I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Frederic C. Hartman utilizes a unique format of storytelling to explore deeper themes of human consciousness and emotion in the audiobook, “The Breakthrough In Two Acts”. 

The Synopsis 

In The Breakthrough in Two Acts, Dr. Fredric C. Hartman paints a compelling picture of emotional pain and its context within the human mind and brain. Set in the dramatic backdrop of a therapy session as a stage play, featuring Dr. Hartman as the psychologist and Human Consciousness itself as “the patient,” this is a practical guide for anyone locked within the grip of troubling memories and pain.

In his play, Dr. Hartman tells the story about our vulnerability to painful emotions, which flare up from the depths of our brains, casting spells over us. As the play unfolds, he develops two new experiences to help strengthen our consciousness: one, by actively breaking the spell of the two thoughts that lie at the heart—and generate the distress—in each of our negative emotions, and two, by embracing the strange, fleeting collection of conditions that come along with the present moments of our lives as they each flash by.

The Breakthrough in Two Acts is a complete, entertaining, practical plan for how to use one ‘part’ of our brain—consciousness—to quiet down another, chronically overheated ‘part’—the limbic system—which has ravaged our species with troubles ranging from emotional illness to war. Here is a blueprint for how to overcome emotional pain and embrace a calmer and more fulfilling way to experience life.

The Review

A powerful and thought-provoking read, the author does a fantastic job of finding a unique and creative way of delving into the study of emotions and their effect on consciousness by establishing a play of sorts, in which he takes on the role of a doctor while his “patient” is consciousness itself. Through this play, the author examines such questions as, “What is the mind and how does it work?”, as well as “Why do we have such powerful emotional breakthroughs?”. 

One of the most profound examinations came when Hartman himself examined what exactly got in the way of us making the changes to confront and rid ourselves of painful emotions. In the end, the author discovered that our society as a whole teaches us to ignore these negative emotions and refuses to make the work needed to keep a healthy and organized mind any sort of priority in our lives. The journey to get to this realization was powerfully written and narrated and did a brilliant job of bringing the discussion to life as the narrator and “consciousness” came to life in our minds. 

The Verdict

A memorable, engaging, and as entertaining as it is educational, author Frederic C. Hartman’s “The Breakthrough In Two Acts” is a must-listen and commanding audiobook. The narrators do a great job of delivering an almost cinematic experience that feels like a real play is being put on, putting the listener in a theater of the mind, while the information being provided does a great job of exploring the human psyche and the powerful impact emotions can have on us all. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this remarkable read/listen today!

Rating: 10/10

Author: Fredric C. Hartman PhD

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir, & Justine Eyre

Length: 6 hours 34 minutes

Publisher: Skyboat Media

Released: Dec. 15, 2020

Genre: Self-Development

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