23 Nuggets

The Little Red Book of Wisdom by Mark DeMoss

In a compact volume that begs to be reread and handed out to everyone you know, author Mark DeMoss collects twenty-three chapters of proverbial wisdom applicable to anyone with enough discipline to apply it. DeMoss highlights his own experiences but the lessons learned at the side of his father and through the lives of others form the fabric that knits it all together. This is a book you will give to your son or daughter, your associates while keeping one copy for yourself close by for regular refreshers. This would be an excellent companion to P.M. Forni’s Choosing Civility.

So many books in this category (Business and Economics) purport to teach wisdom but, more often than not, they disappoint. The critical difference between these and The Little Red Book of Wisdom is a lack of clear integrity. This is not to say that other business authors lack integrity but their focus on profit, growth and self-advancement shadow their wisdom. DeMoss approaches life differently, in the same vein as Truett Cathy, and he places God and Christian-rooted ethics first. The lessons that emerge from his experience can then be traced back to a singular source of truth.

While there are no chapters that you will be tempted to skip, there are many standouts in the book’s pages. Turning nearly to the end, I found the chapter having to do with deathbed regrets especially poignant. Mark points out the advantage of thinking early in life to avoid the regrets later in life that arise from unwise choices in youth. If my son can benefit from a single chapter, I hope it is this one as his whole life unfolds ahead of him.

Savor this book. You can read it quickly in a couple sittings but you will miss the benefits that come from letting his thoughts sink in and bang around a bit. Much like the book of Proverbs he references so often, small sips of wisdom are all the Spirit needs to embed in your character in order for your integrity to be polished and put on display for the world to see.

Thomas Nelson – The Little Red Book of Wisdom

I am grateful to Thomas Nelson for supplying this copy for review.