MSI Press Blog

  Today's publisher's pride is  Travels with Elly  by Larry MacDonald, which reached #109   in travel with pets books. Book description: Discover Canada like never before -- from a personal perspective, similar to John Steinbeck's view of America in his 1960 book  Travels with Charley . The author travels from coast to coast in a trailer with his wife and pets, including their Standard Poodle, Elly, in order to gain a better understanding of his adopted country. Interspersed between descriptions of history, cultures, places, and icons are the author's reflections on various things such as Elly's antics, signage, ferries, political injustice, environmental issues, and animal instincts. To provide a canine's perspective, Elly reflects on things of interest to her, including cats, cows, and other critters...but especially cats! Where was Canada's first settlement? What is its prettiest town? When and where was its most devastating shipwreck? And who was its greate...

  Reaching ILR Level 4—near-native proficiency—is not a matter of simply “leveling up.” It’s a transformation. And the path from Level 3 to Level 4 is as unique as the learner who walks it. At Level 3, a speaker is functionally fluent. They can handle most social and professional situations, express opinions, and understand the gist of complex conversations. But Level 4 demands something deeper: the ability to think, infer, and respond with native-like nuance. It’s not just about language—it’s about cognition, culture, and identity. 🧭 There Is No Single Path Some learners reach Level 4 through years of immersion in a second homeland. Others arrive by translating poetry, mentoring in bilingual communities, or working in high-stakes diplomacy. Some are heritage speakers who reclaim their language with adult precision. Others are polyglots who chase mastery for the joy of it. The journey may involve: Living in the language, not just studying it. Absorbing idioms, humor, and c...

  Anxiety isn’t usually the first thing people associate with 12‑step programs, but many people discover that the structure and community of the steps ease the emotional load that fuels their worry. They’re not a clinical treatment for anxiety — but they can create conditions that make anxiety more manageable. What 12‑Step Programs Offer for Anxiety 1. Predictable structure Anxiety thrives in uncertainty. The steps offer a steady rhythm: meetings, inventories, calls, amends, service. That predictability can feel like a handrail when the mind is spinning. 2. A community that interrupts isolation Anxious people often feel alone with their thoughts. Hearing others name their fears — financial, relational, existential — breaks the illusion that anxiety is a personal failing. Shared experience reduces internal pressure. 3. A framework for surrendering control Anxiety is often a form of over-responsibility: If I don’t hold everything together, something will go wrong. The “...

  When a child grows up in a home that claims Christian identity but practices violence, several predictable psychological and meaning‑making dynamics can unfold. Research doesn’t say “abuse causes atheism,” but it does show patterns in how trauma disrupts trust, worldview, and spiritual frameworks. Below are the most commonly cited mechanisms. 1. Betrayal Trauma and Cognitive Dissonance Children rely on caregivers to model what “Christian love” looks like. When the same adults who preach love, forgiveness, or divine goodness also inflict harm, the contradiction can feel irreconcilable. Abuse is “outside of a person’s control” and often leaves victims feeling betrayed, angry, and confused . If the parent is the child’s primary representation of God, the betrayal can generalize: If the messenger is unsafe, maybe the message is too. This can lead to rejecting the entire religious framework as incoherent or morally invalid. 2. Loss of Religious Comfort Research shows that...