A book review

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On a counter at the office I have a box of books I am judging in the Benjamin Franklin Awards. I have been a judge now for several years running. For the first time I got tapped to judge the Fiction contest.

As expected, some of the books are a waste of trees. Some of the books are excellent, some only so so.

As I'm still judging the entries, with more to come in January, I can't tell you who is the top in the contest. But I can tell you one book is standing out well ahead of the pack in regard to the writing.

http://www.amazon.com/Palestine-Novel-Jonathan-Bloomfield/dp/0615418171/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

I hesitate to classify this book into a specific genre. It is has elements of S.F., techno, thriller, action, mystery, suspense. It also has a lot of religious power struggle in it. I tell you, and you may misunderstand, it has plenty of politics. By politics I do not mean the mud slinging and idiocy of elected officials yelling at each other. I mean the machinations by which one group of people attempts to have their way.

I do say if you are even mildly concerned about the Middle East, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabi and other places over there, this book is one you want to read. If you are at all concerned about Islam, Jews and their interactions, this book is a must read.

If you are concerned about the United States' involvement in the Middle East, you should read this book.

If you are worried that the nukes will start falling, this is a book you want to read.

Bloomberg uses the technology of today to set out a pretty frightening scenario that really could take place this afternoon. I am not kidding. Unless some paradigm shifts happens in the Middle East, what Bloomberg lays out in this book is not a fictional future history. It is a history book written before the events happen. Only the names may be different.

This is not a book for people who know what a Kardashian is (a kind of sweater? Someone help me here), know who is on American Idol and otherwise immerse themselves in vacuousness to the exclusion of reality. This book is about the real world, the one we live in but don't get to see because we're not presently living in the Middle East.

NOT A SPOILER but a teaser. I must also say I double checked some of Bloomberg's references to the Koran and was surprised to see he is correct when he points out the Koran says the land of Israel is supposed to be occupied by and belong to the Jewish people.