THE HUMAN LIFEBOOK (aka The Human Handbook)
A Lucid Guide to Conscious Living in the New Millennium
James Harvey Stout, Michelle M. Nicolai, Nathan Sassover

"I have been very ill. By the time you read this, I will be dead. I believe that my ideas are worthwhile, and I hope that my work was not in vain. I wish you well."

These were the words that read across the screen as Michelle M. Nicolaï stumbled upon a site featuring the collected papers, essays and notes by James Harvey Stout. What started as random surfing on the Net, quickly became an event, as she was taken by the emotion and finality of his words. Someone’s lifelong search and trenchant insights on the philosophy of human life, shared online… with the aura of mystery imparted by a deceased author.

The more Ms. Nicolaï read through the phrases and paragraphs, the more she was convinced about the overall quality and depth of the writings found in a moment of serendipity. She found herself intrigued with the content and vowed to seek alliances to help with the development and dissemination of the collected works to readers worldwide. OmniView Press soon also became as enthusiastic as Ms. Nicolaï about giving exposure to the discovered writings of James Harvey Stout. The publisher’s intention was to expand upon the concepts advanced in Stout’s work, seeking to enlarge the scope of thought and insights with the inclusion of other compatible theories and philosophical perspectives, thereby ultimately creating a definitive anthology to be published as "The Human LifeBook: a Lucid Guide to Conscious Living in the New Millennium".

The first edition of The Human LifeBook™, inspired by Ms. Nicolaï’s surprise discovery, would then comprise some of Mr. Stout’s work, edited and augmented by additional content or supplemental perspectives from other writers, such as Ms. Nicolaï and Nathan Sassover, whom Ms. Nicolaï offered to work with her on the project; Thus making the book a more comprehensive and hopefully definitive guide on the navigation of self in the pursuit of conscious living. In his accumulated notes, James Harvey Stout had specifically suggested that his work ultimately become a platform for the discussion and development of ideas, expanding and elaborating on the concepts conveyed in his writings, and also, to join his observations with the work of others who may wish to enlarge the landscape of thought found in his collected theories and life insights.

‘The Human LifeBook’ offers an illuminated path but also a grounded, practical guide to one’s interior journey. As a body of thought, the LifeBook converges everyday life and informed, layered spirituality, thereby enhancing human activities with consistent meaning and purpose, transforming them into a creative and evolving process by which to foster personal growth and develop a self defined and fulfilling world – materially, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – absent the dogma of ritual and group bias.