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The Castle of Wisdom
By Paul Spock
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Published: July 2010
Pages: 368
ISBN-13: 978-1-4327-6072-4
Journey back to the turbulent 1970's; the Vietnam War is at its divisive peak and the American drug culture is in full bloom. These times are reflected in the experiences of Smoky Jim Green, a soul brother from the Philadelphia projects. It's a roller coaster ride in Jim's life, beginning during Jim's last months in Vietnam as he learns the easy way through life via the black market. Once home, Jim moves to the drug market, starting as a small time dealer and quickly evolving to big time smuggler. Along the way he meets Bobbi, an illegal Mexican immigrant with whom he falls in love. The action alternates between the streets of Philadelphia and gambling dens of Atlantic City and Smoky Jim's life takes many twists and turns until stark reality causes the full weight of his inner turmoil to crash down upon him. How will he react? Is there a Castle of Wisdom at the end of the road? The final part of the story addresses these questions in a culmination of events that leads Jim to extreme acts of desperation. Ultimately, readers will make different assessments of whether Jim was a hero, a villain or a victim.
About The AuthorPaul Spock is a scientist at the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture on the campus of Penn State University. He is also an inventor who holds three U.S. patents for scientific design. For pleasure, Paul hikes through the forests of central Pennsylvania pursuing wild trout in their native waters. He is also an amateur astronomer and outdoors photographer, Paul can be reached at pss8@psu.edu.
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