An interesting collection of quotes from Leo Tolstoy has emerged, and it seems to exist in multiple versions. The collection is neatly grouped by daily topic. However, it should be noted that there are a number of topics that repeat, such as war, the nature of the soul, and others. Despite this repetition, I found myself highlighting something almost every day while going through this collection. This, to me, is a strong indication that it is a truly great book. It offers profound insights and thought-provoking ideas that resonate with the reader on a daily basis. Whether it's about the complex nature of war or the mysteries of the soul, Tolstoy's words have the power to inspire and启迪. Each quote seems to hold a nugget of wisdom that can be applied to our daily lives, making this collection a valuable and engaging read.

Leo Tolstoy is undoubtedly one of my favorite thinkers.

The concept of this book is ingenious. In a world filled with an abundance of information, knowledge lies not in simply gathering it all, but in effectively filtering it.

There are numerous (far too many) books, and the number is constantly increasing, which do not need to be read in their entirety, but only in small portions. However, this particular book should be read fully.

Anyway, I noticed that many of the reflections in the book were extremely repetitive. While repetition can indeed be a virtue as it is the mother of all learning, there was an overabundance of it to the extent that it became tiresome. Additionally, the book is overly religious. I am not opposed to religion per se, but this book is supposed to be about wisdom, not religion. Of course, wisdom can incorporate elements of religion, but once again, there is an excess here.

Overall, despite these drawbacks, the book still contains valuable insights and ideas that are worth considering.

I am about to embark on reading this article for the third time. It is truly amazing to think about the people that Tolstoy read. Each day, I make it a point to read the assigned portion before breakfast. This has become a wonderful routine for me. Afterward, my wife and I start our day by discussing the topics that we have just read. It is a great way to start the day, engaging in meaningful conversation and sharing our thoughts and perspectives. I look forward to this time every day, as it enriches our lives and deepens our understanding of the world around us.

A pithy book that is truly a treasure trove full of nuggets of wisdom awaits our discovery.

It cautions us that an excessive amount of reading or formal education can, paradoxically, snuff out our precious creativity. Instead, it urges us to embrace vegetarianism, seeing it as a manifestation of our refined intellect. Moreover, it presents religion as a significant sign of human intellectual development.

Interestingly, this book prizes emotions and faith above intellect. It emphasizes the importance of always being engaged in work, positing that the very essence of the human condition lies in working.

As we peruse the pages of this remarkable book, we are challenged to reevaluate our perspectives on learning, diet, belief, and the meaning of our existence. It offers a unique and thought-provoking take on these fundamental aspects of our lives, inviting us to explore new ways of thinking and being.

I reached the middle with a thousand difficulties. It was written during the time when Christianity was revolutionary. So...you understand what it's about. Personally, I didn't care at all.

This statement seems to convey a sense of struggle and perhaps a certain detachment. The mention of reaching the middle with a thousand difficulties implies a challenging journey.

The fact that it was written during a revolutionary time in Christianity might suggest that the content of what was written was significant and perhaps controversial.

However, the speaker's personal lack of interest indicates that despite the historical context and potential importance, it didn't resonate with them on a personal level.

It could be that the speaker was more focused on other aspects of their life or had different priorities.

Overall, this short passage provides a glimpse into a situation where someone has overcome difficulties to reach a certain point, but is not particularly engaged with the subject matter at hand.

I picked up this book because another author mentioned it in their work.

My initial perception was that it was filled with the wisdom that Tolstoy found inspiring. However, it turns out that Tolstoy had a rather high opinion of himself, as he quotes himself extensively.

To such an extent that perhaps the title should be "A Calendar of Tolstoy". While he did have some valuable observations, his religious-based view of life, anti-science, and anti-intellectual views clashed with my atheist perspective.

Finally, although I understand that he was writing in a different era with different norms, he was extremely sexist. June 20 in this book could be renamed "Tolstoy's Day of Misogyny".

Overall, I didn't gain as much from this book as I had hoped. It seems that Tolstoy's self-importance and some of his outdated views detracted from the potential value of the work.

Perhaps in a different context or for a different reader, this book might have more to offer. But for me, it fell short of expectations.

A Year of Being Annoyed

This piece comes across to me as a personal journal that was likely published due to the author's esteemed status. I found myself frequently annoyed while reading it. Many, if not most, of the "quotes" seemed to be full paraphrases or rather vague recollections of something the author had read at some point. Even taking into account potential differences in translation, it was often extremely difficult, if not impossible, to cross-reference a quote from a third-party source. Maybe this isn't a big deal to you, but for me, it's crucial not to have words mis-attributed.

Often, the wisdom within the text was still interesting and thought-provoking. However, almost always, goodness and virtue were expressly equated with a belief in God, which really annoyed me. This was especially so because many of the other "daily thoughts" were very humanist and nonsectarian. Oh well. I managed to finish it, so I'll give it two stars. I might recommend this book to a scholar of Tolstoy who is looking to learn more about his outlook. But I don't really recommend it for a modern person who is seeking daily reflection prompts. Next year, I'll be switching to reading poetry instead.

