The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World
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- Create Date：2021-04-10 11:52:45
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Brett McCracken
- ISBN：1433569590
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Summary
We're facing an information overload。
With the quick tap of a finger we can access an endless stream of addictive information—sports scores， breaking news， political opinions， streaming TV， the latest Instagram posts， and much more。 Accessing information has never been easier—but acquiring wisdom is increasingly difficult。
In an effort to help us consume a more balanced， healthy diet of information， Brett McCracken has created the “Wisdom Pyramid。” Inspired by the food pyramid model， the Wisdom Pyramid challenges us to increase our intake of enduring， trustworthy sources （like the Bible） while moderating our consumption of less reliable sources （like the Internet and social media）。 At a time when so much of our daily media diet is toxic and making us spiritually sick， The Wisdom Pyramid suggests that we become healthy and wise when we reorient our lives around God—the foundation of truth and the eternal source of wisdom。
With the quick tap of a finger we can access an endless stream of addictive information—sports scores， breaking news， political opinions， streaming TV， the latest Instagram posts， and much more。 Accessing information has never been easier—but acquiring wisdom is increasingly difficult。
In an effort to help us consume a more balanced， healthy diet of information， Brett McCracken has created the “Wisdom Pyramid。” Inspired by the food pyramid model， the Wisdom Pyramid challenges us to increase our intake of enduring， trustworthy sources （like the Bible） while moderating our consumption of less reliable sources （like the Internet and social media）。 At a time when so much of our daily media diet is toxic and making us spiritually sick， The Wisdom Pyramid suggests that we become healthy and wise when we reorient our lives around God—the foundation of truth and the eternal source of wisdom。
Reviews
Matthew Lloyd
，
Wisdom is something that humanity has searched for since its creation。 In today's world it is easy to find our way completely swallowed up in living life simply for the moment。 Technology has sped our lives up to where if you miss out on the latest newsbreak， you are scorned for not connecting with the world enough。 It has not always been like that and thankfully， there is a better way。Through The Wisdom Pyramid， Brett McCracken takes a look at what should be the way we strive to gain wisdom。 In Wisdom is something that humanity has searched for since its creation。 In today's world it is easy to find our way completely swallowed up in living life simply for the moment。 Technology has sped our lives up to where if you miss out on the latest newsbreak， you are scorned for not connecting with the world enough。 It has not always been like that and thankfully， there is a better way。Through The Wisdom Pyramid， Brett McCracken takes a look at what should be the way we strive to gain wisdom。 Instead of living our lives off the grid and as a cultural hermit， he argues that there is a better way。 Whether we like it or not， the twenty-four hours cycle is here to stay and social media continues to make us want to scroll just a little more。 Using the Bible as our foundation， every layer that we add on top of this pyramid should be speaking into our lives less and less。 I thought long and hard about whether or not I would flip any of these， but I could not think of any changes I would make。 Brett did a phenomenal job showing the proper places for church， beauty， nature， and books in relation to social media and scripture。We need wisdom and we need to stop mindlessly scrolling to gain it。 Although there is an argument to put these things in their proper place， Brett makes sure to let us know that we are not alone in our struggles。 He uses real life examples of times when he has struggled as well as things that have benefited his life。I do not know if there was one book that has been published from a Christian worldview that has been needed as much as 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You until this one。 We need to embrace the chaos of the world around us with the proper mindset and look to harness the noise instead of avoiding it。 Get this book and read it and then pass it on to someone else。 Our society needs it。 The church needs it。 Our families need it。 It is that beneficial。Crossway provided this book to me in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Chris Guest
，
“Look to Jesus for peace instead of your circumstances。 Look to Jesus for affirmation instead of Instagram。 Look to Jesus for truth instead of yourself。 Look to Jesus for Wisdom before you look anywhere else。”
Mark Joubert
，
A helpful book。 McCracken confronts the fragmentation of our moment and calls for greater synthesis through habits of rightly ordered wisdom-seeking。 Practical， but not pragmatic。 Insightful， but not idealistic。 Relevant， but timeless。
Jake Preston
，
This book challenged me to examine where I seek wisdom and the good life。 Accessible and supported by Scripture at every turn。 Only wish it was slightly more practical。
Kyle McFerren
