Q: How do I become wise?
A: Wisdom is acquired through thinking and finding answers. Pursue the enquiry "What am I?" by fathoming the questions "What is life?" and "What is death?" Nobody can do this for you. There are no short-cuts. Books and teachers can at best serve as catalysts.
Q: I must confess to being disheartened by books. How on earth am I supposed to understand and be helped by the teachings of Jesus for example?
A: Don't try to understand what he means. You would do well to just occupy yourself with penetrating to the truth of the matter of life and death. Spend what small time you have on this earth investigating the things of vital concern. You haven't the time to distract yourself trying to understand what every Jesus, Buddha, or Muhammad has supposedly said. What if Jesus was completely wrong! Wouldn't that make your efforts a horrible waste? When you know the Truth, then you will understand all things. Then you will know whether Jesus is worth trying to understand.