Wisdom Collection (e-)books

Golden Ratio Collections — Animal Wisdom Collection — Wisdom Collection

The QfWf Wisdom Collection is born from the wisdom of out-of-the-box thinking, wild-haired authors, who unlock the wealth of cultures with stories, music, visual arts, philosophical and spiritual traditions worldwide in their own way.

The books are full of wisdom from North, South, East and West, presented in multifaceted and artistic forms. Some books are of a general nature and others explore themes in-depth and highlight specific artistic wisdom from cultural traditions.

These (e)books are published in Dutch and/or English; and sometimes multilingual.
The purchase of these (e)books entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf-projects. We hope for a wide and interested audience for this entire varied series.

The first three books in the QfWf-Wisdom Collection will appear in a physical form, due to a grant awarded in 2023 by the Cultural Participation Fund for the QfWf-programme ‘World Citizenship from the Street’. The fourth and next publications in the series are all ebooks (pdf).

  • The series opens with Amor Fati, Playing Wisdom for the Cosmopolis, in which Heidi Muijen explores the question of world citizenship using the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living. The book thus highlights both the vision of the Quest for Wisdom foundation and the background for the board game Amor Fati, that Heidi Muijen developed, which addresses mythic-philosophical symbolism from the four corners of the world. Watercolours by Greg Suffanti, Chinese brush paintings by Caroline Young, drawings, collages and photographs by many depict cross-cultural themes as a thread running through the book. (EN/EN, 2024, ISBN 978 90 441 3970 9)

  • Volume 2, (Post) Koloniale wa(a)r(d)en by Fred de Haas contains layered reflections on (post)colonial history: he mirrors Caribbean identity in poetry and literature, including poems of his own. Josee Tesser has used her witin her humorous black-and-white drawings to enliven this fraught history. Moreover, the 100 or so QR codes to musical performances bring the cross-cultural identities of Central and South American peoples alive. (NL, 2025, ISBN 978 90 441 3973 0)

  • The editors of volume 3, Amor Mundi, – Heidi Muijen, Klaske Rehorst and Robin Stemerding – created a colourful picture book, with poetry, images, raps, cross-cultural and philosophical reflections from the Quest for Wisdom Soul Circle, documenting actual world dreams created withing the QfWf-project ‘World Citizenship from the Street’ in artistic forms. (NL/EN, ISBN 978 94 92 127 198)

  • The reader will get an intercultural-philosophical investigation in volume 4, Walking Two Roads – Accord and Separation in Chinese and Western Thought, highlighting the fascinating Chinese and European wisdom traditions, expertly presented by Hans van Rappard. (EN, 2023, ISBN 978 94 92 127 204)
  • In volume 5 Russische Zigeunerromances Fred de Haas presents a hitherto little-exposed genre of Gypsy romances with its rich cross-cultural and historical sources. Surprising are the 90 clickable links to wonderful old and newer renditions, including musical renditions by Fred de Haas (guitar and voice) and Ralph Kreuter (balalaika). (NL, RU, 2023, ISBN 978 94 92 127 211)
  • In volume 6, Middeleeuwse Chirurgie in Woord en Beeld vertalingen, bewerkingen en interpretaties van de delen van de ‘Keizerlijke Chirurgie’ Marcel Reyners makes unique combinations of the drawings of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (1385–1468) with the text of ‘De Methode der Geneeskunde’ by Albucasis (936–1013). This invaluable retrieved wisdom is now for a wide Dutch-speaking audience available. (NL, 2023, ISBN 978 94 92 127 228)
  • Volume  7, Ik ben iemand die intens leefde … — Bloemlezing: gedichten en illustraties by Marianne H.B. van Halewijn presents the poems and mandala’s which the author has given as her legacy to the Quest for Wisdom foundation. This colourful anthology expresses an intensely felt cosmic connection. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 174)
  • Volume 8, Knipoogjes: Korte en luchtige tijdreisjes in gezelschap van Henry Bergson, consists of columns, in which serious issues are addressed lightly by Rosalie de Wildt. The water colours of Greg Suffanti, add a humorous, colourful and cross-cultural layer to Rosalie’s philosophical investigations. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 181)
  • In Volume 9, Het duurde maar even … – Gedichten die mij raakten Fred de Haas has collected from aproximately 40 poets about 60 poems, written in Creole, German, French, Galician, Papiamentu, Portugese, Spanish and Russian …. and adds his own translations. (NL, 2024, ISBN 78 94 92 127 242)
  • Deel 10, Eye of the Tiger – Colorful Heritage of the Far East is really a pearl of wisdom in the true sense of Caroline Youngs diving into the mythological heritage of Chinese rich cultural history. Being of intercultural descent, her Chinese-American background gave her a keen feeling of archetypical narratives that are shared both in the East and the West. Above this, her artistic expression of the myths in the traditional Chinese ‘gongbi-style’ of painting, adds to the unique blend of authenticity and universality of Eastern wisdom.
    Greg Suffanti has elaborated on the intercultural aspects of the stories and Caroline Youngs retellings of the ancient myths and (his)stories. (EN, 2025, ISBN 978 94 92 127 259)

QfWf-Wisdom Collection — Wild Hair 

Purchase of educational materials

The financial benefits from these (e)books and other educational materials – which are all realised by volunteers – will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf-projects.

Update 2024-12