Correcting the Falsehoods of Hiroshi and Bungeishunju: The Happy Science Group's View on 'Separation from Happy Science' by Hiroshi (Published by Bungeishunju)

In his book 'Separation from Happy Science' published on March 10, Hiroshi publicly disclosed nearly a hundred lies and slanders about President Ryuho Okawa, his teachings, his family, and the actual management of the organization. Bungeishunju was sued for defamation by our organization over an article in 'Weekly Bunshun' (February 28, 2019), and the case is currently in court. If Bungeishunju published Hiroshi's book knowing that it contained numerous lies, it would be an act contrary to the path of a publisher and socially unacceptable. Moreover, President Ryuho Okawa is the object of faith for our organization, and such slander is an unforgivable act that damages the faith of many people. In this chapter, we will address the main issues and correct these errors from the perspective of religious truth.

The Lie 'Do Not Believe What People in the World Say'

Hiroshi claims in the opening part of his book that he was constantly told, 'The general thinking of the world is basically wrong. If there is a discrepancy, we are right. Do not believe what people in the world say.' However, there is no such teaching from President Okawa. President Okawa's teachings are about believing in the world, believing in people, and believing in God, and he teaches the importance of discerning right from wrong among various phenomena in the world, removing evil, and choosing good.

Furthermore, he teaches the importance of each person living a good life based on their conscience (Buddha-nature) from the perspective of value judgment as seen by gods and Buddhas. Hiroshi distorts President Okawa's teachings, replaces his own memories, and lies intentionally to mislead the public.

The Lie About Wanting to Become Prime Minister or Japan's Donald Trump

Also, there is no truth to Hiroshi's claims of wanting to become 'Prime Minister' or 'Japan's Donald Trump.' Such statements that defame President Okawa are nothing more than Hiroshi's own selfish and malicious speculation.

Hiroshi also says, 'I never thought of my father as a god,' but this is contrary to the facts. On April 29, 2011, during a youth lecture titled 'The Path to Success' by President Okawa, Hiroshi gave a preliminary talk titled 'Faith in El Cantare and Propagation.' In it, Hiroshi spoke strongly of his faith, saying, 'El Cantare is always watching over you, no matter what happens. I can say this with certainty,' and 'I want to be of service to El Cantare, even a little, so let's all work hard together.' He certainly believed in President Okawa as the Supreme God, Lord El Cantare.

Furthermore, he compares our organization to the criminal group Aum Shinrikyo and its leader Asahara, saying 'it's almost the same,' which is a blasphemy against President Okawa, who is revered by people in over a hundred countries worldwide. It is absolutely unacceptable for Hiroshi, who has already been excommunicated and is now an individual outside the organization, to blaspheme.

There Is No Fact of Dissolution Before the Spirit Message of Former Prime Minister Noda

In his latest book, Hiroshi claims that President Okawa's public spirit messages can lead to 'broadcast accidents' if there is insufficient prior information gathering. As an example, he cites the spirit message of then-Prime Minister Noda in 2012, claiming that just before the recording, Noda declared the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and President Okawa, who had said in the spirit message, 'There will be no dissolution general election,' broke into a cold sweat.

However, there is no such fact, and it is an astonishing fabrication. The spirit message was publicly recorded on November 14, 2012, the same day Noda declared the dissolution, but the recording was completed hours before the dissolution statement, and it was made public at a branch on November 20 and published as a book on November 30. It is well known that the dissolution statement was made during a parliamentary debate with then-LDP President Abe, provoked by Abe.

To understand why Hiroshi can lie so blatantly, one needs to know the workings of spiritual entities like evil spirits and demons.

The Lie That Spirit Messages Are Performances

In his book, Hiroshi says, 'What matters in spirit messages is how authentic you can make it seem. Ryuho himself is obviously aware that it's a performance,' thus defaming the spirit messages conducted by President Okawa.

President Okawa is the highest spiritualist, and his spirit messages are genuine. It is unacceptable for Hiroshi, who lost faith because he could not produce genuine spirit messages, to slander at will. Spirit message phenomena involve speaking the words of spiritual entities from the 'other world,' but without sufficient religious training, one can be possessed by evil spirits or demons. Once possessed, it is difficult to break free, and one may even lose the ability to distinguish whether the thoughts that come to mind are whispers of evil spirits or one's own. Therefore, it is important to have faith in gods and Buddhas, continue steady spiritual training under a master, suppress one's ego and desires, and deepen one's faith while building social insight and religious knowledge.

