Blog Archives
Moral Indignation
Moral Indignation: Embryonic Stem Cells, DNA, and Christians is a long, fiery walk through science, theology, and ethics from a very outspoken Christian point of view. Author Sherman P. Bastarache sets out to make a Christian case for supporting stem cell research and other modern biomedical tools. He moves from big questions about knowledge and faith, through DNA and evolution, into abortion, euthanasia, and the soul, then circles back to what it means to be truly “pro-life” in practice, not just in slogans. The book mixes Bible study, personal stories, popular science, and social commentary, and it ends with a push toward compromise and concrete ways to back research that aims to reduce human suffering.
I found the voice to be bold and charming. Bastarache writes like someone talking across a kitchen table, not like a distant academic. He leans on scripture, then jokes about Yoda, then swings into stem cell basics, and it holds together most of the time. I appreciated the very personal, unfiltered style of the writing. The chapters move freely, the arguments often circle back for emphasis, and some analogies linger in a way that lets the ideas sink in. The tone ranges from gentle and pastoral to strongly assertive, and even the occasional bit of coarse language highlights how deeply the author feels about the issues at stake.
His core line hits hard: ignorance is not holy, and refusing to use knowledge that could ease suffering is its own kind of moral failure. When he unpacks the old fear of “playing God” and reframes humans as responsible co-workers who need to grow up and act, I felt that was both theologically interesting and morally bracing. His use of real cases around high-risk pregnancies, late-term complications, and new reproductive technologies makes the debate feel grounded in actual lives. I appreciated that honesty. On the other hand, his strong feelings about certain pro-life arguments give the book a clear, unmistakable stance. He tends to focus on the human cost of inaction more than on every fine-grained worry about embryos and possible future abuses, which keeps the spotlight on real lives. I could feel the passion in those pages.
I would recommend Moral Indignation to Christians who feel torn between loyalty to their faith community and respect for modern science, and to believers who suspect that “do nothing” is not a morally neutral stance in medicine. It could also interest secular readers who want to see a serious Christian wrestle with stem cells, DNA, and bioethics without hiding behind easy platitudes. If you appreciate strong feelings and a very human voice that tries to drag faith and reason into the same room, you will find Bastarache’s thoughts inspiring.
Pages: 314 | ISBN : 978-0992159412
Meaningful Struggles
Universe 25: When Perfect is Not Enough revisits the infamous mouse utopia experiment by John B. Calhoun and asks whether abundance, convenience, and perfection are unraveling modern society. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The Universe 25 experiment conducted by John B. Calhoun fascinated me because it forces us to confront an uncomfortable idea. What if collapse does not begin with scarcity, but with comfort? In Calhoun’s controlled mouse utopia, food was unlimited, predators were absent, and physical needs were met. Yet social breakdown still followed. When I looked at modern society, I could not ignore the parallels. We have unprecedented access to food, technology, entertainment, and comfort. But anxiety, division, loneliness, and identity confusion are rising.
This book was important to write because it challenges the assumption that progress automatically equals improvement. Material abundance does not guarantee psychological resilience or social cohesion. I wanted to explore whether we have removed too many meaningful struggles from life and whether, in doing so, we may also be removing purpose. The experiment becomes a mirror. It asks whether we are building a civilization that satisfies appetite but neglects responsibility.
For me, Universe 25 was not about condemning modernity. It was about questioning it. That questioning is necessary if we want to avoid repeating patterns we do not fully understand.
What does Universe 25 suggest about purpose, struggle, and shared responsibility?
One of the strongest lessons of Universe 25 is that purpose cannot be manufactured by comfort alone. The mice were physically secure, yet socially disoriented. Roles dissolved. Hierarchies collapsed. Parental instincts failed. Without meaningful challenges, many withdrew into passive existence. Calhoun called this the “behavioral sink.”
