The Münchhausen Trilemma

For a brief moment, my next novel, now called License to Ill, was going to be called The Obamacare Trilemma, and it was going to have the below inscription, both in German and English at the beginning. Even though I've changed the title, I'm going to keep the inscription because it's still very much apropos to the story and it sets the right tone because it's so funny (I think).

This may be the only place you can find the English translation of the Barron von Münchhausen bootstrapping story anywhere (see below), which is a little odd because the Münchhausen Trilemma is such an important philosophical issue.

For a more complete understanding of the concept, I invite you to click on the link and read, but for my purposes The MünchhausenTrilemma demonstrates that rationality (i.e. thinking) must have input from some source other than itself. Rationality is like a calculator in that it requires a finger from somewhere to press the buttons.

The input comes from consciousness. Rationality is but a tiny subset of our larger consciousness. Feelings bubble up into ideas (rationality) and those ideas become words for the very limited purposes of communication and the creation of labor-saving devices. Those feelings come from our connectedness to all that is, not from our own thinking.

That's why a so-called "rational" approach to life (as opposed to a consciousness-based approach to life) is considered bootstrapping. It does not allow for this input from all that is. It simply assumes that the thinking started up on its own. That the calculator pressed its own buttons.

[As always, you need not take my word for any of this. Go into your body and make your own determination as to the nature of reality.]
The world of Science (what I would call the Religion of Science) would have you ignore this point. As stated aptly on Rationalwiki.org:

The Münchhausen Trilemma is a problem in philosophy that all statements can be questioned and then need evidence. This problem has been well known in philosophy for thousands of years, but rarely gets addressed because it breaks the legs of philosophy, science, and any other possible approach to reality.

I would disagree, however, that the Münchhausen Trilemma breaks the legs of "philosophy" and "any other possible approach to reality." It only breaks the legs of rationality-based philosophies and approaches to reality. If so-called reality is an illusion, all falls into place. I would certainly agree, though, that the Münchhausen Trilemma breaks the legs of science.

The story behind the below quotation is interesting.

Latest 5-Star Review of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

I'm listening to the Reds game while I write this. I just had to turn down the sound on another cancer commercial. Ask yourself what they're selling in those commercials and realize that healthcare providers, like all corporations, are actively about the business of expanding their markets. Think about that and you will turn down the sound on all such commercials too. That's the topic of my next book, the current working title of which is The Obamacare Experiments.

In the meantime, I have this other book out there called The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder, and my friend and colleague, Thomas Cothran, has been so kind as to post a review on Amazon. While Thomas gave the book five starts, in the review he also says of what you might call its philosophical argument:

"I'll let the reader make their own decision about the merits of this worldview. (The enemy of this metaphysics is Aristotle.) For my own part, I remain cheerfully Aristotelian.

In other words, The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder in essence lays the responsibility for all the woes of modern society squarely at the feet of Aristotle's rationalism, and young Thomas--who's favorite philosopher is Kierkegaard but doesn't recognize that Kierkegaard was anti-Aristotilian too--remains unconvinced.

Not to worry. I've challenged my good friend to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for himself, a challenge to which he has agreed. We shall see if he remains cheerfully Aristotelian after that.

I'll keep you posted. Thanks, Thomas!

Success - Writing and Publishing

Following is the meat of a post to a friend on Facebook in response to a question about publishing:

My last book was self-published, so I didn't work with a publisher on that one. It was actually my 8th novel and I tried a little to get some of the other ones published but never really delved deeply enough into it.

In some ways, I wish I would have tried to do more with them, but then again I think something inside made me want to wait to mature as a writer and as a person. And no regrets, there is only now. And speaking of now, I've written a 9th novel, working title The Obamacare Experiments, and now I'm pursuing a traditional publisher for that one more rigorously.

Find an Editor

One thing I've come to understand is that you have to invest in your product. That means you need to seek out a professional editor. It's expensive but it must be done, for four reasons.

First, it's the best way to learn. It's like hiring a tutor.

Second, writing is a collaborative process. It is very rare when a person can just write something down and have it published (maybe impossible). You need that professional with credentials. Why? So you will trust their recommendations. Preferably, you should find one from NYC with publishing experience, again expensive, but worth it.

One more piece of advice on the selection I might offer: if you're a woman, find a male editor and vice versa. This is not a hard and fast rule, by any means, but in my own research (anecdotal though it may be) I found that this dynamic seems to lend itself to creation of a better product . . . food for thought.