Hiroshi has many instances of bizarre behavior, mistaken beliefs, and memory loss. This is likely a state of spiritual disturbance where he is possessed by spirits and completely forgets what the spirit said, a pattern often seen in dissociative disorders medically. He seems to be entering a dangerous realm where he can no longer control himself, and even if a spirit enters and does something, once the spirit leaves, he remembers nothing.

Hiroshi should be aware of the precarious state he is in and immediately stop lying about spirit messages.

The Extremely High Social Credibility of President Okawa's Public Spirit Messages

Spirit messages are not something that can be done easily; they require constant mental training to ensure that one's ego, assumptions, and preconceptions do not interfere. For someone like Hiroshi, who is a spiritualist but lacks faith, does not study, and has no social education, his strong assumptions can appear in spirit messages as if they were facts. Hiroshi himself cannot even tell who he has let in when he lets in spirits.

There is a considerable difference in levels among spiritualists, but President Okawa's spirit messages are at the highest level, where he can make the spirit speak its true intentions and freely control spiritual phenomena. President Ryuho Okawa is the world's greatest spiritualist and can summon any spirit. This is only possible for someone who has attained a high level of enlightenment. During the spirit message phenomena, President Okawa's consciousness is clear, and it is different from 'mediumship phenomena' where one loses consciousness in a trance state and the spirit speaks unilaterally. Additionally, President Okawa serves as a 'saninwa' (judge) who interprets and judges the truth and true intentions of the content spoken by the spirit, and he also serves as the master (guide) overseeing the entire spirit message, capable of questioning the spirit himself. President Okawa has conducted over 1,000 public spirit messages and published over 500 books in the 'Spirit Message Series.' The spirit message series by President Okawa has high social credibility, with advertisements in the five major newspapers, and is itself 'proof of the existence of the spirit world.'

The Establishment of Major World Religions Is Greatly Involved with 'Spirit Messages'

As mentioned earlier, Hiroshi claims, 'What matters in spirit messages is how authentic you can make it seem. Ryuho himself is obviously aware that it's a performance,' and explains as if no spirits are actually descending and that he is pretending to be the target person with pre-prepared knowledge, but this is completely wrong.

President Okawa has conducted over 1,000 public spirit messages, and not one is the same. Some include spirit messages in ancient languages not used today or spirit messages of individuals for whom no historical records exist, as well as musical inspirations from John Lennon and Elvis Presley. There are also guardian spirit messages where the guardian spirit of a living person is summoned to speak their true intentions. This is essentially accessing the person's subconscious, and the content can be considered what the person is thinking subconsciously, i.e., their true intentions.

The establishment of major world religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is greatly involved with divine revelations, or 'spirit messages' from the high spirit world. It is no exaggeration to say that without spirit messages, there would be no religion. The fact that so many spirit messages have been delivered from such a diverse range of spirits is unprecedented in history.

Furthermore, spirit message recordings often occur suddenly, and it is common for both President Okawa and the questioner to have little preparation time.

Before a spirit message, it is customary for President Okawa to provide a preliminary explanation, and for that reason, it is necessary to confirm the achievements and historical position of the person. Also, since spirit messages are conducted through President Okawa's language center, it is natural for him to have information about the life the spirit has led in his memory to make it easier for the spirit to speak.

The Lie That the Actual Number of Believers Is 13,000

Hiroshi, who was a former director, only served for about two months and did not grasp the practical numbers. Despite holding a large lecture at Tokyo Dome in 2017 with 50,000 participants and simultaneous broadcasts at 3,500 locations worldwide, he claims without clear evidence that 'the actual number of believers is only 13,000.' He also makes statements about the organization's income and financial situation that are completely different from the reality of our organization.

Happy Science had the highest number of new staff members last year, and the number of believers continues to increase every year. The movie 'If the World Disappeared from Hope,' produced and directed by Ryuho Okawa, also achieved the highest attendance for a live-action film. Over 100 books are published annually, and the organization continues to develop steadily.

