Anyone who has read Steve Forbes's columns in Forbes or any of his prior books will not be surprised that his new book, Money: How the Destruction of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy--and What We Can Do About It, is well-written, accessible to the non-specialist, and quite convincing. He and Elizabeth Ames, with whom he has collaborated on several prior books, make a solid argument for a return to sound money.
Forbes and Ames argue that the economic problems of the last several decades are the result of the lack of stable currency, and that the means to a stable currency is the gold standard. "Without an economy based on stable money," they argue, "we will face an ever bigger government, stagnation, and ever more severe political troubles." That sounds pretty much like the story of the last 40 years, since Nixon abandoned the gold standard.
Money describes what money is: a measurement, a signal, basically information. Without a measure of what things are worth, transactions turn chaotic. Could a butcher sell his meat if the number of ounces in a pound was in constant flux? Could a builder build a house if he wasn't sure how many inches are in a foot this week? By the same token, an economy without a stable measure of value is subject to the whims of, well, the Federal Reserve.
Forbes and Ames are highly critical of quantitative easing, the most recent move to weaken the dollar. They write, "QE did not just fail as a stimulus. It prevented recovery by causing a destructive misallocation of credit" and caused "spikes in the prices of commodities that raised the cost of food and fuel, inflaming political divisions and unrest in many developing nations." Proponents of QE are followers of John Maynard Keynes's theories. But "Keynes and monetarists are on the wrong side of history. Increasing the supply of money cannot create prosperity because that is not how wealth is created. Wealth and growth come from innovation." Any Keynesian growth is artificial. The only genuine growth is from innovation.
Even though Forbes and Ames make a convincing case, I am not sure they believe anyone who matters will listen to them. They know Keynesianism dominates among politicians and economists today. But I think we can also see the tide turning. When Ron Paul called for a return to the gold standard, and demanded that we audit the Fed, he was, at first, written off as a loon. But voices like his and Forbes's seem to be taken more seriously now. Perhaps, against all odds, the right people will read Money and be spurred to agree that "the way to growth and a more prosperous future is not through weak money or tight money--but through sound money."
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Film in Five Seconds, by Gianmarco Milesi, H-57, and Matteo Civaschi
The guys who brought us Life in Five Seconds have now released Film in Five Seconds. They have taken 200 films and boiled them down to a brief, simple graphic summary. Some of them are laugh out loud funny, some I didn't recognize, and some didn't make sense to me. Thankfully, there is an "answer key" for the ones you can't figure out.
Rather than try to describe their work, here are a few examples:
The third one's a real time-saver, since to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy takes about 12 hours. The first two, in case you can't figure them out, are The Lion King and The Wizard of Oz. Duh. Plenty of the others in the book are not quite as easy to figure out.
This is a great, clever diversion. It's a quick read, obviously (16 minutes and 40 seconds, to be precise) but the "films" are fun to "watch" and fun to share. And, like real movies, many are worth "watching" again.
Check out their web site for additional samples:
http://www.lifeinfiveseconds.com/film-in-five-seconds/#.U35x1ijDuAI
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Rather than try to describe their work, here are a few examples:
The third one's a real time-saver, since to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy takes about 12 hours. The first two, in case you can't figure them out, are The Lion King and The Wizard of Oz. Duh. Plenty of the others in the book are not quite as easy to figure out.
This is a great, clever diversion. It's a quick read, obviously (16 minutes and 40 seconds, to be precise) but the "films" are fun to "watch" and fun to share. And, like real movies, many are worth "watching" again.
Check out their web site for additional samples:
http://www.lifeinfiveseconds.com/film-in-five-seconds/#.U35x1ijDuAI
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Money Sucks, by Michael Baughman
As Michael Baughman's grandson Billy is approaching college, he is concerned with instilling in the young man a sound perspective on money and wealth. Baughman records his reflections and conversations with Billy in Money Sucks: A Memoir on Why Too Much or Too Little Can Ruin You. It's a quick, entertaining read, with some thoughtful passages and wisdom from a caring grandfather.
More than anything, I loved reading about Baughman's relationship with his grandson. They lived next door to each other, and after Billy's parents' divorce, Billy spent a lot of time at his grandparents' house. They played games and watched movies together, and had a regular date to shoot baskets and go out for tacos. I would imagine it's rare for an older teen to have as close a relationship with his grandfather as Billy does. That is commendable and worthy of emulation.
Baughman also gets major props for his trail running background. He notes that he hikes and runs trails regularly in the Ashland, Oregon area where he lives, and has run marathons and ultra-marathons. He is acquainted with Hal Koerner, a leading ultrarunner who also lives in Ashland. Based on my experience as a back-of-the-pack ultrarunner, I would concur with Baughman that "ultra-runners are unassuming types who rarely draw attention to themselves, . . . who work hard and never boast about their rare achievements." (By the way, he doesn't mention this in the book, but he was writing about persistence hunting long before Christopher McDougall did in Born to Run! Check out this Sports Illustrated article he wrote in 1978: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093484/index.htm)
Alas, the ultrarunning content of Money Sucks is very small. It just interested me. . . .
Back to money. Baughman's major theme as he conveys his wisdom to Billy is to help him "see through and well beyond the allure of making as much money as possible." He writes that money is not a means to happiness--quite the contrary, in fact. As a rule, middle class and wealthy people can live on much less than they think, and would be better off pursuing things other than greater wealth. Much of what we buy--homes, luxury cars, fancy watches, etc.--is meant to impress others. Less expensive watches and cars, for example, get the job done for less money.
Baughman quotes from Thoreau and other writers to bolster his message: live more simply, live for experiences not things, don't pursue material things because you have been conditioned to but because you actually need them. In sum, "wanting too much money . . . sucks." Reflecting on the hustle and bustle of modern life, he articulated something I have often thought while stuck in traffic: "I wished that somehow it could be made possible to momentarily stop all the planes and motor vehicles, just long enough to learn where everyone was coming from and where they were going and why, and then to calculate how much of it made any actual sense."
Now to what I didn't like about Money Sucks. Baughman has a narrow, bigoted view of those he views as "rich." "I regard many rich people with a blend composed of equal parts scorn and pity." Rich people often make their money "swindling people, selling people crappy, useless products or lousy ideas, lying, bribing, cheating." And if they inherited money, "there's the question as to whether or not they really deserve it." He discusses an article which demonstrates that wealthier people act more unethically (It's actually sort of interesting and entertaining, for an academic study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306667/) The article confirms his opinion "about many rich people being a--holes, certainly some of the time, often much of the time, possibly most of the time in extreme cases." As for making money, money is "a necessary evil." He wonders "how much of the evil does a person actually need, and how low should a person stoop to get it if he really needs it?"
I have little doubt that Baughman is a person of integrity and unimpeachable ethics. But his view of money seems incomplete and disingenuous. He notes that he has, in his adult life, always been right about the middle of incomes. But he has spent his career as an academic and writer. I think many people around the world would love to exchange their lives of manual labor, office cubicle clock-punching, or subsistence farming for his office on a college campus. In fact, at one point he notes that for several years he took off from teaching in the fall semester so he and his wife could spend a few months camping and fishing in Baja California. Sure, he wasn't staying at resort hotels and eating at gourmet restaurants everyday, but many people would label someone who can live like that "rich." I know I can't afford to leave my cubicle for months at a time. . . .
More importantly, though, Braughman spends very little, if any time, on people who are rich because of the contributions they have made to the economy, technology, or culture. Should we have a problem with someone making millions by inventing crucial technology, writing or performing music that inspires us, organizing and distributing goods and services to the benefit of consumers? While it's true that some rich people are a--holes, and some rich people act unethically, and some rich people spend their money in unreasonable ways, and some rich people have no concern for using their wealth and position to advocate for social causes, the same things can be said of people of all classes! Braughman's arguments come across reeking of envy and moral superiority.
I liked this book, and I like Braughman's goal. His personality is a bit caustic when talking about those with whom he disagrees (and I'm afraid I would be one with whom he would frequently disagree!), but I enjoyed reading about his love for Billy, his love of life, and his love of pursuing happiness in a relatively simple lifestyle. I have no doubt that Billy is going to carry on his grandfather's legacy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
More than anything, I loved reading about Baughman's relationship with his grandson. They lived next door to each other, and after Billy's parents' divorce, Billy spent a lot of time at his grandparents' house. They played games and watched movies together, and had a regular date to shoot baskets and go out for tacos. I would imagine it's rare for an older teen to have as close a relationship with his grandfather as Billy does. That is commendable and worthy of emulation.
Baughman also gets major props for his trail running background. He notes that he hikes and runs trails regularly in the Ashland, Oregon area where he lives, and has run marathons and ultra-marathons. He is acquainted with Hal Koerner, a leading ultrarunner who also lives in Ashland. Based on my experience as a back-of-the-pack ultrarunner, I would concur with Baughman that "ultra-runners are unassuming types who rarely draw attention to themselves, . . . who work hard and never boast about their rare achievements." (By the way, he doesn't mention this in the book, but he was writing about persistence hunting long before Christopher McDougall did in Born to Run! Check out this Sports Illustrated article he wrote in 1978: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093484/index.htm)
Alas, the ultrarunning content of Money Sucks is very small. It just interested me. . . .
Back to money. Baughman's major theme as he conveys his wisdom to Billy is to help him "see through and well beyond the allure of making as much money as possible." He writes that money is not a means to happiness--quite the contrary, in fact. As a rule, middle class and wealthy people can live on much less than they think, and would be better off pursuing things other than greater wealth. Much of what we buy--homes, luxury cars, fancy watches, etc.--is meant to impress others. Less expensive watches and cars, for example, get the job done for less money.
Baughman quotes from Thoreau and other writers to bolster his message: live more simply, live for experiences not things, don't pursue material things because you have been conditioned to but because you actually need them. In sum, "wanting too much money . . . sucks." Reflecting on the hustle and bustle of modern life, he articulated something I have often thought while stuck in traffic: "I wished that somehow it could be made possible to momentarily stop all the planes and motor vehicles, just long enough to learn where everyone was coming from and where they were going and why, and then to calculate how much of it made any actual sense."
Now to what I didn't like about Money Sucks. Baughman has a narrow, bigoted view of those he views as "rich." "I regard many rich people with a blend composed of equal parts scorn and pity." Rich people often make their money "swindling people, selling people crappy, useless products or lousy ideas, lying, bribing, cheating." And if they inherited money, "there's the question as to whether or not they really deserve it." He discusses an article which demonstrates that wealthier people act more unethically (It's actually sort of interesting and entertaining, for an academic study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306667/) The article confirms his opinion "about many rich people being a--holes, certainly some of the time, often much of the time, possibly most of the time in extreme cases." As for making money, money is "a necessary evil." He wonders "how much of the evil does a person actually need, and how low should a person stoop to get it if he really needs it?"
I have little doubt that Baughman is a person of integrity and unimpeachable ethics. But his view of money seems incomplete and disingenuous. He notes that he has, in his adult life, always been right about the middle of incomes. But he has spent his career as an academic and writer. I think many people around the world would love to exchange their lives of manual labor, office cubicle clock-punching, or subsistence farming for his office on a college campus. In fact, at one point he notes that for several years he took off from teaching in the fall semester so he and his wife could spend a few months camping and fishing in Baja California. Sure, he wasn't staying at resort hotels and eating at gourmet restaurants everyday, but many people would label someone who can live like that "rich." I know I can't afford to leave my cubicle for months at a time. . . .
More importantly, though, Braughman spends very little, if any time, on people who are rich because of the contributions they have made to the economy, technology, or culture. Should we have a problem with someone making millions by inventing crucial technology, writing or performing music that inspires us, organizing and distributing goods and services to the benefit of consumers? While it's true that some rich people are a--holes, and some rich people act unethically, and some rich people spend their money in unreasonable ways, and some rich people have no concern for using their wealth and position to advocate for social causes, the same things can be said of people of all classes! Braughman's arguments come across reeking of envy and moral superiority.
