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Passing Through: An Ex-Fundamentalist’s Pursuit of Personal Spirituality

March 16, 2012 in Cult Survivors, Personal Development Book Reviews

Passing Through: An Ex-Fundamentalist’s Pursuit of Personal Spirituality by Craig A. Hart

What happens when a fundamentalist scrutinizes his religious beliefs against contradictory evidence? Author Craig Hart invites us into his journey exploring spirituality outside the boundaries of religionism. Whether or not you are a believer in a higher power, this book provides insight for those struggling with the hard questions of religion. Hart illuminates his own battles with faith and how he ultimately ended up in energetic universalism.

Click here to watch my brief video review, if you cannot see it in your browser: http://youtu.be/J1B9zqiAsTg

Here’s an additional review from ex-fundamentalist blogger, Bruce Gerencser.

View all my reviews

Readers: What’s your story? Did you ever struggle with religious dogma? How did you recover? Leave your comment below.

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Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – Book Review

March 5, 2012 in Psychology, Research Book Reviews, Reviews

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered how your two brain systems work together and separately? Thinking Fast and Slow is the ultimate resource for brainiac readers intent upon learning the psychology behind our brain processes.

Though it’s a long book, it’s well worth the brain power expenditure for the insight into our human thinking activities.

Here’s my 2 minute video review (if you cannot see the video in your browser): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvjHvsF2…

View all my reviews

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Readers: Anyone else out there an armchair psychologist wannabe? What other books would you recommend similar to this one? Leave a comment below.

Tags: brain processes, Daniel Kahneman, Daniel Kahneman brain, Daniel Kahneman journalist, Daniel Kahneman psychologist, Daniel Kahneman writer, modern psychology, parts of brain, psychology, Thinking Fast and Slow, Thinking Fast and Slow book, Thinking Fast and Slow review, youtube
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Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne – Book Review

February 27, 2012 in Research Book Reviews, Reviews

Why Evolution Is True by Jerry A. Coyne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Are you a Christian or ex-Christian debating Intelligent Design versus Evolution? If you are wary about the science supporting evolution, read Why Evolution is True by Jerry Coyne. He addresses nearly all the questions that Creationists propose to discredit evolution. Evolution is a fact. After reading this book, I know why.

Here’s a link to my 2 minute video review (if you cannot see the video in your browser): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlDU3LgwFgs

View all my reviews

Readers: Do you have any favorite books about evolution for newly deconverted Christians? Leave your comment below.

Tags: agnostic, agnosticism, Atheism, atheist, baptist podcast, best thriller novels, book reviews, Christianity, critical thinking, cult, cult escape, cult podcast, cult recovery, cult resources, cult slayer podcast, cult survivor, cults, deconversion, deconverting, ex-fundamentalist, exchristian, FBC Hammond, FBC Hammond podcast, fiction reviews, freethinker podcast, freethinking, freethinking podcast, Fundamentalist podcast, fundie podcast, genre fiction reviews, heathen, horror fiction, how to become atheist, IFB podcast, International Thriller Writers, international thriller writers podcast, leaving christianity, leaving religion, losing religion, mystery podcast, mystery writer podcast, mystery writers, novel reviews, pagan, psych, psych authors, psych lit, psych podcast, psychological books, psychological literature, psychological podcast, psychological thriller novels, psychological thriller podcast, psychology, psychology experts, psychology podcast, recovering christian podcast, recovering christians, recovering fundamentalist podcast, religious cults, religious groups, religious lies, religious sects, sects and cults, sisters in crime, sisters in crime podcast, slayers world podcast, speculative fiction, speculative fiction reviews, suspense novelist, suspense novels, Ted Dekker news, thriller novels, thriller novels podcast, thriller podcast, thriller writers, Thrillers, writers interviews, youtube
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Up Syndrome by Jeremiah Ambrose – Irish Literary Satire Short Stories Review

February 20, 2012 in Novel Reviews, Reviews

Any other readers love literary satire? Jeremiah Ambrose jabs his own modern society of Irish culture in his first collection of short stories, Up Syndrome.

Here’s my video review:

Click here if you cannot view the video in your browser.

Book Synopsis: A satirical look at social order through a phantasmagorical narrative that brings the reader through the grim landscape of contemporary Irish society.

I thoroughly enjoyed the literary aspects of this book, though some of it was a bit heady for me. I would most likely benefit from a second reading of this book by Jeremiah Ambrose.

To check out the book on Lulu, click here: Up Syndrome

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Readers: Have you read any literary short stories recently? Any short story writers or collections that you would recommend?

Tags: book review, Catholicism, Chuck Pahlaniuk, Chuck Wendig, irish catholicism, irish society, Jeremiah Ambrose, Jeremiah Ambrose author, Jeremiah Ambrose book, Jeremiah Ambrose writer, Literature, pope, pope satire, satire, short stories, short story collection, youtube
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The Innocent – Cult Thriller Novel by Taylor Stevens – Book Review

February 13, 2012 in Novel Reviews, Reviews

The Innocent: A Vanessa Michael Munroe Novel by Taylor Stevens

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What’s it like for an author to write a story about escaping a cult, one similar to her own childhood sect? Taylor Stevens pens an engaging and heart-chilling tale in her follow-up novel to her debut, The Informationist. She’s a religious cult survivor herself. I could feel her own painful experience oozing through her words on the pages of this book, breathing her characters to life.

The Innocent is a fast-paced novel with a kick-butt female protagonist, one who holds too many secrets close to her chest, along with an array of knives. Some have compared Vanessa Michael Munroe, the heroine in the novel, to Lisbeth Salander. I’ll let you come to your own conclusions there.

Here’s my video review: