Author Doug Carnine Named As Finalist In '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' Book Awards

    WILMINGTON, NC, November 30, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Doug Carnine, author of 'Saint Badass' and 'How Love Wins' has been named as a finalist in the '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' Book Awards Contest. His honor came as a result of his appearance on The Authors Show. Carnine was chosen as a finalist from a field of hundreds of authors through a public voting process.

"Being a finalist gives me the opportunity to share with readers the wide range of life-changing benefits available through mindful kindness. For example, scientists reported that physical wounds healed faster in couplers who were kinder to each other. In a large corporation, employees who were trained to act with more kindness and the employeess who received the kindness were happier and more satisfied with their jobs and lives. Mindfulness is needed to get out of our self absorption, so we can be aware of when and how to be kind, to ourselves and others. After 11 year-old Keyara listened to one of my podcasts, she summed up my work, 'You could have kept the project to yourself, but you thought it was important to let others know about the mindful kindness work so that others could do what you did to spread kindness.'"

'Saint Badass - Personal Transcendence In Tucker Max Hell' is a story spanning six years worth of letters and growing friendships between four prisoners in an Arkansas maximum security prison and author Doug Carnine. Each prisoner faces various crises in prison including disabling illness, a brain tumor, a prison gang attack, family betrayal, medical abuse and harsh punishments for mild offenses. Each prisoner in his own way achieves transcendence through his crisis using mindfulness, meditation and the blessings of kindness. The abusive childhoods, criminal adulthoods, and lifes without parole stand in stark contrast to their incongruously continuous acts of kindness. The book contrasts the horror of the prisoners' upbringings- with their growing concern for the wellbeing of others. Their voices are raw and honest, and at times inspiring. The book trailer is available at http://feedkindness.com/about/.

'How Love Wins': Most of us recognize that being kinder and more present would not only improve our own lives and the lives of our loved ones, but also strengthen our communities. Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that both living mindfully and being kind to others offer a host of benefits -- from stronger relationships to longer life. Yet even if we truly care and are motivated to change, we find that old habits keep us from achieving our goal of increasing our kindness and improving our relationships.
With his book 'How Love Wins', Carnine offers another path. In this simple but powerful guide, he leads the reader through a 12-step process of transformation, opening a toolbox of skills and techniques that anyone can use to live more fully in the moment and be more kind to themselves and others. A lay Buddhist minister who has worked with hospice patients and prisoners, Carnine provides a clear path that will enable everyone to build a mindfully kind life -- and make it stick. The book trailer is available at http://feedkindness.com/about/.

Readers and reviewers have praised Carnine's work. Kirkus Reviews wrote this about 'Saint Badass': "...absorbing...often palpable...well-written...An illuminating and hopeful account of inmate rehabilitation through Buddhist teachings." Geri Larkin, Founding Teacher of Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple and author of 'Stumbling Toward Enlightenment' said, "Saint Badass isn't simply about the transformative power of sincere spiritual practice. It demonstrates the impact of our practice on our environment and the people around us. These men have many reasons to be filled with hate, to be violent, and to be completely shut down given the lives they are leading in the bowels of the hell realm of our society, our prisons. And yet. They transform. One of them glows in the dark, I swear. Reading the book gave me hope."

Kirkus Reviews wrote this about 'How Love Wins': "... as the author points out, the concept of kindness is as basic as concepts get, however elusive it often is in practice--and thus, the book's suggestions and strategies will likely find universal application. A mind-opening guide to self-improvement." Duana Welch, PhD, author of 'Love Factually: 10 Proven Steps from I Wish to I Do' stated, "This powerful book takes any of us from a life of 'me' to 'we,' from isolation to connection and love. In a world where kindness is so needed yet so little understood, How Love Wins is a must-read."

Members of the public who want to vote for Carnine in the '50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading' Book Awards can vote at The Authors Show site at http://www.TheAuthorsShow.com.

Doug Carnine is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below, or by email at [email protected]. Both books are available at online retail book outlets. More information is available at his website at http://feedkindness.com.

Douglas Carnine, a professor emeritus from the University of Oregon, began his pursuit of scientific research, instructional design, Buddhism and martial arts when he was 21. His academic career focused on failure-to-thrive children and lead to him receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council for Exceptional Children.

After retiring, he became curious about the importance of kindness from working with men convicted of murder and serving as a hospice volunteer. After reviewing the research on kindness, he decided to devote his writing and his advocacy to making the importance of mindful kindness more prominent. The resulting project is his website Feedkindness.com along with the books 'How Love Wins' and 'Saint Badass.'

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