Kyösti Waris 
The Signal Fires 
People and Life

The book consists of articles dealing with various subjects. Instead of looking at the human behavior from the traditional point of view: good and evil the writings deal it with the view of flexible and inflexible. Flexible refers to caring about other people and to sustaining of life. Inflexible means not caring about other people, destroying of life.
The central theme of the book is the conception of man and his behavior: How man differs from machine and whether some persons that are considered to be human beings are only human-like robots, man s imitations.
Human will-freedom and self-esteem are also the topics of pondering, how they can be increased and developed. Further: in which way a perception affects how happy and successful he or she is. The importance of emotions and creativity are emphasized as the signs of a healthy person. A self-care method for mental disorders is presented. There is also a discussion about the impact of the media on people s moods.
The importance of science is great for the development of a society. Even so, that when relying on science, human experience is often underestimated. In the book the science is examined critically and evaluated as a social phenomenon.
The use of public authority is one of the subjects. In this context citizens real opportunities to influence are discussed and the importance of political groups. An approach for good governance and the management of matters is presented. There is also a discussion about how a personnel s well-being can affect job productivity and thus the well-being of a society.
As a part of societal consideration the essence of religion as a social phenomenon is discussed: how a social environment influences the content of religion, people s behavior and actions, as well as the concept of god. The importance of wars as to the future and the survival of humankind are dealt with, too.
One of the major topics of discussion is the European Union, its origins, the current status and the trends of development. The significance of the Union as a builder of peace is dealt with, and how euro is used in the power politics of EU, and even as an instrument of worship. The theme also discusses the relationship of Finland with the political power groups of the West and East, as well as its relations with the neighbors. Thoughts are presented of the Union s power-political aspirations, as to the peripheral states. One of the topics is the nature of the universe.

About the author

The author was born in 1946 in Lahti and he completed a matriculation examination at Lahti Lyceum. He has completed his of Ph.D. and Master of Social Sciences degrees with psychology and sociology as major. By his education he is a social scientist, psychologist, sociologist and healthcare professional. The author specializes in the psychology of mental health, work and organization and in occupational health. The author has been working in health care jobs for several years, especially in a mental health center. There as a psychologist, he has been tasked with assessing clients mental health and working ability and writing psychologist s statements for psychiatrists in planning clients care and rehabilitation. The assignments also included clients individual and group counseling and the work of preventive mental health. In the administration for healthcare his duties were, among others, strategic plans for promoting mental well-being in the work places (mental labor protection). He has retired from the post of Senior Adviser in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Kirjoittaja on syntynyt 1946 Lahdessa ja kirjoittanut ylioppilaaksi Lahden lyseosta. Hän on suorittanut yhteiskuntatieteiden maisterin ja filosofian tohtorin tutkinnot pääaineinaan psykologia ja sosiologia. Koulutukseltaan hän on yhteiskuntatieteilijä, psykologi, sosiologi ja terveydenhuollon ammattilainen. Kirjoittaja on erikoistunut mielenterveys-, työ- ja organisaatio- sekä työterveyshuollon psykologiaan. Hän on myös työstressi- kysymysten asiantuntija. Kirjoittaja on toiminut useita vuosia terveydenhuollon tehtävissä, mm. mielenterveystoimistossa. Siellä hänen tehtäviinsä psykologina on kuulunut asiakkaiden mielenterveyden ja työkyvyn arviointi sekä lausuntojen kirjoittaminen psykiatrille asiakkaiden hoidon ja kuntoutuksen suunnittelua varten. Tehtäviin on kuulunut myös asiakkaiden yksilö- ja ryhmähoito sekä ennalta ehkäisevä mielenterveystyö. Terveydenhuollon hallinnossa hänen tehtäviinsä on kuulunut mm. strateginen suunnittelu henkisen hyvinvoinnin edistämiseksi työelämässä (psyykkinen työsuojelu). Hän on jäänyt eläkkeelle sosiaali- ja terveysministeriön ylitarkastajan virasta.