MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from How to Argue with an Atheist (Brink) -  STEP #1: I affirm that people are values-centered.   STUDENT: Dr. Brink? Do you remember me? I came by last week and we talked about religion.   BRINK: Of course, but as I said last time, to give you the entire answer as to why I am religious or why you should be religious is not something that we should attempt all at once. We need to approach this topic one step at a time.   STUDENT: So, where do we start?   BRINK: My first point is that humans are values-oriented beings. They seek values, uphold values, and when they are not oriented by values, they fall into alienation.   STUDENT: That sounds like Chapter 13 on social psychology.   BRINK: My, you have read ahead in your psychology textbook.   STUDENT:  So, what's the next point?   BRINK: Don't be so quick to agree with me. If we have not fully established step #1, then we do not have a good footing for the next step. We need to break down step #1 into several sub-step

  Fernando Ustman is a consulting psychologist from Colombia, now living in San Diego. He holds a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology from the South American School of Transpersonal Psychology as well as an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He has studied in Argentina, the United States, and Spain. He specializes in levels of consciousness, holotropic respiration, dynamic meditation, and archetypal psychology – applications that improve the quality of life — and conducts workshops and lectures on these topics. He also has produced videos on Neurolinguistic Programming. He has published three books through MSI Press:   Las Puertas de la Eternidad ,   El Poder de lo Transpersonal , and   Las Historias de Mi Vida .  For more posts on Fernando and his books, click HERE .

  Dennis Ortman, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in private practice in the Detroit Metropolitan area for over twenty years, specializing in treating those with addictions and those who have suffered the trauma of infidelity. Before becoming a psychologist, he was a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit for fourteen years. He received the doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Detroit-Mercy and a graduate degree in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. With graduate degrees in both psychology and theology, he works with patients on issues at the borderline between psychology and spirituality, employing a mindful approach to therapy. He authored five books on recovery from addictions and infidelity. He also lectures around the country on utilizing the wisdom of Freud and Buddha in treatment. He has three stepchildren and five step-grandchildren. Dr. Ortman has published four books with MSI Press: Anger Anonymous was selected as a finalist for

  Preface “Philosophy is dead,” declared Stephen Hawking in agreement with many others. “As philosophers have not kept up with science, their art is dated” (Warman, 2011). However, if we refer to the history of how humans peruse knowledge, we will not find that different disciplines replaced one another in sequence. It is not that the wilt of religion gave rise to philosophy, or that the denouement of philosophy set the stage for science—nor is the world segmented into discrete, incompatible disciplinary fields. A biological reaction can be expanded to millions of chemical reactions or trillions of interactions between physical particles; likewise, the emergence of “social behaviors” among neural networks as they grow and that of “tacit agreement” from quantum entanglement have implied the possibility of adopting a sociological language to explain phenomena previously deemed as lifeless and strictly adherent to the laws of physics. Every discipline is a language capable of encompassing

  As usual, Susan's columns in Psychology Today are absolutely fascinating -- removed from our worlds and yet an inescapable part of them. Always the master storyteller and at the same time a fount of knowledge and information. Read her latest column HERE . And read more posts about her and her book, From Deep Within ,  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 infor

  San Juan Books is the hybrid division of MSI Press LLC. It allows first-time writers to become published in a traditional way through the reduction of risk by sharing publication costs. All other publishing features are traditional in nature, and most SJB authors go on to be offered traditional contracts for their subsequent books. SJB publications are available as paperback, hard cover, and e-book versions. SJB authors' books very much hold their own against their contemporaries in the traditional publishing division. Indeed, a number of them have outsold their traditional compatriots. Today, San Juan Books presents author Colette McNeil. Colette McNeil aspires to develop confidence in individuals with autism by expanding the perspectives of their parents, families, teachers, and caregivers. Experience: Colette McNeil has worked with children and adults with disabilities for 30 years.  She spent 20 of those years teaching students with autism and related disorders ages 3-22. Add

Well, the title is the long and short of it. Dr. Susan Lewis, author of From Deep Within , is now writing a regular column for Psychology Today , called "Law and Disorder." Take a look--and if you like it, follow it! Here is the link to " Law and Disorder ." Congratulations to Dr. Lewis; we look forward to some very interesting posts from her.

Congratulations to Dr. Dennis Ortman on his book,  Anger Anonymous , being selected as the  Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards  lega cy award in the category of psychology.   “When you feel in the grip of anger, ask yourself these questions: -Do you feel powerless to control your temper? -Does your anger frighten you so much that you feel compelled to suppress it? -Does your life feel unmanageable because of your anger? -Does your preoccupation with the unfairness of life and being wronged interfere with your happiness? -Do you feel hopeless about finding a cure for your temper? If you answer “yes” to these questions, you may be addicted to your anger. It acts like a drug that stimulates you, energizes you, and causes you to act insanely. <><><><><><><><> Viewing your anger as an addiction, Dr. Ortman guides you through the time-tested Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to fi nd healing and growth. He shows how the Steps offer pr

We have a few Spanish-language books and two authors, very different from each other, who write in Spanish. First, meet psychologist Fernando Ustman . Fernando focuses on transpersonal psychology; his works intersect with psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and the eternal.  His works include the books below: Read about this book HERE . Read about this book HERE . Read about this book HERE . Read more about Fernando and his books HERE . Now, meet Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista (Gata parriquial). Sula has published six books so far on theological topics that touch on the everyday lived experiences of Catholics and others. She has one book in Spanish, with a second one, about Catholic (Franciscan) prayers planned. Here is her Spanish-language book: Read about this book HERE . Read more about Sula and her books HERE . (Yes, when the prayer book comes out, it will automatically link here.)