The Road to Wisdom

'Inspirational' - YO YO MA 'When Dr Collins speaks, I listen - and his message is more important now than ever' - PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON 'Collins's personal journey of reflection and discovery will speak to many struggling to make sense of life, cope with uncertainty, and find their place in a greater scheme of things' - ALISTER MCGRATH 'Francis is a careful, friendly and generous thinker. This book will help anyone who wishes to see integrity, civility and truth prevail in the public square.' - JUSTIN BRIERLEY 'Dr Francis Collins is a bridge person in a polarized time. Amid the shrillness of our era, Collins offers a calming voice of hope' - PHILIP YANCEY 'I would recommend this book to anyone.' - NICKY GUMBEL 'This practical, refreshingly humble book offers guidance for all those worried about the state of wisdom in our world' - ELIZABETH OLDFIELD From world-leading scientist and New York Times bestselling author of The Language of God, a deeply thoughtful guidebook to discerning what and who we can trust to move us from societal discord to civic harmony. As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, western society has become not just hyper-partisan, but also deeply cynical; distrustful of traditional sources of knowledge and wisdom such as science and faith. Scepticism about vaccines led to the needless deaths of at least 230,000 Americans, and "Do your own research" is now a rallying cry in many online rabbit holes. Yes, experts can make mistakes, and institutions can lose their moral compass, but there are reliable ways and means to weigh information and navigate truth, and The Road to Wisdom is here to help us rediscover them. Francis Collins reminds us of the four core sources of judgement and clear thinking: truth, science, faith, and trust. Drawing on his scientific work at the forefront of the Human Genome Project and the US National Institutes of Health, as well as on ethics, philosophy, and theology, Collins makes a robust, thoughtful case for each of these sources - their reliability, and their limits. Ultimately, he shows how they work together, not separately - and certainly not in conflict. It is only when we re-link these four pillars of wisdom that we can begin to discern the best path forward in life. Hopeful, accessible, winsome, and deeply wise, The Road to Wisdom leads us beyond current animosities to surer footing. Here is the moral, philosophical, and scientific framework with which to address the problems of our time - on the world stage, but also in our daily lives.