Guest Blogger: Christopher Profeta, Author of Life in Pieces

An unemployed stay-at-home dad who opens the paper one morning to find he is running for congress; a young man struggling to hold onto a life that is slipping away while meeting the love of his life; and a crazy old man who couldn't care about any of this all cross paths in Christopher Profeta's debut novel, Life in Pieces, to show that we are never too old to come of age.

On Target by Christopher Profeta

Since the release of my debut novel, Life in Pieces, several people have asked me if the main character is at all based on me. True, he is unemployed and I work part time, nights and weekends. True, we are both stay-at-home-dads. And true, we both have been known to lose our temper when faced with the stresses of such a situation.

But I have never opened the paper to read an article in which I learned I was running for congress.

Still, the idea that so many people think this character is a fictional version of me is interesting. As a result, I thought it would be fun to take this opportunity to share some of my experiences as a stay-at-home-dad.



When I’m at home with my kids during the day, the afternoon hours can sometimes drag. When I feel like we’ve learned all we can from “Mickey Mouse Club House,” that my two and three year olds have learned how to count backwards from one hundred by intervals of 7 while skipping all prime numbers in order to help Daisy Duck get to the carnival on time, we like to go out to Target for some more interactive fun.

We used to go down to our public library, but since I’ve racked up a considerable amount of fines by turning in The Very Lonely Firefly and Horton Hears a Hoo months after they were supposed to be back, I have a growing fear that I am no longer allowed to set foot in there. Instead, we spend a lot of time sitting in the Target book aisle reading board books, being very careful not to bend the spines or chew on the pages too much. Now that my molars have come in, though, I usually don’t do too much chewing anymore.

When we’ve read as much as we can, we go over to the toy aisles and play with the full sized Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody dolls still in the package. My daughters love to pull the string and press the buttons to hear their favorite catch phrases, and I’m always amazed that they never tire of the limited selection of expressions they get without pulling the hidden plastic tab that releases the full capabilities of the toy’s arsenal of slogans. After about forty five minutes, some cranky elderly worker will walk past us with a dirty look, and I’ll round up the girls and move down to the wall of giant TVs.

On the way, we stop in the camping section, grab a folding chair, and set it up right in front of some TV showing scenes from various children’s movies, then sit and enjoy the show. The Target Team Members don’t like that too much either, but when they threaten to get a manager, I tell them I’m planning on buying one of the more expensive televisions, and I just need to test it out first, like trying on a pair of pants. When they attempt to remove us anyway, my youngest daughter does that thing she’s done ever since she was born where she screams with a volume and tone that an adult might if they were being assaulted in a dark alley behind a thumping night club, and they usually leave us alone pretty quickly.

The Target Team knows that cry well, as I will often unleash it on them when some old woman in front of me in the checkout line is holding things up with her expired coupons, or when the pharmacy is giving me a hard time about some prescription not being covered by my insurance. There’s nothing like that child’s scream to get people moving.

Eventually we’ll get tired of the electronics department and head over to play fashion show with the clothes. We load up the cart and head to the dressing room where I end up playing ring master to two girls trying on frilly dresses and leopard print pants in a two foot by two foot room for about twenty minutes.

By the time they get tired, it’s time to go home and start dinner. Despite the best efforts of the Target employees, with their dirty looks and shaking heads as I leave the store, I do not feel bad at all for not buying anything. I leave there with happy kids, and you can’t put a price tag on a satisfied child.

When I think about the realizations the main character in Life in Pieces comes to in the end – that family is more important than anything; that the stresses of life are what make it enjoyable; and that there’s nothing wrong with doing whatever you have to do to get by – maybe we are more alike than I realized.

Chris teaches writing at Macomb Community College and Davenport University. He has had various works published in the Foliate Oak online literary magazine, one of which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He attended school at Wayne State University where he was awarded two Loughead-Eldridge Scholarships in Creative Writing, and at Michigan State University where he was a winner of the Jim Cash Creative Writing Award. He lives in Clawson, MI with his wife and two kids.

Facebook: Christopher Profeta Fan Page
Twitter: @ProfetaChrisJ
Website: christopherprofeta.webs.com

Buy links:

Amazon

Lulu ebook

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Book Review: Chasing Glenn Beck by Michael Charney

Part social media experiment, part journey through modern-day politics, Chasing Glenn Beck: A Personal Experiment in Reclaiming Our Hijacked Political Conversation by Michael Charney is engaging and funny.