**The Calendar of Wisdom**

Leo Tolstoy, a renowned Russian writer, is widely known for his famous novels such as "Anna Karenina" and "War and Peace". However, "The Calendar of Wisdom" is a unique work. It consists of sayings, judgments, and thoughts that Tolstoy translated and arranged in his own way. It took him fifteen years to collect these thoughts. He started writing this book between December 1902 and January 1903.
The work contains quotations from various religions and many philosophers and thinkers. It was published in 1912. After the Russian Revolution, it was banned due to its religious quotations. But it was released again in 1995.
I wish he had translated it literally, like the sayings of the Prophet. Then its taste would have been better than its source. The quotations include virtues, religion, closeness to God, knowledge, love, life, not eating meat, and the education of children.

This book offers a profound and diverse collection of wisdom that can inspire and guide readers in different aspects of life. It showcases Tolstoy's deep understanding and exploration of human nature and values.

Abandoned after 50% read.

Sadly, this book of quotations has incredibly terrible theology. It is truly disheartening to come across such a work.

Though there are some passages from the Bible quoted, they are set alongside quotations from other religious books and philosophers. Most of these other quotations are contradictory to the Bible. Yet Tolstoy groups them together (according to topic) and adds commentary indicating his belief that they are on equal footing. This is a fundamental error in understanding the unique and supreme nature of the Bible.

There are repeating messages that God is in all humans and we just need to “look inside ourselves” to find Him. This is a dangerous and inaccurate teaching. All religions do not more or less serve the same God and purpose. There is only one true God, and only through faith in Jesus Christ can we find salvation and eternal life. All roads do not lead to heaven and happiness, regardless of belief. God is the one who changes us, not the other way around. And the idea that eating animals is a sin no different than cannibalism is simply absurd.

There are a handful of good quotes here, too, but they are few and far between. One would be much better off just reading the Book of Proverbs in the Bible, which is a source of true wisdom and guidance.

In addition to the awful theology, the book is seriously repetitive. The same quote will be listed multiple times in the book (on different days), for example. This makes the reading experience rather tedious.

The formatting is awkward, making it difficult to understand which words are Tolstoy's and which are quotations from others. This lack of clarity further detracts from the value of the book.

Also, the original Russian edition this is based on included short stories from Tolstoy that were not translated and included in this English edition because they were “too long”. This is a great shame, because those stories were likely far more worthwhile reading than what's actually printed on these pages. It seems that this English edition has missed out on a significant part of Tolstoy's work.

What amount of lessons, such amount of wisdom.

These lessons and wisdom have truly had a profound impact on me. They have helped me to view others and myself in a completely different light. His words about our inner energy, our soul, and our spirit are like precious pearls that have been carefully strung together.

They resonate deeply within me and almost bare the complete words written in my book of treasures. It is as if every word he spoke was a key that unlocked a hidden door within my heart, allowing me to see the world and myself with a newfound clarity and understanding.

These teachings have become an integral part of my life, guiding me through the challenges and joys that come my way. I am truly grateful for the wisdom and knowledge that I have gained, and I will continue to cherish and hold onto these precious words for the rest of my life.

Leo Tolstoy's work can be seen more as a journal filled with quotes and his thoughts on them. While it aims to summarize his life philosophy, it didn't give a personal understanding of the author. The book contains 90% quotes from various authors like Kant, Schopenhauer, and many others. It's an interesting choice, perhaps more honest than modern authors who pass off others' ideas as their own. However, the question of whether Tolstoy was right in modifying and simplifying quotes for accessibility is debatable. I倾向于认为引用应保持原文形式。

The book is a "calendar" with each page representing a day and different themes. The predominant themes include Christian faith, physical work, intellectual honesty, unconditional love, and more. It's a Christian book, which might turn off some atheists, but there are good and bad teachings in every religion if approached pragmatically. The repetitiveness of religious teachings can be a drawback stylistically.

Some quotes from the book are quite thought-provoking. For example, "The history of mankind is the movement of humanity towards greater and greater unity." However, some quotes like "When you hear about the bad deeds of others, don't listen to the end and try to forget what you heard" seem to be an逃避现实. Overall, the book is worth having in your collection, but I would have preferred more personal experiences and examples from Tolstoy.

3.5 / 5

*Disclaimer: I read the book in English so the quotes are translated by me, so they are imperfect.

I did not initially realize the extent of religious content that would be present in the book.

However, there was an abundance of other material that I found highly enjoyable to read.

In particular, I took great pleasure in reading about the diverse quotes on vegetarianism.

It is truly a nice book to peruse through, and one can easily go back to their favorite verses for a source of inspiration.

The combination of different elements within the book makes it a unique and engaging read.

Whether one is interested in the religious aspects or simply in the thought-provoking quotes on vegetarianism, there is something for everyone to appreciate.

It offers a chance to explore different ideas and perspectives, and can leave the reader with a sense of enlightenment and motivation.

Overall, it is a book that I would recommend to others who are looking for a meaningful and interesting read.