Gun of God by David Cudlip: Good Concept, Poor Execution

First theorized in the early 1970s, gene therapy has been touted as the key to curing all human diseases.  It involves replacing the DNA sequence of a mutated gene with a normal one, carried into the body using a vector such as a virus.  Since its very conception, gene therapy has been an extremely controversial subject.  There are well-founded concerns that in the hands of unscrupulous persons, genetic manipulation could create a house of horrors with devastating effects on the world.

When one thinks of curing diseases, one of the first thoughts in many people’s minds is pharmaceuticals.  The pharmaceutical industry generates trillions of dollars a year in sales, leading to the question that is being asked frequently – do these companies actually want a cure for all diseases found or do they attempt to suppress such efforts to maintain their vast revenues?

The controversial nature of gene manipulation has long been rich fodder for authors.  Decades before the concept became reality, Aldous Huxley wrote of a society where humans have been engineered for perfection.  Several non-fiction books have been written about a machine, developed by a physician in the 1930s, which could cure almost every disease and was ultimately suppressed and destroyed.

Gun of God tries to intertwines all of these issues but the author does a poor job combining these ideas. The book is a compilation of very loosely connected chapters with characters suddenly appear in random places around the world.  Thomas Courmaine is a rogue among Jesuit priests – he’s also a geneticist whose scientific ideas are against religious doctrine.  He is supposedly banished to Africa, where of all places he discovers the key to gene therapy.  Not very believable place for major discovery and no real reason is given. 

When his discovery is made public, the pharmaceutical industry tries to bring him into the fold, but he refuses to play by their rules.  Funded by the only person willing to do so, his ‘gene gun’ soon fires – a shot heard round the world – but soon the intent of his discovery is adulterated.

Using his discovery, competition among people begins of who can become more – more beautiful, more intelligent, and stronger.  Courmaine watches his cure become a curse as the Law of Unintended Consequences wreaks havoc on society.  He must now attempt to undo what has been done, while being turned on by his financial backer and losing the woman he now loves.  Can he stop the madness in time and save the human race – and himself?

We will give this book two stars for a good concept but a poor execution.

Loss of Faith in Humanity and Power of Media to Lift Spirits

In today’s world it seems more and more people are losing their faith in humanity as a whole.  It is not difficult to understand why this has happened.  News channels constantly bombard with stories of crime, war, and disease.  The financial crisis that began in 2008 has touched almost every life in the United States and untold numbers of people around the world.  Many people have lost jobs, homes, and hope.  

Loss of faith in humanity is not a new phenomenon.  The great physicist Albert Einstein said in his era that “perfection of means and confusion of ends seems to characterize our age.”   One example of a loss of humanity people today are all too familiar with are those who witness an injustice and do nothing – except take a video of it with cell phone cameras to post online.  This, too, is not something limited to our age.  Einstein also commented on this issue, saying that “the world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

Fortunately, television and movies can have a positive effect on a person’s faith in humanity as well.  Television series such as Touched by an Angel and Highway to Heaven helped depressed or troubled people and showed there is still goodness in human kind.  There are few people who have not at least heard of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, where a kind-hearted man falls into despair but has his faith renewed.

Through the years, the written word has also had a powerful influence, and often times authors can have a profound effect on the opinion of the masses.  The author of Charlotte’s Web, was a strong supporter of a writer’s duty to uplift the human spirit.  In 1973, the author received a letter that spoke of the letter writer’s loss of faith in humanity.  The author’s response is a testament to the power of the written word to uplift:

         As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate 

         woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate.  Hope is the thing 

         that has left us, in a bad time.

Now, more than ever, people need uplifting prose to remind them why humanity is not a lost cause. Lisa Boucher’s Jesus, Mo and Cheese Puffs is just such a manuscript.  Flo and Mo Brown, the main characters, are an elderly couple who have seen their share of adversity.  Their only son died as a teenager.  Flo has a deformed eye from a car accident.  Yet through all this, Flo has never lost her faith in Jesus or her love for Mo… and oh yeah, a love of cheese puffs.  Mo is a bit more jaded, but Flo has a way of making him see the best in most things.  When Flo wins on a scratch off lottery ticket, there are so many things they could do, but Mo has an idea.  He wants to take Flo to a TV doctor in California for plastic surgery on her eye, and the two set out from Indiana for an appointment in California.

But, as with real life, the couple is often sidetracked along the way.  In every place they stop, they find people in need – some financially, some spiritually – and Flo being who she is cannot help but help them.  Mo is wise enough to follow Flo’s lead, sometimes leading to new outlooks on life.  Every person Flo touches is uplifted and has at least a little faith in humanity restored thanks to her kindness.  In the end, Flo learns a great lesson about herself and how often the only limitations people have are those they put on themselves.  

Jesus, Mo and Cheese Puffs is available in Kindle edition on Amazon - click here

The Benefits of Home Brewed Beer

Drinking beer is more than just consuming an alcoholic beverage. It’s a social activity that brings good friends together for good times and memorable moments.

Most people don’t know it, but it is possible to make your own home brewed beer. It’s a great conversation starter, with home brewed beer also having several benefits compared to the beer that you purchase from the store.

• Better Quality. Commercial beers sacrifice quality for quantity, whereas in making home brewed beer, the quality of your beer depends on what ingredients you use. If you use the best ingredients, then you’d end up with great tasting beer.
• Reduced Hangovers. Home brewed beer contains large quantities of yeast with vitamin B, which naturally reduces the effects of hangovers. Not only do you get better tasting beer, you also get to drink more of it!
• Social Aspect. The social community of home brewers, whether in real life or online, is a vibrant community of people who are passionate in what they do. You will find no shortage of people who will help you out as you start off in home brewing beer.
• Unlimited Potential. The beer that you make will only be limited by your imagination. You can come up with different mixtures and flavors once you understand the basics. With a little cash, enough time and a creative mind, who knows how far your beer can go?

If you are interested in making home brew beer, you should read “How to Make Beer Like a Pro: Complete Guide to Home Brewing - Even in Small Spaces” by Randy Frank.

This book goes over the complete history and procedures of home brewing beer, preparing you for this challenging but enjoyable hobby. The book contains anything and everything you need to know about home brewed beer – you’ll be a master home brewer in no time!

“How to Make Beer Like a Pro: Complete Guide to Home Brewing- Even in Small Spaces” is currently available in Kindle format at Amazon.