Charney begins a journey through the Twittersphere to prove that Glenn Beck is nothing more than an entertainer--a liberal in a conservative suit. Setting up his Twitter account "BeckIsALib," he begins tweeting to see who will become his followers and what their responses will be. As he becomes more obsessed with his Klout, he finds himself engaging tweeters on both sides of the political spectrum, discussing his point of view and learning things along the way.

As I mentioned in my First Chapter Review of this book, I feel it's important to start off with the Introduction, because one might be a bit lost otherwise. Though the first chapter speaks mostly about Twitter--how to use it, popular terms, etc., the book moves swiftly from that to Charney's experiment. If I had the chance to speak directly with the author, I might ask why he chose to save some of the funniest quips for his footnotes. People--myself included--are notoriously bad about reading them. I soon realized, however, I might miss good stuff if I didn't continue reading them throughout the book.

Honestly, until I got to the last few chapters I wasn't sure what my review would look like. For a while, I felt the author simply dropped Glenn Beck's name in there as a selling point, because references to Beck became fewer as the book continued. I don't want to reveal why that happened, but it is explained and Charney does a nice job of tying everything together.

From page 206 on, I found myself circling page numbers and underlining portions of text. The author makes several excellent points about society and politics. Chasing Glenn Beck by Michael Charney is definitely worth reading if you want to delve into the role social media plays in politics for the average person and how one man's experiment can evolve into something even he never expected.


Title: Chasing Glenn Beck: A Personal Experiment in Reclaiming Our Hijacked Political Conversation
Author: Michael Charney
Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Riddle Brook Publishing LLC (December 16, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0984792708
ISBN-13: 978-0984792702
SRP:  $14.95
Also available in a Kindle edition.

I received a free paperback copy of this book directly from the author in conjunction with his Pump Up Your Book virtual book tour. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to provide this review.
 
This is the tenth book I've read for the following challenge:
 

How Obama Governed by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Author and political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson takes a no-political holds barred look at President Barack Obama’s first year in office. He answers one compelling question: Did he fulfill the massive and sweeping promise he made to restore hope and effect change in America?

This promise energized millions, reshaped the nation’s political tapestry, and propelled the first African-American into the White House. Hutchinson examines where and how Obama kept his promise, and where and how he failed to keep it. He examines in laser detail the attacks and counterattacks from the GOP and the Democrats. He delineates the differences and similarities between Obama and Bush in waging the war on terrorism. He assesses the towering battles over health care, the economy, racial attacks, the GOP counterinsurgency, Afghanistan, and the Henry Louis Gates flap. He provides readers with a guide as to how Obama will continue to govern.

How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge offers a virtual political clinic on the crisis and challenges that the nation and its first African-American president faced his first year in the White House.


Author Says Obama Faces New Crisis with Election Loss of Top Democrats


The announcement that Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd and other leading Democrats won’t run for re-election puts poses a new crisis President Obama. In his new book How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge, author and political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson predicted that there would be major losses among Democrats in 2010. He noted that some of those losses would be among top Democrats.

Hutchinson notes that this could cripple Obama’s efforts to get his agenda on immigration, cap and trade, implementing health care reforms, and his judicial appointments through Congress. It will also mortally wound Obama’s efforts to make bi-partisanship the watchword of his administration.

“The loss, defection, and potential defeat of top Democrats in 2010 will stiffen the GOP in its opposition to much of Obama’s agenda,” says Hutchinson, “It will also put Democrats on the political defensive. This will present yet another major challenge to Obama’s administration to stem the tide of political reverses.”

In How Obama Won, Hutchinson gives a no holds barred assessment of the make and break issues that confront Obama in 2010. These are the issues that will determine whether Obama can really deliver on his lofty promise of hope and change.


Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally acclaimed author and political analyst. Hutchinson is the author of ten books on race and politics in America. His three most recent books are: How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge, How Obama Won, and The Ethnic Presidency: How Race decides the Race to the White House

His featured interviews and comments on race and politics have appeared in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, and ABC’s World News Tonight.

He has been a guest analyst on the Fox News John Gibson Show, the O’Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes, the Glenn Beck Show, PBS Lehrer Report, NPR’s Talk of the Nation and various CNN News shows.

