Recently by Formerly Spherical: How I Lost 100 Pounds
What if more people thought that total strangers murdering each other by the thousands or millions represented humanity at its worst? What if in this age of perpetual wars, more people were repulsed by the very idea of war? What if a book could do this?
What if you read a book review that didn’t reveal an annoying amount about the story or its characters? What if a fiercely anti-political, anti-war novel was resonating with people young and old? What if the power of a story gave you hope that more people will embrace peace and freedom? What if I told you this story exists right now, and it’s called The Hunger Games, a trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins?
What if The Hunger Games was so compatible with the principles of individual liberty, and such a page turner, that the author of this review (who doesn’t write book reviews), felt compelled to tell others about it? What if it was set in a dystopian North America now called Panem (Latin for "bread")? What if Panem had a kind of "circus", brutal and horrifying, designed to keep the masses in fear of its rulers? What if a young woman decided to defy a seemingly omnipotent state?
What if The Hunger Games portrayed politicians as vicious predators willing to sacrifice people on a whim to maintain their grip over others? What if the villains in the story personified Orwell’s insight that "political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable"? What if those who foment war, market war, profit from war, even extol war, won’t stop orchestrating mass murder…until the masses withdraw their consent?
What if Stephen King’s endorsement, "Constant suspense…I couldn’t stop reading" was not marketing hype, but true? What if the story appealed to readers of all ages, not just the young adult audience it’s marketed to? What if sons and daughters and mothers and fathers were equally compelled to keep reading "just one more page"? What if it was a perfect gift for home schoolers and public school sufferers? What if a powerful story can sometimes be the best teacher?
What if spreading awareness of The Hunger Games stirred countless souls to revile war and political aggression? What if you could simultaneously enjoy hours of entertainment, reward an author that made the message of peace and freedom come alive, and support the #1 libertarian web site in the world? What if the entire trilogy on Kindle cost less than a movie ticket and popcorn? What if the hardcover edition was an ideal gift for friends and family?
What if enough people said "no more" to war for it to become reality? What if you helped those people find their voice? When is now a good time?
Formerly Spherical is an entrepreneur, ex-pat, and old friend of Lew Rockwell’s.
