Author Megargee, a seeker of metaphysical, spiritual, and simple human truths, has devised a means of conveying his quest that is largely told through the format of conversation. In much of this far-reaching narrative, the reader follows talks between the author, or “B,” and a character named Laz, or “L,” whom he introduces as his “personal soul guide.” Laz’s revelations slowly evoke the author’s understanding of the human connection to the four elements—water, fire, air, and earth—and are balanced and enhanced by observations from a Buddhist source, Khenchen. While Laz offers didactic reasoning, Khenchen takes a mystical approach. This combination will stimulate Megargee to fashion ideas that relate to his individual experience and help him to face life more fearlessly and with greater compassion.

Megargee admits he wrestles with doubts and questions, and these consultations are designed to walk him through those “episodes of unwanted personal chaos.” Laz’s method generally entails gently parsing the author’s thoughts to open his mind to new possibilities inherent in them. He begins with the element of water. Water is not merely something we see on the outside; it is within us, in every cell. The earth is a splendid blessing that we often defile, burying our trash inside it and ignoring its needs. The elements constantly interact. The water of our physical bodies can be reborn, but only with the aid of fire, and both water and fire require air—consciousness—to flourish. Within these parameters, Laz shows Megargee how the elements provide allegories for who and what a human is, how he or she should live, and what may be expected in the afterlife. Once the elements of this life are balanced, they will be so in the next and future incarnations.

The propositions explored by Megargee are multifaceted, reflecting his life experiences as a healthcare executive, lobbyist, and award-winning author. This most recent work examines universal issues through frank, credible chat, bringing these large matters into finer focus. The conversations between Megargee and Laz frequently involve disagreements, with the author’s misconceptions and jumbled feelings coming to the fore, and Laz’s straightforward means of countering and clarifying given as the ameliorating factor. Megargee consistently styles Laz as the sage and himself as a blundering pupil. But when he is alone, recounting certain revelatory scenarios between sessions, the author can be regarded as a diligent learner who takes every word of counsel to heart.

The author uses intriguing examples to establish his major points, relating them to the complex interactions of the four elements. He posits the ideal of what he terms “Human Warriors”—advanced souls who march continually toward a better future—and uses “The Octopus Analogy” to illustrate how each soul develops and may utilize its capacities, one tentacle at a time. Megargee’s ability to quantify and objectify in a lively fashion the challenges and sometimes discouraging thought forms, both small and large, that confront all humans gives his readers food for focus, presenting a strategy for organizing intentions and moving positively toward revitalized goals.

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