation of the succeeding books of the Trilogy. Collectively, the Trilogy presents a way to find your own meaning or purpose, success and fulfillment in life.
This philosophy was uncovered and refined over many years of introspection by the author, interspersed with deep study and reflection on the wisdom of learned and enlightened individuals from ancient times to modern days, from the west to the east and all the places in between. In fact, the philosophy of the Brook continues to evolve along with the author’s understanding of life and self. Thus, the author has been, and remains, its main guinea pig.
This is a practical philosophy, focused upon action. It is a philosophy, based upon the author’s own experiences in various aspects of life This philosophy has been refined caringly over the years, with the living guidance of many teachers and mentors. The teacher who influenced the author most was his father.
Finally, but by no measure of the least importance to the development of the philosophy of the Brook, were the contributions of many students of the author over the years. These students, both undergraduate and graduate, helped in refining the applicability of this philosophy and its relevance to daily living as well as to the life and career development and planning decisions of individuals as well as of organizations.
Many of the students were then, and are now, what you would consider well settled professionals engaged in a variety of professional and management positions within national and international organizations; while some were then, or are now, successful entrepreneurs. These individuals brought, through their research projects and via class discussions, their personal as well as professional and organizational experiences, quandaries and dilemmas.
In addition to serving as excellent partners in research, or perhaps more aptly, in our joint quest, many of them contributed incisive truths and thoughts of wisdom to the collective pool of knowledge that represented our classes over the years. Some of the waters of this pool may have formed one or more streams and found their way to the timeless oceans of wisdom and knowledge that we have inherited from our ancestors.
Clearly, this is not a new philosophy but, rather, it is an expression of a deeply felt understanding of life as it effects individuals today. This understanding is a result, in part, of considerable study of the wisdom of the ages, introspection and reflection upon the author’s journey’s through life and the variety of experiences during these journeys. Thus, readers who are looking for something new may be somewhat disappointed in the Brook.
On the other hand, some readers may discover certain truths in the Brook for the first time. Others, through the experience of the Brook, may for the first time become aware of some truths that always have existed within their deeper selves. Most readers, though, will find little that is not known to them – or would become known to them if they were to reflect deeply upon life from within their inner selves.
For, those individuals, who forever are seeking from the outside new answers to their questions, new solutions to their problems or new fruits to gratify their desires, let them not forget what Ecclesiastes states – “there is nothing new under the sun.”
Essays excerpted from The Trilogy, as well the entire Brookmaster Game, can be found in the pages of this web site.
Happy navigating and, again, welcome to The Brook!