MSI Press Blog

  We just released the audiobook edition of Life, Liberty, and Covid-19 by Dr. Dennis Ortman. Description of the book: Addressed to anyone suffering emotionally and searching for meaning in the Covid-19 pandemic, this book seeks to help flatten the curve of anxiety, depression, and anger. People are mourning many losses: health, loved ones, way of life, and economic wellbeing. Some feel more overwhelmed than others. Some are terrified of the unknown losses yet to come. All live in the shadow of death with no end in sight. This book suggests that this crisis is both a danger and an opportunity for individuals and the nation. The choice is to remain in the dark cave of fear, sadness, and anger or to ascend to the mountaintop of wise minds and compassionate hearts to view a panorama of struggles and the will to fight on. Proposing that growth and healing come only through facing adversity with openness and courage, this book offers insights and practices to transform our distressing ...

  Life, Liberty, and Covid-19 (Ortrman) will be available for free through Kindle promotions Sep 22-Sep 26. For more posts by and about Dennis Ortman, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our  Authors' Pages .

  Excerpt from Life, Liberty, and Covid-19 by Dennis Ortman - FORGIVENESS PROCESS Forgiveness requires baby steps. It is a process that unfolds over time, with many twists and turns. Here are some marks of authentic forgiveness: A whole person response Forgiveness does not mean just saying the words, “I forgive you.” It is the response to an offense that involves the whole person, requiring a change of heart toward the offender. It engages the will, emotions, and mind. Mercy begins with a decision to commit ourselves to a process of giving up our anger and replacing it with kindness toward the offender. That decision is made again and again. We acknowledge the pain of loss caused by those we believe acted in a way to destroy our lives. Finally, through forgiveness, we seek to understand ourselves and those who harmed us in a new light so we can heal. Make a decision Forgiveness does not just happen. Time alone does not heal all wounds. To be merciful is a conscious decision, ...

  excerpt from Life, Liberty, & Covid-19 FLOWING TIME The river of life, time, and consciousness flows continuously. It flows from an inexhaustible source and moves toward an end shrouded in mystery. Uncertainty about the movement of time is inescapable. Despite our experience of the mysteriousness of time, we try to fix its natural flow with our ideas of what we think should happen. We try to control the uncontrollable and feel defeated and hopeless. We experience the futility of trying to predict or control the future, like trying to be Master of the Universe. The 2500-year-old book of Chinese Wisdom, Tao Te Ching (1) aptly observes, “Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter’s place. When you handle the master carpenter’s tools, chances are that you’ll cut yourself.” (74) During this stressful time, we may try to cope with our uncertainty by seeking islands of certain knowledge in the unpredictable flow of time. We may try to cope with the mys...

  Excerpt from the pre-publication manuscript: Chapter 13 HOW DO WE USE OUR FREEDOM? “The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” --Aung San Suu Kyi   ·        When the lockdowns began in March 2020 to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, “to flatten the curve,” we were shocked at this drastic measure. It underlined the seriousness and deadliness of the pandemic. We imagined the shutdown opening after a brief time. My friends and I exchanged humor and cartoons to help us cope with the shock and avoid panic. (The joking has slowed, almost to a standstill.) One cartoon was prescient of a coming attitude and agenda shift. It was a cartoon of a smiling Jim Carrey saying, “Hope they allow us off lockdown by July 4 th …so we can celebrate our freedom.” ·        His humor carries a stinging truth. Disillusionment has set in on a national scale. The lockdown was eased, but COVID-19 cases rose...

  MSI Press is happy to report the release of Life, Liberty, & Covid (Dr. Dennis Ortman)  as an e-book. The paperback version was released in December 2021. Congratulations to the two authors! To read posts about this book, including excerpts, and its authors, click  HERE .