In human terms, struggle is not simply an obstacle. It is a framework that shapes identity. Responsibility to family, to community, and to something beyond the self creates cohesion. When everything is provided but nothing is required, a strange emptiness can emerge. Shared responsibility becomes optional, and optional responsibility is rarely sustained.
The experiment suggests that abundance without structure weakens societies. Struggle, when constructive and shared, builds resilience. It forces cooperation, adaptation, and accountability. Purpose often arises from overcoming difficulty together. Remove the need to contribute, and you risk removing the sense of belonging.
Where do you think the analogy breaks down—and where does it hold strongest?
The analogy breaks down where human complexity begins. We are not mice in cages. Humans possess self-awareness, culture, philosophy, and the ability to reflect on our own decline. We can change course. We can redefine meaning. We can recognize when something is wrong and act intentionally to correct it. The mice could not hold conferences about their existential crisis.
However, the analogy holds strongest in the realm of social behavior under artificial abundance. When natural pressures disappear, internal pressures often increase. Competition shifts from survival to status. Identity becomes fragile. Isolation grows. Social fragmentation accelerates. In that sense, the parallels are powerful.
Universe 25 does not claim we are destined to follow the same path. It simply shows that removing hardship does not automatically produce harmony. That lesson remains deeply relevant.
You end the book with cautious hope—what gives you that hope?
Hope comes from awareness. The very fact that we can examine experiments like Universe 25 and debate their implications sets us apart. Humans are capable of adaptation on a conscious level. We can reintroduce meaning, responsibility, and shared goals deliberately rather than waiting for collapse to force it upon us.
History shows cycles of decline and renewal. Societies fragment, but they also reform. Individuals rediscover purpose. Communities rebuild. The modern world is not doomed because it is comfortable. It is only at risk if it forgets that comfort must be balanced with contribution.
Cautious hope comes from the belief that struggle does not need to be catastrophic to be meaningful. We can choose growth over decay. That choice remains available to us.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
Instead, it became a nightmare. Violence, neglect, and sterility spread until the entire colony died out. The project became infamous as Universe 25—a chilling lesson about the dangers of comfort without purpose.
This book retells the story of Universe 25 and draws its unsettling parallels to our own time. From falling birth rates to lonely megacities, from consumerism to digital grooming, the echoes are hard to ignore. Humanity dreams of freedom and abundance—but what if those dreams are exactly what destroy us?
With sharp insight and dark humor, Universe 25: When Perfect Is Not Enough is not just about mice. It is about us. And it carries a warning: be careful what you wish for.
The Spiral Can Be Reversed
The Path from Hell to Heaven is a philosophical and psychological map of the ego, tracing how people spiral downward into “Hell” through fear, shame, and denial, and upward toward “Heaven” through trust, openness, and renewal. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Because ego explains nearly every human collapse and ascent, yet most people never receive a practical map for it. I wanted to translate psychological chaos—fear, shame, denial—into a recognizable model anyone could use, the same way we map complex systems in software or business architecture. This book is that missing human blueprint: a self-debugging framework that moves readers forward instead of leaving them looping in abstraction.
How did you come up with the concept of the two-sided spiral of the ego and develop this into a process that readers can implement into their own lives to find clarity and understanding of themselves?
I analyzed patterns before individuals. Ego contracts or expands; there’s no true neutral. Avoiding truth descends, openness creates lift. The spiral metaphor stuck because it captures momentum and acceleration.
To make it implementable, I structured it as an RPM self-awareness loop:
- R – Recognize the ego state you’re operating in
- P – Pause the automatic reaction loop
- M – Move with intentional correction or openness
It’s diagnostic and reversible, giving readers a clear exit path whether they’re descending or rebuilding upward.
I found the ideas presented in your book relatable and appreciated the actionable steps that readers can take to find their own clarity. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The concepts that mattered most to me were:
- Ego itself isn’t the problem → closed ego is
- Narcissism is often unprocessed fear wearing armor
- Pain isn’t identity, it’s a turning point
- Ambition without self-awareness becomes self-sabotage
- Recognition of the loop always comes before the escape
And above all—I wanted a book that doesn’t just sound smart, but gets applied and changes outcomes.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Path from Hell to Heaven?
