# The Wise King
“The prince seems to have been a voracious reader.” (page 11):

Read everything you possibly can about anything subject to broaden your mind and viewpoint. Never assume anything. Always read to learn and gain knowledge and to inspire and to be intelligent in your writing. Especially of your quotes and book choices. Remember reading books is better than being a slave to the technology and the Internet. Read books instead if you do use the Internet to thrive and excel in different areas and to understand different cultures and customs and habits. The way to understand something is to read about it. Do not talk about it. But read about it. Then journal it. Then talk about it in private one to one discussions and move on to the next book. Build up a wealth of knowledge through reading in order to gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

“Wisdom is the love of all loves, the water of all fountains, and the memory of all peoples.”

Alfonso the Wise used wisdom in how he dealt with his realm by fostering openness in learning across many different languages, subjects, and religions. He was welcoming to those who needed assistance. He was a politically astute leader and a financially gifted individual who spent money on items and projects that not only increased his learning but also benefited his kingdom and his society and his era and generations to come.

What I learned from Fernando III of Castile was that to be innovative is a skill that has to be nurtured and blossomed like a flower. Being innovative to me means that I have to have my own way of doing things and my own style of doing things. Even if it goes against the norm of what others do. Some may write way less than I do. But I love what I do. I treat it as a job. They however may not. But that is my calling. To write what I do and to share what I do. I write a lot every day because it makes me feel as if I am growing and learning something about myself and that I am teaching others through my life story as well. Whether it be through poetry or my letters.

He introduced new ideas. He was original and creative in thinking. The way he was original and creative in thinking was in his military battles and dealing with other rulers to bring peace and stability to the surrounding realms.

The way he introduced new ideas was that he introduced Castilian Spanish as the language of usage in the realm instead of using Latin and made that the language standard from then on.

His son broadened and continued his efforts in this regard by sponsoring translations from Arabic, Latin, and Hebrew into Castilian Spanish. He also supported poetry in Galician-Portuguese poetry and did much for science and astronomy during his days of ruling. He never stopped learning. He a,ways found something new to learn and grow and to keep his mind young and fertile like a rose. ( )

Aimed at a popular audience, The Wise King nevertheless manages to deftly blend accessible prose with careful contextualisation of the life and career of Alfonso X of Castile. Simon Doubleday presents Alfonso as "a 'Renaissance man' before the Renaissance", and debunks a number of common stereotypes about the Middle Ages along the way. While Doubleday's approach necessitates some simplification, this is on the whole a readable and balanced look at elite culture in thirteenth-century Castile. ( )