OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "GoldenRuleism/Living A GoldenRuleism-Guided Life" by Craig A Cline.]

[The below is a review by Diane Donovan.]


GoldenRuleism/Living A GoldenRuleism-Guided Life advocates for sweeping global change through embracing compassion, justice, and a form of community-wide humane thinking that Craig Cline calls “GoldenRuleism.”

The concept is heady; especially when applied to large segments of humanity rather than the kernel of community thinking—but nobody ever promised that transformative experiences would involve simple mindset adjustments.

Cline’s short treatise (nearly a booklet, at under fifty pages) synthesizes the ideals, concepts, and avenues of enacting GoldenRuleism, condensing all these facets into two simple sentences designed for easy memorization and equally succinct applications. These are:

Do for all others, both directly and indirectly, what you would want done for you.

Don’t do to any others, either directly or indirectly, what you wouldn’t want done to you.

Cline then applies these traditional thoughts to modern-day events and considerations, reinvigorating them with modern thinking and challenges and considering the various

incarnations they may take when overlaid with contemporary social, psychological, and political conundrums.

Seemingly simple choices thus receive more thoughtful processing via this approach:

GoldenRuleism does not only have a few more words attached to it, its meaning delves deeper into who we are and how we should interact with ourselves and others. GoldenRuleism upholds the values and moral and ethical precepts that are at our core as humans.

From various “isms” that GoldenRuleism intrinsically rejects to the importance of including and understanding “indirectly,” readers receive thought-provoking moral and ethical food for thought that is worthy of book club reading and classroom debate alike.

Readers who have grown up with the ideals of the Golden Rule, but then discarded them due to the challenge of applying them to modern circumstances, will want to revisit the concept in GoldenRuleism/Living A GoldenRuleismGuided Life.

It’s worthy not only of classroom assignment for students of moral, ethical, and sociological circles, but of library acquisition and recommendation to patrons seeking more options for transforming their own lives and communities. As an added bonus, this book is published in both English and Spanish.

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GoldenRuleism/Living A GoldenRuleism-Guided Life
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This is an amazing book addressing an important issue and an urgent need. Love, compassion, and justice would, undoubtedly, transform this world. We live in an era of mistrust, greed, and fear that is fueling chaos and violence, and this is not something new. I hope the GoldenRuleism will contribute towards a pragmatic solution; thank you for sharing this.

This is an amazing book addressing an important issue and an urgent need. Love, compassion, and justice would, undoubtedly, transform this world.

We live in an era of mistrust, greed, and fear that is fueling chaos and violence, and this is not something new. I hope the Golden Ruleism will contribute towards a pragmatic solution; thank you for sharing this.

I’d like to highlight how Craig Cline’s "GoldenRuleism/Living A GoldenRuleism-Guided Life" stands out by emphasizing the indirect impact of our actions—a nuance often missing from traditional interpretations of the Golden Rule. This deeper layer encourages readers to consider not just personal interactions, but also systemic, environmental, and societal consequences, making the book especially relevant in today’s interconnected world.

I really like the core message of this book—those two simple GoldenRuleism sentences are powerful and easy to remember. It’s impressive how the author applies an age-old principle to modern-day ethical issues. I’m also glad to hear it’s available in both English and Spanish. Great review!