Who We Are: A Chronicle of the Ideas That Shaped Our World (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781882897308)

By day, I am a physician, but at night, the stars come out. As the heart rests between beats, so we need brief respites from the noise of daily life, and a quiet place to go for a few moments to be at peace and to understand something of the world with which we briefly sojourn. We need to hear the wisdom of the past and the present, so we can see the promise of the future. My first two books are part of my series of learning from the past to make a better present. My immediate project, just completed, is a short series of essays based on Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet. In this newly completed work, the wise Almustafa returns to Orphalese for just one day to answer questions on matters of contemporary angst, such as divorce, terrorism, fundamentalism, refugees, and government. While the essays have a unifying theme of tranquility and Eastern philosophy, each can be read alone, and all are very brief. They are intended to give the reader a few pearls in a few minutes, all applicable in all situations throughout daily life. Books on history, science, and artistic expression are in progress to complete this series. I am a citizen of the world. I have learned from all the times of history and all the peoples of the world. I hope now to give to the world. Writing these has made my life richer by keeping in front of me that which matters, and allowing me to pass that which distracts. I hope my work has the same effect on you.