That their ego has directions, and so do they. If they feel stuck, defensive, ashamed, or overwhelmed—it’s a state, not a life sentence. The spiral can always be reversed, rebooted, and climbed. The only real trap is believing the descent is normal and permanent.
This book is a Map of the Ego’s Double Spiral — a journey every individual, family, and society travels between Hell (closed ego) and Heaven (open ego).
Through vivid metaphors and grounded psychological insight, LANOU unveils how pain becomes protection, how protection turns to illusion, and how awakening begins when trust cracks the shell.
You’ll see yourself, groups, and even nations in these patterns:
The wound that starts the descent.
The mask that hides pain through control.
The collapse that breaks illusion.
The trust that starts renewal.
The open ego that frees love and truth.
Structured as a fractal spiral, the book reveals six repeating steps across all scales — from individuals to groups to the world itself. It blends the clarity of psychology with the simplicity of spiritual truth: hell is repetition; heaven is renewal.
Once you see the map, you cannot unsee it.
The Path from Hell to Heaven: The 2 Sided Spiral of the Ego
This book is a philosophical and psychological map of the ego, tracing how individuals, groups, and societies spiral downward into “Hell” through fear, shame, and denial, and how they rise toward “Heaven” through trust, openness, and renewal. It’s written like a guide for self-awareness, where the ego’s descent, wound, shell, mask, illusion, collapse, and denial are mirrored by its ascent through trust, openness, adulthood, mastery, and renewal. Each section builds on the last, connecting personal trauma to collective dysfunction and, finally, to global healing. The language is clear and rhythmic, sometimes poetic, and the structure moves like a spiral itself, repeating ideas but deepening them each time.
I liked how direct this book is and how it pointed to familiar pain without drowning in theory. The writing style blends psychology and spirituality without turning preachy. I could feel the author’s intention: to wake readers up, not to comfort them. Sometimes the simplicity of the prose makes it cut deeper than expected. It’s not a book that flatters, it exposes. At points, it felt like being called out and held at the same time. The “spiral” metaphor worked for me; it explained so much of what people repeat in life, from personal self-sabotage to entire societies collapsing under pride and denial.
The book’s tone is confident, almost absolute, which can feel heavy when you’re already raw. The ideas are strong, but their repetition across individual, group, and world scales sometimes blurs the freshness. Yet even then, I found myself underlining lines, rereading them, and thinking of people I know who live both spirals at once. The message that Heaven and Hell are not destinations but daily states of ego, sticks.
I’d recommend The Path from Hell to Heaven to people who crave clarity more than comfort. It’s for readers who think deeply about healing, leadership, and the way our inner wounds ripple into culture and politics. Therapists, activists, or anyone burned out on shallow self-help would probably find it bracing. It doesn’t tell you what to do; it shows you what you’re already doing. And if you’re willing to face that, it can be liberating.
Pages: 151 | ASIN : B0FT5HM9RS
Philosophical Tidbits
Philosophical Tidbits is an engaging collection of musings, observations, and reflections with a philosophical bent. The author, Michael Tate, delves into an array of life’s facets, blending serious contemplation with humor. This mix offers readers a distinctive view of life’s varied aspects. The book serves as a thought-provoking journey, inviting readers to explore the complexities of human experience. Tate’s knack for combining wit and wisdom allows for an exploration of diverse topics, ranging from introspective thoughts to societal commentary.
Tate’s writing style is both engaging and contemplative, encouraging readers to reflect on life’s intricacies through a narrative that is imaginative yet grounded in adult experiences. He skillfully juxtaposes lighter topics with profound philosophical queries, adding depth to his musings. The reflections, covering everything from personal relationships to societal issues, resonate due to their relatable nature and the author’s insightful observations on humanity’s imperfections. Tate’s use of humor is a key aspect of his work, providing a counterbalance to the more serious philosophical themes. His quips, such as “He that can see the future shall rule the world” and “If a child asks, answer. If a man asks, wonder,” inject a playful element into the narrative.
