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New Book Release: Staying Optimistic While Being Realistic

 



My 9th book has been published called Staying Optimistic While Being Realistic. It is a collection of 13 society articles from the perspective of a Protestant Christian, middle-aged, married, Oregonian man from Dec. 2022 until Nov. 2023.

Essentially, this book is a social analysis of 2023 American culture, society, politics, and Christian faith.

With an added introduction and 13 color photos, this book is 80 pages in print and around the same as an eBook.

The main theme is society, specifically American society, yet drawing on the general term as a way to explore the complexities and challenges of people in terms of finding the truth of themselves and the reality around them beyond the periphery.

I have a B.S. in Human Services, so this is part of my service to fellow humans. Making it easier to digest my writing efforts in hopes readers will find valuable inspiration inside that will direct their course with more stability, reason, peace, and faith in a loving God.

Eventually, with a love of the truth garnered, one can understand the importance of Jesus Christ, the Gospels, and the Word of God.

It is a wonderful thing to find the faith of Jesus Christ. It can be understood by each of us if we are willing to learn and love the truth.

Staying Optimistic While Being Realistic was named after an article by the same name within the book. It is toward the back of the book. A little long for a title, so I created a subtitle too: Thoughts on society from a grumpy Luddite. The picture comes from the article and it does a nice job of expressing what is inside somehow.

This book and my other books can be found on Amazon as well as 10 or so other eBook outlets online (Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, Google, OverDrive, Smashwords, and 10 more).

There are short and long articles in the book, including a movie review for the movie Rocky. Originally, I published that on HubPages hoping for it to be on their network site about entertainment and reviews. It wasn’t chosen for that, but was featured and placed on their Discover HubPages area, which maybe is better after all.

Each article tells its own story, and the book is those stories together. I pray it finds a way to the people’s hearts God intended.

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