Jesus Son of Sirach was a Jewish scribe who probably taught in Jerusalem. Around 180 B.C. he committed to writing the oral wisdom he had taught his students. Sirach's wisdom is similar to that of Proverbs and also creates a bridge to that of the later Pharisees.
If you don't have time to read the entire book, you might enjoy clicking through the flashcards I've created... One Hundred Sayings of Sirach. These quotes (along with a few notes) will give you a good taste of Sirach's thought. Much of it is very good. Some of it is definitely not so good.
The errors in Sirach's thought is one of the reasons the Lutheran church never accepted the Old Testament apocryphal books as inspired. Two other important reasons for this is that they do not reference the plan of salvation nor are they hardly ever quoted or referenced in the New Testament.
However, there is much good to be gained by reading the apocryphal books. Martin Luther commended them, and they were included in the first Bibles published by the Lutherans.
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