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Money, Blood and Conscience
An idealistic American TV producer starts a charity for famine victims amid Ethiopia's civil war. “You’re not in California here,” Ethiopia’s rebel leader-turned-prime minister reminds him. “This is a different world.”
In 1993, a prince and princess from Ethiopia’s 2,500-year-old Solomonic Dynasty reached out to an international revolutionary who’d played a behind-the-scenes role in the overthrow of Haiti’s notorious “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Could he help free Ethiopia’s most famous political prisoner and liberate its people from a reign of terror?
Now, that revolutionary, David Steinman, has drawn on his extraordinary, real-life adventure to write a novel about Ethiopia’s present-day struggle for freedom. Part investigative journalism and part parable, it depicts the cover-up of a holocaust and raises questions about the ends and means of Western policy in shadowy places.
Money, Blood and Conscience superbly portrays the fight by the world’s poorest for food and justice, drawing the reader into a magnificent, heartbreaking crusade for human dignity.
- GenresNonfiction
Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2020
About the author
David Steinman
1 book13 followersDavid Steinman was the senior foreign adviser to Ethiopia's democracy movement for 27 years until its 2018 victory. He co-planned Ethiopia’s 2005 civil resistance and election campaign, voted that year’s “Most Important African Event” in a BBC poll, which inspired Money, Blood and Conscience.
In Dec. 2020, Mr. Steinman filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom for crimes against humanity committed as an Ethiopian official. News of the complaint was featured on the London Times' front page and went viral, exposing Tedros' criminality to the world.
This is the first novel from Mr. Steinman, whose non-fiction writing in the Washington Post, International Herald Tribune and on Forbes.com exposed the Ethiopian dictatorship’s human rights abuses, theft of thirty billion dollars from famine victims and hidden mass murder.
David Steinman was a consulting expert to the U.S. National Security Council regarding the overthrow of Haiti’s notorious “Baby Doc” Duvalier that began the cascade of falling right-wing dictatorships at the end of the twentieth century. He later coordinated private support for Southeast Asian anti-Communist resistance movements. Mr. Steinman is a Wharton-trained economist. He was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
In Dec. 2020, Mr. Steinman filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom for crimes against humanity committed as an Ethiopian official. News of the complaint was featured on the London Times' front page and went viral, exposing Tedros' criminality to the world.
This is the first novel from Mr. Steinman, whose non-fiction writing in the Washington Post, International Herald Tribune and on Forbes.com exposed the Ethiopian dictatorship’s human rights abuses, theft of thirty billion dollars from famine victims and hidden mass murder.
David Steinman was a consulting expert to the U.S. National Security Council regarding the overthrow of Haiti’s notorious “Baby Doc” Duvalier that began the cascade of falling right-wing dictatorships at the end of the twentieth century. He later coordinated private support for Southeast Asian anti-Communist resistance movements. Mr. Steinman is a Wharton-trained economist. He was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 13, 2020
A fictionalized account of the actual events which took place in the end of the last and beginning of this century in Ethiopia.
While the West poured money into charities to fight starvation and poverty, the corrupt government diverted most of it for their own use.
The story Steinman tells us shocking, and should wake up any American who thinks things in our country are bad, and who suspect our government of interfering in our lives. We still have so many freedoms. Democracy still works, and we can and should share it with the world. How to do so without inadvertently propping up a corrupt government is the difficulty.
I enjoyed this book, because 30 some years ago my husband worked with another attorney who was Ethiopian, and the grand nephew of the late emperor, Haille Selassie.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
While the West poured money into charities to fight starvation and poverty, the corrupt government diverted most of it for their own use.
The story Steinman tells us shocking, and should wake up any American who thinks things in our country are bad, and who suspect our government of interfering in our lives. We still have so many freedoms. Democracy still works, and we can and should share it with the world. How to do so without inadvertently propping up a corrupt government is the difficulty.
