For those involved in any type of spiritual or soul work, The Power of Soul is a treasure to return to over and again.
"Would we not have quite a different science―a different biology, chemistry, medicine, botany, agriculture, technology―if these matters were approached through the twelve virtues of equanimity, patience, selflessness, love, compassion, devotion, balance, faithfulness, courtesy, truth, courage, and discernment? If an education into virtue constituted an important part of becoming a scientist or a researcher, an educator or a lawyer, the realms of research and practice would appear quite different than they do to the eyes of one trained only in the professions as they now exist...
"Is the term 'virtue' any longer viable?... In the past, people made a concerted effort to live a virtuous life. To speak in this way now sounds antiquated; and it is.
"We know too much about the darker sides of human nature and of the necessity of recognizing the shadow aspects of the soul to believe in being virtuous in the older ways in which this was understood. We need to develop the capacities to observe the most subtle of our inner states and outer acts, the connection or lack of connection between them, and the subtle results of our acts. These practices form the new field within which reinvigorating virtue can take place." (from the introduction)