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Spiritual Cashflow: A Story About Sex, Money and Enlightment, Steven E. Schmitt, 2011, Kindle e-book This is the story of one person's spiritual "rags to riches" journey. Set in present-day Southern California, the narrator, who calls himself "E," had a difficult home life. The youngest of eight children, there was lots of love in the house. There was also lots of alcohol, bikers and all-night parties. Mom did the best she could while battling cancer. Dad committed suicide before E was born. While growing up, E got inklings that there is something more to life, something that he calls "spiritual cashflow." He barely graduated high school, and had zero interest in college. Mom moved to the desert for her health, and E was left on his own. Moving from one freind's couch to another, E got the entrepreneurial spirit. While living with Julian, in a used car lot run by Julian's father, the two would go club-hopping every night. They would "borrow" one of Dad's used cars, usually a Porsche, and go to clubs looking for women who were only interested in sex. The pair were young and handsome, so it was easy. Moving to a local motel, lots of wild sex would ensue. Afterwards, while the women were asleep, E and Julian would steal their wallets and leave. It became very lucrative, but, spiritually, E knew that something was wrong. One night, it all changed. During another night of club hopping, E met an Asian woman who, spiritually, hit him like a ton of bricks. She reached the "good" part of him, hidden under all that fear and attitude. E was forced to do some heavy thinking. He began to realize that his life of sex and theft was not working any longer. He became interested in religion, and read the Bible cover to cover. He was upset by the dichotomy between the universal love message of Jesus, and the present-day assertion that the only way to be with God when you die is to believe in the Christian conception of God. Naturally, old habits die hard. Does E continue on his new path, or does he go back to being a misogynist thief? This is a very inspirational book, but it is also not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of drugs, sex and swearing. Get past that, and this shows how anyone can change for the better. Yes, it's really worth reading. Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose blog, Dead Trees Review, emphasizes small press and self-published books.
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