Deadly Election

Deadly Election by Arthur Crandon

There is a certain amount of perceptible greed within every person. Unfortunately, that greed can become limitless when faced with the possibility of incredible fortune. War is something innate in human beings. When greed and war become fused, the human condition is tested, people will most likely choose the path of fortune built upon a foundation of corpses. Deadly Election by Arthur Crandon, displays the absolute path and, oftentimes, failure of mankind.

A rumor exists within the Philippines. A story told from one generation to the next, giving birth to a fantastic legend. It is one of untold riches hidden away within the Philippine jungle, by Japanese soldiers who had committed shockingly deplorable acts of violence and murder during the war.

"No one dared to live in the remote area for a long time... only the brave dared to venture anywhere near the cursed area."

As more than sixty years pass, the legend suddenly becomes a tangible reality.

"The boys were now only fifteen feet away and they could make out the glinting outline of the coins."

Drawing the attention of a decadent and immoral warlord, Senator Enrique Consuelo, a treacherous plan is hatched; murder any witnesses and steal the treasure. But there is one flaw in this misguided turn of events, the adage of Murphy's Law, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

" ... it was unusual for him to feel confused or uncertain and he didn't like the feelings. He was out of his depth in the dangerous situation he had created. He tried to think straight, soon his survival instincts began to take over... he wouldn't be safe..."

From Manila to Singapore, the reader is sent on an incredible adventure.

Crandon writes with marvelous aplomb and has devised an intricate tale of the cruel veracity of the human soul. From the beginning, the reader will be drawn into a simple and beguiling narrative. Deadly Election has proved to be a powerful story of lust, betrayal, and political deception.

Arthur Crandon was born and raised in the UK and currently lives in Hong Kong.

Deadly Election by Arthur Crandon, 2013 ISBN-13 978-1479236251

Weighing Anchors

Weighing Anchors by Mervin Block

Mervin Block has written a tell-all, scathingly honest account of what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. After having been a newswriter for high-profile anchors at various networks, he yanks the band-aid off the deep chasm of network blunders and discrepancies.

Weighing Anchors delivers an honest scrutiny that is both hilarious and deeply concerning. It has most certainly called into question most of the news reporting that the general public has been exposed to.

From delivering bad journalism to deliberately misunderstanding situations that rub off onto public perception, each newscaster is taken to task and critiqued.

This book brings some questions to mind. Does it become an abuse of the system when networks and journalists are more concerned with ratings than the truth at hand? Why is it more necessary to create a sensational story out of nothing, than delivering actual facts?

It occurs to me that the issues within this book are only one part of a vicious cycle. We, as a society, allow this kind of deception to occur. When the populous would rather have entertainment than true facts, doesn't it stand to reason that larger entities (such as news networks) exploit it to the farthest degree?

I highly commend Mervin Block for taking the time to increase awareness in shockingly inept and falsely hyped media stories.