The Celestine Prophecy - A Cautionary Tale

The Book

A really great idea, poorly executed, and yet James Redfield has sold something like 23 million copies of The Celestine Prophecy. Why? Well, because it's a really great idea for a novel, I suppose.

But just imagine if Dan Brown had written The Celestine Prophecy (23 mil.) in addition to The Da Vinci Code (80 mil.). If I were Redfield, I'd ask Dan Brown to help me write a revision of The Celestine Prophecy for the 25th anniversary of its publication coming up in 2018 (published in 1993, you do the math). It would sell another 20 million easy.

Because there's a lot to like in The Celestine Prophecy: jungles, the Andes, Machu Picchu. But there's also a lot to hate there too. I've tried three or four times over the years to read it but I just couldn't do it. And I like this kind of novel, one that tries to teach you something, especially something about consciousness, enlightenment, awakening--all that crap. Heck, I even write books like that myself and I still couldn't choke it down.

The problem is, it's just so poorly written, and that's where the cautionary aspect of this blog post comes in. The Celestine Prophecy was originally self-published, and it shows. Redfield sold 100,000 copies out of the back of his Honda--Accord-ing to lore (sorry, couldn't resist)--so at that point it must have been tough for the editors at Warner Books, which scooped up the publishing rights to the book after that, to talk much sense into Redfield. And what did they care, really? I'm sure they were happy to keep the printing press churning out twenty-dollar bills. This was an unholy union that I suspect damed the movie version to hell, Satan's spawn that it is, but we'll get to that in a moment.

You might also like: These articles about Eckhart Tolle

A "Lost" Review of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

Here's a 5-star review from last year that it appears I failed to post from a Harry Federci:

Author Todd Wright skillfully uses the rather ordinary theme of a murder mystery to explore the extraordinary difference between organized religion and what is known at the present time as New Age spirituality. Detectives Bookman and Berg - no first names are ever divulged - are assigned to a criminal case involving the murder of a young woman. In the course of their investigation, they are exposed to profound literature which radically alters their perceptions of reality. The teachings of Aristotle, Socrates, St. Paul and Jesus Christ all come into play in this most unusual crime novel. I highly recommend it to anyone with an open mind who wishes to explore the big questions of life and doesn't know quite where to begin.

Thanks, Harry!

Another 5-Star Review for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder!

Another five-star review for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder, this one from Karen G. Thanks, Karen!

 I've seen a spike in sales lately. Seems it's become a cult classic in Japan. I expect a feature-length anime film to be announced any day now.

The latest review of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder is a good one!

AAA writes:

"The book is a great subtle murder mystery with unusual educational value. The plot intertwines and builds on a summary of the best-respected motivational, philosophical, and spiritual books of all time. Final plot twists inspired reading or rereading of several of the referenced books. It will continue to serve as a quick reference to the best of the best."

Thanks, Triple-A!

One More Review of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

My request to you is this: If you've read The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder, please go to its page on Amazon and write a review. If you haven't read it, please get a copy and do so as soon as possible! Everybody's talking, you don't want to be left out! Scott gave it 5 stars and wrote:

The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder was a recommendation to me from a colleague, and I ended up reading and enjoying it in just three sittings. The personalities that were developed really spoke to me -- they became as famailar as friends by the end of the read. Even the injected references to well-known and respected volumes in the "self-help" genre -- Covey, Hill, Nirenberg, Persig and others -- provided me with additional insights that I had never considered before. What a rare combination -- a fictional work that provided a 'value-added' quantity for everyday events through the teachings of the self-help masters. And, as with any respectable mystery novel....I certainly did NOT see the ending coming....

Thanks, Scott!

Dennis Miller and the God Question

My book, The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder, deals directly with the below issues in Chapters 12 and 13, which focus on Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (link to free online version). 

I recommend that anyone interested read my book as a primer, then read Zen and the Art, which is quite a long book, well worth reading, but you have to know what you're looking for and how it all fits together.

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Below is a short audio clip of an Interview from The Dennis Miller Show. Dennis is interviewing Vince Bugliosi, author of Divinity of Doubt: The God Question (as well as Helter Skelter, and others), a book in which Bugliosi intellectualizes many tenets of Christian faith, like virgin birth, immortality of the soul, the divinity of Jesus and others.

In the interview, Bugliosi says that he is an agnostic, and that atheism is an "intellectually empty philosophy. Says Bugliosi of popular atheists like Christopher Hitchens, who he names specifically, "They simply cannot find a non-sequitur that they do not like."

