Review: The Diamond Soul by George Vasilca

Businessman George Vasilca turns mentor and guides readers through the process of becoming a more upstanding, self-reliant and generous person in the dynamic manual, The Diamond Soul: 5 Stepping Stones to Christlike Character.

Vasilca traces his own search for a balanced, conscientious character to childhood: his mother urged him to be tender and loving, while his father equated Christian principles with strength and will. In contemplating how to combine the two, he creates two potent metaphors. First, based on his hiking adventures, he imagines stepping stones that can be traced out to plan a journey. Second is the image of the diamond; formed under the earth over eons and when first viewed, the gemstone “doesn’t look good at all,” but by masterful cutting and shaping, it becomes one of the most beautiful objects on earth.

Vasilca’s five stepping stones relate to those who follow his path: a Christian, a fighter, a righteous warrior, a follower of the Godly way, a disciplined person, and finally, someone ready for polishing. To be a Christian requires molding oneself after the example of Jesus, which means choosing virtue over vice, of holiness over “mere civility or secular morality.” It incorporates both humility and firmness. We cannot control all circumstances we find ourselves in, but we can control our manner of meeting circumstances, by being reactive – blaming others, assuming victim status, becoming cynical – or proactive – seeking a positive, courageous, compassionate and independent stance for rising above the circumstance.

Vasilca references the work of Viktor E. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist who taught that meaning exists even in the most horrific situations. As we grow more proactive, battling to become better people, we will need discipline that comes from prioritizing our problems, developing healthy habits, and learning to say no at times. Then we will be ready for the fine shaping and polishing that will allow us to reach out to others and to set a shining example.

The Romanian-born author, now residing in the United States, is a retired engineering executive with wide, noteworthy experience in management. For some time he has been mentoring potential young leaders, using the same staunch, spiritually invested principles he sets forth in The Diamond Soul. His advice is based solidly upon recognized Christian values, but also extracts elements from other sources, from popular self-help authors like Stephen Covey and Rick Warren to the time-honored wisdom of Plato and Aristotle, so the book is not a straight religious tract, but a manual on how to live rightly. As such, it can still be of interest to secular readers, as the book acts as a work of self-help as well as a book about faith. However, religious readers will doubtlessly receive the most out of Vasilca’s treatise.

By the end of the book, one feels a sense of purpose, as Vasilca is a persuasive and inspiring writer. His book marches in a progression through the stepping stones he has envisioned – at the end of each chapter he offers a list of questions and suggested exercises for the reader, entitled “Moments of Reflection.” In addition to endnotes, he includes a list of “Further Reading” for interested readers. His writing is clear, well-paced and intelligent, drawing on scientific principles and logic. The ideas expressed are often based in a depth of feeling and faith-grounded conviction, but the book doesn’t devolve into proselytizing, and instead encompasses many different perspectives, for a uniquely well-rounded and effective take on the subject.

The result in The Diamond Soul is a solid, pragmatic framework for self-improvement that anyone might follow, while proving especially attractive to those who share the author’s religious beliefs.