From the introduction
"This manuscript will give you a brief glimpse into the mind of a contemporary Sikh. Unable to Compromise, I give to you a collection of poetic, philosophical, and factual confessions... Mothers and fathers were murdered, sisters were violated, brothers were tortured and executed, friends were ambushed and sprayed down with bullets households were looted, the Golden Temple was near decimated, rare Sikhie manuscripts were turned to ashes, and a quarter million were annihilated. The invasion of Punjab by the Indian Government, in the year 1984 to 1992, scarred the Sikh collective consciousness. Forgive we will... but how to forget? This chapter is an expression of the feelings that still haunt the Sikh nation, and a factual representation of the attempt at genocide by the Indian Government.

About th author from http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/arts-entertainment/local-a-e/citizen-rage-merritt-author-strives-to-bring-sense-of-purpose-to-a-world-he-feels-is-out-of-control-1.1223236:

or Mike Bhangu, writing is a way to make sense of the world. First, though, the Merritt author likes to philosophically dismantle it piece by piece.

Deconstruction/reconstruction is a formula he uses in his second self-published book, Popular Ideas Broken and Rebuilt (CR Publications, Merritt, 2011, $44.99, 423 pgs.). Curiously, much of the book was written over coffee at the Chapters book store in Kamloops.

"I love working in public," he explained, surrounded by fellow cafà readers and writers. "For some reason, it keeps the thoughts flowing."

Growing up, Bhangu felt at odds with the world and inclined to challenge the status quo. Eventually he learned to channel his rage as expression rather than aggression. He sharpened his skill and expanded his knowledge base with a university grounding in liberal arts before turning to writing.

His first book, Citizen Rage, offers a Canadian perspective on the distinctions of his Sikh and Punjabi heritage. Citizen Rage is also the name of his website.

"One of the reasons I took a hiatus from political science (studies) is because writing has fascinated me since I was a child. I started writing because it brought some peace. It's a love that I have."

Following your passion is the best way to find happiness, he figures.

He describes this latest book as "a unique mix of facts, passion and insight." The book is a loose collection of essays wrapped around the basic premise that global mainstream culture - popular culture - is not progressing but regressing. He challenges widely held assumptions about society, change and economics, and advocates a more reasoned and humanist approach.

"It is an all-encompassing book, but there is a thread that links all chapters. What it looks at is popular culture and the consequences of such a culture. To that effect, people's ideas that support popular culture have given rise to the cost of living."

In the last 30 or 40 years, the average wage has increased by one to 11 per cent, he noted. Meanwhile the cost of living has soared 130 per cent. As a result, the middle class has been transformed into what he calls "upper-class peasants.

"We don't have the same freedoms, the same means as 30 or 40 years ago."

Western democracies have bred generations of individual thinkers who don't necessarily subscribe to a belief in the importance of the collective whole. That may partly explain why there seems to be widespread indifference to the current state of affairs - political, social, economic and environmental.

"To bring about positive change, we have to work collaboratively," Bhangu said. "There's so much going on and so many people are busy with day-to-day activities that they forget the bigger picture," he added. "We forget our mother, and our mother is the planet."

Like its author, Popular Ideas Broken and Rebuilt overflows with ideas. Yet, like many self-published books, the manuscript cries out for a more thorough editing. This applies not only to the detail of its text but the coherence of its presentation.

As Bhangu notes, his writing is a work in progress and the book is meant to be read in small doses. A little more organization - a second, impartial perspective in the form of a foreword, for example - might help the reader along. As it is, they have to wade through considerable hyperbole to reach pearls of wisdom.

Bhangu does lament his ever-critical voice.

"However, I'm not yet done and look forward to the day when I stand weak-kneed in the arena, marred by dust and sweat and blood," he writes. - See more at: http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/arts-entertainment/local-a-e/citizen-rage-merritt-author-strives-to-bring-sense-of-purpose-to-a-world-he-feels-is-out-of-control-1.1223236#sthash.2jEQETYM.dpuf