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3。5 starsI've really enjoyed Brett McCracken's other books， but this one wasn't quite as compelling to me。 The Wisdom Pyramid joins an ever-growing group of Christian books about ordering one's life and， in particular， consuming media wisely。 The need for books addressing this topic is obvious to anyone who's spent 30 seconds on a social media site recently。 McCracken's basic premise is that just like the food pyramid gives us sound advice on what food our bodies should consume， we need a 'wisdo 3。5 starsI've really enjoyed Brett McCracken's other books， but this one wasn't quite as compelling to me。 The Wisdom Pyramid joins an ever-growing group of Christian books about ordering one's life and， in particular， consuming media wisely。 The need for books addressing this topic is obvious to anyone who's spent 30 seconds on a social media site recently。 McCracken's basic premise is that just like the food pyramid gives us sound advice on what food our bodies should consume， we need a 'wisdom pyramid' to guide us in what our minds should consume。 He then creates a pyramid with the Bible， church， nature， books， beauty， and the internet/social media and spends the second half of the book breaking down each category。 While I found his concept of the pyramid novel and helpful， there wasn't a whole lot of new information to me in his chapter-by-chapter analysis of the categories。 As always， though， McCracken has done thorough research and at the very least the quotes and studies he included were interesting。 。。。more
Janet Turner
，
This book isn't necessarily new thoughts， but important reminders of the need to prioritize where your attentions are。。。use discernment， slow down and think outside of yourself。 This book isn't necessarily new thoughts， but important reminders of the need to prioritize where your attentions are。。。use discernment， slow down and think outside of yourself。 。。。more
Matt Chapman
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A strong 4。5/5The overarching concept of a wisdom pyramid is a super helpful framework for thinking about what we feed our souls with day to day。 Highly recommended。 If your head and heart ever feel like they’re running on the spiritual equivalent of junk food， this book will be like a hearty home-cooked meal for your soul - one that will in turn whet your appetite for more of the goodness of God’s word， God’s church and God’s world。
Anthony Stephens
，
The Wisdom Pyramid is a much-needed book in our day。 We are living in an information saturated world today。 Where do we look to for wisdom？ Brett McCracken has done a fantastic job of putting together a work that will help readers to have a “healthy balance” to their information intake。 This book is a very easy read and filled with points that I was quick to highlight so that I could easily return to them later。 I really appreciate how McCracken shows that there are so many different things that The Wisdom Pyramid is a much-needed book in our day。 We are living in an information saturated world today。 Where do we look to for wisdom？ Brett McCracken has done a fantastic job of putting together a work that will help readers to have a “healthy balance” to their information intake。 This book is a very easy read and filled with points that I was quick to highlight so that I could easily return to them later。 I really appreciate how McCracken shows that there are so many different things that can help us find wisdom as long as they are kept in their proper order/place。 He does not take the perceived approach that some have of Christians （that we should just run and hide from the all things in this sinful world）。 The conclusion of the book was really nice in showing how one can truly find the source of all wisdom。 If you have not read The Wisdom Pyramid， I would strongly encourage you to get a copy and dive in。 It will help any and all readers tremendously。 。。。more
Meagan
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This was a timely and convicting read！ I love its sheer practicality and easy applicability （well， not to say implementation won’t be a challenge—just that it’s not rocket science）。The author is frank， blunt， and honest as he calls out a lot of hot-button topics， as well as the impact the Internet can have for good or ill in societal life。 Well worth the read。
Nickolas Hartman
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Brett McCracken hits the nail on the head with this one。 As we come out of the COVID-pandemic， we see a more divisive world than ever， why？ Because we’ve shifted our focus and our foundation of information: social media and the internet are proving to crumble and be unreliable。 We need to be reminded that the center for us is God’s Word and the Church。。。in all things。 McCracken provides that here
Andrew Watkins
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Fantastic book！ It’a only March 26， but I think it’s safe to say “The Wisdom Pyramid” has secured a spot in the top 5 best books of 2021 for me。
Jordan Eliza
