"Brilliantly clear, easy to read, well-informed in relevant science, philosophy and religion ... a real contribution to our understanding of the Golden Rule."—Jeffrey Wattles, author, The Golden Rule; associate professor of philosophy, Kent State University
“The Golden Rule may not be golden for the reasons you think! In this provocative book, Rabbi Rami leads us to a life of 'infinite play,' where the outcome of the game is a gorgeous paradox: everyone wins.”—Mirabai Starr, author, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation
“Intriguing.... Reverently considering scripture from a multitude of spiritual traditions while at the same time stripping the Golden Rule of its religious trappings, [it] calls and challenges us to live in the truly golden nonzero sum world of interdependence.”—Steven Greenebaum, author, Practical Interfaith: How to Find Our Common Humanity as We Celebrate Diversity
“Provides a fresh look at the substance of the Golden Rule that has the potential to make it far more accessible and useful.”—Pastor Don Mackenzie, coauthor, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi and an Imam
“[Does] all of us a big favor: help[s] us understand why we humans and our religions have so often failed in our practice of the Golden Rule, and give[s] us invaluable insights and practical tools to make the Golden Rule a lived reality.”—Paul McKenna, coordinator, Scarboro Missions Interfaith Department
“Shapiro has an important message: either we play the game of life by trying to win at the expense of others (in which case we’ll likely all suffer) or we try to cooperate and treat others as we want to be treated (in which case we may all end up winning).”—Harry J. Gensler, author, Ethics and the Golden Rule; professor of philosophy, Loyola University Chicago
Shapiro, a rabbi and author of books on spirituality across different religious traditions, turns an interestedgaze on the Golden Rule, some form of which appears in every religion and culture. But Shapiro wonderswhy, if the rule is so prevalent and esteemed, it is so easily ignored. Using tenets of game theory, heexplains that in finite, zero-sum games like football, where the goal is to win, it makes little sense to applythe Golden Rule. However, in infinite, nonzero sum games—life-affirming situations like keepingfriendships and protecting relationships—nothing makes more sense than the rule. Although there is somerepetition here, Shapiro writes engagingly, and his efforts to show how practicing the Golden Rule makeslife more satisfying and sustainable are welcome. When he ventures into wider territory—how the rulemight be employed globally, for instance—the conversation becomes more complex and thoughtprovoking. Finally, he reminds readers that if the Golden Rule fails to apply to the kind and quality of thegame being played, it might be time to look at the game.
