Madhusudan Reddy
Next time you visit a bookstore, check out the self-help section, especially books on raising families. Most parenting books are from WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) therapists and doctors. I am not trying to get cheeky here. WEIRD, which is a commonly used acronym in academia, represents the majority of the study and data on social science research. It is not representative of a country like India for obvious reasons of social, cultural, and economic diversity that India richly represents. Then in the same book aisle are books by authors who dole out nostalgia by lamenting the good old days and how messed up things are today.
The Wisdom Bridge by Kamlesh D Patel (Daaji) offers a refreshing take on living an inspiring life and raising a family by blending the best of science and spirituality. Daaji offers an optimistic message to families, especially parents, that these are perhaps the best times to raise a child with the right blend of science and soul. To give you an idea, consider this: there is a chapter on mirror neurons in the book that takes a plausible leap from deep neuroscience to the power of intention setting and how it helps raise children. Or take this one: the science behind grandma massaging the baby is not anecdotal but rooted in science that has already saved millions of lives in the NICU. The Wisdom Bridge is an authentic record of the integration of wisdom from the scriptures proven true by the wonders of modern-day scientific research.
But most important of all is that this book does not use science as a crutch to dole out hacks. Filled with almost 30 pages of references, the book shows that the logic of the mind and the intuition of the heart are almost always in sync. What was empirically proven knowledge in people’s hearts now has the backing of science too. Whether it’s trying to figure out the right time in a relationship to raise a family or learning how best to guide teenage children, this book offers amazing insights grounded in science that also sound right to the heart.
Now, I must tell you that my views are biased because I have read and reviews a lot of books. But what makes The Wisdom Bridge rise above my personal bias is the universal message of the book. The big idea of the book is that when life is guided by wisdom, life is ennobled. Each generation builds a bridge into the future to pass on this wisdom. A wisdom bridge offers continuity of life, and we all will play our role in building one. So, whether you are aware of it today or not, there will come a time when you will be looked up to as a source of guidance.
At that time, whether you play the role of a Wisdom Bridge or not will be decided by what actions you take today.
To help you act wisely, the book is divided into nine principles. Each principle has stories, science, and opinion to inform the reader. The book is also filled with action items and takeaways. What makes it easier to put these learnings into action is the fact that no chapter takes more than 20 mins to read. Of particular importance in the book are the parenting sutras scattered across the book. Although Daaji doesn’t call them parenting sutras, these nuggets like “care is more important than prepare” and “make a child feel secure and not special” are actionable for parents.
Finally, what makes this book a warm read is the humanity of Daaji and his deep empathy for real-life struggles. To quote from the book, Daaji, in the introduction, says, “Parenting is many things, but the one thing it’s not is a perfection pageant. There are no perfect parents. We all learn on the job.” To do a wonderful job in raising a family, I recommend you pick up a copy of The Wisdom Bridge today.