I enjoyed this book, because 30 some years ago my husband worked with another attorney who was Ethiopian, and the grand nephew of the late emperor, Haille Selassie.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2021
review originally published at https://amanjareads.com/2021/06/22/mo...
Thank you to author David Steinman for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for this honest review.
Money, Blood & Conscience is one of the books I agreed to read in an attempt to step outside of my comfort zone. I typically don't choose political thrillers for myself but this one seemed well informed and of a topic I previously knew next to nothing about. I chose it as a way to broaden my horizons as well as relieve myself of some ignorance, it worked on both counts.
Essentially, it's about bringing democracy to Ethiopia. The attempt to at least, these struggles do not come easily. The book is based on true events, just told in a more digestable narrative with some romance thrown in for balance.
Money, Blood & Conscience follows Buddy, a successful television producer, who decides on a whim to help feed the Ehtiopian people. He's been looking for a project to help him feel more fulfilled as a human and this could be the winner. He immediately gets completely absorbed into helping Ethiopia and forms a lucrative charity that has potential to do a lot of good.
I would've liked a little more background on Buddy's character. I found it a little out of sorts that a trash tv producer would just overnight become a full time philanthropist for a nation to which he had no previous ties. But hey, people change and good on him for wanting to do some good.
Unfortunately, corrupt governments do make it difficult to help their starving citizens. Buddy is quickly swallowed up into a conflict far outside of his areas of expertise. The story shows how money can't buy everything and how good intentions will only get you so far.
The "lighter" side of the story involves Buddy's romance with an Ethiopian woman. I never fully understood their relationship outside of both wanting what's best for Ethiopia. However, they are never in full agreement what course of action is best. They are also never in agreement as to the nature of their relationship and what their end goals are. They really need to communicate more and Buddy needs to stop assuming everyone everywhere wants to drop everything to live in America.
The bulk of Money, Blood & Conscience (I'm sorry, brief aside, it's driving me crazy that the title doesn't utilize an Oxford comma and I find it difficult to type it every time!) demonstrates how destitute life in Ethiopia can be. It bluntly showcases atrocities committed against civilians by their own government or factions thereof. It also discusses horrors like forced female circumcision and how it is so commonplace there the victim might not even know to be upset. There were times during reading this novel that I had to pause and take a breath before continuing.
Unfortunately, these events are all based in fact and it's impossible to turn a blind eye to them. Or we'd all like to think that wouldn't we? The truth is, we all do, all the time. One of the biggest takeaways from Money, Blood & Conscience is that it is actually incredibly easy to ignore genocide if you have the privilege to do so. Anyone reading this review right now likely has a bit of that pivilege.
This political thriller succeeded in my goals for it. I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture, not just the genocide parts but some cultural traditions as well, and I felt outside of my comfort zone but in a productive way. It's books like these that challenge our perceptions of the world we live in and highlights the parts we would all rather ignore. Step outside of your comfort zone and check it out.
Thank you to author David Steinman for providing me with a copy of his book in exchange for this honest review.
Money, Blood & Conscience is one of the books I agreed to read in an attempt to step outside of my comfort zone. I typically don't choose political thrillers for myself but this one seemed well informed and of a topic I previously knew next to nothing about. I chose it as a way to broaden my horizons as well as relieve myself of some ignorance, it worked on both counts.
Essentially, it's about bringing democracy to Ethiopia. The attempt to at least, these struggles do not come easily. The book is based on true events, just told in a more digestable narrative with some romance thrown in for balance.
Money, Blood & Conscience follows Buddy, a successful television producer, who decides on a whim to help feed the Ehtiopian people. He's been looking for a project to help him feel more fulfilled as a human and this could be the winner. He immediately gets completely absorbed into helping Ethiopia and forms a lucrative charity that has potential to do a lot of good.
I would've liked a little more background on Buddy's character. I found it a little out of sorts that a trash tv producer would just overnight become a full time philanthropist for a nation to which he had no previous ties. But hey, people change and good on him for wanting to do some good.