Hutchinson is the National Political Writer for New America Media and a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Feeding Lions by Paul Ibbetson--Book Review

A thought-provoking, well-written, and often humorous collection of articles can be found in Feeding Lions: Sharing the Conservative Philosophy in a Politically Hostile World by Paul Ibbetson.

Ibbetson has collected some of his most widely read articles in an easy-to-digest format that shares the overall conservative philosophy. More than preaching to the choir, Ibbetson's engaging and conversational style will appeal to both conservatives and liberals. Discussing such topics as: the Fairness Doctrine, the War on Terror, the Patriot Act, global warming, and border security, the author accurately and effectively presents the conservative worldview, how it differs from the liberal worldview, and how those differences shape world events.

Included with these articles is additional commentary by the author, black and white photos, a selection of reader responses to some of Ibbetson's articles, a conservative website directory and a conservative radio directory.

An absolute must read for anyone interested in politics, current events, or in understanding what conservatives truly think. Feeding Lions by Paul Ibbetson is just as brilliant as it is funny.


Title: Feeding Lions: Sharing a Conservative Philosophy in a Hostile World
Author: Paul Ibbetson
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-4389-2008-5 (sc)
SRP: $12.50 (U.S.)

Alan Kennedy-Shaffer and The Obama Revolution

The first book to be written by a campaign staffer and offering rare insider glimpses, The Obama Revolution explores how a generation of believers and the politics of hope won the presidency for Barack Obama and changed the world.

The Obama Revolution carefully examines what Obama plans to do as president, how Obama clinched the Democratic nomination and won the general election, and why Obama’s evocative rhetoric inspired millions of Americans to create a political revolution that toppled the status quo and changed the face of American politics forever.

Drawing on both first-hand campaign experience and scholarly analysis, the author delivers everything from personal stories of grass-roots organizing and grueling all-nighters to candid assessments of the Obama campaign’s strengths and weaknesses. Insightful and powerfully written The Obama Revolution offers an enlightening, annotated, documented overview of Obama’s path to the White House and what it means to every American.

Learn how Obama used policies of change, strategic vision, and the rhetoric of hope to transform the campaign into a political movement. Discover how field organizers (most under 30), using cell phones and the Internet, mobilized and energized a whole new generation of voters. Follow the author as he registers voters, spreads the word and is touched by the people he meets.

Anyone wondering whether America's flame still burns brightly needs to read this book and be inspired by the hope, the promise, and the ardor of Barack Obama and “Generation Change”—the future of America—as they work hand-in-hand to fulfill the legacy of change that is the Obama Revolution.

Today's guest blogger is Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, who served as a regional field director for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in Virginia. Educated at Yale University and William & Mary Law School, Kennedy-Shaffer is the author of Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq. Kennedy-Shaffer’s writings have also appeared in The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Washington Post, the Patriot-News, the Daily Press, and the Virginia Gazette. Alan lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

You can visit his website at www.alankennedy-shaffer.com.

Alan's turn:

The Grassroots Revolution
By Alan Kennedy-Shaffer

With talk of tea parties and taxes dominating the Rush Limbaugh Republican agenda, the time has come to bring Barack Obama’s grassroots revolution back into the spotlight. From Minnesota to Missouri, longtime Republicans and apathetic Independents joined diehard Democrats in an extraordinary campaign that brought Americans together in a way not seen in decades. From Harrisburg to Hampton, organizers fanned out across long ignored neighborhoods, recruited thousands of volunteers, and mobilized millions of voters, sparking a movement for change.

The Obama Revolution, the first book published about Barack Obama’s historic presidential campaign by a former staffer, provides an in-the-trenches look at how the 44th President of the United States came from behind to win the presidency and sparked a movement that has changed the face of American politics forever. The energy of a citizenry invigorated by the opportunity to steer the ship of state cannot be adequately measured, but it must not be ignored. In the months leading up to Obama’s election last fall, something stirred in the American psyched. Consider this excerpt:

There may seem to be little in common between the young children who scampered after me in the housing projects on Allison Hill, eager for Obama stickers, and the Democrats in Westmoreland County who turned out in droves for rural action meetings. But below the surface, they all hope for a brighter future for their children and they share a belief that America can—and will—change. . . . Empowered to serve as the backbone of Obama’s well organized, well funded, quintessentially grassroots presidential campaign, young people left their jobs, their schools, and their homes, in order to recruit and mobilize an army of volunteers committed to positive change.

This brief passage in The Obama Revolution begins to tell the story of the grassroots revolution that turned a long shot candidacy into a transformative presidency. How Obama became president matters because it says more about the American people than it does about Obama. What made Obama’s campaign different was our ability to reach across the aisle, across neighborhoods, and across the street, to voters from all walks of life. To me, it was electrifying when I rang the doorbell and a young child saw my Obama sticker, ran back inside, and yelled to his mother, “Barack Obama’s at the door!”

Sometimes powerful, sometimes poignant, always hopeful, The Obama Revolution includes encounters with Barack Obama, insight into why thousands of organizers left their jobs, their schools, and their families to join the most organized presidential campaign in American history. It is the story of how thousands of organizers spurred millions of Americans to register to vote and recruited millions of volunteers. At once meticulously researched and motivational, The Obama Revolution tells the story of a generation of young people—most under 30—who dropped everything to get involved.

Although we will never agree on everything, we must continue to hope that the change we fought so hard for at every door, on every call, and in every neighborhood, will have a fighting chance of coming to America. Our grassroots revolution goes beyond tea parties promoted by Fox News and ranking Republicans, and beyond knee-jerk animosity toward the taxes that pay for our highways, our schools, our parks, and our national security. Our revolution is about the ability of Americans young and old, black and white, gay and straight, to unite behind the change that we still believe in.

Alan Kennedy-Shaffer is the author, most recently, of “The Obama Revolution.”

On Inauguration Day: How Obama Tackled the Tough Issue of the Economy along the Campain Trail

In celebration of Barack Obama's Inauguration, we are featuring an excerpt from Earl Ofari Hutchinson's book, How Obama Won--which we reviewed here.


It Was Still the Economy Stupid

In a two minute nationally paid campaign broadcast billed as a "presidential style" talk to the nation in mid September, 2008, Obama talked about one issue, and one issue only, the economy. There wasn't much new in his talk. But it really didnʼt have to be anything new. Polls by then showed the economy; or rather the train wreck of the economy was really the only thing on voterʼs minds.

Obama again vowed to cut taxes for the middle-class, clean up Wall Street's mess, and create lots of jobs for everybody. He aimed to firmly seize back the high ground on the defining issue of economic misery of the middle and working class, the Bush-GOP caused economic misery that is. This was widely regarded as his sure fire ticket to the White House. It was a play on the old political truism that it's the economy stupid that wins or loses presidential elections.

From day one of campaign 2008 the enshrined article of political faith was that voters were so furious at Bush for causing massive plant closings, farm failures, corporate bungling, fraud and corruption, the housing collapse, soaring gas prices, and the wholesale flight of jobs to the far corners of the planet, that all a Democratic presidential contender had to do to win was pass the breath test on Election Day.

Excerpt taken from How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

You can read more about Earl's opinions on our new President and the economy at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/its-not-always-the-econom_b_127229.html

Order How Obama Won at Amazon.com

Born Liberal Raised Right by Reb Bradley--Book Review

Are you tired of hearing of all the crime on our streets lately? Does it make you weary to watch the news or read it online? Are you concerned about the direction America is headed but not quite sure how it got so bad in the first place?

If you answered, yes, to any or all of these questions, then Born Liberal, Raised Right should be the next book you purchase.

In this engaging and informative book, author Reb Bradley discusses how the future of America is threatened by adults "stuck in their 'terrible twos'". Based upon Bradley's personal experience as a pastor and counselor, in addition to a wealth of research, the author provides a sound argument that America's moral decline is the result of overindulgent parents not providing their children with the self-control they need to become successful members of society. Bradley contends that parents who overindulge their children, fix all their problems, and refuse to allow their children to experience the consequences of their actions, foster young people who become adults who feel entitled to have everything they want and cannot accept life's disappointments.

The author states that we are born with certain tendancies: a desire for self-gratification, lack of self-control, and subordination to our emotions. And it is these traits that parents must consistently help their children rein in if they are ever going to escape feelings of entitlement and the desire to always play the victim and avoid blame. Bradley also goes on to state that "magical thinking", unchecked emotion, and an inability to deny yourself anything are traits that are "the very hallmark of liberalism". Misplaced liberal compassion creates problems in America; it doesn't fix them.