Moreover, the book bravely tackles often-shunned subjects like politics, justice, and belief systems, sparking vital discussions about societal perceptions. While the book offers insightful perspectives, it also presents a level of cynicism and skepticism, particularly regarding societal constructs and belief systems. Tate’s views on truth, ignorance, and justice showcase a critical, questioning mindset, which I feel might challenge some readers. The book’s more pointed critiques of established beliefs might not appeal to everyone, but I believe those who look beyond will find the work enriching.
Philosophical Tidbits is a stimulating read for enthusiasts of philosophical discourse, especially those who appreciate a blend of humor and skepticism. Tate’s ability to convey mature experiences with childlike imagination adds a novel dimension to the philosophical discussions. The book stands out not only for its broad range of topics but also for its forthright approach to expressing thoughts that many might harbor but seldom voice. It serves as an intriguing catalyst for deeper conversations and encourages a departure from conventional social norms in pursuit of honest dialogue.
Pages: 89 | ISBN : 0578269473
Meditations for Modern Man
In Meditations for Modern Man author Michael Cook provides readers with inspirational quotes that cover a variety of enlightened and humanistic topics from logic to morality and more. These intellectually stimulating quotes empower readers with timeless wisdom that anyone can use in their daily lives.
Author Michael Cook has written a unique and thought-provoking book that many readers will find encouraging and uplifting. While reading the quotes in the book you feel as though you are getting advice from a mentor or someone who has experienced so much in life and has a wealth of knowledge to share.
I encourage readers to, as I did, stop and reflect on what is read, because while some quotes are subtle but potent, like this one “When Logic fails, Emotion reigns.”, I found others to be layered and profound. I’m sure that some of these keen aphorisms will echo in your mind as you go about your daily life.
This is a great book for readers who are looking to grow as a person and for those seeking an enlightened opinion on how to be the best version of themselves. I enjoyed the author’s candid and unapologetic voice in his book. Readers will be able to sense his personality, and I think these aphorisms hold more value because of it.
As I was reading, I found myself agreeing with many of the maxims, but I would have enjoyed a bit of an introduction to each section if only to dive deeper into the authors thoughts on the topic. There may be some quotes in the book that readers may not agree with, but I like that the author’s writing can spark debate, either within a group or within your mind.
The author has written an observant and enlightening book of maxims that can easily become common adages. I recommend this book to parents and to young adults who are ready to go out into the world on their own and find out what kind of person they really are. This is a fantastic book for anyone that is about to embark on a personal transformation journey, as these will help guide them.
Pages: 167 | ASIN: B09BQ9FWW1
The Empathy Academy
The Empathy Academy, by Dustin Grinnell, follows Montgomery Hughes on his journey of discovery as he questions his morality. A school was built for those who test positive for genes that affect empathy, and even though Monty tests negative, he finds his way onto Nantucket Island to enroll.
Montgomery “Monty” Hughes is a terrific kid, intelligent, and constantly questioning if he is doing the right thing. When he discovers his father profited on a fake cancer drug, he decides to enroll in the Empathy Academy, which is run by Dr. Sonja Woodward. Monty uses his friend’s test results to get into the academy so that he can escape his father’s wrongdoings.
Monty has been intrigued by medicine and wants to become a doctor; however, he does not want to make his father’s same mistakes. As Monty goes to the academy for the summer, the FBI places his father under house arrest while awaiting trial for the biggest fraud committed in medicine. His father, Richard Hughes, marketed a drug that was supposed to cure cancer and ended up being harmful. There is some irony in the story as his father was diagnosed with terminal Pancreatic Cancer.