But like such atheists (and religious folk from the opposite side), Bugliosi sets up these straw man intellectual arguments which do not advance the debate at all, but rather simply further obscure the basic difference between religious/spiritual people and intellectual people, which is a PHILOSOPHICAL difference concerning the nature of reality.

This sounds quite esoteric, but let's make it very, very simple:

First Three Chapters of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder by Todd Wright

Get hooked! Then order The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder from Amazon. It's also available through any bookstore.

Interview with Readers of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

I interviewed a couple of local readers about my book, The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder. See what they had to say:

The Reviews Keep Coming on Amazon!

Jeana of Lexington writes:

"Beautifully spun web of "self-improvement" book synopses, theology, mystery and murder. A creative, well-written and engaging concept. Mr. Wright's story telling ability makes it unnecessary to have read each of the "self-improvement" books....but he leaves the reader with a desire to add each to their reading list. A+++"

Thanks, Jeana!

Another Review on Amazon!

From Delia C. of Lexington, Kentucky:

I loved the book...couldn't put it down! Wright's description of a 'self-improvement book thinly disguised as a murder mystery' is totally spot-on! The characters were perfect vehicles for presenting the foremost points in each self-improvement book for the reader to agree with or argue (as the characters did so well with one another), from either a philosophical, a religious, or merely a personal standpoint. This book not only makes me curious to read more of Wright's future publications, but also makes me want to completely read each of the 'self-improvement' books so cleverly outlined in this novel as well. It actually IS an easy, and interesting read, and in turn may make the novels mentioned in it more interesting and easy to read for me in the future. Enjoy!

Thanks, Delia!

Reviews are coming in on Amazon!

From Darla O. of Baton Rouge, LA:

Do you enjoy reading? Do you enjoy a murder mystery? Do you enjoy knowing what makes different people tick? Would you enjoy an intelligent read that is 100% non-offensive in language or actions? Do you struggle with finding new, fresh reading material that is worth spending your time reading? Do you want to read a book that is truly a joy to read? If you answered yes to any of those questions the good news is this is the perfect book for you! It is a page turner and you will wrongly guess time and time again who is the guilty party. In our hectic, fast paced world, time is at a premium ... But you will be glad you took the time to read this book. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel ... There are many veteran writers who will never produce a product near this captivating. There are certain authors whom I will buy simply because it is their work ... John Grisham, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Maggie Lamond Simone and now I gladly add Todd Wright to that list. Thank you Mr. Wright for such an immensely enjoyable read!

Thanks, Darla!

Book Club Murder Now Available at Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky, is now carrying The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder.

It's also available for order from any book store across the country through Ingram Book Wholesalers. I would be grateful if you would ask your local shop to carry it. That would give you an opportunity to take a look at it before you buy.

Launch Date for Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

UPDATE: Due to user error (me being the user) the launch date for for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder has been moved back to the 23rd of February. It will be worth the wait!

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The launch date for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder will be 16 February. That's the date I anticipate that the softcover version will be available on Amazon. It's already available in Kindle e-book format.

I must say that early "test market" results are very positive. Thanks, everyone, for your interest and encouragement!

The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

A Mystery by Todd Wright.

Praise for The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder from Tom Butler-Bowdon, Author of 50 Self-Help Classics, 50 Psychology Classics (www.Butler-Bowdon.com):

"Major ideas in self-development and spirituality wrapped in a murder mystery? This weird combination actually works, providing a perfect entree to the field in an entertaining way. Wright has thought deeply about his material and it shows. This book gives self-development a new dimension."

Description

John Bookman is the greatest detective the city of Plimpton has ever known. When socialite Sue Ellen Pinkus is murdered, she uses her dying breath to implicate a self-improvement book club in the crime. Bookman and his partner, Alec Berg, pay a visit to the club. Fresh off a divorce, Detective Berg has a hunch that the solution to the case lies in the content of the various books championed by the eccentric club members. As the interviews progress, Bookman begins to believe that his partner just might be right.

The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder bundles in one slim volume some of the best ideas from some of the greatest minds of our day. A New Earth; The Power of Now; Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; The Secret; How to Win Friends and Influence People; Rich Dad, Poor Dad; Think and Grow Rich; Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and others are explained and synthesized, enticing readers to explore these life-changing books for themselves.

The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder is a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in personal development, particularly as it relates to spirituality, religion and philosophy.

It's also a darn good potboiler.