I liked this book, and I like Braughman's goal. His personality is a bit caustic when talking about those with whom he disagrees (and I'm afraid I would be one with whom he would frequently disagree!), but I enjoyed reading about his love for Billy, his love of life, and his love of pursuing happiness in a relatively simple lifestyle. I have no doubt that Billy is going to carry on his grandfather's legacy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Strange Fruit, by Joel Christian Gill
In the annals of the history of blacks in the United States, some stories are told again and again. Seeking out some of the lesser-known African-American heroes has been the passion of artist Joel Christian Gill. In Strange Fruit, Volume 1: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History, Gill introduces characters and events from U.S. history that probably haven't come onto the radar of most of us, black or white.
He found some great stories. Who knew that the first American stage magician was black? Or one of the greatest lawmen of the West was black? The stories of the world-record breaking cyclist, the pre-NBA basketball player whose coach reluctantly put him in games, and the black chess master are fun to read. But the best are the stories of the men who won their freedom and their families' freedom through their efforts. One man mailed himself in a box to freedom. Another joined the army and came back to take his daughter to freedom. There is a dark, vengeful side to some of these stories, and rightly so.
Gill's simple, comic-book style presentation makes the stories fun to read and highly accessible. He also provides a bibliography so that more advanced readers can pursue these the stories further. His illustrations make the stories feel lighter than they really are. I particularly enjoyed the crows which illustrate and personify Jim Crow laws and the way those laws try to hold back Gill's subjects.
Gill calls this Volume 1. Surely the number of volumes he could write has no end. The dark chapters of slavery, prejudice, and discrimination in U.S. history are, unfortunately, long ones. I appreciate Gill's approach: by focusing on these heroes and their heroic acts and lifestyles, the evil and villainy of slavery and racism are revealed.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
He found some great stories. Who knew that the first American stage magician was black? Or one of the greatest lawmen of the West was black? The stories of the world-record breaking cyclist, the pre-NBA basketball player whose coach reluctantly put him in games, and the black chess master are fun to read. But the best are the stories of the men who won their freedom and their families' freedom through their efforts. One man mailed himself in a box to freedom. Another joined the army and came back to take his daughter to freedom. There is a dark, vengeful side to some of these stories, and rightly so.
Gill's simple, comic-book style presentation makes the stories fun to read and highly accessible. He also provides a bibliography so that more advanced readers can pursue these the stories further. His illustrations make the stories feel lighter than they really are. I particularly enjoyed the crows which illustrate and personify Jim Crow laws and the way those laws try to hold back Gill's subjects.
Gill calls this Volume 1. Surely the number of volumes he could write has no end. The dark chapters of slavery, prejudice, and discrimination in U.S. history are, unfortunately, long ones. I appreciate Gill's approach: by focusing on these heroes and their heroic acts and lifestyles, the evil and villainy of slavery and racism are revealed.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Case Against William, by Mark Gimenez
Mark Gimenez is one of those authors whose books draw me in. His Texas settings come to life, his characters are believable yet colorful, and the stories keep me reading into the wee hours. The Case Against William is no exception. Football superstar William has been accused of murder, and his dad, a has-been beach bum of a lawyer comes to his defense. Family drama, legal drama, football drama, all add up to a most entertaining read.
In a vein similar to The Perk, Gimenez talks about big-time high school and college football with an interesting mix of reverence and downright, almost blasphemous, skepticism. I happen to know that he lives just a hop, skip, and a jump from the home field of one of the most dominant high school football programs in Texas, so he probably knows what he's talking about. I liked this line, describing William's post-game interview: "He looked up and pointed his index fingers to the sky, as if to thank God. As if God had made that throw. As if God could give a sh-- about a football game, particularly a college game." Ouch. (I know Baylor's RG3 isn't the only player to do this, but I couldn't help but wonder if Gimenez had him in mind.) Football plays a big role in William, and Gimenez paints a vivid picture of the life of an up-and-coming football star.
He probably had even more fun doing background on the character of Frank, the once powerful lawyer who now lives on the beach in Rockport, mostly drinking his life away. ("Really, honey, I have to go fishing in Rockport as research for my next novel!") Frank's career downfall came from defending an athlete who was accused in a case similar to William's, so getting back to the point of defending William makes the crux of the story. Frank's beach bum friends provide the comic relief, adding to the story and the case with their various skills and backgrounds.
