Social Science | Self-Publishing Review

Matters of Death by Norman Weeks

With the grace, curiosity, and relentless eye for detail displayed in the first half of this series, author Norman Weeks explores the shadow side of life in his latest book, Matters of Death.

Sifting through the sands of history and culture to explore the taboos and traditions surrounding death and the hereafter, these interconnected essays form a narrative arc of his own discovery. From the moralism of Judaic death rituals and the Christian theology of predestination to the ethics of Dr. Death, these essays are a kaleidoscopic review of death as a philosophy, practice, and aspiration of humanity.

The […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-21T09:19:46+02:00March 18th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Essays, Norman Weeks, Social Science|

Wisdom by Jason A. Merchey

A canny blend of expert quotations, insightful observations, and personal anecdotes, Jason A. Merchey’s Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue That Cannot Be Bought is an intensive, yet highly readable, study of the concept of wisdom across history.

Merchey’s work springs from the idea that wisdom is currently underappreciated, particularly in the United States. The text highlights the necessity of balancing the American tendency to focus on individual exceptionalism with concern for the collective common good. Drawing on the importance of “the wisdom of crowds,” Merchey ends each chapter with an extensive list of quotes aimed at provoking questions from readers.[…]

Michelle Hogmire2022-02-24T09:18:47+02:00February 23rd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Social Science|

Matters of Life… by Norman Weeks

A thought-provoking collection of well-crafted essays exploring the dynamic and intimate philosophy of existence, Matters of Life… by Norman Weeks is a wise and gentle manifesto.

Broken into three distinct sections – “Life Thought About,” “Laughed At,” and “Suffered” – the prose feels all encompassing, from our biological origins and anthropological myths to our emotional maturation as individuals and a species. Weeks examines humanity as a naturalist, a philosopher, an investigator, and even a harsh critic, depending on the subject and tack of each essay, covering issues such as powerful personal experiences that shape our paths, unpredictable bumps in the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-03-18T05:14:19+02:00January 20th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Essays, Norman Weeks, Social Science|

Isn’t It Kind of Funny That… by Jerry Schaefer

Visionary investigations into the self and challenging existential questions fill the pages of Isn’t It Kind of Funny That…, a mind-opening read by author Jerry Schafer, with illustrations by Gabriel Berron.

The questions posed in this engaging and welcoming tome are put forward in a nearly playful way, but they hit at some of the most paradoxical trends in human nature: our variable/situational trust in science, our constant cognition as an obstacle, our stubbornness towards progress, and our fear of potentially beneficial change, among others. By prying into the metacognitive realms, Schafer is able to use simple language and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-07T08:53:02+02:00December 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Jerry Schaefer, Self-Help, Social Science|

Women: Down Through the Ages by Jerry Schaefer

Women: Down Through the Ages by Jerry Schaefer is a sweeping, millennia-spanning study of how women have been categorically, intentionally, and cruelly excluded as equals in society. Whereas women were once revered as life bringers, worshipped as goddesses, and deferred to in matters of leadership, which drastically changed over the course of the past 2,500 years, this book outlines how and why that evolutionary regression took place.

In a raw and brutally honest historical review, Schaefer addresses a laundry list of areas where women have been forbidden from progress – from religious customs that have metastasized to define social and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-07T03:49:14+02:00September 30th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Jerry Schaefer, Social Science|

Review: Welcome to Our Real Matrix by Tom Arant

A proposed restructuring to how we think about and experience our perception of reality, Welcome to Our Real Matrix: One With No Escape by Tom Arant presents a powerful argument that will leave some readers questioning everything, in this eyebrow-raising, thought-provoking probe of reality.

The author makes it very clear upfront that the intended audience of this book is everyone, so he defines each technical term he uses and breaks down scientific concepts to their most simplistic foundation. The dissection of teleology, and its habit of invading discussions of the scientifically provable world, is a highlight at the front of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-02T04:05:13+02:00August 1st, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science, Social Science, Tom Arant|

Review: Human Rising by Roar Mikalsen

Author Roar Mikalsen has crafted a powerful argument against totalitarian thinking, the war on drugs, and other ills of a broken society in Human Rising: The Prohibitionist Psychosis and its Constitutional Implications. The title may be a mouthful, but this is a fascinating dive into the historical precedent, policy, and liberation from the prohibitionist mindset.

Beginning with a psychological and philosophical foundation for the status quo, and explaining how the masses are controlled with relative ease through a multifaceted strategy of fear and scarcity, the author wastes no time in reminding readers that they’re living in a carefully controlled […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-07-12T07:46:05+02:00July 6th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Roar Mikalsen, Social Science|

Review: To Right A Wrong by Roar Mikalsen

Unleashing a torrent of evidence and critical analysis on the concept of constitutional law and our troubled relationship to it, To Right A Wrong: A Transpersonal Framework for Constitutional Construction by Roar Mikalsen is a captivating read, and a critical argument for our times.

From the very first page, readers understand that this will be a unique book, one focused on deconstructing the status quo from the foundations through logic and innovative viewpoints, and break down the accepted paradigms of American life. The psychological influence that leads us to collective living, political rule, and ultimately subjugation, is explored in accessible […]