Monday, November 30, 2015

The Question




The full title of this thriller by R. Breuer Stearns, which is dedicated to Katie, always in the author’s mind, and is preceded by a Buddha quote about how all we are is the result of our thoughts, is “If you could have THE answer to only one QUESTION what would you ask?” The writer further asks who would attempt to prevent the reader from asking said inquiry, and to what extremities they would go. This thriller delves into a new form of contemplation which is forceful enough to resolve the universe’s important mysteries, mayhap resolve the great unknowns of Earth’s major religions.

THE QUESTION also crosses genre into the adventure genre, with readers potentially hoping that this work of fiction is somehow true. The setting is present day, with the story’s publication date being May of 2015, and contains various settings in locations such as the State of California; Washington, D.C.; Paris, France; Shanghai, China; New York; and even Afghanistan. The target audience is high school students and adults, given mature sexual and violent material, and is further pitched as a work of “scientific fantasy,” and in general wants readers to think and be curious about the great unknowns of society.

THE QUESTION stars a diverse cast of characters such as the fast-swimming Jake, the football-loving Nate, and surgeon Dr. Sidney Wexler, who all become embroiled in a new form of thinking called Unity, when two people simultaneously see the answer to a complex question in their minds, and an event known as Unity Day gradually draws near when the whole world will be engaged in this scientific discovery. Ultimately, this is an enjoyable novel that crosses various genres and deals with issues such as terrorism, although the many acronyms that the story uses aren’t regularly defined throughout the text, their meanings easy to forget. Even so, this is a good book this reviewer would certainly recommend.


Author's Bio:

R. Breuer Stearns is an investor and author.

Mr. Stearns graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover (1970), Harvard University (AB, 1974), University of Chicago (MBA, 1977), and DePaul University College of Law (JD, 1979). He rapidly ascended on Wall Street in the 1980’s, serving as Managing Director, Mergers & Acquisitions at Lehman Brothers and Head of Investment Banking (North America) at UBS Securities.  While living in New York, he founded “Terrific Teachers, Inc.,” a foundation dedicated to identifying and rewarding the best of the best of the city’s public high school teachers.

Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mr. Stearns launched a private investment bank in the former Soviet Union.  He spent the early 1990’s seeking to marry emerging science, primarily emanating from Russia’s Defense sector, with Western capital.  During this period, Mr. Stearns made a small fortune, albeit from a larger one.  The venture provided a remarkable lesson in hubris, a tremendous reservoir of internal strength, and first-hand source material for Mr. Stearns’ first book, Winning Smart After Losing Big (Encounter Books, Beijing University Press).

Subsequently, Mr. Stearns served as Chief Financial Officer of The Dial Corporation, Chief Financial Officer of Columbia/HCA Corporation, Chief Financial Officer of PacifiCare, Inc., President and Chief Operating Officer of Vascular Genetics, Inc., and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quepasa Corporation (QPSA:Amex).

Mr. Stearns is a Founder of VestaPoint Capital LLC, a family of investment funds focused on real estate development.  He lives in Arizona with his wife, two dogs, two cats, and a horse.  He travels extensively and is intensely curious.

Connect with the author:   Website



No comments:

Post a Comment