The writing style and tone of this book are a balance of science and questioning morality. Are our genes responsible for our behavior and empathy, or does our environment also play a role? Throughout this book, Grinnell accurately captured human nature and the fine line between right and wrong. Some characters in this book know what they are doing is wrong but move forward because they are scared the outcome would negatively impact them. Other characters believe what they are doing is just and right but blind themselves to the true nature of their actions. Monty is inherently good but feels he needs help because of his father’s mistakes.
This captivating novel was interesting to read. Each character had a unique development, and you could see the inner workings of human nature. The underlying plot of the fake cancer drug could elicit some strong emotions from those that have been impacted by cancer in their lives. Cancer is a touchy subject, but I believe the author handled it well throughout the book.
The Empathy Academy combines science fiction and ethical philosophy into a riveting fantasy novel. If you question right and wrong, love deciphering morality, and would like to dive into human nature, then this book is for you.
Pages: 209 | ASIN : B09RTSZ7PQ
I Am A Healer At Heart
Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought takes a secular approach to explain what wisdom is and how to obtain it. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Wisdom, values, ethics and so on are very important to me personally, and of major importance to what I consider to be an ailing America. Yes, I believe that America (and of course many other countries) are in serious trouble nowadays. If we do not begin to quickly value wisdom as a society, our institutions will continue to fail, Americans will become increasingly politically polarized and violent, and the promise of the American dream will slip further and further from the grasp of all but the wealthiest individuals. People who are wise have been advising us to listen to our better angels, or our gods, or our inherent potential as human beings, for millennia, and yet here we are…. As it stands, human beings will likely destroy ourselves through nuclear war or global warming in the foreseeable future. This is of great concern to me because I think of all the good and decent people who have come before me–they didn’t work so hard and reach for the stars simply to see the world implode.
But also, I am a healer at heart. I see the power of philosophy and the potential of philosophy to engender personal growth, critical thinking, and moral values in the hearts and minds of people. I did my very best with the book because my overarching goal was to be helpful to people.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about wisdom?
I personally think it is amazing that wisdom is this age-old virtue that every significant civilization has had some interest in, which can be of unparalleled use to us as individuals and as members of society, and yet most people never think about it. Wisdom is behind truth, justice, and love in regard to how highly it is regarded–and it is certainly behind money, power, beauty, popularity, and significance on the list of those things to which Americans aspire. This is tragically misguided, because wisdom is that which can most accurately guide us through all the trials and tribulations, all the mountains and valleys life throws at us all. It can even save your life, as anyone knows who has had an accident involving gasoline, hurt someone while drunk driving, or been faced with an agonizing decision to carry a child to full-term or end the pregnancy! I have also made some dumb decisions in my life, either as a person, as an investor, or in my relationships, and it is only through wisdom that I can hope to do better in the future!
Another element that seems interesting to me is that wisdom (to the degree that folks even really ever think about it, as I said…) tends to be associated with those who are excellent in some attribute or social status, or even simply more advanced in age. I live in a part of the country with more than a few Confederate flags flying on the porches and trucks of folks who are well over 50. So it is a bit of a paradox as to what engenders real wisdom, and what has merely a superficial appearance of wisdom.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from this book?
