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Book Details:
Book Title: Hope...And The Hedgehog by Tom
Vaughan
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 100 pages
Genre: Philosophy/Spirituality/New-Age
Publisher: Choir Press
Release date: May 2022
Content Rating: G. It has no swearwords or sex scenes.
Book Description:
Hope…. And The Hedgehog is a ‘pocketbook philosophy for the present
age’, a digestible exploration of the meaning of life which aims to unpick the
big questions most of us spend our lives avoiding: how did life begin, how
does it end, and what happens to us after we die?
Is there life after death? Is there a higher power? Or, is life one big cosmic
accident; a clash of particles and atoms and one big bang? Tom looks instead
at the power of faith and spirituality which he separates from religion. While
he does not attempt to present any definitive argument, he looks at all sides,
gathering thoughts from history’s most influential philosophers and
scientists.
He makes the proposition that, between only two possible explanations for the
existence of life, there is a greater likelihood of the one over the other. He
believes in the importance of opening up our minds and finding more of a sense
of purpose and direction in life - a view that, as we look towards a
post-lockdown future, will resonate with many people.
"I chose the book’s title Hope ... and the Hedgehog because hope is one
of the principal drivers we resort to as human beings when confronted with a
challenge to which there is no obvious solution. In the case of this book,
that challenge is a very prickly issue: how we came into existence. It is an
issue that we are all drawn to, but at the same time we do not want to handle
or investigate too closely. Like the proverbial elephant in the room, we know
that little hedgehog is there, we just prefer to leave it be – even if, in the
end, there is no avoiding it."
- Tom Vaughan, May 2022.
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My Review
Hope...and the Hedgehog is a fascinating exploration of life, death, and everything in-between. What came before? What comes after? Does life have meaning? These are just some of the questions pondered within the pages of this book. And while religion gets mentioned a few times throughout, this is not a religious book. It's more about spirituality and faith, but it also does bring up agnosticism and atheism. As someone who has spent the last 25 years considering myself agnostic (although I am more of a mish-mash of beliefs type of person), I found this book to be thought-provoking and insightful. It made me think. It made me curious. It made me question certain things. I've always been a fan of the belief of reincarnation. That our souls never really die, but that they move on to another life somewhere. But I also like to believe that some people are lucky/special enough (for lack of a better word for it, I suppose) to move on and become a guardian angel. I believe my grandma became one when she passed, and I believe she has visited me in my dreams from time to time, even potentially saving me from...I don't even know what at one point (that dream is a whole story, and I don't want to bog down my review by including it, but it was intense and very realistic and scary).
Pondering the meaning of life, and thoughts such as where we came from and where we go when we die, can seem depressing, but for me, it's something I've always been curious about. Although, I will admit that there still is some lingering fear that pops up anytime I do let my mind wander off down those thought paths. I think it's only natural for people to be scared when it comes to death, because it is such an unknown.
Hope...and the Hedgehog is the type of book that you can just sit and read at your own leisure, while also opening your mind to some new ideas about life and death. It's also a book that includes some inspiring quotes from philosophers, activists, and poets. It's an intriguing read, and I quite enjoyed it for what it was.
4.5 stars.
Meet the Author:
Tom’s life has come full circle from his first career as co-founder of the
successful chain of Juliana’s discotheques, which he started in the 60’s and
grew to be the world’s largest entertainment group of its type at the time,
with offices in London, New York, Singapore and Sidney. With no scientific,
philosophical or theological training and few school qualifications but
armed with heaps of life experience as an entrepreneur, Tom switches gear
with his latest work Hope...And The Hedgehog to take on the role of
‘everyman philosopher’, creating a new book that makes people stop and
think.
Enter the Giveaway:
HOPE...AND THE HEDGEHOG by Tom Vaughn Book Tour Giveaway
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