INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

Humanity now needs to adapt to a world that is far different from any time in the past. To do this we need to understand our human nature. If we know who we are, how human beings evolved, if we understand the history of our beliefs, the evolution of our different cultures, if we know what our possibilities and weaknesses are, we might correctly assess what we can change, adapt, and create, so that humanity and the planet thrive.

It is the mission of the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK) that people, young and old, should gain such insight. Through multicultural literacy programs for the young, online courses, and a website where the latest findings, research and discoveries, written for the non-academic, are made available to anyone anywhere in the world, ISHK will communicate new understandings in the human sciences to both professionals and the culture at large .

Under the imprint Hoopoe Books we publish a unique set of ancient, universal children’s Teaching-Stories™ originating from Central Asia, and a series of books for adolescents enabling them to understand the biological, psychological, and emotional changes experienced during this challenging but important period of their lives. Our literacy programs, Share Literacy, Books for Afghanistan, and Books for Pakistan have provided over seven million books to disadvantaged primary school-age children, and training for hundreds of teachers in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere. Over the last decade, ISHK has taken advantage of internet technology allowing us to offer more extensive information about what it means to be human. Our website https://humanjourney.us/ provides a more complete view of humanity. We follow our biological and social evolution from our distant ancestors, to the history of our major cultural institutions, the disparities between rich and poor, the health of our planet, the evolution of our beliefs, and the education of the world’s children. Since 1969, we’ve sold books on these subjects, including the important works of Karen Armstrong, Idries Shah, Franz de Waal, Jonas Salk, Paul Ekman, Phil Zimbardo, Amos Tversky, Stephen Sanderson, our late President Robert Ornstein, and many others. Before the internet, ISHK organized symposia, attended by a few hundred thousand, and we currently maintain a continuing education program that has allowed psychologists and physicians to take over 40,000 courses. Now, in this new exciting phase, we’re seeking to publish bilingual editions of our Hoopoe books in some of the many minority languages spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan paired with the national language, enabling children to learn to read initially in their mother tongue and transfer those skills to the appropriate national language once they enter first grade.
We plan to enhance the Human Journey website so that the information is available online to anyone at any time; not only to a professional psychologist or academic, but to a student in China; not only to a parent who buys a book, but to a curious young girl in rural India. Anywhere there is a connection.

Over the last 45 years, under the leadership of the late Robert Ornstein, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge has gathered knowledge from leading thinkers and authors in psychology, health, medicine, and sociology, to provide critical knowledge about the future of humanity. Managed by a small staff, with the efforts of a reliable volunteer base of professionals and the general public, and the support of grants and donations, the Institute has maintained its objectives over this time. With the support of select foundations, we will continue this work into the future.

Our literacy programs, Share Literacy, Books for Afghanistan and Books for Pakistan have provided over seven million books to disadvantaged primary school-age children, and training for hundreds of teachers in the U.S., Afghanistan Pakistan, and elsewhere. The number of requests from nonprofits, NGOs, and government schools for additional reprints, new editions and new titles increases daily. We currently have over 1.5 million books requested should funds become available. The Human Journey website now provides a comprehensive overview of our biological and cultural evolution based on up-to-date research. Most importantly, and unique to The Human Journey, we overlay this increased understanding of our human nature—our strengths and weaknesses—with an in-depth examination of key contemporary challenges to help us make better decisions, direct our own evolution, and create a sustainable human future. Originally under the direction of Robert Ornstein, a cadre of dedicated professionals and interested supporters contributed to the launch of The Human Journey web site, and continue to expand and update it with the latest research and information available. Over the coming three years, The Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge will expand the reach of the Human Journey project by 1) growing the number of individuals who discover, read, and engage with, and share the site and 2) offering a suite of formalized resources suitable for all educational levels. To accomplish this next stage, we will expand our paid staff and consultants while continuing to leverage the services of our core of volunteer professionals. Building on a seed grant from a private foundation, we seek additional grants for specific components, take steps to enlarge our individual donor base, develop prototypes of products and services to generate cash flow, and test affiliate marketing. We will build on the track record of success of other established Institute projects: CE@Home, providing licensed continuing education for psychologists and physicians; Hoopoe Books/Share Literacy providing developmental resources for children and adolescents; and Malor Books, publishing quality paperbacks of important works in the human sciences selected for the importance of their content to the culture as a whole.