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I think this book is a must read for believers today。 In a world where everyone is addicted to their iPhone and we have a wealth of information it is difficult to be discerning。 The author points out why mindless scrolling and information overload negatively impacts our brains and our relationships with others-a habit most of us have adopted。 His solution isn’t to avoid the iPhone altogether but rather to spend the majority of our time and energy on more timeless sources of wisdom- including the I think this book is a must read for believers today。 In a world where everyone is addicted to their iPhone and we have a wealth of information it is difficult to be discerning。 The author points out why mindless scrolling and information overload negatively impacts our brains and our relationships with others-a habit most of us have adopted。 His solution isn’t to avoid the iPhone altogether but rather to spend the majority of our time and energy on more timeless sources of wisdom- including the Bible， church， books， beauty， nature， and then social media/internet。 Everything has a proper place in our life-including the internet。 The author points out that used with intent and purpose it can be used as a gift to bless others， but it should not be our primary source of wisdom today。 He uses a pyramid much like to food pyramid to give a visual depiction of the foundational sources of wisdom which was helpful to understand。 It was an easy read and very thought provoking！ Thank you Shelbie Withers for the recommendation！One more thought- I really liked the chapter on books in which the author encourages us to read all types of books。 One way the internet is divisive today is the way in which it uses algorithms to control what the user sees， providing them with content that they strongly agree with or disagree with。 The author encourages reading all perspectives even ones you disagree with to learn empathy and perspective from people from all walks of life。 This is more helpful to the reader than angry articles shared or degrading comment sections。 。。。more
Dave
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Wise， sane， and incredibly needed in our current cultural setting。 For preachers， this would give some fertile applications to a sermon series in Proverbs。 For everyone， this will really help you stay more on the Biblical path of wisdom， peace， and love， while not abandoning the digital world。 McCracken is a helpful guide to wisdom in a loud， self-centered and often foolish world！
Ben Fridge
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"In today's world of information gluttony， wisdom looks like intention。" The Wisdom Pyramid is fresh。It takes something old and breathes into it something timely。 Brett McCracken hits all the "low notes" when setting up the need for a content curation compendium。 You will understand why he wrote this book， and desire the pages that follow more intensely （that by itself is good writing）。 Within his pyramid framework， McCracken hits all the "high notes" and reveals insightful ways to reorient our "In today's world of information gluttony， wisdom looks like intention。" The Wisdom Pyramid is fresh。It takes something old and breathes into it something timely。 Brett McCracken hits all the "low notes" when setting up the need for a content curation compendium。 You will understand why he wrote this book， and desire the pages that follow more intensely （that by itself is good writing）。 Within his pyramid framework， McCracken hits all the "high notes" and reveals insightful ways to reorient our consumption by putting the essential first and the beautiful rediscovered through mediums that we know but， possibly， are misusing。 Ultimately， McCracken defends his proposition well and gives keys to not falling prey to information gluttony in an increasingly digital and impersonal space。 。。。more
David Steele
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The rise of social media and the internet is slowly chipping away at the evangelical mind。 A subtle erosion has set in and rendered people incapable of thinking Christianly。 In the end， this tragic turn of events has led many to jettison the path of wisdom。Brett McCracken address this epistemological shift in his book， The Wisdom Pyramid。 The author passionately argues that “we need a better diet of knowledge ad better habits of information intake。” The ultimate aim of the book is to present a s The rise of social media and the internet is slowly chipping away at the evangelical mind。 A subtle erosion has set in and rendered people incapable of thinking Christianly。 In the end， this tragic turn of events has led many to jettison the path of wisdom。Brett McCracken address this epistemological shift in his book， The Wisdom Pyramid。 The author passionately argues that “we need a better diet of knowledge ad better habits of information intake。” The ultimate aim of the book is to present a strategy for developing wisdom。 McCracken anchors the purpose of the book in the mind of his readers:It’s a plan for stabilizing a sick society by making Christians wiser: God-fearing， trustworthy truth-tellers and truth-livers。 Salt and light。 This is what we are called to be。 This is what the world desperately needs us to be。 Part one examines the sources of our sickness。 Nothing is surprising here but the accumulated evidence that is presented is overwhelming。 A nod of approval is given to Neil Postman’s classic work， Amusing Ourselves to Death。 While originally penned in 1985， Postman’s thesis is proven to be accurate is most people in the west are drowning in a sea of information and have nothing to show for it。 Tribalism and triviality reign - and the effects on culture are troubling。The author presents a cogent case for our changing brains。 This thesis， popularized by Nicholas Carr in his seminal work， The Shallows demonstrates how our minds are being manipulated by media and hardwired by a plethora of digital distractions。 McCracken rightly notes， “We are digital wanderers， and this is a dangerous thing to be。” Even worse， very few seem to care。Part two examines various sources of truth that lead to a life of wisdom。 “Our sources of intake are vitally important，” writes the author。 He continues， “They can make us healthy， or they can make us sick。 Bad intake can make us unwise。 Good intake - from trustworthy sources of truth - can make us wise， inoculating us against viruses of deception and error。”Six sources are presented that offer sources of wisdom - Scripture， the church， nature， books， beauty， and the internet。 Scripture is placed at the bottom of the pyramid and utilizes the well-known “Food Pyramid，” which was first introduced by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992。 In this model， Scripture must be the basis of one’s diet in order for healthy growth to occur。 But the other areas are not minimized。 Rather， they are placed in their proper order。 The purpose of this placement is the accumulation of wisdom which is defined as， “knowing what to do with knowledge gained through various means of education: how to apply knowledge and information in everyday life; how to discern if something is true or not; how to live well in light of truth gained。”The Wisdom Pyramid is a helpful book are is sure to help many people， especially young people who are trapped in the quagmire of digital/social media。 It is a solid antidote for Christians who seek wisdom in a culture of quick answers and digital “fast food。” McCracken draws deep into the wells of Christian theology and invites readers， in the end， to taste and see that the Lord is good。 。。。more
Paul Herriott
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A great book for parents or those who work with youth。 McCracken provides an excellent and memorable framework for young people to think about their intake of information。 More is not necessarily better， better is better。 I could see this book's ideas reshape the disciplines of many people that have been over indulging on the fast food of social media， while skimping on biblical wisdom。 A great book for parents or those who work with youth。 McCracken provides an excellent and memorable framework for young people to think about their intake of information。 More is not necessarily better， better is better。 I could see this book's ideas reshape the disciplines of many people that have been over indulging on the fast food of social media， while skimping on biblical wisdom。 。。。more
Greg Bailey
，
The Wisdom Pyramid doesn’t break new ground to reveal previously untaught truth， but it presents well-established truth in new and helpful ways suitable for the times in which we live。 Specifically， we live in a fast-paced era of abundant information， opinions， and “hot takes。” It’s sometimes called “the information age，” but rarely if ever is it known as “the wisdom age。” Simply put， we have a glut of information， but it isn’t bearing fruit as godly wisdom。 Author Brett McCracken suggests that The Wisdom Pyramid doesn’t break new ground to reveal previously untaught truth， but it presents well-established truth in new and helpful ways suitable for the times in which we live。 Specifically， we live in a fast-paced era of abundant information， opinions， and “hot takes。” It’s sometimes called “the information age，” but rarely if ever is it known as “the wisdom age。” Simply put， we have a glut of information， but it isn’t bearing fruit as godly wisdom。 Author Brett McCracken suggests that “we need a better diet of knowledge and better habits of information intake 。 。 。 a diet comprised of lasting， reliable sources of wisdom rather than the fleeting， untrustworthy information that bombards us today。”McCracken first advises wisdom seekers to avoid information gluttony， lust for perpetual novelty， and “looking within” for wisdom。 Then， to help his readers learn （or remember） how to practice a balanced diet， McCracken borrows the old USDA “Food Pyramid，” which taught us which types of foods we ought to consume and in what proportions。 Through his “Wisdom Pyramid，” he similarly sets forth varied sources of wisdom and， by their placement on the pyramid， suggests how much of our time should be devoted to each。At the base of the pyramid （the broadest point） is the Word of God， the Bible， the ultimate source of godly wisdom and the foundation for all others。 Then， as the pyramid rises and tapers to a point， he lists （1） the church （for “communal and Spirit-infused wisdom”）， （2） nature （God’s “other book，” which teaches us about him through what he has made）， （3） books （“to educate us， help us make connections across disciplines， and open up the world”）， （4） beauty （the arts， because “all that is beautiful bears witness to God 。 。 。 the source and standard of beauty”）， and finally （5） the internet and social media （with which we should spend the least time， but which do have value if used wisely）。I found the paradigm here deeply helpful for remembering how to invest my time in the pursuit of godly wisdom。 Plus， McCracken offers many helpful suggestions for using the sources of wisdom well。 I expect The Wisdom Pyramid to stick in my mind in helpful ways as I navigate this crazy information age。Note: Since I am an employee of Crossway， the publisher of this book， I am not offering a star rating。 。。。more
Panda Incognito
，
