Introduction

King Solomon was King of Israel three thousand years ago. He was famed for the wealth of his cities, the magnificence of his temples and, most of all, for the wisdom of his rule. Finding it was lonely ruling a vast kingdom, Solomon wanted some way to change his mood whenever he chose. He called to his court the finest craftsmen and wisest counsellors in the land.

Make me a ring and on it engrave an inscription. Put on it words that can change my mood, whatever it is; from sorrow to joy, or from joy to sorrow.

The counsellors wrestled with the task for many months and sought the wisest sages throughout the world, until finally they had the answer. They went to the craftsman who had struck the finest ring ever made and instructed ...

Get How to Manage Stress now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.