Well thought out, easy to read, and captivating, Bradley has penned an excellent book that could make a difference in the future of America. Liberals will probably hate it and conservatives will tout his wisdom, but in the end Bradley is truly believeable as a man who wants to preserve the American family and inspire parents to bring up inspriring and motivational leaders who will move the country to new heights of moral greatness.



Title: Born Liberal, Raised Right
Author: Reb Bradley
Publisher: WND Books
ISBN-10: 1935071009
ISBN-13: 9781935071006
U.S. Price: $25.95

The New Feminized Majority by Charles Derber and Katherine Adam

I'm doing something a little different today. Charles Derber and Katherine Adam are on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion to promote their timely nonfiction political book, The New Feminized Majority: How Democrats Can Change America with Women's Values, which was recently released by Paradigm Publishing.



I've always had an interest in politics and I actually ran for public office in 2003. Things didn't work out the way I hoped, but I still remain active in local politics as much as my schedule allows. One of the things that always interests me during political discussions with co-workers or friends is the reasons that we vote the way we do.

For some, they are going to vote Democratic or Republican because they always have. It doesn't really matter who the candidate is; all that's important is what letter appears after his or her name. For others, it's a single issue: be it the economy, ending the war in Iraq, reproductive rights, or any other issue that is most important to this voter; whichever candidate feels the same way she does, gets her vote. And there are many other ways in which voters connect to a particular candidate before stepping inside the ballot box.




The 2008 presidential primaries have certainly left us all hanging; and for the first time ever, the Democrats are going to have to choose either a woman or a man who has a multiracial and multicultural background to represent them against a Republican challenger. Both Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton embody the modern day Democratic Party, but some people, like authors Charles Derber and Katherine Adam, believe that Barak Obama is a more feminized candidate than Hillary Clinton.

Why?



On Page 144, the authors discuss how Obama's background allows him to understand the feminized values of "diversity, equality, and community". Derber and Adam go on to state, "He (Obama) highlights the importance of values in his own life and in the nation's politics. He emphasizes that there is a "common good" or universal set of values that can bring Americans together. He stresses change and the movement from self-interested partisanship to a feminized politics of the common good."

They go on to say, "Obama emphatically argues that values must drive politics."

Do you agree? Is Obama a more feminized candidate than Clinton? Must values drive politics?

Are you interested in finding out more? Then purchase a copy of The New Feminized Majority: How Democrats Can Change America with Women's Values at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, or at Paradigm Publishing's website.


This virtual book tour has been brought to you by:

The New Feminized Majority "FEMINIZED VALUES" Contest

Democrats Have Values, Too

We are watching the first true 21st century election. It radiates Oprah-style celebrity, electric grass roots energy, and the rise of a new values voter. America is moving from the old masculinized morality of "Alone, I Will," to the new feminized world view of "Together We Can." Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's success shows the ascension of the New Feminized Majority, a multitude of millions of women and men voting in line with feminized values. This new majority is the base of the 21st century Democratic Party, and will battle in the general election against the masculinized morality of the old warrior, John McCain. They promise to be the defining element in the 2008 election. Stay tuned: this election will rewrite the American Dream and bring Americans together around a new and transformative world view.

On March 3, 2008, Charles Derber and Katherine Adam, authors of the book, The New Feminized Majority: How Democrats Can Change America with Women’s Values, are embarking on a virtual book tour around the world collecting letters from bloggers who would like to share their values and how those values impact their voting decisions.

If you would like to become involved in their tour, this is how it works:

1. Think of what values are important to you and how those values can impact who you vote for.

2. Post your message on your blog between now and March 1st and send us the exact link at cg20pm00(at)gmail(dot)com. Please put “Feminized Values” in your subject line.

3. When we receive your link, we will add it to Charles and Katherine’s tour page at The New Feminized Majority Virtual Book Tour ‘08.

4. But, that's not all! Charles and Katherine will pick one of the bloggers who participate to win a FREE copy of The New Feminized Majority. That's their thank you gift to you!

6. And not only that, we will promote your blog through our daily promotions using your blog post as part of their virtual book tour, thus bringing you lots of traffic in March!