This book is a perfect blend of Scriptural and social reflection， as Brett McCracken describes the world around us， explains how we got here， and provides insight for how Christians can make wise decisions in the midst of our chaotic， fractured， post-truth world。 He keeps this imminently readable， connecting deep insights to the concrete realities that people are currently walking through， especially after 2020 and the complete chaos of everyone being able to find an expert to uphold their perso This book is a perfect blend of Scriptural and social reflection， as Brett McCracken describes the world around us， explains how we got here， and provides insight for how Christians can make wise decisions in the midst of our chaotic， fractured， post-truth world。 He keeps this imminently readable， connecting deep insights to the concrete realities that people are currently walking through， especially after 2020 and the complete chaos of everyone being able to find an expert to uphold their personal angle on the COVID-19 pandemic。 More than before， people are realizing how fractured and divided various camps of society have become， as each one has their own version of truth。The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World is accessible and clear， and can appeal to both intellectuals and casual readers。 McCracken conveys complex ideas concisely， and makes great suggestions for how Christians can manage their information diets to pursue holistic wisdom， instead of just clinging more tightly to their tribal identities。 McCracken emphasizes the Bible as the ultimate source of wisdom， and as he identifies the church as our secondary resource， he carefully handles various objections to this， acknowledging the limitations and problems inherent within church communities while also upholding the importance of church tradition and of engaging in local congregations。 He also points out that when people prioritize their sense of global citizenship to the expense of local concerns， they give up the opportunity to truly have an impact。McCracken writes about nature， books， and beauty as our third， fourth， and fifth sources of wisdom， and concludes with advice about how wise use of digital media can also help us grow in wisdom and enrich our lives。 In each chapter， he provides practical ideas for application， and offers insightful discussion questions for people to ponder or talk about with others。 He is very wise and practical， and I especially love the chapter about books。 I expected him to mostly focus on informational texts， but he gives equal attention to fiction and nonfiction， showing how good literature can expand our sympathy for others， model different life situations， teach us about the world， and give us deeper insight into life。This book is a fantastic resource for anyone who is trying to reevaluate their social media intake。 Instead of just offering life hacks or telling his readers to take a digital Sabbath， McCracken delves into the bigger picture， helping us understand our post-truth social environment， the cost of information overload， and the basic habits of wisdom that can help us diversify how we spend our time， direct our attention， and gain new ideas about life。 Instead of just helping Christians manage digital behavior， McCracken provides holistic advice for how we can overall lead better， wiser， more balanced lives。I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Stephanie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 “Constant multi-tasking drains energy。 Repeated task switching leads to anxiety， which raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain which can lead to aggressive and impulsive behavior。 Constant information so easily accessible to us creates a burden our minds and souls weren’t meant to bear。”I am studying Proverbs with some of the ladies from my church。 I am thinking a lot about Lady wisdom and Lady folly as she is personified in the scriptures。 I came upon this book on Instagram， a “Constant multi-tasking drains energy。 Repeated task switching leads to anxiety， which raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain which can lead to aggressive and impulsive behavior。 Constant information so easily accessible to us creates a burden our minds and souls weren’t meant to bear。”I am studying Proverbs with some of the ladies from my church。 I am thinking a lot about Lady wisdom and Lady folly as she is personified in the scriptures。 I came upon this book on Instagram， and I’m so glad I read it。 I really think I needed to hear so much of what he wrote。 I listened to this book。 It’s about 4。5 hours， and I had to stop in the first chapter a lot to write down some of the information because it’s so helpful。 It describes so much of what I experience as a mom and active social media user。 He opens the book giving us five symptoms that we are receiving too much information。 Just as too much food makes the body sick too much information makes the soul sick。 I could identify with four of the five。 I appreciated his emphasis on receiving wisdom from the church （past and present） and on truth。 That truth comes from outside ourselves。 We search it out and accept it with gratitude even when it’s at odds with our feelings or preferences。 He also discusses the value of books。 I love books， so I was all ears。 The smallest amount of wisdom is received online。 He lists the positives， and they are real。 I have experienced many of the benefits from reading and listening to teachers， pastors， and bloggers that I would not normally come in contact with。 As believers， we have the hope of the gospel。 It is the best news in the world that we do not have to bear the weight of our sin。 Christ died and we are free of our burden。 God raised Him from death to life。 We are loved and accepted in Him。 We are in His family， seen and known forever。 God can work through any circumstances。 He is not limited。 There are positives to being online。 I’ll leave you with this final quote from the book。 “Wisdom is the confidence that God is always on， but we aren’t。 We are mortal creatures with significant limits。 When we sleep and when we die， the world carries on without us。。。 Wisdom accepts that we can never know everything and that’s okay。” 。。。more
