"By obeying the laws of the cosmos, we choose life. By disobeying them, we choose death."
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Unless You Bless Me by Jos Boelryk Trafford Publishing
book review by Mihir Shah
What begins as the desire of a twenty-six-year-old nonbeliever physicist, Armand, to attain the love of his wife, Sonnetta, quickly turns into a probing and profound, yet lighthearted discourse on the questions of life, entanglement, and God that every human being, at one point or another, asks.
Now, nearly sixty years later, Armand befriends an atheistic couple in his senior community, Chris and Jane Smith. They discuss, argue, and downright bicker about religion, faith, and science's power over religion. While these debates are undoubtedly entertaining, they shed light on heavy philosophical concepts that will leave the reader in awe. For instance, Armand depicts a figurative box that each individual places himself in; Armand, ever the scientist, claims that human beings must think outside of the dimension of space/time and find the elusive cosmic harmony that makes spirituality so peaceful regardless of faith.
According to Armand, every being and every action, no matter how coincidental or detrimental, has a spiritual or cosmic purpose. In the book, refreshing examples of Armand's relationship with his grandson Josh, and their can-of-worms flashback and a loose tire from a 32-wheeler truck help demystify complex theological topics. Make no mistake, Jane Smith, who considers religion "horse-feathers," and admonishes Chris for even listening to Armand begins to expand her understanding. She is the symbol of everyman; while enclosed tightly in her box of the material world, an inherently curious part of her soul seeks to identify truth.
From discussions about the soul and the human body being its own galaxy, to there being three parts to the same individual, the trio have scintillating conversations about the more sensitive aspects of life. Simply put, this book brings to the forefront what is at the back of everyone's minds in an intriguing manner that is sure to be a hit with audiences of all interests.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review