Hope...and the Hedgehog Book Review & Book Tour Giveaway

This morning, I have a spiritual / new age novel in our book review spotlight. Check out Hope...and the Hedgehog, learn about author Tom Vaughan, read my thoughts on the book & be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Book Title: Hope...And The Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 100 pages
Genre: Philosophy/Spirituality/New-Age
Publisher: Choir Press
Release date: May 2022
Content Rating: G. It has no swearwords or sex scenes.

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.
Should you purchase an item via our links--we may receive slight compensation from an affiliate partner.

About the Book

Hope…. And The Hedgehog is a ‘pocketbook philosophy for the present age’, a digestible exploration of the meaning of life which aims to unpick the big questions most of us spend our lives avoiding: how did life begin, how does it end, and what happens to us after we die?

Is there life after death? Is there a higher power? Or, is life one big cosmic accident; a clash of particles and atoms and one big bang? Tom looks instead at the power of faith and spirituality which he separates from religion. While he does not attempt to present any definitive argument, he looks at all sides, gathering thoughts from history’s most influential philosophers and scientists.

He makes the proposition that, between only two possible explanations for the existence of life, there is a greater likelihood of the one over the other. He believes in the importance of opening up our minds and finding more of a sense of purpose and direction in life - a view that, as we look towards a post-lockdown future, will resonate with many people.

"I chose the book’s title Hope ... and the Hedgehog because hope is one of the principal drivers we resort to as human beings when confronted with a challenge to which there is no obvious solution. In the case of this book, that challenge is a very prickly issue: how we came into existence. It is an issue that we are all drawn to, but at the same time we do not want to handle or investigate too closely. Like the proverbial elephant in the room, we know that little hedgehog is there, we just prefer to leave it be – even if, in the end, there is no avoiding it." - Tom Vaughan, May 2022.

My Review

Hope…. And The Hedgehog is a Spiritual Book. I began reading this book a few times before I committed to reading it. Since I am a religious "believer" to a point, I wasn't sure how I would handle the "this is not a book about religion" premise on which I felt the book based itself. As I read, however, I found that the author discussed aspects of religions and many other thoughts, views, and concepts in his look at life, love, hope, purpose, death, and more. While it isn't a religious book--hope and faith certainly present themselves throughout the pages.

Hope…. And The Hedgehog Presents a Varied Assortment of Thoughts and Perspectives. I am not always a fan of serious philosophical thought, which is also not what this book is about. The author does a beautiful job considering ideas and perspectives from physical and social scientists, world leaders, social activists, thought leaders, and even examples from Bear Grylls and the animal world as he analyzes life and its purpose.

Would I Recommend Hope…. And The Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan? I enjoyed this book and the author's perspectives and ideas. He didn't offer definitive answers to life's big questions--but showed a lot of food for thought as he probed views on life, purpose, faith, hope, love, and death. With the various perspectives presented, and some relatively open-minded considerations, readers certainly have opportunities for further personal thought on the subjects. This book is excellent for readers

Buy the Book

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Meet the Author

Tom’s life has come full circle from his first career as co-founder of the successful chain of Juliana’s discotheques, which he started in the 60’s and grew to be the world’s largest entertainment group of its type at the time, with offices in London, New York, Singapore and Sidney. With no scientific, philosophical or theological training and few school qualifications but armed with heaps of life experience as an entrepreneur, Tom switches gear with his latest work Hope...And The Hedgehog to take on the role of ‘everyman philosopher’, creating a new book that makes people stop and think.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook