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By special arrangement with the author, you will receive a FREE pdf copy of this fascinating book when you join SovereignLife. Instantly named Freedom Book of The Month and hailed with comments such as, "I am going to say it again: You need to read this novel." - A Lodging of Wayfaring Men is certainly one of the most engaging and challenging books you will ever hold in your hands. A gripping plot and fascinating characters are only the first virtues of this novel. Beneath a unique story and a cast of interesting and unusual players are powerful ideas and observations that are as insightful as they are new. But more than anything else, A Lodging of Wayfaring Men is an adventure. At times, you will enter the lives of the most passionate, interesting people you know, and live through radical new discoveries and reordering of their lives. Then, you may enter into the mind of a lone genius; joining his tortured efforts to straighten out a twisted world, and his fear of telling too much, too soon, and of destroying rather than healing. Sometimes scientific discovery takes the fore, sometimes friendship and love, other times raw passion and the defense of one’s own sanctity. This is not a book that you’ll read once and then forget. You’ll want to visit these characters regularly. This is a book that you’ll want to read...need to read...again and again. REVIEWS I don't remember how I came to possess A Lodging of Wayfaring Men. I hadn't heard of it, hadn't seen it on a web site, so I didn't request it from the publisher ... and since it isn't from a large publishing house, nor a pro-freedom one, I'm not sure how I came to the sender's notice as an individual likely to be interested in the book. Further adding to the mystery is that the book isn't available via usual channels, meaning online bookstores. Swirling another layer through it all is that the book's author or authors chose not to take credit for the work, publishing it as Anonymous. Well, I do love mysteries, and will admit to eyeing the book in my queue with some anticipation as it progressed in the stack. When it finally reached the top, I found myself digging through it not so much in hopes of finding answers to the mysteries, but in enjoyment of the story and interest in the ideas it presents. "What if you could be more than you ever thought you could be? To be better than you thought you could be? Would you do it?" asks the back cover. The answers aren't given in the book, and neither is information that will directly challenge the reader to answer them. However, in the telling of the stories of several men over most of their lives, there's much to think about and react to that helps provide answers for readers inclined to take those questions seriously while reading A Lodging of Wayfaring Men. The remaining copy on the back cover hints at the activities of four major characters, doing so in such a way as to invite comparison with Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Such comparisons are valid, in some respects. Both books address some individuals' need to strive to achieve the best within themselves, and to find the best within others. They also portray the creation of an alternative society where such Creators and Producers are free to pursue their interests outside the grasp of the state. Lastly, both are novels of ideas, addressing crucial elements of human interaction and society in various ways to inform and challenge their readers. A Lodging of Wayfaring Men is in some important respects better than Atlas Shrugged. It offers a deeper understanding of human psychology, and therefore in some areas will be more effective at reaching the reader, especially those not already inclined to value freedom. The speechifying is much more subtle, and often couched in dialogue rather than long soliloquy; but it also misses the mark more than Rand's does. The characters are more complex and therefore more realistic (particularly the women); and their interactions are also deeper and more satisfying. The structure and pacing of A Lodging of Wayfaring Men is uneven, and the book overall would have been much improved by more careful copy editing. Still, it is a compelling book that offers much for freedom-loving individuals to think about. Much of the action centers on the creation of a secure, private market that is completely outside of the reach of all government -- and therefore taxing -- authorities, and which begins its existence disguised as a computer game. The technology is not outlined in great detail, but sufficiently so to capture one's imagination; I found myself wishing that such a system were in place, or at least in development, right now. Particularly effective is an exchange two of the characters have discussing fears and objections people have to freedom (pp. 148-151). Other similar gems are sprinkled throughout A Lodging of Wayfaring Men, although some are placed more adroitly than others. Particularly endearing to me was the repeating theme of the need to address reality, whatever its form. It seems to me that many freedom-oriented individuals focus more on what ought to be, rather than what is, and thereby lose efficacy. I wish the Free Soul house were a real place where people could go to hang out and interact. A Lodging of Wayfaring Men doesn't offer a utopian vision as much as it does sound ideas on ways to make what we do have much better. For all the quibbles I have with the book, its solid presentation of many ideas had me folding corners of pages so that I could return to specific ideas and consider them in more detail at my leisure. As full as my reading schedule is, I plan to make time to return to A Lodging of Wayfaring Men in order to glean the most from this interesting, thought-provoking tale. Sunni Maravillosa Our civilization is bereft of heroes. Ayn Rand pointed out that contemporary heroes in western civilization are actors and gladiators. In times gone by we had statesmen, philosophers, warriors, inventors, scientists, engineers and doctors. Where have the heroes gone? The news, television and educational media have passed them by, have erased them from the consciousness of our civilization. The Renaissance period brought forth the ascendancy of the mind; the intellect of man; the rational mind. The philosopher kings (Plato's term) have regrouped, and, through dumbing down, diversion, and the feeding of all of humanities' addictions have (almost) brought the herd back to the serfdom "it deserves." The novel I am reviewing brings the hero back. The philosopher, the physician/inventor, imbued with selfishness and the love of humanity combined. In Ayn Rand's novels, the heroes were only selfish. "Altruism is the weakness of the downtrodden". This novelist has taken us a step further. Through promoting the welfare of all, each of us and our families grow into fulfilling the fullness of our potential. It is based all on the free market. These concepts close the circle of the philosophy of laissez faire . The novel leads us through a clever plot where the principles of freedom and individuality lead to a free market, one not controlled by governments or by tax men. The narrative is gripping. The reader cannot lay the book down. The book culminates in a number of essays filling in gaps in the philosophy of western civilization. An enigma remains. Why is the book authored anonymously? I received the book camouflaged in a brown envelope, mailed from Switzerland. Looking at its production, it was clearly the product of a short printing run. A letter in the envelope reads:
I almost forgot the title: A Lodging of Wayfaring Men . A bit odd, don't you think? About halfway through the book we find a quotation from the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter nine. He laments the woebegone ways of his people. They have lost their moorings; they no longer obey their lord. I, for myself, have often noticed that much of the objectivism of Ayn Rand is rooted, perhaps unconsciously, in the Hebrew tradition. This has not been subject to analysis, and the virulent anti-religiousness of her writing is one flaw (the other is not recognizing that most people are not rational). This particular novel leads us, in the end, to an exciting scene where the protagonist is interviewed by the Bilderbergers (the true rulers of the world). I will not tell you the outcome; you need to read the book for yourselves. Everyone who thinks he has a rational mind needs to read this novel. Western civilization needs to be rescued, and for this we need leadership; we need a philosophy. The seeds of it are right here in this novel. I am going to say it again: You need to read this novel. Oh, yes. I forgot to comment on why, at least why I believe, the author chose to remains anonymous. The purpose of this novel is to instill independent responsibility and thinking in each of the readers. If the author were to give her or his name, we would be creating another guru cult. You see, the essence of our civilization is independence; intellectual independence of each member of the middle class. How can you be independent if you follow a guru? Readers of my writing will know how fearful I am of the future of our civilization. Just in the last month, our privacy in medical records is lost. Our privacy in our personal communications and affairs are lost to the Homeland Security Act, and we are threatened in our homes and towns with violence and terrorism from fanatics from out with our borders, and fanatics within government. Who will save us? We have to take responsibility individually, all of us. We need to turn the tide and rescue our civilization. Now is the time. This is a call to arms; moral arms. Read the book. Thomas Dorman MD Get your own FREE Copy - when you join SovereignLife | ||
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A Lodging of Waywaring Men