John L. Bowman

I am the author of twenty nine books and counting, covering a wide variety of topics. Most of my books are about the nature of things, such as politics, law, ethics, human nature and, particularly, happiness. I am more interested in the essence of something than its characteristics. This is why most of my writings have a philosophic bent. In my first uneven and handwritten book, Reflections on Man and the Human Condition, I explore the essence of the human condition. In On Law, I examine the nature of the law, particularly contemporary American law. The book’s admittedly idealistic theme is that the law should be based on justice, natural law and ethics as opposed to positivistic law that defines the law as just a social fact. God’s Lecture is one of my favorite books because I “let everything hang out.” In starting on this work, it quickly occurred to me that my writing on things’ natures was pedantic, so I decided to write on them from the perspective of imagining I was God—it made for a more interesting book. In it, I examine the nature of emotion, sin, desire, will, religion, ideals, wealth, sexuality, freedom, justice, equality, civilization, society, government, politics, morality, language, economics, knowledge, death, truth, time, space, art, science and philosophy.

Perhaps the apotheosis of my interest in human happiness is Stoicism, Enkrasia and Happiness, which is an abridgment of my master’s thesis. In it, I married the ancient ethical philosophy Stoicism with enkrasia—an ancient word that means the ability to do what you will. Absent chemical or psychotic reasons, I believe individuals can achieve happiness if they can do Stoic philosophy. A Reference Guide to Stoicism is a result of my graduate school readings of Stoic philosophers Cicero, Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.

Perhaps my most controversial book is Socialism in America. Socialism is a recent political philosophy that is enveloping America. The more I studied it, the less I liked it, and the book reflects this. In it, I examine the fathers of socialism, like Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Robert Owen, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Blank and of course Karl Marx. From this background, I examined socialism in six countries, including America. I offered extended reasons for and against the socialistic system as well as some possible solutions. One of my conclusions was that the political divisiveness in America today is materialistically based and rooted in a death struggle between capitalism and socialism and that in the end, sadly, socialism will prevail. William F. Buckley, Jr. wrote me a letter in which he said my book was a good compendium on socialism.

Many years ago, I decided I would look up the definitions of every word I did not know, which made me a kind of logophile. A Reader’s Companion One, Two, Three, Four, and Five (in production) are the result. They contain the definitions of fifteen thousand unusual words that avid readers sometimes encounter. One consequence of this interest is my preoccupation with thought-provoking quotes I encountered in my readings, hence my book Provocative and Contemplative Quotations.

Intentionally targeting a narrow audience, my most successful book to date is How to Succeed in Commercial Real Estate. I was an industrial real estate broker in Portland, Oregon, for more than forty five years and owned my own real estate company: John L. Bowman, Real Estate. I am now retired. This book summarizes my thoughts on how to succeed in my profession. It was picked up by a publisher, has received many excellent reviews and sells brusquely.

Recently, I have been writing novels including I Knew this would Happen (about time travel and slowed aging), Tupac (about a young Aztec king and his challenges), Eros (about romance and love), and The Adventures of Link Lawrence (about escaping society). I have also recently written The Plague (about socialism), and The Death of Oscar Uzgalis (about death). I am currently working on a book on old age.

Adventure makes me feel alive, so I have sought it throughout my life. I have traveled to all the continents except Antarctica, to all fifty American states and through most of Oregon, and I have walked virtually all of the neighborhoods in Portland. Hence my adventure memoirs Aegean Summer, covering the time when, in my early forties, I moved my family to Greece, and Graduate School, which reflects on when I took two years off in my late fifties to return to graduate school at Oregon State University. Rereading these memoirs makes me happy because they make me feel like I have lived my life to its fullest.

I enjoy sports and humor. I played competitive volleyball for thirty years for Portland’s Multnomah Athletic Club, competing in numerous national tournaments. The Art of Volleyball Hitting is the result of my years of hitting the volleyball. Finally, I once consciously tried to write a humorous book, with mixed results. Perhaps the best part of Nobody’s Perfect is my young daughters’ drawings.

Personally, I am a fourth generation Oregonian born and educated through high school in Portland, where I have numerous relatives, family and long-time friends. I graduated from Whitman College with a Bachelor of Arts in biology in 1973, Portland State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1993 and Oregon State University with a master’s degree in philosophy and ancient history in 2010. I have been married to Kathy (McCoy) for more than forty five years, and we have three daughters—Maude, Abbey and Sydney. My interests are eclectic: I play the bagpipes, read vociferously, play tennis and enjoy social gatherings. I particularly enjoy writing because it allows me to think, create, imagine, consider ideas and converse with others.

Thank you for considering my books. I am always interested in discussing ideas with readers.