ARA Review by Joseph Babendreier of In It Together

[Joseph Babendreier]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, In It Together.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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As with many a self-help tract, In It Together proposes a path to personal happiness. It is based on a philosophical mix: the stoicism of Marcus Aurelius, cosmic consciousness, and the Cartesian Cogito. The argument advances four great truths: I do not need to be a slave to my addictions. I can make my own decisions. I was created for some kind of unity with others. Getting there will happen only if I make up my mind to be honest, first all with myself.

The author is listed as Eckhart Aurelius Hughes, the pen name of Scott Hughes, creator of the OnlineBookClub. He uses a personal approach to challenge the reader on every page. If you want to be happy, face up to the uncomfortable fact of your freedom. You will discover your true self and your unity with others. Achieving this does not come easy. The subtitle is meant to reassure: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All.

What’s the winning strategy? To summarize it here would be a spoiler.

Self-help books come and go. Is there anything original in this one? Check the discussion on Einstein’s theory about the space-time continuum and how a person experiences awareness of self: past, present and future.

Philosophical discussions make for heavy reading; more so when dealing with the obtuse topic of cosmic consciousness. The constant use of short sentences makes the text easy to follow, as does the polished prose and the professional editing. That is one of many positives.

Is there a negative? You are asked to accept an odd claim: You and the person next to you are identical; you share the same spirit; your body, and that of the other person, are mere clothing. Some readers may balk at such a claim, this reviewer being one of them. I do not become one spirit with another person—we do not share the same spirit—unless the two of us choose to make that happen. Since Hughes speaks eloquently about personal freedom, maybe that is what he really means. Perhaps, in a future edition, that point can be clarified.

I have chosen to give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars—four and not five because of the negative mentioned. The positive is very positive. The book offers eleven practical suggestions. All are excellent, and those chapters comprise almost half the book. The last chapter is a gem.

The obvious audience would be readers looking for advice on how to make better decisions, especially if they are wrestling with an addiction.

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