Like his previous books, The Case Against William showcases Gimenez's love of Texas and his strong handle on entertaining legal fiction. The plot is pretty straightforward, but with plenty twists and late revelations, along with a nicely done, satisfying climax. Put this one on your list.
In a vein similar to The Perk, Gimenez talks about big-time high school and college football with an interesting mix of reverence and downright, almost blasphemous, skepticism. I happen to know that he lives just a hop, skip, and a jump from the home field of one of the most dominant high school football programs in Texas, so he probably knows what he's talking about. I liked this line, describing William's post-game interview: "He looked up and pointed his index fingers to the sky, as if to thank God. As if God had made that throw. As if God could give a sh-- about a football game, particularly a college game." Ouch. (I know Baylor's RG3 isn't the only player to do this, but I couldn't help but wonder if Gimenez had him in mind.) Football plays a big role in William, and Gimenez paints a vivid picture of the life of an up-and-coming football star.
He probably had even more fun doing background on the character of Frank, the once powerful lawyer who now lives on the beach in Rockport, mostly drinking his life away. ("Really, honey, I have to go fishing in Rockport as research for my next novel!") Frank's career downfall came from defending an athlete who was accused in a case similar to William's, so getting back to the point of defending William makes the crux of the story. Frank's beach bum friends provide the comic relief, adding to the story and the case with their various skills and backgrounds.
Like his previous books, The Case Against William showcases Gimenez's love of Texas and his strong handle on entertaining legal fiction. The plot is pretty straightforward, but with plenty twists and late revelations, along with a nicely done, satisfying climax. Put this one on your list.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
10:10: Life to the Fullest, by Daniel Hill
Pastor Daniel Hill asks, "How can there be so many people who love God, have surrendered their lives to Christ, and yet still feel this persistent gap between their current spiritual reality and the fullness of God that they long for?" If that question hits home with you, you are Hill's target audience in 10:10: Life to the Fullest. Many Christians can relate to Hill's observation that Jesus' promise of abundant life is out of sync with our everyday spiritual experience. "Too often the words that describe our faith sound more like this: comfortable, safe, routine, and status quo. Sometimes even mundane, mediocre, empty, and stagnant." If I'm honest, I'd have to say that describes me.
Hill boils down "the secret to fullness of life" to "the essence of a single word. Faith." He describes faith as having three dimensions: faith and fear, faith and intimacy, faith and mission, and spends a few chapters fleshing out each of these dimensions. Each of these builds on the others, and I think Hill's strongest chapters are those that deal with mission. I would say he feels most passionate about mission, but he also makes it clear that without the building blocks of overcoming fear (Did you know that "fear not" is the most frequently repeated instruction in the Bible?) and seeking intimacy with God, mission loses power and effectiveness.
There were points at which Hill's exposition of his thesis lost traction. 10:10 sometimes had the feel of being a sermon or sermon series that he was stretching into book length and needed some filler. But the core ideas and message of the book are powerful and right on. And I will say this, as a measure of the book's impact: more than any book I've read in a while, at several points I was compelled to put the book down and spend some serious time in contemplation and prayer. I would guess that Pastor Hill, upon hearing that, would consider his mission accomplished with this reader.
Hill, pastor of River City Community Church in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, sounds like the kind of pastor of the kind of church I'd like to attend. And 10:10 is the kind of book I need: a realistic, yet challenging spur for Christians to reflect on their spiritual lives, to ask why this abundant life doesn't seem so abundant. It's a nudge to get me heading in the right direction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Hill boils down "the secret to fullness of life" to "the essence of a single word. Faith." He describes faith as having three dimensions: faith and fear, faith and intimacy, faith and mission, and spends a few chapters fleshing out each of these dimensions. Each of these builds on the others, and I think Hill's strongest chapters are those that deal with mission. I would say he feels most passionate about mission, but he also makes it clear that without the building blocks of overcoming fear (Did you know that "fear not" is the most frequently repeated instruction in the Bible?) and seeking intimacy with God, mission loses power and effectiveness.
