Title: Wood You Believe: The Ancestral Self (Volume 3)
Author: Fr. Jim Cogley
Publisher: Matchstick Literary
ISBN: 978-1642544039
Pages: 208
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

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I believe a book can make one live a new life and view things differently. Wood You Believe; The Ancestral Self had this exact impact on me. I had a fresh feeling after going through all the information in this book. I’ll first give credit to the author because of how well the book is arranged. I doubt Fr. Cogley randomly chose the topics covered. I believe the author took his time to properly arrange the text for the reader’s better understanding.

The book has five parts: our ancestral inheritance; hauntings and happenings; politics and religion, the ties that bind and prayers and rituals for healing. Each part is divided into several topics which all had interesting discussions. The first and third parts; our ancestral inheritance and politics, and religion were my favorite in the book. While reading the first part, I could resonate with a lot of the author’s text. I deeply enjoyed reading about parting ways with our past and dealing with the pain. Jamie’s story was another reason I loved this particular section of the book. Overcoming tragedy like that what Jamie went through is not easy. Dealing with trauma can be agonizing. The author suggests ancestral healing as a way of freeing yourself from issues that your ancestors dealt with. Not making peace with the ill of your ancestors can be a stumbling block in your wellbeing. Solving any conflict your ancestors and kin had upon you will have you live your life as you desire.

It was exciting when the author tackled the haunting subject. Psyching energies and the story of Bill were exhilarating for me. Reading about the presence of spirits in homes was a little creepy, but amusing regardless. I loved that the author used stories in his narrations. This helped kill any potential occurrence of monotony in this book. I also enjoyed reading on religion and politics as the two topics often raise great debates. The author explained in a logical manner how the truth shall set us free. Our political ties, political families, Christianity, and our history are all related. I admired that he touched a bit of institutional abuse, the untold stories and the effects it has on us.

Wood You Believe: The Ancestral Self is a fantastic book. The tales told in the book and the theories explained help us discover ourselves and understand our being. The author did a good job in writing about real life topics. He also touched on suicide, which is sometimes seen as a sensitive subject. His reference of the remembrance bowl when talking about suicide and helping victims was amazing.

The author wrote an incredible book. Every discussion is of importance in our day to day life. He chose the relevant subjects that not only act as a guide but are also important to humans. The writing style is commendable and the diction is wonderful. The drawings of wooden images also spiced up the text. I recommend this book to any avid reader, as there is a lot to learn from the author.