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"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32
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Author:  David M. Huntwork
Bio: David M. Huntwork
Date:  December 19, 2006
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Alternating Worlds
A Book Review

Gary Wolf has released his third novel entitled Alternating Worlds. The subject matter, and its obvious parallels to modern philosophical, cultural and political movements, is fearless in its portrayal of the easily swayed minds and devious agendas of humankind. Alternating Worlds is in the tradition of those other world-of-the-future novels: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and George Orwell's 1984.

At the core of Alternating Worlds is an insidious ideology that is aggressively forced upon all others by both force and other forms of persuasion. At the same time it is also one with great appeal for those who desperately seek to continually relive, rethink, and revisit the perceived wrongs of the past.

While appealing and hypnotic in its draw, the ultimate fruit of its labor is one of stagnation, death and destruction for those who adopt its way of thinking and the cultures which it infects.

Alternating Worlds portrays the kind of world we can expect if multiculturalism is taken to its extreme, to its point of no return. It's not enough that all cultures are considered equal, not enough that we're dumbed down, not enough that wealth is redistributed--now, in the new reality, you are actually forced to turn your own self into a microcosm of the world. Each person's body and mind must represent all the different variations of humanity. It is the ultimate theft of individuality.

The book description reads:

Graham Rohde is one of the most respected art and antique dealers of the twenty-fourth century. Son of an eminent scholar, he is one of the period's leading art historians.

Rohde spends his time traveling across the Galaxy, buying and selling rare and valuable objects. After an antique is stolen from an isolated and forgotten planet, he is hired to find the missing piece. He soon discovers that the theft is only one incident in an interplanetary dispute that is mushrooming into a clash of civilizations. A bitter struggle is erupting over the redefinition of humanity, and it may determine the destiny of the Galaxy for millennia to come. He watches as mankind vacillates between two antithetical conceptions of society and human nature: On the one hand, reaching for the summit of creativity and intellectual proficiency through ever-greater accomplishments in arts and letters; on the other, the preplanned distribution of physical attributes, intelligence, and ideas among the population--a world in which individual genius is banished from life.

As he faces the growing danger, Rohde resolves to decipher the outstanding enigma of his era: Why are people willing, even eager, to attain an existence without spontaneity, without the free and unfettered evolution of the human spirit?

Gary Wolf Does a superb job of showing the paradoxes, as well as the sick appeal, of the modern ‘isms’ that have emerged recently in Western Civilization.. He has a worthy writing style that is flowing, intelligent, as well as easy to read. Alternating Worlds is a fast moving story and entertaining page turner that I didn’t want to put down once I started.

In a culture that is rapidly changing and abandoning its roots Gary Wolf does a great job of putting it all in perspective. With one foot rooted in common sense and with an appreciation of tradition and history this effort is a refreshing viewpoint in a world awash in ‘progressive thinking, ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘political correctness’. Few authors do an adequate job of holding the readers attention but Gary Wolf held mine all the way through this book. Alternating Worlds is a good story while providing a subtle commentary on the emerging and malevolent mindset that seeks to attack all that has come before it. Alternating Worlds helps you view our changing society in a new and enlightening way.

Gary Wolf deserves praise for tackling complex ideological societal changes in a unique way. Ideologically relevant fiction is a small but growing genre that deserves attention and just might open a few eyes long the way. In a world that now proclaims there is no truth, or that all ‘truths’ are equally valid, Gary Wolf is a light in the darkness boldly proclaiming his version of it in a provocative and interesting way that I enjoyed.

Alternating Worlds can be purchased at www.Amazon.com or www.Booksamillion.com.

Author Gary Wolf was formerly an analyst and commentator on international and strategic affairs. He currently works for a major global software company. Raised in New York and London, he now lives in Paris.

David M. Huntwork
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Biography - David M. Huntwork

David Huntwork is a conservative activist and freelance columnist in Northern Colorado where he lives with his wife and three young daughters. He is the author of the book No Apologies: In Defense of Common Sense and the Conservative Ideology which can be purchased at http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=3576295. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions at DaveHuntwork@juno.com. You may also view his bio and past columns at: http://DavidHuntwork.tripod.com.


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