Customer Reviews

The Paradigm Conspiracy: Why Our Social Systems Violate Human Potential -- And How We Can Change Them

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4 star:		(1)
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The authors have taken dynamic ideas from the minds ofbrilliant scholars, i.e. Thomas Kuhn, and brought them home straightto our hearts and minds. This book engages every part of the reader--making one deeply examine where s/he stands in relation to living one's truth.

As I read it I recognized the complex maze of ideas first introduced in grad school readings which presented how unknowingly we collude with a system of dominance and oppression. Yet in this text of hope, the authors lead us through the puzzle of problems to the endless possibilities and solutions. Solutions which start right here, right now, on an individual basis. The awarenesses this book brings forth can shake the soul at first, but staying with how the authors unfold this mystery ultimately lets us shake off the chains we didn't even know we were bound by.

Definitely worth reading, especially in conjunction with their next book: Love, Soul and Freedom. These outstanding books bring together what a soul thirsts for in a way that quenches far beyond expectation.

This book is a brilliant, inspirational guide to recognizing the inherent addictive and destructive nature of many dominant paradigms in our civilization. The authors weave their discourse around the spiritual insights of Rumi and Native American steps to "peace." The authors delineate how paradigms function and protect themselves from the threat of alternative approaches. They also expose the addictive nature of paradigms that dominate modern culture, while offering guidance for those wishing to consciously evolve and transcend the self-limiting, divisive patterns that dominate society. This book is a powerful, enlightened examination of what keeps humanity oppressed, allowing us to reflect on ourselves and the world around us. For those who recognize the flaws in existing patterns and paradigms, this book will resonate and provide insight into how we can individually and collectively develop a progressive, expansive framework for human civilization. I highly recommend this book!

This book is not for the faint of heart. Though you may begin with a bias toward a book published by a 'recovery' publisher, the sheer will of its authors to contemplate and elucidate the harm we humans visit upon the earth and all its inhabitants speaks for itself. It will also speak to you and touch you in a deep place that may have been neglected and diminished by the day to day worlds we exist in.

The main premise is that we humans are in the throes of a 'paradigm conspiracy' that is so insidious and prevasive we don't consciously notice. However, one of the most damaging effects of this conspiracy is the epidemic of addictions we suffer directly and indirectly. Now, before you think that this is just another book bemoaning substance abuse, these authors include what they call 'process addictions' such as work, gambling, food, and television as well. It appears that nearly everyone in this country is touched by an addiction of some kind! Humbling, huh?!

The book continues to chronicle the current 'control paradigm' and its insidious ways. It covers all the excuses and rationalizations used to justify its existence. Then the book strips you down as an individual and puts the onus on each human being to "be all you can be".

From this point, the authors offer a well coordinated approach which incorperates both the twelve step program of Alcoholics Anonymous and "The 12 cycles of Truth" which is wisdom for the Iroquois Confederacy of Five Nations. This crosscultural match is exquiste in its symmetry and simplicity as well as adds considerable legitimacy to their individual and societal solution to enter into a second 'paradigm conspiracy' that will help us become reconnected to our souls. The emphasis is on the individual but the changes brought forth will affect the world. This is heavy stuff!!

If you are uneasy about our world and your place in it, this book offers a combination of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" and the Declaration of Independence. It is rare to find suc

The content of this book is excellent, wonderfully written, down-to-earth, very readable, eye-opening...I believe everyone who seeks true freedom, should read this book. I would have given it 5 stars, unfortunately the publisher appears to be part of the problem to which the authors refer. One of the messages in this book is that we don't really reach our full potential while being controlled and having our soul stifled. One result being goods and services that are not top quality (money being the most important, not people, not quality)...when I got to page 33 of this book, the pages started falling out. I had to laugh, given the incredible paradox in that and wondered what the authors would think of it. Even considered that it was an additional synchronous message pointing to how this controlling society is presently crumbling. The pages continued to fall out as I read... I decided to write the publisher and see if they would -shift their paradigm- and either send me a new book or refund my money. Yes, I had bought the book month's before from Amazon...but, apparently that's too late for an Amazon refund. The publisher (not surprisingly) said I should contact Amazon. Darn, no paradigm shift there :( Breton/Largent, I loved your book, but please find a new publisher, so other's can actually pass this valuable information on...all in One -peace- :)

Reading this courageous book will change how you see just about everything in our society -- and in yourself. The authors are perceptive and highly educated, passionate and commited. You couldn't ask for better teachers to address this most difficult subject.

This worderfully written book portrays a simple, yet weighty, message whose time has definitly come. It will dramatically change your perceptions or support your current views in new & exciting ways. Anyone interested in human development, personal growth and consciousness will be delighted and rewarded with this read. Benton and Largent ground higher consciouness in a way that I have never experienced before and that will inspire many readers. I have been further transformed by this book.

The Paradigm Conspiracy is a "Bible"-type systemic 12-step philosophical analytical meditation which I hate to go anywhere without, and can open to any page to receive daily inspiration and hope. This is a thorough open disclosure of the violence of systemic abuse, and without leaving us in the despair of broken dreams, throws light into the tunnel of darkness by outlining the steps that WE, as groups, community-poli-social systems can take to heal[without controlling the outcome],dialoguing new paradigms and meta-paradigms for healthy societies. Assumptions, strategies, responses, and goals, all brilliantly graphed as well as spiralled in the tradition of our ancestral North American and Middle Eastern spiritual masters, esp. Rumi. Appreciating your wonderful truth, Denise and Christopher!

This book provides a profound, insightful survey of many issues individuals need to take a good look at -- and our society needs to know -- to heal on a very deep level.

We have been programmed to live in fear. We are controlled and manipulated by fear. It's time to break out of the fear box. Many years ago, Gerald Jampolsky wrote, "Love Is Letting Go of Fear" based on "A Course In Miracles".

If you'd like to live a higher quality of life, read this book, study A Course in Miracles, Combined Volume: Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers and start releasing fear/guilt. The more you divorce yourself from fear and guilt, the more awake, aware, alert, free and alive you will feel.

If you were circumcised, don't overlook the importance of letting go of that trauma... such an early, preverbal unhealed wound can be a big obstacle in the way of feeling love. See my book on FGM in the USA, The Rape of Innocence: Female Genital Mutilation in the U.S.A..

We all deserve love and respect and protection from harm. We all deserve to be free of fear. And the good news is, if it had a beginning -- which fear does -- then it will have an end... "Healing is always certain" and "All healing is essentially the release from fear."

Here was another library book that I just had to own! More than another self-help book, Chris Largent did an admirable job of explaining how paradigm conditioning has worked throughout human history - but more so toward America's present-day societal paradigms and how we got here.

Simply put, everyone of us is the product of our biological, physical, educational, emotional, and media environment. From birth, we have our innate survival instincts which start with recognizing we'll get some attention if we cry. Subconsciously we learn how to maniuplate those around us and yet, we are just as manipulated. In other words, we become addicted to our paradigm - sometimes good, sometimes bad - thing is, once you recognize the patterns, you feel great become you know you can change your world.

This book is not a fast read. Not that's it's complicated, it's just worth your time to absorb the message and find out surprising things about yourself, your family, your community, your friends, your government. Highly recommended.

Excellent book. Really inspires the reader to think philosophically about the way we are living our lives as well as the way we raise our children. Largent and Breton create a solid perspective which we all should consider as we make an effort to evolve as a society.