Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Book Review: Breadcrumbs: A Collection of Spiritual and Philosophical Essays

Photograph by Gianni Crestani

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Breadcrumbs: A Collection of Spiritual and Philosophical Essays by Francis J. Shaw is a beautiful book. Like the title says it’s an excellent collection of philosophical and Spiritual stories that cover a plethora of issues that have been puzzling humanity for hundreds and hundreds of years now.

You will find all of your favorite novel heroes and heroines. Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz and Hansel and Gretel are the protagonists of the first story Breadcrumbs. The author artistically uses the plots and characters of the two for mentioned stories to answer the pivotal question of what are we here to accomplish? It deals with issues that trouble our minds. Issues like where are we coming from and where are we going?

The author conclusion is a fantastic one. I quote” There is no need to fear on our spiritual journey for there are many roads, but it’s all one path.

The second story:

“The King’s Gambit” – A famous Chess Move – is an amazing historical cataloging of the game of chess. How chess influences real life. How the game’s strategy and games pieces changed and adapted. The correlation between the historical events unfolded from middle ages until today and the development of chess.

 This story shows that life is a chess game you never know how it will end. Did not know that Garry Kasparov real name is Garik Weinstein.

The thirst story:

Crisis in Middle Earth is an incredible papalism between the adventures of Frodo and the Fellowship of the ring with the different stages of man’s ages. Childhood, from our twenties until thirties, midlife crisis, etc.

The basic questions of Who, What, When, Where and Why are the ones that we spent most of our life’s answering.

I loved the fact that the author uses the various characters of the Lord of the rings to show us that at some point in our life’s we acted and behaved like them.

We all felt at some point in our lives as Frodo, a Wizzard, a King, and even like Smeagol.

I only saw the movies, but this story made me want to read Tolkien’s Books.

The Fourth story:

With the aid of Timothy the Tortoise, the author attempts to establish if we as a species have managed to accomplish progress both in our personal lives and as a Human Civilization.

The author by using Timothy The Tortoise extended lifespan takes us to a beautiful back to the future journey. The writer catalogs the progress of the human race.

The author touches a lot of aspects of our history, but I loved the mentioning of Florence Nightingale, the Lady with the Lamp.

I connected with the writer when he said that his childhood was in a year BC (Before Computers). I was fortunate enough to have such kind of childhood. We talked with people face to face and not through ridicule small mobile phone cameras and screens.

Finally, a man that proves that the so-called multitasking is not functional as most people think it is. Our Brain performs better in a linear way.

The fifth story:

the Sandman uses The Bible and stories that are focused on Jesus Christ to present the importance of doodling and how much it helps us with our imaginative and creative thinking and production of ideas.

The butterfly effect story is all about us, about the reader. It describes how we are the narrator and protagonist of our life’s. We all have a problem to solve. Discovering what lies ahead little by little is a beautiful thing to do.

Did not know that Butterflies in Ancient Greece were called Psyches (Ψυχές) because they thought they were the souls of the deads. I feel bad now because when I was a little boy one of my hobbies and past times to do was to chase down butterflies.

The Special Theory of Spiritual Relativity is a brilliant story.

The author utilizes  Albert Einstein to prove this theory. Any man that writes like that surely has Greek Blood in him even if he struggles with Pythagoras Theories!

 I invite you to buy and read this book so you can find out yourselves and discover the beautiful mind of the author.

After I read this book, I felt peaceful and centered. I felt happy, and emotions of optimism filled my heart and my soul.

The philosophical and spiritual stories of Francis J. Shaw will make you a better person.

Andreas Michaelides

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