Ivan
，
Timely book that can guide us toward wisdom。
Joe
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Have you found yourself feeling overrun by the never ending news cycle？ You’re told every day of news， fake news， conspiracy theories， leftist propaganda， etc。 How can we begin to get a handle on all of this data， and respond in a healthy way？ In a world overloaded with information， where is wisdom to be found？I am very thankful for Brett McCracken’s new book The Wisdom Pyramid， and it’s aim to help us balance our information diet， so that we may grow in wisdom。 In a world facing an overload of Have you found yourself feeling overrun by the never ending news cycle？ You’re told every day of news， fake news， conspiracy theories， leftist propaganda， etc。 How can we begin to get a handle on all of this data， and respond in a healthy way？ In a world overloaded with information， where is wisdom to be found？I am very thankful for Brett McCracken’s new book The Wisdom Pyramid， and it’s aim to help us balance our information diet， so that we may grow in wisdom。 In a world facing an overload of information（often times biased information）， and wisdom seemingly so hard to discern at times， this book is exactly what the doctor ordered。Diagnosing Our Problem – Information OverloadMany of us don’t need help diagnosing the issue， because we feel it everyday。 We hear hot takes on the news， on our social media pages， in our group text chains， on our podcasts， and in our daily interactions with our neighbors。 There is so much going on， and everyone has an opinion about it。 How in the world are we to manage a never ending stream of information？ The answer is， we can’t， yet we still try to。 McCracken helpfully diagnoses our problem: “Just as too much food makes a body sick， too much information makes the soul sick。 Information gluttony is a real problem…”（pg 28）This opens us up to all kinds of error。 As McCracken notes， our never ceasing drive to consume information and stay relevant on what is happening right now and respond， is a recipe for disaster:Further， we consumers are often eager to share things on the spot。 Our quick-draw posture on social media is often “post first， think later” （if we think at all）。 This is disastrous— not only because it makes us easy to manipulate， but also because it erodes our credibility and can do great harm to others。 （pg 46-47）If we are overly fixated on being “first” in reposting， liking， or sharing novel content， we shouldn’t be surprised when we are often wrong， and our souls feel like they’re on a never ending hamster wheel。 We need better approaches to how we should take in truth， discern it， and respond to it。 Just as our bodies suffer when we binge on candy and junk food， taking in the information equivalent of sour patch kids and milk duds will leave our souls feeling terrible and malnourished。Plotting Our Path Forward – A Balanced Diet of TruthWhat is our path forward in a world marked by such an unbalanced truth-diet？ McCracken lays out 6 ways we can take in truth， and ranks them in the order we should consume the most & are most necessary for our lives。 The order goes:BibleChurchNatureBooksBeautyThe InternetThe first 2， he recommends， are the only ones truly necessary （Bible & Church pg 68） and the other 4 may be helpful after we have appropriately consumed the others。 What should strike us is how often we invert this list。 How many of us begin primarily with the internet （just Google it！） instead of first searching the Scriptures， or bringing it to the church？McCracken is clear that this approach is not meant to be exhaustive in every way， but rather， to provide a helpful balance to our everyday life， and habit formation （pg 68-69）。 As he lays out each section， however， one can’t help but feel that this truly does provide a better way than what is so intuitive to most living in the 21st century。 Just about any issue we face could be well informed by following this balanced approach。 When looking at sexuality， say， we could easily be put right by searching the scriptures and hearing from the church， but consider too how nature itself is vitally important。 As McCracken argues， the body has authority in itself （pg 110-113）， and to deny that in favor of the most recent progressive blog post， would be to lose wisdom in favor of a cheap alternative。Any christian would be wise to look at this list （or rather， pyramid）， and evaluate how they engage with truth in light of it。 Is our diet mostly junk food， taking in the less important and often expendable sources of information？ Are we being served well by the sources we go to？ Perhaps we could all use a more balanced diet。 Maybe it would allow our hearts to rest in time tested wisdom， instead of hurriedly trying to determine how we should post about the most recent tabloid issue。 Maybe our souls would begin to feel refreshed， our lives suddenly less hectic， and our witness more believable。Living Life WiselyI found myself challenged as I read McCracken’s insightful engagement on this issue。 I recently decided to delete some of my social media accounts， and the others I removed their apps from my phone’s home screen。 