Soul Boom

Starred review from February 27, 2023
In this heartfelt outing, actor Wilson (The Bassoon King), of Dwight from The Office fame, offers a broad array of spiritual ideas for finding hope in a cynical world. While there are no easy solutions to many contemporary problems—climate change, materialism, a lack of real community—Wilson digs into some big spiritual matters that have preoccupied him throughout life, among them concepts of holiness (the challenge is to “find what is holy in our lives”), and death as a source of meaning (it puts into perspective the “preciousness of life”). As well, he investigates whether God exists, and explains why he’s not an atheist: for one, the notion that “a universe of infinite complexity was born in a heartbeat because science” seems “a bit of a stretch.” Finally, he lightheartedly proposes a new “religion,” Soul Boom, based on his spiritual adventuring. Its guiding principles include the “centrality of justice” and an emphasis on the arts. Animated by self-aware humor, this entry doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and instead offers deceptively simple yet thought-provoking musings to help readers embark on a quest of spiritual self-awareness. This is a pleasure to read.

March 15, 2023
The actor and producer explores the importance of spirituality. A decade after the season finale, Wilson is still most recognized for his role as Dwight Schrute on the U.S. version of The Office. However, the founder of the inspirational media company SoulPancake and producer and star of the new travel docuseries The Geography of Bliss has since applied himself to making the world a better place, and he has a great deal to say about the role of spirituality in that endeavor. In answer to those wondering how a comic actor ends up writing a book about spirituality, Wilson lightly traverses territory covered in more depth in his 2015 memoir, The Bassoon King. He recalls a bohemian childhood during which the Baha'i faith of his parents became important to him, and he writes about later mental health and addiction struggles that returned him to his faith and launched a spiritual journey during which he voraciously consumed the teachings of the world's religions. This book would seem to be the literary culmination of this journey, "a book on big spiritual ideas," in which Wilson considers our most difficult challenges and outlines nothing short of a spiritual revolution as a path to healing them. In a chapter titled "Hey, Kids, Let's Build the Perfect Religion!" the author extracts religion's most essential aspects and leads readers on a participatory journey to do just that. Along the way, Wilson covers numerous heady concepts, including the purpose of life (soul growth), life after death, and God. Outrageous as this becomes, the book remains true to the author's thesis--that the world needs spiritual solutions to many of its ailments--and Wilson walks a razor-sharp line in addressing the most sacred of topics with the airy irreverence one might expect from the former sitcom star. With sincere enthusiasm and a playful tone, Wilson highlights the vitality of spirituality in our lives.

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March 15, 2023
Best known as The Office's Dwight, Wilson (Bassoon King, 2015), like many of us, used the pandemic to ponder life's myriad problems; unlike many of us, this resulted in his second book. Cofounder of media company SoulPancake and a lifelong Baha'i adherent, Wilson defines spirituality as being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to the material. Everyone, Wilson asserts, is on an individual and collective spiritual journey, yet society is plagued by "pandemics" of mental health issues, materialism, racism, sexism, climate change, and nationalism caused by a dearth of spirituality. Wilson examines the world's religious writings and practices, challenging readers to identify the sacred in their lives, and concludes that the communal aspect of our faith has declined, exacerbating narcissism and disunity. He even advocates for the creation of a new religion--SoulBoom(TM)--combining the best elements of major world faiths and encourages his audience to cultivate these virtues to spark spiritual revolution. Wilson's wry wit and humorous comments punctuate snippets of wisdom from an array of clerics. This is entertaining and thought-provoking.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 10, 2024

Actor, activist, and author Wilson (The Bassoon King) offers observations on the world's spiritual struggles. Better known as his persona on The Office, a "beet-farming, paper-selling, tangentially Amish man baby," Wilson is admittedly not an enlightened authority but draws from his personal spiritual journey and extensive existential research to offer absorbing and intriguing insights. Addressing his own confusion and questions, Wilson explores the universal connections and commonalities between religious doctrines, from the Bible to the Bhagavad Gita, examines the spiritual symbolism of Star Trek, and outlines his ideal "faith of the future," one that appreciates the transformative potential of potlucks. As the narrator, Wilson gives an engaging and entertaining performance. From addiction to anxiety, he discusses personal experiences in a compelling and comical way that could only be accomplished by the author himself. The result is a playful, thought-provoking thesis on how to better the "beautiful, and sometimes difficult, Earth." VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a reflective blend of religion and pop culture. Recommended for fans of hopeful, humorous takes on heavy topics, as in Kristin Chenoweth's I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts.--Lauren Hackert

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