Human Understanding: An Engineer's Analysis of Life, Getting to the Basics

2018 Finalist in the Midwest Book Awards in Religion/Philosophy Human Understanding is an analysis of life from an engineering perspective. It looks to develop some simple basics from which other related life issues are more easily understood. Typically, fields of thought in philosophy, psychology, archeology,astronomy, and even religion rely on information and evidence that fits the conventionally accepted paradigm and ignore information and evidence that does not fit. Engineers deal with fixed numbers and facts and overlooking any information or evidence that may affect a project must be considered or engineers risk failures and lawsuits.

Author Robert Brust looks at information and evidence overlooked by conventional thought to assess how it could affect conventional thought. Perhaps the biggest oversight is that of consciousness independent of the physical body. Evaluation of the evidence is not based upon any religious consideration. It should be realized that the existence of an independent consciousness would indicate a purpose for life beyond physical existence. It would likely also mean there are consequences for how life is led.

The book also looks at such things as growth in knowledge and other aspects of life in ways not generally considered. In the end, the biggest universal simplification that can be made in life is that it is virtue that is responsible for order and joy and culminates in the highest reality love. Conversely, vice is responsible for chaos and eventual despair. This simplification holds for all dimensions and levels of conscious reality.

Robert J. Brust is a respected structural engineer known for his ability to quickly and accurately analyze problems and arrive at creative, workable solutions. He grew up learning to use logic and to forgo emotions. His mother, although she had eleven children, never got angry. Instead, when problems arose, she would address them rationally and calmly. She instilled the concept of using reason and logic, not emotions, in all aspects of life. This upbringing helped the author to approach life and problems rationally rather than emotionally, but made him rather stoic. After the death of a son and a subsequent divorce, the author was troubled with his understanding of life. His solution to the dilemma was to find a rational understanding of life. What he discovered is that life is not all that rational.

The author s life experiences have been diverse: playing sports, running a trap line, riding the ice flows on the spring floods, raising bees, gardening, raising and butchering animals for food, hunting, golfing, coaching youth basketball and baseball, collegiate swimming, competitive sailing, college student counsel, honorary fraternity president, professional society president, refereeing college intramural sports, cub master, scout master, church lector and cantor, and volunteer.

He started a successful engineering business and has spoken nationally on engineering subjects. The author has worked on engineering projects from Florida to Oregon and from Massachusetts to Arizona. In Chicago, he worked on many noted projects, including the exterior of the Mercantile Exchange Center as well as renovations at of the Hancock and Sears building plazas.He has been a guest speaker to the Chicago High Rise Committee. In New York City, his last projects were as a peer review engineer for the Central Park Police Station (completed in 2013) and a designer of unusual concrete shoring for an extension of the subway system. He is also a two-time cancer survivor.

In volunteer work, family, friends, extended family, and self-examination, the author observed or has been directly or indirectly involved with people suffering from depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, emotional issues, illness, and Alzheimer's, as well as anger, anxiety, and fear. In the process of searching, the author spent years of weekends helping and praying with the physically and mentally disabled, as well as with the dying. He has also studied the basics and histories of the major religions and a few others. All these experiences, and years of analysis, have led to good understanding of how people, including himself, try to attain the elusive feeling of self-worth and happiness. They have also led him to make spirituality an important part of his life.