I want to make it far more natural for me to be slow in going to the internet， social media， and other fast hitting sources， and be far more inclined to meditating on the scriptures， thoughtful conversations， deep reflections on truth in the world， and what wisdom I have gained from other’s insightful engagement on issues。 I know this will not always be perfect in my life， but I am hoping it to be far more balanced moving forward than it has been in the past。I think christians tend to be far more shaped by their culture than they tend to realize。 Living in the 21st century， we have many blessings that no other generation before us had， and yet， that comes with a great cost。 If we are going to live in an era of information overload， we must be disciplined in our discernment of what constitutes a healthy diet， and balance it appropriately according to God ordained， time tested means。 I would recommend The Wisdom Pyramid for any christian wanting to grow in this area of their life， having realized their need for a better approach。*I received a free review copy of The Wisdom Pyramid from Crossway。 This did not in any way impact my engagement with the book or the substance of this review。 。。。more
Corey
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I really enjoyed the sections on Nature， Books， and Beauty。 I think these areas of wisdom many people skip over or think a lot about in our information age。 McCraken writes about these sections in such a beautiful way。 Always like what McCraken puts out and glad he wrote this book。I wrote a review that can be viewed here:https://mthopechurch。org/the-wisdom-p。。。 I really enjoyed the sections on Nature， Books， and Beauty。 I think these areas of wisdom many people skip over or think a lot about in our information age。 McCraken writes about these sections in such a beautiful way。 Always like what McCraken puts out and glad he wrote this book。I wrote a review that can be viewed here:https://mthopechurch。org/the-wisdom-p。。。 。。。more
simbarashe mavhera
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Easy to digest wisdomI found this book easy to follow as it clearly shows what our current challenges are and what has brought that about。 The author then goes on to present a good model on what wisdom is and how to acquire it showing the merits of each source。 I am a novice refer and I recommend this book to others。
Debbie Peterson
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First line: “Our world has more and more information， but less and less wisdom。。。。There is more but we are less。 And we all feel it。” Yes！！ But what do we do about it？ This book is a practical and easy to read answer to that question， using the metaphor of the food pyramid to explain what our sources of finding wisdom should be and in what order。 It’s not a deep book because it takes on a lot in less than 200 pages。 But I think it leads to good self-reflection and ideas for further study and wou First line: “Our world has more and more information， but less and less wisdom。。。。There is more but we are less。 And we all feel it。” Yes！！ But what do we do about it？ This book is a practical and easy to read answer to that question， using the metaphor of the food pyramid to explain what our sources of finding wisdom should be and in what order。 It’s not a deep book because it takes on a lot in less than 200 pages。 But I think it leads to good self-reflection and ideas for further study and would be a good springboard for discussion with a group。 I wish he had discussed more about choosing news sources， which is a big problem in our divided country and he never really addressed that issue。 I guess he would place newspapers and magazines in the last category， internet， and yet those are different types of sources than social media outlets and deserve a separate analysis about making wise choices regarding our news sources。 。。。more
Sean Lally
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What a light and refreshing read。 Quick， to the point and filled with quality content。 I appreciate Brett’s writing style。
Katie
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The chapter on beauty is worth the price of the whole book—I’ll be going back to that one again and again。
Hannah-rose Russell
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Reevaluate your daily habits with The Wisdom Pyramid， an innovative book that will inspire you to look at the Bible， nature， beauty， and technology in a new light！ Are we feeding our spirits a balanced diet of wisdom and knowledge， or are we allowing junk to filter through our guard？ God is the center of all things， but is He the center of our lives？ Brett McCracken leads this discussion in a redefining， soul-searching journey of truth and wisdom。 Through reading The Wisdom Pyramid， readers will Reevaluate your daily habits with The Wisdom Pyramid， an innovative book that will inspire you to look at the Bible， nature， beauty， and technology in a new light！ Are we feeding our spirits a balanced diet of wisdom and knowledge， or are we allowing junk to filter through our guard？ God is the center of all things， but is He the center of our lives？ Brett McCracken leads this discussion in a redefining， soul-searching journey of truth and wisdom。 Through reading The Wisdom Pyramid， readers will learn how to set up boundaries and partake in a more healthy， prosperous diet in this Post-Truth era， potentially sparking a change that will transform their lives from the inside out！“The world says we should look inward， while the gospel says to look upward。” ~ Brett McCrackenI started reading The Wisdom Pyramid with high hopes。 From the introduction， I was engaged。 The author's words felt like a confirmation to everything the Father has recently been revealing to me， and the idea of realigning my life to be more Yeshua-centered was appealing。 However， as I moved further into this book， digging into Brett McCracken's explanation of each tier in his paradigm — the Bible， the Church， Nature， Books， Beauty， and the Internet and Social Media — I noticed many contradictions in his writing while also feeling like a lot of the information had already been preached by others。 Towards the end of The Wisdom Pyramid， I found myself resonating more with the opening and closing chapters than its core， which was equally disappointing and worrisome。 "Wisdom is not merely knowing the right answers。 It’s about living rightly。" ~ Brett McCrackenPositive Elements: It was enlightening to learn about the "sickness" in today's society while also discovering the elements that can allow us to "heal" in a world that craves everything at high speed。 With so many people voicing their opinions and thoughts — through the media， internet， and elsewhere — it is important we learn to listen to all sides， humbling ourselves so we don't become closed-minding to what God might be trying to show us along with aligning our priorities so God and His Word become the fruit of everything we do！ Nevertheless， can truth really be found in everything？ According to The Wisdom Pyramid， it can。。。"As the sailor locates his position on the sea by “shooting” the sun， so we may get our moral bearings by looking at God。 We must begin with God。 We are right when and only when we stand in a right position relative to God， and we are wrong so far and so long as we stand in any other position。" ~ A。W TozerNegative Elements: There were many instances in The Wisdom Pyramid where I found myself disagreeing with the author's theology。 I thought it strange that he could so openly write about the LGBTQ lifestyle being against the Word of God， then， in the same chapter， quote Pope Francis， who has openly accepted gay marriage。。。 I do believe that truth can be found even in the darkness， but by looking at its fruit， we can understand if it's coming from a Godly or worldly viewpoint。 Another part of this book that made my head tilt was the chapter on social media in which Brett McCracken established his idea that we should only read a book， watch a movie， or participate in a social event or trend if trustworthy sources have recommended it。 Nowhere in this chapter did I read about the wisdom of the Holy Spirit playing the largest role in what we absorb; instead， it was more about co-dependency in others rather than our Savior！ "Perhaps the most important lesson of this book is that in order to understand what wisdom looks like， we have to understand who wisdom looks to， and listens to， and loves: “the King eternal， immortal， invisible， the only wise God” （1 Tim。 1:17 KJV）。" ~ Brett McCrackenI really did want to promote this book and share it with those struggling to balance their lives with their faith; however， due to the numerous amount of contractions and unwise advice found in this book， I'm afraid I cannot follow the author's advice to take the good and leave the bad — isn't that the very definition of hypocritical？ Yes， there is definitely wisdom that can be gleaned from this book， but unless someone already standing firm on the rock of Yeshua， I cannot， in good conscience， endorse this book to others。 Brett McCracken's Wisdom Pyramid starts with a good foundation and the discussion questions at the end of each chapter serve as great conversation openers; nevertheless， the rest of its structure and build left me feeling shaky and unsafe as I climbed to the top of this pyramid。 Take caution when reading this book， be inspired to make changes to your life， but don't necessarily copy the advisement found within The Wisdom Pyramid's pages。。。 。。。more
Ben Howard
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SIMPLE PRACTICAL WISDOM。
Chris Williams
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Feels a bit more lightweight than McCracken's previous books。 The information is good， but the scope doesn't allow for him to dig too deeply on any of this。 The broader the subject in his 'Wisdom Pyramid，' the more I feel like I'm hearing repeats of things others have said with more depth and insight。 It's helpful stuff， but it's just not going to challenge as much as "Hipster Christianity，" "Uncomfortable" or "Gray Matters。" It should be no surprise， though， that his chapter on beauty is the bo Feels a bit more lightweight than McCracken's previous books。 The information is good， but the scope doesn't allow for him to dig too deeply on any of this。 The broader the subject in his 'Wisdom Pyramid，' the more I feel like I'm hearing repeats of things others have said with more depth and insight。 It's helpful stuff， but it's just not going to challenge as much as "Hipster Christianity，" "Uncomfortable" or "Gray Matters。" It should be no surprise， though， that his chapter on beauty is the book's strongest; a talented film critic and culture writer， this is where McCracken seems to be the most at home。 For those just beginning to wrestle with these issues， it's a good starting place。 It left me wanting a bit more， however。 。。。more
Naomi Gardner
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