There were points at which Hill's exposition of his thesis lost traction. 10:10 sometimes had the feel of being a sermon or sermon series that he was stretching into book length and needed some filler. But the core ideas and message of the book are powerful and right on. And I will say this, as a measure of the book's impact: more than any book I've read in a while, at several points I was compelled to put the book down and spend some serious time in contemplation and prayer. I would guess that Pastor Hill, upon hearing that, would consider his mission accomplished with this reader.
Hill, pastor of River City Community Church in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, sounds like the kind of pastor of the kind of church I'd like to attend. And 10:10 is the kind of book I need: a realistic, yet challenging spur for Christians to reflect on their spiritual lives, to ask why this abundant life doesn't seem so abundant. It's a nudge to get me heading in the right direction.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Sting of the Drone, by Richard A. Clarke
Throughout the 1990s, as various terroristic threats from around the world came to the attention of the White House, at least one military advisor called for the use of drones for intelligence gathering and deployment of missiles. Richard A. Clarke served under three administrations, and was constantly rebuffed in his efforts to get the use of drones approved. Opportunities arose to strike known terrorists, including Bin Laden. The White House, DOD, and CIA all opposed the use of drones--until September 12, 2001, when Predators were deployed against al Qaeda. Within weeks, the use of drones to kill terrorist became common practice.
In Sting of the Drone, Clarke draws on his background in the military, intelligence, and government to paint a realistic picture of the use of drones, and tell the story of what might happen if the targets of drone warfare go on the offensive. Told from the perspective of the pilots who remotely fly the drones, the bureaucratic decision makers who call the kills, and the terrorists on the receiving end of the attacks, Sting of the Drone presents what may be the future of warfare. Indeed it is already part of the present.
In this novel, Clarke's perspective can easily be read as fully pro-drone. Through his characters, he points out the benefits of drone warfare, chiefly that the pilots are not in danger of being shot down. In addition, using surveillance drones, a much clearer picture of the targets can be assembled before deciding on strike. The drones are also more maneuverable and more cost effective, since they don't have to be designed to carry a pilot along for the ride.
Clarke's story-telling is similarly efficient, without a lot of dead weight. The dialogue and action are crisp, moving along briskly, so that you don't want to put the book down. At times, however, that crispness did lead to some choppiness as he shifted scenes or characters. His descriptions of the drone program and the technology involved was very believable, and the interactions of the military, government, and intelligence communities have the feel of someone who has been there.
Sting of the Drone, while primarily a military action novel, does give a broad view of the use of drones, raising some of the ethical and technological difficulties of using drones. Clarke informs and argues, but does so without veering of the direction of the story. Sting of the Drone is a thrill ride of a book.
Thanks to St. Martin's press for the complimentary advance review copy!
In Sting of the Drone, Clarke draws on his background in the military, intelligence, and government to paint a realistic picture of the use of drones, and tell the story of what might happen if the targets of drone warfare go on the offensive. Told from the perspective of the pilots who remotely fly the drones, the bureaucratic decision makers who call the kills, and the terrorists on the receiving end of the attacks, Sting of the Drone presents what may be the future of warfare. Indeed it is already part of the present.
In this novel, Clarke's perspective can easily be read as fully pro-drone. Through his characters, he points out the benefits of drone warfare, chiefly that the pilots are not in danger of being shot down. In addition, using surveillance drones, a much clearer picture of the targets can be assembled before deciding on strike. The drones are also more maneuverable and more cost effective, since they don't have to be designed to carry a pilot along for the ride.
Clarke's story-telling is similarly efficient, without a lot of dead weight. The dialogue and action are crisp, moving along briskly, so that you don't want to put the book down. At times, however, that crispness did lead to some choppiness as he shifted scenes or characters. His descriptions of the drone program and the technology involved was very believable, and the interactions of the military, government, and intelligence communities have the feel of someone who has been there.
Sting of the Drone, while primarily a military action novel, does give a broad view of the use of drones, raising some of the ethical and technological difficulties of using drones. Clarke informs and argues, but does so without veering of the direction of the story. Sting of the Drone is a thrill ride of a book.
Thanks to St. Martin's press for the complimentary advance review copy!
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