We each have the capacity to make wisdom our greatest strength. And in a world some say has gone mad, character strengths and worthy virtues are of the highest value. These things, like love and peace, cannot be bought with money, but they can be worked toward, cultivated, prized, and loved. Indeed, the word philosophy comes from the Greek for “the love of wisdom.” So, to philosophize is to seek out, care about, and take seriously wisdom. That is amazing! To succeed in this high aspiration and worthy goal, we ought to make a habit out of taking a broad, deep look at large numbers of individuals throughout history (and from different cultures) who have lived wise, successful, impressive lives. What I call living “a life of value.” I have a free quote search engine on my website that has over 35,000 wonderful quotes about wisdom, values, virtues, ethics, personal growth, etc. Some are just plain truth (in my opinion) that I read in some magazine or heard someone say. In the present book, I bring in many philosophers, thinkers, artists, freethinkers, and spiritual exemplars to the fore. Even one quote about wisdom can make a difference in a person’s mindset, which is why I love quotes and have been thinking about these issues for almost twenty years. If we heed the lessons the wisest people have learned and then taught in many millennia of civilization, struggle, creation, cooperation, and thinking, we will surely benefit as a species.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I really left it all on the field with this book! It took me hundreds of hours of reading, thinking, and typing–dear God, THE TYPING!! I have issues with my eyes due to the side effects of glaucoma medications I take daily, so often to stare at a computer screen is hard to do. Further, I have to promote this book for the next year or so–and that is no easy task since I don’t have a publishing house behind me and I really don’t like book promotion. Frankly, I am not a full-time author and I don’t even think I am that great of a writer, so the thought of yoking myself to a computer for another 300 hours sounds frankly abhorrent to me at present. I also feel like I had a certain wind in my sails for this project because the Trump years were very hard on me, and the present moment causes me trepidation, and I am not sure I could replicate that “fire” for a subject such as meaning, compassion, or success. Wisdom is a thing of beauty, and I was transfixed by it, indeed!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Why is America increasingly plagued by tribalism, elitism, materialism, and ME-ism?
What do philosophy, psychology, and personal growth have to say about wisdom?
Are the Bible and other religious texts legitimate and useful sources of human wisdom?
Wisdom is not able to be bought — no matter how much money a person has!
And philosophy has typically discouraged many who find it difficult, abstract, and boring.
Modern psychology and age-old personal growth principles are given a bad name by many social media personalities who oversimplify modern psychological science in an effort to make money.
What is wisdom, how can it help me, and is this book authentic, reliable and useful?
Four-time author Jason Merchey believes wisdom can be developed and acquired and improving your understanding of wisdom will certainly lead to living a better life! Wisdom is one of humankind’s oldest and most prized virtues, yet it is not much respected nowadays. . .
This new book has the potential to assist readers to live a life that harnesses the power of philosophy, critical thinking, and applied psychology. These secular sources of wisdom are not as complicated as they may seem, and indeed are road maps to a better life.
Greater wisdom leads to improved personal growth, happiness, and success.
Wisdom is not simple or plug-and-play, but it will yield its secrets to those who love it.
In fact, the word philosophy is Greek for “the love of wisdom.”
Wisdom is a comprehensive, transparent exploration of ancient and intriguing concepts combined with critical thinking, compassion, and other aspects of wisdom. Brimming with examples of psychological principles, careful analysis, and insightful quotes from many cultures and civilizations, it provides a basis for authentic intellectual, emotional, spiritual and moral growth.
The author deftly combines digestible psychological research findings, compelling personal stories, and useful quotations about wisdom.
Anyone aiming to build a life of value—one that yields purpose and happiness—should consider wisdom to be their basis. Wisdom has been one of humanity’s highest aspirations for millennia.
Jason Merchey has dealt with mental illness most of his life, but also earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology and trained as a psychotherapist. No stranger to “the big questions” and the difficulty of life, he has studied wisdom, values and virtues for twenty years.
In addition to personal benefits, this book sheds light on some of America’s significant social problems. The great philosopher Socrates himself knew that ancient Athens, Greece was in serious trouble. If we were all wiser and we had more enlightened and humane priorities, many of the problems that mark communities and nations would give way to more love, fellowship, and prosperity.
This deep and eclectic book is full of ideas and insights that will assist you to:
Discover and prioritize wisdom in your personal life and relationships
Achieve greater fulfillment, happiness and self-confidence
Bring about true success based on self-knowledge and values
Make a positive difference in your community—and the world as a whole
One cannot buy wisdom per se but investing in this affordable book provides a refreshing opportunity for self-improvement and intellectual growth. It has the potential to assist you to make wisdom your greatest strength!
