To my readers, students, and fellow seekers of truth… Two weeks ago, I had a publishing target in mind. I intended to release my newest book, Independent Mind: A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking and Intellectual Independence. I had the manuscript drafted, the chapters outlined, and the vision clear. But as any writer, designer, or engineer knows, the map is not the territory, and the plan is not the execution. I am writing today to give an update on my progress of the new book, which you can still expect to be released soon. Here’s the latest behind-the-scenes ongoings for an independent publisher like myself…

The Gap Between Drafting and Truth

Writing a book on critical thinking, intellectual independence, and the mechanics of the human mind is not merely a creative exercise; it is an act of intellectual self-defense. If I were to publish a guide on how to spot logical fallacies, only to leave a logical fallacy in my own text, I would be undermining the very foundation of the work.

The research phase for Independent Mind was extensive. We dove into the works of Daniel Kahneman, Carl Sagan, Edward Bernays, and modern intelligence analysis methodologies. We explored cognitive biases, the psychology of groupthink, and the nuances of Bayesian reasoning. The goal was to combine all the top principles of independent thinking into a single source without making it sound overly-academic and boring. I wanted this book to be useful to those who have never studied this subject before as well as those who have a moderate degree of understanding.

But… it was also my personal aim to learn more about this subject myself. I, like most others, were never taught the principles of independent thinking at any point in our western / American school system. Researching a topic like this is one thing, creating a book out of it is quite another.

I did not want to write a book and put it out there in such a way as to give people the false impression that I am somehow an “expert” in this subject. NO. I chose to write this book for the same reasons I have written other works — why do a huge research project and then keep the results to yourself?! God gave me the assignment for this blog website 11 years ago for the simple purpose of telling my testimony to whoever would choose to read it. And this upcoming book is of the same line of reasoning.

So, step one is complete — the research has been done and the information has been consolidated.

The second step—editing—is where the hard work takes place. And that is where we are today.

The Editing Process: A Stress Test

Over the last several weeks, I have given my manuscript a fairly rigorous “stress test.” I treated the book not as a product to be sold, but as a hypothesis to be verified. Here’s what I have been looking for…

1. Fact-Checking: Every claim regarding psychological studies, historical experiments (like the Asch conformity tests or the Stanford Prison Experiment), and statistical data had to be cross-referenced against primary sources. In an age of misinformation, a book on truth cannot afford to propagate inaccuracies.
2. Structural Integrity: I reviewed the flow of logic from Chapter 1 through the last chapter and then the appendixes. Do each of the sections hold up? Are the practical tools in each chapter useful and understandable to the average reader? Are there any important topics missing from the book overall?
3. Tone and Clarity: I ensured the voice remained consistent—formal yet accessible, rigorous yet humble. I checked for the subtle traps of bias in my own writing (and thinking), to ensure I wasn’t inadvertently preaching to the choir but rather equipping the reader to think for themselves.

During this process, I did find a few errors and significant topics omitted! Some were minor typos; others were structural gaps where a major concept had been forgotten. One such topic (psychological warfare) was extremely personal because of what had been done to me at least once within the previous year.

In the intelligence community, there is a saying: “Garbage in, garbage out.” If the input (the manuscript) isn’t pristine, the output (the reader’s understanding) will be compromised. I didn’t want that to happen, especially for a book like this.

The Integrity of the Process

As you know, I am a retired Air Force intelligence officer. I spent much of my career analyzing data, assessing threats, and making decisions based on the best available evidence. I learned very early on that rushing to a conclusion often leads to catastrophic errors. Personal biases, faulty case building, poor source vetting can all lead to wrongful death and violations of Geneva conventions.

I am also a believer in the Biblical principle of diligence. Proverbs 18:13 warns us, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Publishing a book before it is fully vetted would be answering a matter before hearing it.

I am also transparent about my process. As I noted in the book, I utilized AI tools like Grok, Claude and Lumo to assist me with research and drafting. But the final responsibility for accuracy, nuance, and truth rests entirely with me. The lengthy editing phase was me fulfilling that responsibility.

As I said at the top here, this book began as a research project for my own learning. Until I felt I had a good grasp of the material I included in the book, I could not publish it. Publishing a book makes you look (to the average reader) like an “expert” in your field. That was not true of me in this case. I’ve said many times in my blogs that the one thing that separates me from many others in the world is that, years ago, I learned how to ask the right questions.

As it turns out, that one single skill is what led to a total change of my life direction and is the underlying reason why I even have this blog site to begin with!

The Status of Independent Mind

So, with that brief background snapshot disclosed, where do we stand with the progress of this new book? Here’s what we have…

• The Content: The core curriculum is complete. The book has 10 chapters, each chapter includes short quizzes and toolboxes to help reinforce what you learned. At the end are appendices with additional supporting information for your continued learning.
• The Polish: The manuscript is currently in the final stages of proofreading and formatting. This is where an author like myself may miss a few things but the reader will not. Formatting can be the biggest pain in the neck!
• The Timeline: I wish I had a specific date to announce today. But, my commitment is to quality first, not speed. I will publish Independent Mind the moment I am 100% confident that it meets the high standards I expect of myself and the standards this topic demands.

Coming Soon…

I think you can tell from the blogs I’ve posted on the topic of this book, this is a little outside of the norm for my writing. It’s not outside of my personal norm but it may appear to be so to the average reader. In due time, you will see there was an underlying spiritual reason for researching the material and publishing this book. It connects directly to what God has been showing me about the days we’re living in. When this book is released, I will discuss that in more detail.

When the book launches, it will be a tool you can trust. It will be a guide that stands up to scrutiny. It will be a resource that truly helps you build an independent mind.

Stay curious. Stay patient. And stay independent.

The launch is coming — thank you for your continued support!

Chris Michals Writer, Pilot, Inventor, Designer, and Student of the Independent Mind

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P.S. If you are interested in the other works I have released, you can find my digital art, eBooks, and dream interpretation resources at my store: chrismichals.gumroad.com. For my work on supernatural science and biblical dream interpretation, visit supernatural-science.com.

Contact!

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