Additionally, the Nieno Peace Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, announced the results of a survey on Japanese people's religious views on October 11 last year, titled 'Public Opinion Survey: Japanese Involvement, Recognition, and Evaluation of Religious Organizations Over 20 Years.' The results showed that among new religions, only Happy Science has increased its recognition over the past 20 years, and the situation of our organization, which continues to develop, is also evident in third-party surveys.

The Nonexistent Lies About President's Surroundings

In his book, Hiroshi criticizes that the president wastes donations on things like the robes worn during events, claiming they are used only once. However, this is contrary to the facts. The robes worn by the president are used multiple times, and the decorations used are mainly beads, which are not expensive. Hiroshi also claims that 'the watch is custom-made,' but this is not true, and it is not used only once. As for suits, they are not custom-made but tailored, and by combining about 30 suits, they are worn in such a way that it does not appear as if the same outfit is worn repeatedly for the 200 to 300 lectures given annually. The fact that Hiroshi, who was a staff member at the time, does not even know such basic common sense within the organization shows how little involvement he had with President Okawa.

Furthermore, the president taught his children not to mix public and private matters, but Hiroshi did not listen to this. Hiroshi writes as if President Okawa often complained and made derogatory remarks like 'he's useless,' but there is no such thing.

The Lie About Assistant President Shio Okawa

Hiroshi claims that Assistant President Shio Okawa said to him, 'You have the blood of a demon,' but this is completely unfounded. Assistant President Shio Okawa dedicates her life to supporting and protecting the president 24/7, 365 days a year. It is unacceptable for Hiroshi, who is obstructing the president's sacred salvation movement with slander, to insult Assistant President Shio Okawa with false statements.

The False Episode About Sister Sakiya

In his latest book, Hiroshi claims that when 'Sakiya was around her second year of university,' she 'raged like a dragon,' 'abused,' and 'shouted for about three days and nights' at her brother Yuta, who opposed her attempt to bring her partner into the religious headquarters.

However, Sakiya never forced her partner into the religious department. This is contrary to the facts and is a malicious manipulation of impressions. Naturally, Sakiya never raged like a demon and harshly abused Yuta, nor did it lead to a big fight. Sakiya has been harmonious since childhood, acting as a mediator among siblings, while also having a straightforward and passionate educator side, being the most diligent among the siblings. It is likely that Hiroshi is slandering her as a 'politician' out of jealousy because Sakiya became the successor due to her leadership qualities and self-help spirit.

The one who caused a big fuss involving the family to get his then-partner recognized that summer was Hiroshi, and here too, there is a replacement of memory. Hiroshi argued for his then-girlfriend to be recognized in religion, claiming, 'Her past life was the Virgin Mary, and I am a Jesus-like existence. Therefore, I want our marriage to be recognized.' However, President Okawa said, 'Unfortunately, I cannot recognize her as the Virgin Mary,' and Sakiya also advised, 'If you are going to marry, shouldn't the woman become a member first?' At this point, Hiroshi himself got angry, made abusive remarks to those around him, and cut short his stay in Karuizawa, returning to Tokyo alone. Hiroshi has replaced his story of making abusive remarks with Sakiya's story, turning it into a false episode where Sakiya badmouthed his ex-girlfriend.

The Lie That Brothers Were Purged

Hiroshi also claims that his brothers Maki and Yuta were 'purged and ostracized' because 'Sakiya moved early to crush Yuta' and 'wanted to completely nip the buds of rebellion and establish her own authority,' suggesting that Sakiya purged them to nip the buds of rebellion.

However, there is no fact that Sakiya 'purged' Maki and Yuta; it was merely a personnel transfer made as an organizational decision by the Happy Science Personnel Department. Hiroshi is only making false speculations based on internet information about facts he has not directly confirmed.

Hiroshi claims that Sakiya has a harsh personality and 'strictly purges internal people,' but this is not true at all. It was rather Hiroshi who did such things to his subordinates during his time as president of the production company.

Furthermore, Hiroshi claims that when Sakiya was the head of the high school dance club, she opposed revealing costumes, 'never changed her opinion,' and 'quit the club as it was.' However, Sakiya was only in the dance club until midway through her third year of junior high school, and the head of the dance club was traditionally a second-year high school student. The group divisions and costumes were also decided entirely by second-year high school students.

