The renowned writer and expert in emotional management, Jesús Yanes, presented his latest bestseller, «Who are you and what are you doing here-The Book of iO»(El Pensador de Libros publishing house), on December 19 at Steinway Piano Gallery, Miami. The event, which featured the participation of prominent film producer Juan Antonio Casado, brought together an enthusiastic audience and marked the beginning of the international expansion of this transformative work.
We have taken advantage of this moment to interview him upon his return to Madrid.
What inspired you to write “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here-The Book of iO”?
It all started with an exceptional experience, something unusual that happened to me about twenty years ago. I don’t think details are necessary on this. The most important thing is that, from that event that was quite incomprehensible to me, I began to ask myself questions and then the answers to what had happened to me began to appear. It wasn’t something quick; The answers kept coming for about fifteen years. The most curious thing is that I didn’t know that those answers would have to become a book until a few years before its publication.
The book proposes deep reflections such as “Who were we before we were born?” What was your intention in addressing these big existential questions?
Help people understand their past, live in the present and build the future.
In essence, the book provides the information and tools necessary for anyone to access deep knowledge about themselves, with the intention of understanding the meaning of life and, of course, the meaning of their own life. For all this, it is essential to ask ourselves: what or who were we before we were born?, what or who will we be when we leave this life?, and what are we doing here?; why and for what purpose we are having this experience called life.
One of the most innovative elements of your book is the soundtrack accessible through QR codes. How did this idea come about and what does it bring to the reader?
One of the characters is a pianist named Charles, who appears in the book as “the man who plays the piano with his eyes closed.” Parallel to writing the book, I was composing a series of works for piano, all of them inspired by certain special moments that I experienced. These moments were almost always related to places and people that were very significant to me, which in one way or another are reflected in the narrative.»
Your career includes milestones in music, film and now literature. How have your artistic experiences influenced this book?
On the one hand, having published more than a thousand musical works between film, television and those composed for artists has helped me develop a creative mind. In some ways, that ability can be applied to other activities such as writing. But I think it has also been very useful for me to have published five books prior to “Who are you and what are you doing here?” – The Book of iO».
As “The Master of the Voice”, you have worked with great artists such as Alejandro Sanz and Paco de Lucía. What parallels do you find between musical production and writing a book like this?
I think the common point is that in both cases I have put my whole heart into it and in many cases I have done everything possible so that my musical productions serve to reach people’s souls, but there was inevitably a lot of intervention from my mind. In the case of the book, everything is written from the soul and for the souls of people.
The book mixes a fictional story with real events. How do you hope readers will interact with this narrative mystery?
One of the advantages that social networks offer for a writer is that they keep you in direct contact with the public that reads you. This allows me to share your opinions and experiences, as well as address your doubts and concerns. The synopsis of the book explains that if the reader discovers which of the two stories is real, they will be able to know who he is and what he is doing here.
Curiously, most of the people who write to me and share their experience with the book are right that the story is based on real events. However, there is another part, less numerous, that finds it difficult to believe that either of the two stories has happened to anyone. In my opinion, these people postpone clearing up the mystery until a time when they feel more prepared to face the possible result, since the fact of discovering the mystery means that the person who does it goes through, at the same time, a process of discover herself.
In addition to reflecting, you propose practical tools for everyday life. Could you share some of the most notable ones?
Meditation in the light of the sun and the stars. I think it is a very special tool.
Throughout the book there is a lot of talk about “the transcendental light.” It is the light of which the universe of souls is made and whose main characteristic is that it is a light that surrounds physical light, that is, the light of the sun and the stars. The book describes different ways to come into contact with that light, with our soul, with the soul of the people around us.
You have managed to connect themes such as DNA and ancestral symbols with the narrative. What was your approach to integrating science and spirituality into your work?
It is clear that this is the great challenge: uniting science and spirituality, and I think that in the book it is achieved in many moments. There is a vision of God as something that is inevitably part of nature, both our own nature (that is, our body) and the nature that surrounds us. Throughout the stories, continuous references are made to the light of the sun and stars, energy, the structure of matter or DNA, among other issues.
It is proposed that we stop understanding the experience of God as something mystical or spiritual and that we begin to experience it through nature, the only possible way to be certain that the experience of God is something real, because it can be felt and observed. . In essence, it is proposed to exchange the belief in God for the experience of God.
The presentation of your book in Miami included the participation of Juan Antonio Casado. How was this event?
Fantastic. For me it was a privilege to have the collaboration of Juan Antonio Casado, a renowned film producer who lives and works in the United States and who from the first moment showed great interest in the book. Apart from being a great professional, Juan Antonio is an exceptional human being. He offered without hesitation to collaborate on the presentation and, in my opinion, it couldn’t have been done better. He transformed the event into a discussion that was very enjoyable and interesting for those attending.
The event was held at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Miami. It is an auditorium that the prestigious piano brand Steinway has in its show room in Coral Gables, one of the most central areas of Miami. We got a full house, which for me was a big surprise, since the book had only gone on sale two weeks before in American bookstores.
What main message would you like readers to take away from reading “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here-The Book of iO”?
I think that more than the message that I would like, the one that is already reaching me from all the people who have read the book is more important. The phrase most repeated by them is: “Thank you, this book has changed my life.”
