Notes from the Eye of the Storm A Memoir

Samuel Davisson

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Why I wrote this book

There is in all of us a need for meaning, continuity and perspective. Notes From The Eye Of The Storm is not a religious pamphlet that tries to deliver all of the answers to life’s questions. Instead, it is an invitation to explore what insights life’s often traumatic experiences can deliver. It is an attempt to clarify the superstitions, fears and neurosis that surround us all. There are no sacred cows. Many of our cherished presumptions have to be laid bare to an honest and unrelenting critical examination. Life’s hardships provide the crucible for that evaluation. Throughout the book, the reader will find reasons to laugh. If we are going to examine the roots of our existence, we might as well have a little fun.

Synopsis

All my life I have been exposed to half-truths delivered by traditional religious, social and government institutions. By the time I graduated from college, I knew I had to start from scratch and let life’s experiences give me the education and direction I really needed. As an autobiographical/memory, Notes From The Eye Of The Storm takes the reader through those experiences, which include my tour as a combat medic in Vietnam, surviving a severely depressed and borderline psychotic mother, extensive training as a hospital chaplain, fifteen years as an emergency room physician, an initially terminal cancer diagnosis and various attempts on my life. As much as is humanely possible, my examination of these experiences is done without prejudice. Having studied religion for seven years, I spend two chapters of the book dismantling the theory behind violent religious extremism in all faiths. In addition, I provide insights into society’s profound social problems as seen from the perspective of an emergency room physician. In order to provide balance and contrast to the higher-impact sections of the book, I’ve laced Notes From The Eye Of The Storm with humour.

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