Onward, At Last · by Kevin Howard · Published December 2022
Recognized by Literary Titan — connecting authors and readers — for books of exceptional merit in fiction and nonfiction.
Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) — among the most respected awards in independent publishing, recognizing the year’s best titles from independent presses worldwide.
Read on Kirkus Reviews →An essayist confronts the precarious foundation of the American dream.
After graduating from New York’s Cardinal Spellman High School, followed by a stint in the U.S. Army, Howard forged a successful career as a banker and “achieved the ideal American middle-class life.” Yet, despite his accomplishments and economic stability, he “felt completely disillusioned and physically on the path to a stroke at the age of 40.” It wasn’t until he moved to a nature preserve in the Pacific Northwest, rededicated his career toward climate change mitigation, and underwent a decent amount of soul-searching that he could even begin to address his burning internal question, “Why am I not happy?” In this collection of 80 short essays, Howard explores the root causes of American unhappiness and offers guidance on how to achieve personal and collective progress.
Howard contends that too many Americans have internalized the social values of “independence, competition, and self-interest so deeply that we hardly notice how they drive our choices, relationships, [and] outlook.” Indeed, while these values may fuel the engines of capitalism, they are often a barrier to societal happiness and ecological stability. While many chapters focus on the pitfalls of 21st-century greed, inequality, pandemics, environmental decay, and war, the bulk of the book is positive in its outlook, reminding readers of our “Universal Oneness” and interdependence. Modern society, for instance, emphasizes a skepticism toward strangers, while the book urges us to instead seek “intimacy” and “physical proximity” with others. Once we (as both individuals and a collective society) “shed the I centered lens of our social conditioning,” we can embrace our collective humanity.
The book’s mini-essays (which it calls “commentaries”) are not designed to be read in a single sitting, or even in chronological order, but are meant to spawn “thoughtful consideration.” Some of the essays are a single page and feature experimental prose that borders on poetry.
An insightful reflection on human interconnectedness.
Read the full review at Literary Titan →“Onward, At Last is a clarion call to those of us who are grinding on the hamster wheel of American-style modernity to stop, quiet the external noise of our busy lives, and reconnect with the inner voice of our true selves. Some people may refer to this inner voice as conscience, but regardless of the label, this quiet voice reflects the steeped wisdom of our lived experience. For far too long, we have been influenced by external interests to defer our sense of truth to social expectations & norms, public figures & leaders, credentialed experts, and social narratives.”
“The value of my recounting is whether the commentaries resonate with the lived experience of the reader.”
Read the full review at Independent Book Review →“Onward, At Last is a thoughtful critique of espoused American values such as capitalism, free-markets, and rugged individualism. Howard believes that these so-called ideals have had a destructive impact on people as well as the earth and have eclipsed vital practices of interdependence, care, and compassion.”
“Howard courageously takes on many aspects of American life that have unfortunately held a central place in American political discourse, such as wealth acquisition and extreme individual liberty, and calls them out for their over-emphasis on selfishness, power, and greed.”
“The book is a compelling take-down of harmful American economic cultures that have left many people with housing insecurity, no health insurance, and mountains of debt, instead of with basic rights to education and medical care.”
“Many of the ideas that are shared in this book are having their moment. America today certainly can use an influx of values of care, compassion, and interdependence as a counterweight to the destructive political forces of hate and greed that have taken over many corners of the country. I hope this book is able to make the impact that it needs to.”
View on Barnes & Noble →“Onward At Last, by Kevin Howard is a must read for anyone interested in improving our global society. These short, powerful chapters are filled with thought provoking nuggets of wisdom, and this book will change the way you look at our world.”
“At its core, Onward, At Last is both informative and thought-provoking — a light introduction to philosophy interwoven with raw, personal insight that deconstructs concepts like decency, sensitivity, and autonomy.”
| Date | Outlet / Host | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2025 | Political No Brainer — Coach Trippi & Charlie Heinemann | 1h 37m |
| Apr 11, 2025 | This Morning with Gordon Deal | 4m 57s |
| Apr 7, 2025 | CAPitalize Your Finances — Chris A. Panagiotu | 1h 17m |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Doing Business with a Servant’s Heart — Steve Ramona | 29m 36s |
| Feb 27, 2025 | On the Edge Podcast — Scott Groves | 2h 46m |
| Feb 25, 2025 | Prairie Public Radio (NPR) — Main Street with Craig Blumenshine | 16m |
| Feb 24, 2025 | NewsRadio KTRH Houston — Jarett Lewis | News article |
| Feb 17, 2025 | WLS Chicago — Ray Stevens Show | 9m 23s |
| Feb 8, 2025 | Political No Brainer — Rabinowitz, Zakaluk & Huizinga | 2h 37m |
| Nov 4, 2024 | BookThinkers Podcast — Nick Hutchison | 43m 46s |
| Oct 9, 2024 | Regenerative Worklife Podcast — Alisa Murphy | 59m 37s |
| Jun 23, 2024 | Democracy on the Move — Dan Schaefer | 1h 14m |
| Dec 3, 2023 | Democracy on the Move — Dan Schraefer | 1h 7m |
| Aug 30, 2023 | 365 Brothers — Rahbin Shyne | 1h 5m |
| Jun 29, 2023 | Life Changing Books (BookThinkers) — Ep. 122 | 1h 2m |
| Mar 9, 2023 | Life Changing Books (BookThinkers) — Ep. 105 | 54m |
| Apr 14, 2021 | Matt Ray Talk — America’s First Network | 14m 51s |
| Jan 15, 2021 | KDKA Pittsburgh & Cleveland — Afternoon News Talk with Rick Dayton | 9m 23s |
| Dec 21, 2020 | WBLQ (RI & CT) — The Morning Show with Frank Prosnitz | 45m 43s |
| Dec 7, 2020 | WICC — NY Tri-State — Connecticut Today with Paul Pacelli | 15m 30s |
| Nov 16, 2020 | Ted Ramey Show (YouTube Podcast) | 1h 1m |
| Oct 6, 2020 | Jim Bohannon Show — Westwood One (national simulcast) | 19m 25s |
| Oct 5, 2020 | KOA NewsRadio — iHeart (national) — April Zesbaugh & Marty Lenz | 10m |
| Sep 28, 2020 | 700 WLW News Talk — iHeart (national) — Ken Broo | 13m |
| Sep 15, 2020 | Biz Talk Radio — The Frankie Boyer Show | 20m |
📰 Feature Article: Washougal Author Rethinks the American Dream — Camas-Washougal Post-Record, October 1, 2020