Serving up a delicious smorgasbord of existential philosophy, self-reflection, social science, and Star Trek, Rainn Wilson explores the missing role of spirituality in the modern world. It will light up your brain, warm your heart, and tickle your funny bone.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast Re:Thinking
“This is the insightful exploration of spirituality that we desperately need right now. As we all seek answers amidst an unceasing news cycle of chaos and doom, Rainn Wilson’s Soul Boom funnily but gently and lovingly opens a door to a deeper way to process all that is happening around us. The wisdom in and on these pages will fill your soul and touch your heart.”—Lisa Ling, coauthor of Somewhere Inside and host of This Is Life
“Brilliant, humorous, and deeply wise, Rainn Wilson makes the case for spiritual revolution like no other. With humility that lands in the heart, Rainn invites us into a profound conversation on death and despair, God and transcendence, and love as a revolutionary force. The result: an electrifying manifesto on how to transform the world from the inside out. Let Soul Boom ignite and inspire you, as it has me!”—Valarie Kaur, activist and author of See No Stranger
“A gracious and compassionate (and altogether engaging) book, by someone who truly believes that it is possible to love God, neighbor, and world, and to relate to them and cherish them in ways at once richly spiritual and impeccably rational. He’s right, of course: it is."—David Bentley Hart, author of The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss
“Rainn Wilson played one of the greatest comic characters of all time, but the crisis we are living through is no joke. That’s why you should drop everything you are doing and read this remarkable book. It combines a seriousness of purpose, a depth of intellect and a warmth of spirit that is desperately needed today. It will lighten your load, fire your soul, and guide you on your way.” —Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America and author of We Need To Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy
“In this heartfelt outing, [Rainn Wilson] offers a broad array of spiritual ideas for finding hope in a cynical world….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.”—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“[Soul Boom] considers our most difficult challenges and outlines nothing short of a spiritual revolution as a path to healing them….Along the way, Wilson covers numerous heady concepts, including the purpose of life (soul growth), life after death, and God….[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.”—Kirkus Reviews
“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…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.”—Booklist
2023-02-17
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.