In reality, it was Sakiya's mother who got angry when Sakiya was placed in a group with revealing costumes, and she was made to quit the dance club in her third year of junior high school. Sakiya never became the head of the dance club or instructed any costume changes, and Hiroshi's statements are completely false.

Additionally, Hiroshi claims, 'My parents told me, 'Your brother is the successor,' and the siblings were told to support me (Hiroshi),' but this is not true either. The truth is that the siblings were told, 'Your brother's behavior is not good, so the other children should be responsible.' Hiroshi claims that Sakiya has a harsh personality and 'strictly purges internal people,' but this is not true at all.

The Lie About Brother Maki

Hiroshi claims that his brother Maki 'did not study or participate in club activities in junior high and high school, became a recluse from the second year of junior high, and only played online games at home,' but this is not true. During junior high school, he was a member of the soft tennis club. He achieved results such as being the runner-up in the Arakawa Ward tournament in his last year of junior high (doubles) and participating in the Tokyo Metropolitan tournament in team competitions. Sister Sakiya also describes Maki as more of a sports enthusiast than an indoor type.

Regarding online games, Masaki-san merely brought up the topic of playing games (even though he attends a prestigious school) as a story that might interest his delinquent brother, Hiroyo, who only comes home two or three times a year. Hiroyo, not understanding his brother Masaki's consideration, mixes falsehoods with what he remembers and exaggerates them greatly.

Lies about his sister, Airisa

Hiroyo claims that President Okawa tried to marry his sister Airisa to a male staff member, but there is no such fact. He also claims that Airisa's past life was changed to "Nine-Tailed Fox," which is not true, and says she "got married," which is also false as she is currently single. She will continue to pursue further studies in graduate school.

The "Forced Marriage" That Disappeared

One of the most malicious fabrications by Hiroyo was the so-called "forced marriage," claiming he was forced by President Okawa to marry Sayaka Miko. This was prominently featured in an article in "Weekly Bunshun" (February 28, 2019 issue) last year, specifically stating that on November 18, 2017, Hiroyo angered President Okawa by refusing the marriage proposal during a meeting with Sayaka Miko present. This was the main part of the "Weekly Bunshun" article, which claimed it was the decisive factor for Hiroyo's break with Happy Science.

However, astonishingly, in Hiroyo's newly published book, the "forced marriage" story that was said to have occurred on this day has completely disappeared.

According to his book, on this day, Hiroyo talked with President Okawa alone for about 5 to 6 hours, but the content was changed to discussions about doctrines, spiritual messages, and political parties, not forced marriage. The book has been altered from the "Weekly Bunshun" article in its core parts. It must be said that the "Weekly Bunshun" publishing department has strayed from the path of journalism that reports the truth, and it is nothing but an acknowledgment that "forced marriage" did not occur.

Unnatural descriptions such as a six-year-old seeing through his father's broken heart

In addition to Hiroyo's lies and delusions, the book is characterized by extremely unnatural descriptions.

For example, after the subway sarin incident in 1995, bashing of new religions intensified, and President Okawa seemed "broken-hearted." It is said that he decided to retreat to the mountains in Utsunomiya, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, Hiroyo was only six years old at the time. Can a first-grade child really see through his father's complex emotions?　

In reality, Utsunomiya is a prefectural capital where the Tohoku Shinkansen also stops, and the truth is that the entire family moved there for the maintenance of the newly established headquarters. The book contains many unnatural expressions that make those who know the actual situation tilt their heads, but it is likely the work of a writer arranged by Bunshun.

The book also claims that the reason President Okawa's books become bestsellers every year is that each believer is made to buy about 37 copies of the same book based on publishing distribution data, but this is completely false. At our branches, there are cases where bulk purchases are made for those who are too busy to go to bookstores. Hundreds of copies are purchased at once at the branch level, sent to the branch by mail, and then handed out individually. However, the book claims that for "The Law of Faith," which ranked 10th in the annual bestseller list of 2018, the number of copies sold during the survey period was 12,096, with 325 purchasers, averaging 37.2 copies per person.

This is nothing but an armchair theory that does not know the aforementioned services conducted on the ground. Even if these numbers were true, it is clear that Hiroyo is not in a position to independently obtain such survey results, and here too, the malicious impression manipulation stance of Bungeishunju can be glimpsed.

The lie that the President said, "Don't emit stupid waves!"