7. We also ask that you include a jpeg copy of Charles and Katherine’s book, The New Feminized Majority, in your blog post. You can find their book cover at The New Feminized Majority tour page (you are welcome to copy and paste from there) and link it to where the book can be purchased from the publisher’s website at Paradigm Publishers.

That's all there is to it! Hurry before time runs out. Become involved in a nationwide campaign to tell the world what matters most to you. Share your values and become involved in CHARLES AND KATHERINE’S THE NEW FEMINIZED MAJORITY “FEMINIZED VALUES” CONTEST!

Charles and Katherine’s virtual book tour will be highly publicized including press releases and other promotions and is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book promotion. You can visit their website at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/.

Yvonne Perry's Right to Recover Tackles Stem Cell Research

The month of September sure has been a great one here at The Book Connection. Today the spotlight on talented writers continues as the multi-faceted Yvonne Perry joins us to chat about her new book Right to Recover: Winning the Political and Religious Wars Over Stem Cell Research in America. Yvonne is a freelance writer, author, and keynote speaker who enjoys assisting people on a spiritual path. She is also the owner of Write On! Creative Writing Services—a team of freelance writers located in Nashville, Tennessee.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Yvonne. What a great thrill it is to have you with us.

Let’s start off by getting to know more about you. How long have you been a writer? What made you choose this career path? How do your many other roles influence your writing?

Thank you for having me as your guest. It’s a pleasure to share with you. I’ve been a writer all my life, but I’ve been in business as a freelance writer since 2003. I was using my writing skills on the job as an administrative/executive assistant on corporate jobs I have held, and I got a lot of compliments on my writing. I decided to take a chance and see if there were people out there willing to hire me to write for them. My roles as a podcast host and public speaker definitely come in handy in promoting my book. My newsletter and blog serve as informational resources for anyone interested in writing, publishing or book publicity and it also offers me a way to connect with people looking for a writer or editor and to share my journey as an author. All writing contains somewhat of a spiritual slant, since I am unable to separate my body, mind, spirit from one another because they are all interconnected. Mind, body and spirit all work together in business—from manifesting what I want to create—to taking care of my body by knowing when to take a break from work and find balance in life.

Your author’s bio says your “open style is lovingly controversial and challenges people’s belief systems in order to help them grow spiritually.” How do you present controversial topics in a way that doesn’t automatically cause people to become defensive about their beliefs?

Sometimes you have to offend someone’s mindset before they will open up enough to view other options. I try to do that without offending the person or their integrity. Because I have been a religious fanatic in the past, I understand where right-wing ultra-conservative people are coming from, so I use my knowledge of Biblical scripture to approach them on their own terms without condemning them. I present both sides of the stem cell issue. Those who are the least bit open minded will appreciate the logic and educational information presented in my book.

The topic of stem cell research certainly is a controversial one. It is a subject that is sure to come up again in the 2008 presidential election. When did you decide to tackle the subject of stem cell research? Is it something that you’ve been interested in for a long time?

Before I form an opinion on an issue, I like to be sure I know enough to support my position. I decided to learn more about stem cell research when I had two clients mention the topic to me. This was in July 2006 when President Bush vetoed H.R. 810. I couldn’t understand why he was so against science and the potential of blastocystic (embryonic) stem cell research. As I began to dig for information, I realized that there was a lot of misinformation out there. Listening to my inner guidance, I embarked on writing a book using the information and contacts I had gathered during my research. When I found a publisher to represent me, she emphasized the timeliness of the topic as it correlated with the 2008 election campaigns.

Let’s talk about Right to Recover. According to the Table of Contents, there is a great deal of information included in its pages. How did you go about deciding what to put into this book?

Like with any book I write, whether for a client or under my own name, I look for ways to organize the material that I feel needs to go in the book. I knew there was a political and a religious component to the issue of stem cell research so both of those would have to be addressed. Understanding that science in one nation affects progress in all nations, I knew I needed to present both national and international material. I know a lot of people who might benefit from therapies resulting from stem cell research, and I wanted to get their stories and opinions. I’ve believed for a long time that our government has too much control over the freedoms we say we have in the US, so I decided to approach the Church and State issue. From there, it was a matter of deciding in what order to put the information.

How much of the research for Right to Recover was done before you started writing? What types of information did you verify or re-check after you began writing it?

