American Authors Association Book Review

The Prophet of San Marcos Dump

Author:  Michael Lawrence Vincent

Publisher:  Publish America

Reviewer: W. H. McDonald – President of AAA

Refreshing, Original, Provocative and perhaps even Enlightening!

Author Michael Lawrence Vincent presents a thoughtful and inspirational look at religion, spirituality and human nature in his inspiring novel “The Prophet of San Marcos Dump.” I found that the dialog seeded with some very insightful wisdom, in much the same way that the book series “Conversations With God” is. The plot is beautifully woven into and around the author’s religious comments which are much more inclusive of all beliefs and prophets and are spiritually open to the universality of all faiths.

Vincent does a great job of pulling the reader into his web of an open minded all encompassing spiritual leader who is able to unite people of different faiths and cultures. He actually makes a wonderful case for his savior from the San Marcos Dump, Manny Rodriguez. He does a wonderful job on all his characters but it is his phrasing and word skills that standout. The book is a delight to read. It feels at times, like a journey of the heart and the soul as you transverse through the pages. I could not put the book down until the wee hours of the morning. I had to find out what was going to happen to everyone and where this story was going to take us.

I think this book is much deeper than just a well told story. Vincent captures the flavor of eastern thinking and the acceptance of all saints and sages. He echoes the thinking of many enlightened thinkers that all the great prophets – Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Mohamed and countless others through both written and unknown historic times are of the same spiritual DNA; ALL are brothers and ALL are ONE with God. I think the author does a good job of pulling quotes from the holy books to show the universality of the teachings and the teachers as well. It was a joy to read how he manages to incorporate so much into the dialog without losing the flow and the flavor of his tale.

I think the only things holding this book back from being a NY Times Best Seller is money for marketing and media hype. The story is really outstanding and entertaining. But it is also an education for opened minded readers. I think people who hold on to their own religious beliefs too tightly will miss the message of his story that God is inclusive of all and that everyone is a child of God. I think those who do not accept what the characters say in the story or are uptight about anything outside of their own personal belief system, may just miss out on a great tale that is also inspirational.

The American Authors Association gives this book FIVE STARS! It is one of the better novels written in the last decade with a spiritual theme. I found it better than the very successful “The Celestine Prophecies.” I give this book my personal recommendation.

The American Authors Association’s

Inspirational Book of the Year for 2006!