Book Review: The Wisdom Pyramid

I first read The Wisdom Pyramid a couple of years ago, shortly after its publication. It was helpful to me then, and it continues to shape the way I engage with the world now. McCracken does an excellent job addressing a difficult subject: how to nurture your spiritual life in a world of distractions. His writing style is clear, engaging, winsome, and compelling. Far from being a treatise on burying your head in the sand or joining an anti-technology monastery, McCracken offers a solidly biblical approach to cultivating wisdom and culling foolishness with our attention. 

The introduction sets the stage by rightly labeling much of the clamor in our world as foolishness - some of it masquerading as wisdom. Ours is an age starved of wisdom, and our diet consists of that which does not (and cannot) satisfy the longing of our souls. This paves the way for the first section of the book which diagnoses our societal sickness: in a word, idolatry. McCracken makes the case that we are consuming more information and straying further from truth, and despite being more connected we feel more isolated. We have the world at our fingertips, but we do not have the wisdom to engage and steward it rightly. This leads us to all kinds of loneliness, anxiety, depression, anger, and a host of other pains.

Therefore, the second section provides an argument that our need is for true wisdom, drawn from several sources. McCracken encourages us to consume Scripture in order to reform our minds, habits, affections, and priorities. Rather than doing this in isolation, we ought to be part of a covenant community of Christ-followers in a local church, filled with real people engaging in real relationships. In addition to these crucial practices, McCracken urges us to spend time in nature rather than in front of screens, to read books rather than blogs, and to marvel at the beauty of God’s creation and human creativity. He also provides helpful guidance for using the Internet and social media wisely and for the glory of God rather than self-indulgence. In doing so, McCracken describes a biblically wise approach to life that is as refreshing and encouraging as it is convicting. 

If you find yourself anxious and tossed upon the ever-changing waves of culture and society, and if you long for a coherent, practical framework for living in the world but not succumbing to it, I highly recommend you read The Wisdom Pyramid. It will help you make sense of this chaotic, self-involved age and lead you toward the source of true wisdom: the Lord. May we live wisely in light of foolishness, and may our light shine brightly in a world filled with darkness.