Damn! That was pretty quick, huh? The Pentagon stepped back and cancelled the idea for that 'future market' in assassination and terrorism. Think ol' Donald lost any side bets?

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For folks who care this is my latest review for Joe Bob. I'm loosing count but I think it is either the fifth or sixth one, with not a single one actually getting posted on the website. *sigh*

LONG FOR THIS WORLD by Michael Byers; Reviewed by Steve Chaput
Published by Houghton Mifflin; ISBN 039589171X
Dr. Henry Moss is a physician, a researcher and a family man. In the course of this novel (the first by Byers) all of these facets of his life and more come into play. Plagued by self-doubts and the feeling that he is letting his family down, Moss nonetheless continues his research into the aging process. Working with two young patients, stricken with Hickman’s Syndrome, a serious disease which causes rapid aging in its victims, Moss discovers something that might not only help victims of this ailment, but could also unlock the aging process itself. Not only could the doctor help thousands of otherwise doomed people, but he could also become quite wealthy. It is this dilemma, which forms the central theme of this novel.
Moss is a good man, but like many parents he wants to leave something for his children. He desires to give them a future without want or worry. The financial security that his discovery could bring him, and in turn them, is something which makes Moss reconsider the medical ethics he has always believed. Does he possibly risk the life of one of his young patients and at the same time his medical license, or does he take the chance that he can both save a child and ensure his own well being?
Set in late-1990s Seattle, Moss sees those around him becoming rich in the midst of the ‘dot.com’ boom of that era. He understands too well the sacrifices that he and his wife have made to give even a comfortable lifestyle to their two children. His daughter Sandra, a star on her high school basketball team may or may not be good enough to get a scholarship. Darren, his 14-year-old son, is typical of every boy of his age, but his father knows that he has the potential to be so much more.
Byers brings all of these characters, along with Moss’ wife Ilse (also a doctor), into focus and makes us care about them. He also introduces a wide-range of others, some only briefly, but all realistic enough so that we feel for what they are going through. We wouldn’t care about any of this, if he weren’t able to bring these people to life. They suffer, surmount personal and physical obstacles and sometimes succumb to temptation. Still we recognize in them people we encounter in our own lives, so we understand why they do what they do.
I have to admit that when I read the cover blurb the idea of ‘loosing’ this review copy entered my mind. It certainly was not my idea of a ‘thriller’ and that is what I am supposed to review. I’m glad now that I decided to stick with it, since it was one of the most ‘human’ novels I’ve read in a while. This is owing to Byers’ creating more than a framework that he places around his theme of ‘medical and moral ethics’. He is a talented and creative writer and I hope that he’s not one of those ‘one hit wonders’ who can never again achieve that single moment of greatness.
Three stars.

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Boy, kind of a serious novel for a change. Anyway, I'm half way into the next book and I'm pretty much enjoying this one, which is more of your classic thriller (even though it too looks at a serious issue).
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I just saw that the Consumer Confidence Index was down and Wall Street was surprised. Who do those guys talk to anyway, besides each other? I don't know a soul who thinks the economy is doing better. Then again, I tend to hang out with Democrats, so what do we know? :-)