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Showing posts from July, 2025

Publisher's Pride: Books on Bestseller Lists - Nothing So Broken (Richards)

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    Chris Richards/ book,   NothingSo Broken  (currently on pre-order) reached #74 in Vietnam War biographies, #90 in biographies of people with disabilities, and #111 in Vietnam War history. Book description:  In the shadow of loss, a path to healing begins. Chris Richards grew up in a small New England mill town, where life was tough and loyalty ran deep. At just 19, his world was shaken when a close friend was left permanently disabled by a devastating accident. At the same time, Chris’s father began to show troubling symptoms linked to his service in the Vietnam War—unseen wounds that would slowly unravel the man he once knew. The weight of watching two people he loved unravel under the strain of trauma and physical decline left deep scars—ones Chris carried silently into adulthood. For years, he buried his grief and fear, never imagining that one day, facing his own crisis, he would turn to their stories for strength. This powerful and moving memoir explore...

Greta Thunberg: Climate Clarity and Fierce Focus

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Greta Thunberg calls her autism a “superpower.” Diagnosed with Asperger’s, she’s known for her unwavering focus, direct speech, and refusal to be swayed by social norms—all traits that have made her a formidable climate activist. Her ability to cut through noise and speak truth to power has galvanized millions. Greta’s autism isn’t a footnote—it’s central to her impact. She doesn’t perform activism—she embodies it.  Her clarity is a mirror to a distracted world. Post inspired by Colette McNeil's books on autism:  Choice and Structure for Children with Autism .  Entienda el desafino de -no - en los ninos con autismo ,  and  Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism   by Colette McNeil.  Read more posts about Colette and her books  HERE . To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount, use code FF25 at  MSI Press webstore . Want to read an MSI Press book and not have to pay for it? (1) Ask your local library to purc...

Free Will: Choice, Constraint, and the Human Condition

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  Free will is one of the most enduring—and elusive—concepts in human thought. It sits at the crossroads of philosophy, neuroscience, theology, and ethics. To ask whether we have free will is to ask:  Do we truly choose our path, or are we simply walking one laid out for us? 🔍 What Is Free Will? At its simplest, free will is the ability to make choices that are not predetermined. It implies agency—the power to act according to one’s own volition. But this definition quickly tangles with deeper questions: If our brains are shaped by genetics and environment, where does freedom begin? If God is omniscient, can our choices be truly free? If society constrains us, are we choosing—or reacting? 🧠 The Science of Choice Neuroscience has complicated the picture. Studies show that decisions may be initiated in the brain before we become consciously aware of them. Yet consciousness still plays a role—perhaps not in initiating choice, but in shaping it. Some argue that free will is an i...

Truth in the Mirror: How Subjectivity Shapes Belief

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  We often speak of truth as if it were a fixed point—a lighthouse in the fog of human experience. But truth, for most of us, is not a beacon. It’s a mirror. And what we see in it depends on where we stand. 🔍 What Is Subjective Truth? Subjective truth refers to beliefs or perceptions that are shaped by personal experience, emotion, and context. Unlike objective truth—which remains constant regardless of who observes it—subjective truth is fluid, intimate, and often contested. “There are three truths: your truth, my truth, and the truth.” — Traditional saying This tension between personal and universal truth lies at the heart of human belief systems. 🧬 How Subjectivity Shapes Belief Experience as Filter:  Our past shapes how we interpret the present. A person raised in scarcity may view generosity with suspicion, while another sees it as grace. Emotion as Amplifier:  Feelings color facts. Anxiety can make neutral events seem threatening; joy can make them seem benign. Cu...