Soul boom : why we need a spiritual revolution /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In this New York Times bestseller, comedic actor, producer, and writer Rainn Wilson explores the problem-solving benefits that spirituality gives us to create solutions for an increasingly challenging world.

The trauma that our struggling species has experienced in recent years--because of both the pandemic and societal tensions that threaten to overwhelm us--is not going away anytime soon. Existing political and economic systems are not enough to bring the change that the world needs. In this book, Rainn Wilson explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a "Soul Boom," to find a healing transformation on both a personal and global level

For Wilson, this is a serious and essential pursuit, but he brings great humor and his own unique perspective to the conversation. He feels that, culturally, we've discounted spirituality--faith and the sacred--and we need profound healing and a unifying understanding of the world that the great spiritual traditions provide. Wilson's approach to spirituality--the non-physical, eternal aspects of ourselves--is relatable and applies to people of all beliefs, even the skeptics. Filled with genuine insight--not to mention enlightening Kung Fu and Star Trek references-- Soul Boom delves into ancient wisdom to seek out practical, transformative answers to life's biggest questions.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface (xiii)
• Chapter 1 Live Long and Prosper, Grasshopper (1)
• Chapter 2 A Plethora of Pandemics (21)
• Chapter 3 Death and How to Live It (43)
• Chapter 4 The Notorious G.O.D. (69)
• Chapter 5 The Sacred Pilgrims (105)
• Chapter 6 Religion, Schmeligion (121)
• Chapter 7 The Fabulous Foundations of Faith (141)
• Chapter 8 Hey, Kids, Let's Build the Perfect Religion! (169)
• Chapter 9 The Broken Blue Marble (193)
• Chapter 10 The Seven Pillars of a Spiritual Revolution (215)
• In Conclusion (255)
• Books That Greatly Inspired Me and That You Should Consider Reading (261)
• Acknowledgments (263)
• Index (265)
• About the Author (275)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In this heartfelt outing, actor Wilson (The Bassoon King), of Dwight from The Office fame, offers a broad array of spiritual ideas for finding hope in a cynical world. While there are no easy solutions to many contemporary problems--climate change, materialism, a lack of real community--Wilson digs into some big spiritual matters that have preoccupied him throughout life, among them concepts of holiness (the challenge is to "find what is holy in our lives"), and death as a source of meaning (it puts into perspective the "preciousness of life"). As well, he investigates whether God exists, and explains why he's not an atheist: for one, the notion that "a universe of infinite complexity was born in a heartbeat because science" seems "a bit of a stretch." Finally, he lightheartedly proposes a new "religion," Soul Boom, based on his spiritual adventuring. Its guiding principles include the "centrality of justice" and an emphasis on the arts. Animated by self-aware humor, this entry doesn't pretend to have all the answers, and instead offers deceptively simple yet thought-provoking musings to help readers embark on a quest of spiritual self-awareness. This is a pleasure to read. (Apr.)

Booklist Review

Best known as The Office's Dwight, Wilson (Bassoon King, 2015), like many of us, used the pandemic to ponder life's myriad problems; unlike many of us, this resulted in his second book. Cofounder of media company SoulPancake and a lifelong Baha'i adherent, Wilson defines spirituality as being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to the material. Everyone, Wilson asserts, is on an individual and collective spiritual journey, yet society is plagued by "pandemics" of mental health issues, materialism, racism, sexism, climate change, and nationalism caused by a dearth of spirituality. Wilson examines the world's religious writings and practices, challenging readers to identify the sacred in their lives, and concludes that the communal aspect of our faith has declined, exacerbating narcissism and disunity. He even advocates for the creation of a new religion--SoulBoom™--combining the best elements of major world faiths and encourages his audience to cultivate these virtues to spark spiritual revolution. Wilson's wry wit and humorous comments punctuate snippets of wisdom from an array of clerics. This is entertaining and thought-provoking.

Kirkus Book Review

The actor and producer explores the importance of spirituality. A decade after the season finale, Wilson is still most recognized for his role as Dwight Schrute on the U.S. version of The Office. However, the founder of the inspirational media company SoulPancake and producer and star of the new travel docuseries The Geography of Bliss has since applied himself to making the world a better place, and he has a great deal to say about the role of spirituality in that endeavor. In answer to those wondering how a comic actor ends up writing a book about spirituality, Wilson lightly traverses territory covered in more depth in his 2015 memoir, The Bassoon King. He recalls a bohemian childhood during which the Baha'i faith of his parents became important to him, and he writes about later mental health and addiction struggles that returned him to his faith and launched a spiritual journey during which he voraciously consumed the teachings of the world's religions. This book would seem to be the literary culmination of this journey, "a book on big spiritual ideas," in which Wilson considers our most difficult challenges and outlines nothing short of a spiritual revolution as a path to healing them. In a chapter titled "Hey, Kids, Let's Build the Perfect Religion!" the author extracts religion's most essential aspects and leads readers on a participatory journey to do just that. Along the way, Wilson covers numerous heady concepts, including the purpose of life (soul growth), life after death, and God. Outrageous as this becomes, the book remains true to the author's thesis--that the world needs spiritual solutions to many of its ailments--and Wilson walks a razor-sharp line in addressing the most sacred of topics with the airy irreverence one might expect from the former sitcom star. With sincere enthusiasm and a playful tone, Wilson highlights the vitality of spirituality in our lives. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Rainn Wilson is a three-time Emmy nominated actor and performer, best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office. He is the cofounder of the media company SoulPancake, host of the docu-series An Idiot's Guide to Climate Change , cohost of the podcast Metaphysical Milkshake with Rainn & Reza , and the host of the upcoming Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss on Peacock. He is the coauthor of SoulPancake , a New York Times bestseller, as well as his memoir , The Bassoon King. He lives in Oregon and Los Angeles.