The Wise Men (book) The Wise Men (book) The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made is a 1986 book by Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas. It describes the actions of a group of U.S. government officials and members of the East Coast foreign policy Establishment. Starting in the immediate post-World War II period, the group developed the containment policy of dealing with the Communist bloc during the Cold War. They also helped to craft institutions and initiatives such as NATO, the World Bank, and the Marshall Plan. An updated edition of the book was released in 2012, as well as a
Biblical Magi learned from their earlier meeting. The star which they followed has traditionally become known as the Star of Bethlehem. The Magi are popularly referred to as "wise men" and "kings". The word "magi" is the plural of Latin "magus", borrowed from Greek μάγος "magos", as used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew ("μάγοι"). Greek "magos" itself is derived from Old Persian "maguŝ" from the Avestan "magâunô", i.e., the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born (see Yasna 33.7: "ýâ sruyê parê magâunô" = "so I can be heard beyond Magi"). The term refers to the Persian