In his book, Hiroyo reflects on his childhood and claims that President Okawa scolded him by saying, "Don't emit stupid waves," but there is no such fact. He was merely told, "Be quiet when reading a book."

Hiroyo resentfully claims that he was separated from his family and couldn't eat with them, but there is no such fact at all. If Hiroyo wished, he could always interact with President Okawa and enjoy family gatherings. The truth is that Hiroyo was often absent, staying over at friends' houses since his middle and high school days, and despite President Okawa calling out to him many times, it was Hiroyo himself who did not come around.

Also, after entering a boys' high school, when he re-enrolled in a co-ed school, he claims his father said, "I can't understand what you're thinking anymore," and kicked him out of the house, but it was his mother at the time who said that and kicked him out. President Okawa chose to protect Hiroyo by saying, "You won't know what will happen until you grow up," and believed in and watched over his growth.　

Furthermore, it is claimed that secretaries brought in beetles and stag beetles early in the morning, pretending they were wild, but these were raised by the secretaries to delight the young children, and it is regrettable that there is no gratitude for such things.

The lie of "corporal punishment" by secretaries

Reflecting on his childhood, Hiroyo claims that secretaries "hit" him as "corporal punishment," and that "secretaries secretly hit the children," but in reality, it was nothing more than a light punishment, like a friendly female staff member jokingly saying, "If you do something bad next time, I'll spank you." There is no fact of "hitting" or "corporal punishment."

Regarding the caregivers, Hiroyo claims that if President Okawa judged "this child's education is not good," the caregiver would be fired, but in reality, it was due to Hiroyo's exaggerated tattling to his mother during his elementary school days that caused the transfers. Hiroyo exaggeratedly spoke about those who gave him advice or warnings, saying things like, "I couldn't solve the problem because that person scolded me," or "That person is really no good," leading to the caregivers being replaced one after another.

Hiroyo does not understand the hardships of the staff who took care of him with dedication.

The lie that the President complains or speaks ill of others

Hiroyo claims that there was no family conversation or bonding in the Okawa household, saying, "During meals, Ryuho talks all the time. He mostly complains about how work isn't going well or criticizes certain staff members, saying they're no good because they're blood type B. The children just nod along."

However, the President does not complain or speak ill of others.

In reality, it was just that young Hiroyo could not understand the commentary President Okawa gave while watching news programs about current affairs, and he exaggerated it as if he were muttering to himself.

A lifestyle pattern no different from urban children

Hiroyo claims he was taught that as someone "born with a special mission," he shouldn't become close friends with others, and that he was "forbidden to meet friends outside of school," but this is also false.

Hiroyo led a life no different from the average urban child attending cram school, and his social relationships were free. In the fourth grade, he shared manga with friends, and in the sixth grade, he gathered friends in an unsupervised apartment for mischief. As a middle school student, he often returned home late at night and stayed over at friends' houses in turn, and as he grew older, he played around extensively, which is the truth.

The lie of "shouting matches"

Hiroyo claims that after failing his junior high school entrance exam, "every day from morning till night, we had shouting matches whenever we saw each other," but this is also not true. His biological mother, Kyoko, could not forgive Hiroyo for failing his first-choice school and talked about disinheriting him. Therefore, President Okawa intervened, saying, "Some people become capable after becoming adults, so it's not something that should be decided so easily," which is the truth.

Other siblings recall President Okawa as a father, saying, "I don't remember him being angry," and "He never lorded over the children," indicating that President Okawa did not shout.

Hiroyo continues to lose social credibility

Additionally, on January 7, January 26, and January 31, 2020, Hiroyo engaged in "hate acts" in videos posted on Twitter, repeatedly slamming the fundamental scripture of Happy Science, "Buddha's Teachings: The True Words of the Heart," and "disability certificates" issued by municipalities on the floor, calling them "menko" with store customers. Despite the videos going viral and receiving numerous critical comments from viewers, Hiroyo dismissively said, "I don't care."

This act not only hurt the hearts of many Happy Science believers and infringed on the freedom of religion, but also hurt the hearts of many people with disabilities. It drew the ire of many viewers, causing a sharp decline in YouTube subscribers and views, resulting in Hiroyo deleting over 40 videos.

