Transparent: How to See Through the Powerful Assumptions That Control You

by David Richardson

Overview

Assumptions are the most potent of ideas, but also the least understood.

Transparent reveals what assumptions we make, how they control us, and how they are all inherently religious. Even atheists are religious at the level of their assumptions. Some assumptions are true and most are not. How can you tell without being an intellectual?

Transparent introduces the Transparent App, an innovative and creative tool that helps people quickly see through the messages they encounter daily in the things they read, watch, and hear using the power of assumptions. The Transparent App is simple enough for a student to use, but powerful enough for adults to find God and engage with Him in their areas of interest, expertise, and leadership.

How can someone bring God with them to work or school? How does God give us knowledge and guidance in the things that matter in real life? At the level of assumptions God is everywhere.

Transparent is not just a theoretical theological exercise for intellectuals. It “translates” the complex ideologies of the intellectuals into everyday language for everyday people. Written more like an adventure than a textbook, Transparent is a refreshing departure from the usual books about apologetics, theology, and culture.

Students, parents, pastors, and professionals will all love Transparent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781942557562
Publisher:	Clovercroft Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

David Richardson is a father of four who also has decades of experience working with cultural and intellectual influencers, particularly university professors. He has walked the corridors of education and rubbed shoulders with educators around the world. David has two master’s degrees including a degree from the University of Oxford where he researched the religious beliefs of professors. He knows how cultural institutions really work. His ability to “translate” complex, intellectual ideas into everyday language for everyday people is remarkable.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Where from Here? 1

Chapter 2 The Hidden World of Assumptions 19

Chapter 3 Core Assumptions 29

Critical Assumptions Test 36

Chapter 4 Type 1 Profile: Only Nature and Nature Only 37

Chapter 5 Type 2 Profile: Mental/Spiritual Is All There Is 47

Chapter 6 Type 3 Profile: God and Creation 61

Chapter 7 The Big Myth 79

Chapter 8 The Big-Picture Questions 93

Chapter 9 People Questions (Part 1) 113

Chapter 10 People Questions (Part 2) 127

Chapter 11 People Questions (Part 3) 143

Chapter 12 Sorting Your Assumptions 157

Chapter 13 Replacing Your Assumptions 171

Chapter 14 Science 183

Chapter 15 Social Sciences 199

Chapter 16 Government 211

Chapter 17 Politicians and Politics 223

Chapter 18 Law 235

Chapter 19 Public Policy and the Role of Government 247

Chapter 20 Business, Economics, and Education 259

Chapter 21 Call to Action 279

Epilogue 289

Appendix: Why Islam Is Type 2 295

Bibliography 311

Interviews

Trade Promotion: Transparent will be exhibited at the Book Expo of America in Chicago and at the International Christian Retail Show. The author will attend the ICRS to personally promote the book and conduct a book signing.

Consumer Promotion:
• Pursuing an ad, full-length article, and professional reviews from The Book Club Network, reaching over 62,000 subscribers with their Book Fun Magazine and website.
• Pursuing direct mail campaign to select target audiences
• Author is currently screening publicists, and plans a standard book launch publicity campaign to media, book review publications, and consumer outlets.

Platform Promotion:
• Creating a book website (www.TheTransparentBook.com) which will include cover, book video author video, endorsements, and electronic press kit.
• Updating and relaunching blog at www.DaveRichardson.org to regularly write about assumptions and their applications.
• Creating Facebook and LinkedIn landing pages for Transparent. Blogs will be posted twice weekly to Facebook (author is growing a carefully selected group of friends in primary target audiences) and to LinkedIn
• Regular Twitter tweets about blog posts.
• Select blog posts will also be published as columns in local newspaper (www.thecitizen.com) where author has been a columnist for the last few years.
• There will be a companion app for mobile devices (the Transparent App) that will be released along with the book. It will contain references and links back to the book. Users of the app will be highly motivated to buy the book.
• There is a mini e-book about the power of assumptions under development, and will be available at the time of book release. It will contain some of the general content of Transparent to whet reader’s appetite for the book. The mini book will be used sometimes as a giveaway or a very low price introduction to assumptions that will build interest in Transparent.
• The author is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, and will attend the annual conference to promote the book. The author will also attend the Southern Evangelical Seminary National Apologetics Conference to promote the book. Both conferences have 1500-2000 attendees.
• The launch of Transparent will be parallel with the launch of educational seminars and consultations from the Assumptions Institute. The Assumptions Institute will begin scheduling events for parents, churches, and students as well as specialized seminars for high school and university educators. These seminars have been in development during the writing of Transparent. The Assumptions Institute will be securing the services of a speaker’s bureau or scheduler to promote and schedule the seminars which will be conducted by the author.
• Transparent already has impressive endorsements from significant public Christians such as William Lane Craig, Eric Metaxas, Stan Oakes, Greg Thornbury, Stuart McAllister, Daniel Fusco, Charles Thaxton, and Ted Baehr, as well as lesser known pastors, businessmen, university professors, and community leaders. More significant endorsements are forthcoming. The author will be pursuing interviews and strategic partnerships with the colleges, ministries, radio shows, churches, and businesses represented by these endorsements. These strategic partnerships can dramatically expand the reach of Transparent and the programs of the Assumptions Institute. The author also already has a strategic partnership with a national university faculty network in Poland. He will be exploring how best to introduce Transparent into a European country that widely speaks English as a second language, and is friendly to Americans.
• The author plans several book signings primarily in the Atlanta metro area. Other signings may occur in other cities across the country through the author’s ministry donors. The author has a large dedicated group of donors to his ministry. Some have been giving to the author’s work for over 30 years.

Editorial Reviews

08/14/2017
According to Richardson, founder and president of the Assumptions Institute ministry, assumptions are crucial elements of human nature that control thought processes and actions on a daily basis. Writing extensively about what he describes as different types of assumer personalities, he uses the Lewis and Clark expedition as a simplistic analogy for his quest to map the psychological effects of assumptions. Richardson introduces the Critical Assumptions Test, a tool to help visualize where assumptions come from, such as news stories and movies. He takes the reader through exercises to learn how to better use the CAT in evaluating assumptions and seeing how “God truly gives knowledge, wisdom, and guidance.” At times, the book becomes bogged down in theory, but Richardson achieves his goal of explaining how the CAT tool can be beneficial to those looking to deepen their faith. (BookLife)

Publishers Weekly