Building Bridges: Can We Love & Relate in a Polarized World?

In Building Bridges, the author invites readers into a journey across continents, moral boundaries, and cultural divides. This is more than a memoir—it's a deeply personal exploration of empathy, connection, and the courage to face our own biases. Through raw and honest stories, the author shares his experiences from the underworld of human trafficking in Southeast Asia to the rigid hierarchies of military life, and from the intimacy of cross-cultural friendships to his own battles with shame and redemption. Along the way, he confronts the expectations, traumas, and prejudices that shaped him and asks whether we can truly learn to love and relate in a world that feels increasingly divided. Building Bridges is a call to action for anyone seeking to break down the walls that separate us. It challenges readers to question their assumptions, confront uncomfortable truths, and see others—no matter how different—as worthy of understanding. With humility and a hard-won perspective, the author encourages us to move beyond simplistic labels and stereotypes, asking: What does it really take to connect across cultures, faiths, and life experiences? For readers of memoir, social commentary, and anyone interested in a more connected, compassionate world, Building Bridges offers an inspiring look at the power of vulnerability, humility, and relentless curiosity.