Furthermore, despite having nearly 100 million yen in savings, Hiroyo engaged in fraudulent behavior by claiming he had no money and soliciting film funds from the general public through crowdfunding. The film has yet to be completed, and the trailer video received poor reviews.

Moreover, in recent videos, he has advertised that he will offer CBD-infused drinks for an additional 1,000 yen at a bar he opened, after personally experiencing CBD, a cannabis component. He continues to engage in such dangerous acts, exposing himself as a person lacking social common sense and completely untrustworthy.

There is no inheritance for Hiroyo

President Okawa has publicly stated that he plans to donate all his personal assets to the organization in the end. Currently, all royalties are donated, and he conducts hundreds of lectures annually, holding large-scale lectures from time to time, leading the organization "without sparing his life" for the salvation of all humanity and the peace and prosperity of the world. While Hiroyo claims to have "cut all ties with the religious organization Happy Science and will fulfill his work as an individual with no relation," he persistently continues to criticize the organization. He may think he is shaking the organization to get a share as the eldest son, but he should know that there is no property to be given to him.

Does Bungeishunju have social responsibility?

Prior to the publication of the book, the "Weekly Bunshun" publishing department of Bungeishunju sent a fax to our organization's public relations office on February 12 (Wednesday), notifying them of the planned publication of Hiroyo Okawa's book "Separation from Happy Science" and requesting an interview about Hiroyo's upbringing and the circumstances of his separation from the organization. Subsequently, the company sent specific questions, but none of the questions went beyond the scope of the "Weekly Bunshun" article published in February 2019, and it was clear that the company intended to rehash Hiroyo's falsehoods based on that article and publish them as a book.

Therefore, our organization visited the company with two public relations staff members and one lawyer from the legal department, a total of three people, and informed them that President Okawa himself had directly answered interviews in the books "Direct Interview: President Ryuho Okawa Answers the Hiroyo Issue" and "Ryuho Okawa as Seen by His Daughter," clarifying the accurate facts and his thoughts against the false content spoken by Hiroyo. We handed over a set of materials, including official statements published on our website, urging them to ensure there were no factual errors. We also conveyed that we would accept any questions.

Nevertheless, the company's decision to proceed with the publication of a book full of falsehoods raises doubts about its social responsibility and significantly infringes on the freedom of religion. We hereby strongly protest against Hiroyo Okawa and Bungeishunju.

Urging Hiroyo and Bungeishunju to reflect on their narcissism

Prior to the publication of the book, President Okawa held a dialogue titled "Why Do People Fall?" and pointed out "narcissism" as the root cause of Hiroyo's downfall.

Born into the family of a religious leader and blessed with the opportunity to learn noble teachings, failing to grasp it is solely the individual's responsibility. Hiroyo's character, which has taken advantage of President Okawa's kindness and underestimated the world, is causing his downfall. During his time as a staff member of the organization, Hiroyo disliked serving others, repeatedly squandered large sums of money without experience or insight, and caused significant damage to the organization. Even now, he is investing tens of millions in film production.

Believing he loves himself, his narcissism is causing his downfall. Bungeishunju, which elevates such a person, also bears significant guilt.

In the past, the "Weekly Bunshun" editorial department published false facts about our organization in the July 19, 2012 issue, leading to a lawsuit from our organization seeking damages. In January 2015, the Supreme Court decided not to accept Bungeishunju's appeal. As a result, the Tokyo High Court's ruling ordering the company to pay 4 million yen in damages and publish a full-page apology advertisement in "Weekly Bunshun" was finalized.

This book publication is of the same nature as the sloppy reporting at that time. The company's unreflective and arrogant attitude has led to repeated one-sided reporting that swallows falsehoods and infringes on "freedom of religion."

Moreover, if this book publication is a retaliation for the apology advertisement five years ago, it must be said that Bungeishunju has not learned from past mistakes and is pursuing a profit-driven path by reusing Hiroyo's misdeeds to increase circulation, trying to cover up past misinformation. Such actions are a deviation from the path of journalism and a way of life that strays from humanity. Our organization once again urges Hiroyo and the company to reflect deeply from the standpoint of religious truth.

Above, we have highlighted the main points about the lies and delusions spoken by Hiroshi, but the mistakes in the book are not limited to these. There are nearly a hundred errors and defamatory statements. The truth about these will be revealed in a book to be published soon.