Title: Enrichment of the Self and Soul
Author: Richard J. Choura
Publisher: Author Reputation Press, LLC
ISBN: 9798885147590
Pages: 141
Genre: Philosophy
Reviewed by: Dan MacIntosh

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With his book Enrichment of the Self and Soul, author Richard J. Choura looks at the concept of ‘the self’ from a nearly endless number of different angles. As an introduction, Choura invites readers to enrich themselves and souls “by joining spiritual thinking and aesthetic vision with the sacred, cultural, and scientific.” With this deeply thought-out book, Choura hits all these points, and then some.

One thing Choura does especially well is mix the scientific with the spiritual, without emphasizing one over the other. Many might suggest religion and science are at opposite ends of the intellectual spectrum, but Choura realizes it takes multiple types of thinking to even begin to get a handle on what the self is all about. In addition to quotes from respected scientists, Choura also shares the words of the very secular author, Henry Miller, as well as the spiritual mystic, William Blake. All views add insight, and insight is specifically what Choura is going for with his book.

Choura writes how “this book empowers the reader to harness the power of self with spirituality so that they can find a deeper meaning in life that they are looking for in spirituality.” Make no mistake about it, this book goes deep. There’s no way to breeze through its 141 pages and expect to receive full benefit from it. Rather, expect to read certain passages slowly or a few times. These words are intended to be absorbed and then allowed to saturate the mind and soul of the reader.

The author reveals the necessity of this pursuit of self, early on with a chapter titled “What Is The Self.” He begins by writing how “today, in our modern world we can show how the interaction of chemicals or matter can be described with mathematical relationships, but it is a mystery to show how consciousness originates in matter or from matter.” Choura, we see through this chapter introduction, is far from a strict materialist. Thus, even though he presents arguments about the nature of the self, from ancient to modern beliefs, he still nevertheless also uses the word “mystery” to describe it. Readers with vivid imaginations will be glad to read these words. Much can be learned from the work of scientists working in laboratories, but not everything can be discovered there. No, there will always be those X factors that cannot be pinned down with the scientific method alone.

In a chapter titled “The Importance of the Self,” Choura writes:  “Much about everyday life seems to depend more and more on commitment to self and development of self-concepts. Such a commitment requires self-awareness, self-direction, and self-motivation and can lead to an increase in self-esteem.” I know what you’re thinking; he just used the term ‘self-esteem,’ so he must be some sort of self-help guru. Not so fast, though. Rather, instead of dolling trite behavioral change suggestions out to help readers feel a little better about themselves, Choura opts instead for a deep dive into better understanding what it means to truly know oneself, much the way the early Greek philosophers attempted to do. This book may not help you land your dream job or meet the right mate, but it may help you better understand who you are, deep down.

No mere book review can do Richard J. Choura’s detailed work justice. You’ll just need to dig into it for yourself. Be prepared to block out all distractions that may inhibit concentration. Prepare yourself for a journey, a journey which might just take you deeper into your inner being than you’ve ever been before.