About the Book
Robert S. Hartman is one of the greatest visionaries of building a better world by first building your best self. His range of thought and breadth of experience from mathematics to philosophy to political science to innovation and creativity provides one of the most comprehensive views of life as we live it and how to live it better.
Wit & Wisdom: Inspiration for Living Fully is the first-ever comprehensive quote collection from Robert S. Hartman from a variety of his published, unpublished, and soon-to-be-published works.
His influential thought on all matters to do with the Self comes from over 50 years of exploring the question, "What is good?" Thus, each page of this book offers the wit-and wisdom-to challenge and encourage you to live a full life in the essence of goodness.
Edited and designed by his namesake institute, The Robert S. Hartman Institute, the book can be enjoyed two ways. Read from front to back to become engrossed in Hartman's intellectualism, humor, and vision for a better world. Or take a random page each day to inspire you to self-reflect, take action, create goodness, and live life fully.
We offer this collection to perpetuate Hartman's ideas:
"The greatest power on earth is the goodwill and decency in the heart of each human being."
- Robert S. Hartman
About the Author :
Robert S. Hartman, PhD [1910-1973] was learned in a variety of fields. He was a philosopher, business consultant, writer, activist, economist, ethicist, and mathematician. His lifelong quest was to answer the question, "What is good?" When, at last, he found an answer, he articulated it in his theory of human values known as formal axiology. His goal was to organize goodness in such a way as to help preserve and enhance the value of human life. His varied career included representing Walt Disney Corp. in Europe, then Latin America, stints as a professor or visiting professor of philosophy at Ohio State, Yale, MIT, University of Tennessee, and National University of Mexico (UNAM). As a consultant, his notable clients included GE and Nationwide Insurance. In the late 1960s, he co-developed what became known as the Hartman Value Profile, which today is used by consultants, psychologists, and executive coaches worldwide as a tool for personal development. A prolific writer, only one of his books was published in English in his lifetime. Clifford G. Hurst, Ph.D., is a professor, researcher, consultant, and the Editor of The Revolution Against War, the Five Lectures on Formal Axiology, and other future volumes in the Axiology Studies Series to be published by The Robert S. Hartman Institute. Cliff holds a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University, where his dissertation focused on axiological hermeneutics. He serves as the Vice President of Research at the Hartman Institute, where he is currently the Editor of the annual Journal of Formal Axiology: Theory and Practice. Cliff has presented his research across the U.S. and Canada, as well as in Mexico and Bulgaria. He is the author of three books, A Career for the 21st Century: A Handbook for Call Center Agents; The Voice of your Company: Conversational Skills for Customer Service Reps; and Your Pivotal Role: Frontline Leadership in the Call Center. When he's not enveloped in a new book or facet of his research, Cliff enjoys spending time with his wife Dayna their dog Harvey, hand carving wooden spoons, and sailing on the coast of Georgia. For more information about Cliff, visit cliffordhurst.com. Catherine Blakemore is a fiercely pragmatic and solutions-oriented strategist resolving business problems using design thinking, a keen understanding of brand experiences, and a little bit of humor. She holds a B.A. in Communication and a master's degree in Strategic Communication, both from the beloved private liberal arts institution, Westminster College in Salt Lake City. Catherine is the Founder and Creative Director of Treadaway Co., a brand strategy and design consultancy, serving a global client base in the power of strategically crafted and thoughtfully presented brand identities. As a brand strategist, she has worked extensively in a multitude of industries, including nonprofit, healthcare, law, real estate, interior design, consulting/coaching, and consumer goods. She also serves as a Member of the Robert S. Hartman Institute Board of Directors and her alma mater Honors College Advisory Board. An avid believer in the power of mentoring, Catherine has also been involved in mentoring student entrepreneurs in Business Plan competitions, mentoring seniors graduating from college through various programs, and facilitating a year-long personal and professional development mentoring program for students at Westminster College. She is a big believer in learning as much as you teach, giving back more than you've been given, and seeking understanding before trying to be understood.