I did a few weeks of research and decided there was enough information out there to write a book, but rather than just repeating what was already on the Internet, I wanted to add a personal component by offering interviews with the scientists who are actually doing the research. As I began writing, one person I interviewed would suggest I speak to another person, and as I interviewed that person they would mention another person in the field. When I connected with Don C. Reed of California’s Proposition 71, he put me in contact with political, medical, and religious experts who offered me a wealth of information. Don Reed is also a former editor, who helped me “hone my voice” and present my message clearly.

One of those persons is Frank Cocazzelli, author of “By the Better Angels of Our Nature,” which is a plan of action to revive centrist liberalism. Mr. Cocozzelli is a private practice New York City attorney afflicted with muscular dystrophy. He is a political advocate for expanded blastocyst stem cell research that could conceivably help him walk again. As a liberal Catholic, Frank speaks on issues of progressive faith.

Shane Smith, Ph.D. Science Director of the Children’s Neurobiological Solutions Foundation (advocate for California’s Proposition 71) took time out of his busy schedule to review my facts and help me edit the entire book.

There are three chapters that caught my eye as I browsed the Table of Contents--Chapter 3. BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR BLASTOCYSTIC RESEARCH, Chapter 4. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, and Chapter 5. REBUTTAL OF BUSH’S STATEMENT. I would like to talk separately about each.

I read through the Bible verses noted in the Table of Contents. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, Ephesians 3:20, and also Ephesians 2:10 could perhaps be construed as Biblical support for stem cell research, but I struggled to find any connection between stem cell research and the Bible in the other verses mentioned. Can you briefly share with us how those connections were made in Right to Recover? How did religious leaders lead you to Biblical support of stem cell research? Were these leaders from a variety of organized religions?

Reverend Dan Bloodworth attended Rhema Bible College in order to better understand how right wing groups support their beliefs against blastocystic stem cell research His education led him to believe that stem cell research and any subsequent therapy is a gift from God.

Hosea 4:6
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."

Dan uses this verse to show that ignorance about a topic causes people to perish when the answer to their problem is right under their noses.

Malachi 3:6
“I, the LORD, do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

If God cannot change, and we need blood to be born the second time (Dan is referring to salvation through the blood of Jesus), then we can’t be born without blood the first time (natural birth).

John 1:13
"Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (NIV)

Not of the flesh, not of human desire, nor of the blood but of the Holy Spirit. (KJV)
In other words, neither the flesh act (coitus) nor the desire to get pregnant, and not even the appearance of blood guarantees that life will begin. Life only comes if the Holy Spirit deems it to be. Some time after blood appears, the Holy Spirit enters the womb and purposes whether or not the potential life is to become a live human baby. The blood must be present before this takes place. Remember, God is always the same. He doesn’t do things one way one time and another way the next.

John 6:62-65:
"------The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him." He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”

God gives life, not the body. Humans look at the flesh and not at the spirit, which gives life. Cells have life, but no consciousness.

I Corinthians 2:4-5
"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power."

God always shows us an example of his greatness and the way he wants us to go. When a medical discovery is made, a loving God would want us to use it as a tool for healing, not as a subject for debate.

James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Stem cell technology, in the limited way we know it now, is a great gift for, and to, humankind. The future of stem cell technology is great. Imagine being on the donor list and being able to receive a heart without another person having to die in order to donate it. The heart and other organs may be created in a laboratory one day. Where do good gifts come from? How faithful will we be to use our God-given skills, abilities, and gifts to help others?

John 12:24
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

My grandmother and I raised a garden together for many years. When we were planting the seeds each spring, she would always remind me to plant four seeds to each hole we dug: two for the birds, one for the weather, and one for us. Even with our generous planting regime, we nearly always had to replant a second time to fill in the holes where none of the seeds survived.

Going back to nature, let’s compare a plant seed to a fertilized egg. Both a seed and a zygote hold the potential for reproducing life. When a seed is planted into the ground, it begins to draw nourishment from the soil. This can be considered the conception or beginning of life. It is the same with a fertilized egg. It must be implanted in a woman’s womb in order to become an organism. From this, we see that fertilization and conception are not synonymous and do not occur at the same time.
In order to determine whether we are talking about the beginning of cell division or the beginning of a pregnancy, we need to be reminded of the difference between fertilization and conception.

