Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution

Rainn Wilson doesn't seem to believe in couching lofty thoughts in impenetrable vocabulary. This is a "down and dirty" book about essential issues in life! Just started the book, but am hooked already!

If you’d told me years ago I’d be reading a book on spirituality from Dwight from The Office I’d have called you crazy. Of course that would have been before I knew anything about Rainn Wilson other than his hilarious character from The Office. I’ve since learned about his desire to explore life’s big questions and his SoulPancake project. Right from the start of Soul Boom Rainn admits he’s not an expert in spirituality and says you may very well not agree with all he says, in fact since he is pulling lessons from quite a few different religions/spiritual belief systems, he doesn’t expect readers to agree with it all and merely encourages you to keep an open mind, take what you want from the book and leave the rest. While he repeatedly discusses his own religion, Baháʼí Faith which focuses on unity and teaching the worth of all religions, he isn’t preachy about it, doesn’t insist his is the only way, and I definitely appreciate that. He tackles serious issues but does so in an entertaining, enjoyable, and thought provoking way. I’d like to thank Hachette Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution.

Rainn's work has given me alot of joy over the years so I picked it up and am diving in

Do I adore Rainn Wilson? Yes, I do. Do I think this is a very important topic? Absolutely. And is it still a very complex issue for me? *Sigh* Yes. I'm a "None", religiously. On my most enlightened days I'm "Spiritual but not Religious." More often I'm left-brained, data-driven, and annoyed by the hate that purports to be Christian love. And yet... There is some part of me that longs to believe in the message of this book... Some part that wants to believe that we are all divinely connected and that we have a sacred responsibility to our own selves and to our community and world to create the "kin-dom" of God here on earth. Author Rainn Wilson has presented a lofty goal here... To create a Soul Boom, a spiritual revolution. In fact, he believes that it is absolutely necessary to our survival. Normally I find this type of book to be long on inspiration and short on actionable steps, but Wilson goes farther than most in pointing out changes that must be made and offering alternative ideas that, while idealistic, have actual potential. Soul Boom begins with the premise that the purpose of faith is two fold- to grow and evolve in our inner selves, and to create a more open and just world. Wilson delves into a wide range of eastern and western faiths for wisdom and to note the commonalities of all faiths. Based on those commonalities, he toys with creating a new, more perfect faith, one that he admits is remarkably similar to his own Baha'i faith. As an agnostic, I found myself agreeing with Wilson's premises, yet wishing that they were envisioned humanistically, instead of continually chasing a religious structure. That's not Wilson's vision, though. As warm and as inviting as he is to atheists and atheism, he is a person of faith, and that friction will be felt by atheist and agnostic readers. He's given the reader much to think about, though. Sometimes I find that in books like these, there are a couple of minor paragraphs that are especially intriguing or revelatory. For me, I'll remember these short sections; 1) Andre Gregory's pleading with Wilson to resist cynicism, and 2) the character development exercises that Wilson used with teenagers at a Baha'i camp, and 3) the election methods that the Baha'i members use to elect their community leadership. Fans of The Office will find a few scattered nods to the beloved show, but Rainn is not Dwight, and this is not a book about the show... at *all*. Instead it is a thought provoking, inspiring call to spiritual growth and reformation, not just for ourselves, but for the entirety of humanity. My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. #SoulBoom

A lot of us use humor to get through the day. Frankly it it better to be crying tears of laughter than the tears many of us want too. Considering the state of everything, the complete self-centeredness that seems to be a societal norm, the breakdown in almost everything in the world, the loss of rights for women, and many others. Laughter is the only medicine that America's health care might be prescribing soon for mental health issues. Though the deductible will still be very high. There are a lot of books coming out trying to help people with the feelings that life really isn't that great. Some ask that you don't give a double fudge sundae what others think. Some try to get you to find your inner Gorp, and buy some oddly scented candles. And this works until the next book in the series comes out. Rainn Wilson, actor, writer, comedian has a better thought. Maybe there are a lot of answers, people just have to find the question to make themselves happier. Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution is a look at different ways of thought from religion and esoteric thinking, to pop culture, and other unconventional places to raise our understanding of our spiritual thoughts. The book begins with a brief description of Wilson's upbringing, which sounded just awful. a child of the 60's his mother left early, leaving him with a father who was distant, and a stepmother who stepped up and took care of him. Wilson's father was a member of the Bahá'í Faith, which teaches that all religions have purpose and meaning, and that all people are united in a common love. Wilson returned to Bahá'í later as an adult after struggling with every addiction imaginable, with a lot of depression, and self loathing tossed in. This allowed Wilson to be more open to just about anything in spiritually, even the things that contradict itself. Wilson ranges across a lot of different ways of thinking, discussing high points and low points of different ways of thought. Plus the strong foundations of faith that can be found in both the television shows Kung Fu, and of course Star Trek. The book can be quite moving as well as quite humorous which can be difficult to pull off. Also there is a sense that this means a lot to Wilson, not some cash grab idea that seems so prevalent today. There is an empathy, a sense of both wonder, and oh that sounds right that comes right off the page. Wilson had a very rough childhood, and suffered quite a long time because of it. This book is as much for himself as it is for others. The writing is very friendly is the best way to put it. Ideas are discussed and even discussions on Davd Carradine are well done. Wilson is a bit of a nerd and that shows, but he is a nerd that cares, and that is always a good thing. Famous people love to write books on how we can make ourselves better, omitting the fact that they have daycare, chau...