Non-Fiction: How to Achieve Heaven on Earth edited by John E. Wade II

It’s not at every time in our lives that we feel the need for chicken soup moments. If, however, you feel the desire to be uplifted, you could do worse than How to Achieve Heaven on Earth (Pelican). Subtitled “101 insightful essays from the world’s greatest thinkers, leaders, and writers” the book collects speeches, essays and articles from a truly remarkable -- though mostly male -- cross-section of notable contributors, among them Barack Obama, Stella Resnick, Poppy Tooker, George Bush, Ted Turner, Tony Blair, Paul Prudhomme, Sat Kaur Khalsa and many others.

Author, investor philanthropist John E. Wade II, states his vision succinctly -- if a little self importantly -- in the preface:

“I will try to love and help create a heaven on earth” -- the most important sentence that I have written or may ever write.

Many people already try to live by these simple, yet powerful, words without articulating this explicit promise. I believe that if we -- one by one, million by million, billion by billion -- would all accept this challenge, the world would progress immensely.

It’s a good wish and a worthwhile goal. Something to think about while reading this very upbeat collection.