Fertilization of a human egg may occur in the fallopian tube or in-vitro by scientific means. It takes only a few hours after the sperm and ovum unite to start the process of cell division.

Conception occurs when a fertilized egg, which has become a blastocyst, implants itself into the uterine lining and begins to draw nourishment from the mother. This can be confirmed by testing hCG levels.

Thus, we correctly use the term “in-vitro fertilization” but not “in-vitro conception.” Be aware of the indispensable role of a woman in childbirth. Without a mother’s womb, there is no baby.

Chapter 4 discusses the issue of religious tolerance. What does religious tolerance mean to you? Why is it an important topic for this book?

Religious tolerance means that we can accept another person’s belief system or religion even when it differs from our own. Religion has caused many wars throughout history and until we learn to look past what separates us and begin to see what connects us, we will continue to have fighting and physical struggle.

This chapter also talks about the Nicene Creed. As a former Catholic, I am familiar with this creed. What is the role of the Nicene Creed in stem cell research?

The Nicene Creed is used as part of a detailed history of how the Church and religion came to be intertwined.

Chapter 5 of Right to Recover appears to address comments made by our president, George W. Bush. Its topics include the Sixth Commandment—Thou Shalt Not Kill; the issue of being Pro-Life yet Anti-stem cell research; and what is death, to name a few. I’m reminded of something I once heard about The Federalist Papers versus The Anti-Federalist Papers, which was how it is much easier to be in favor of something than against it. Did you ever fear coming out against these statements?

I realize that I have put myself in an uncomfortable position and will have to stand strong on my convictions when promoting my book.

You’ve also included chapters on the public opinion surrounding stem cell research and the importance of Federal Funding. Can you talk briefly about each of these?

There are two issues here because we are looking at two factors: in-vitro blastocyst stem cell research in general and the funding of such by using taxpayer dollars. In the surveys I reviewed, about 65 to 70 percent of Americans support blastocyst stem cell research in general, but only about 50 percent want their tax dollars used for the research. Even President Bush is not against blastocystic stem cell research, he is limiting the date that the cell lines were created to be before August 2001. As you may know, many of the “Bush-approved” lines have been contaminated with mouse feeder cells and cannot be used for research on humans. The technology used for harvesting blastocyst stem cells has improved greatly since 2001. What is so significant about a date? If the U.S. is willing to fund research on a limited number of IV-Bs, then why not fund research on all of them?

Researchers say that the Bush-approved lines are hard to work with, and most stem cell researchers won’t bother trying to grow new lines from them in the lab. The knowledge of how to work with the old lines is obsolete, and researchers who are new to this field do not have the “old” knowledge. Instead, they possess cutting-edge and up-to-date skills in working with newer lines that are easier to work with because they renew more quickly for reproducibility. These new lines would include diversity in race and genetic types.

Both H.R. 810 (2006) and The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (2007) would have released hundreds of new lines of in vitro blastocyst stem cells to be used for research regardless of the date they were created. Scientists don’t need a higher quantity of cells; they need higher quality cells.

The private sector has been funding blastocystic stem cell research under restrictive conditions for years, and, while we have seen tremendous progress, a lack of greater funds definitely limits advancement toward a cure for any ailment. Compare that to the medical technology we now have available with adult stem cells and you will see how much government funding helps in developing new treatments for disease.

Federal funding will allow more scientists around the world, including our nation’s most prominent researchers, to conduct research that will hasten the discovery of therapies, drugs, and treatments for a gamut of illnesses and injuries. Federal funding will ensure collaboration and information sharing among researchers and will lessen the overall costs of doing research. Efforts would no longer need to be duplicated in separate labs that isolate research conducted through federal funds from research conducted through non-federal funding.

Where can readers find a copy of Right to Recover?

Amazon.com, Nightengalepress.com; Barnesandnoble.com, Target.com, many online bookstores, and in all major book retail stores.

I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you with so many questions. What can I say—I’m a writer with a curious mind. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I hope you will check out my blog at http://www.right2recover.com. There are essays, articles, links, video trailers, surveys and a lot of information about stem cell research you might be interested in.

Thanks for sharing so much about how Right to Recover came into being and the research and opinions that shaped it. I wish you continued success in all your endeavors.

Thank you. It is a privilege to share with you and your readers.


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