Unfortunately, corrupt governments do make it difficult to help their starving citizens. Buddy is quickly swallowed up into a conflict far outside of his areas of expertise. The story shows how money can't buy everything and how good intentions will only get you so far.
The "lighter" side of the story involves Buddy's romance with an Ethiopian woman. I never fully understood their relationship outside of both wanting what's best for Ethiopia. However, they are never in full agreement what course of action is best. They are also never in agreement as to the nature of their relationship and what their end goals are. They really need to communicate more and Buddy needs to stop assuming everyone everywhere wants to drop everything to live in America.
The bulk of Money, Blood & Conscience (I'm sorry, brief aside, it's driving me crazy that the title doesn't utilize an Oxford comma and I find it difficult to type it every time!) demonstrates how destitute life in Ethiopia can be. It bluntly showcases atrocities committed against civilians by their own government or factions thereof. It also discusses horrors like forced female circumcision and how it is so commonplace there the victim might not even know to be upset. There were times during reading this novel that I had to pause and take a breath before continuing.
Unfortunately, these events are all based in fact and it's impossible to turn a blind eye to them. Or we'd all like to think that wouldn't we? The truth is, we all do, all the time. One of the biggest takeaways from Money, Blood & Conscience is that it is actually incredibly easy to ignore genocide if you have the privilege to do so. Anyone reading this review right now likely has a bit of that pivilege.
This political thriller succeeded in my goals for it. I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture, not just the genocide parts but some cultural traditions as well, and I felt outside of my comfort zone but in a productive way. It's books like these that challenge our perceptions of the world we live in and highlights the parts we would all rather ignore. Step outside of your comfort zone and check it out.
September 18, 2019
People come to writing from different avenues, some of which translate well into creating compelling fiction and some doesn’t. David Steinman is a career foreign democracy revolution strategist. Pretty hefty. Also, and more closely related to this book’s subject, he’s served as a senior foreign adviser to Ethiopia’s emerging democracy. For his various efforts he has been nominated for 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. All of which is to say, the man really, really, really knows what he’s talking about in this book…a story of a tv show producer turned grand scale charity relief person for Ethiopia, who becomes closely involved with the country’s rebel leader turned country’s legitimate leader and all the subsequent political consequences. The main character as we meet him in the 80s is a typical wealthy entrepreneur dissatisfied with his lucrative but meaningless work, who sees one of those starving child infomercials and goes all Geldof, eventually creating a huge concert to raise money for the destitute African country. But it doesn’t end there, he visits Ethiopia more and more, falls in love with a local woman, befriends a local rebel and then witnesses his meteoric rise to the top office and systemic abuse of the said office in the years to come. And through it all, the protagonist diligently works on putting together aid packages for the starving, despite the blatant mishandling of it by the powers that be. Meanwhile, the man he helped rise to power perverts democracy by playing all the right political games with major foreign players and abusing and murdering his own citizens. The sum total results in genocidal numbers, but it takes decades and a really personal connection for the uneasy symbiotic relationship between the two to finally sever. It’s a powerhouse of a story and not so much due to writing (the writing is perfectly serviceable in a matter of factly sort of way, but far from being the star of the show), but because it’s so heavily based on real events. I mean, I was vaguely aware of the situation in Ethiopia, the strife and starvation that made the news, but didn’t know all the terrifying details that led to it. It’s a fairly prototypical situation, actually, for a third world country. The tribal rivalries alone throw plenty of sticks into spokes, but there does seem to be a profound inability to self govern in a way that results in any sort of properly democratic way. Granted these countries were sort of unnaturally created by others, the boundaries, traditions, rules imposed on the locals by people with no respect for their own customs and traditions and it’s probably entire unfair to expect the emulation that was presupposed. Granted the first world countries have been making a mockery of democracy lately all by themselves, but there are still (for now) checks and balances. In countries like Ethiopia it seems there are none. Ever since gaining independence from colonial powers, there have been efforts to imitate the globally aspired to standards, but it almost all inevitably turns to internecine fighting, misappropriation of funds, poverty, starvation, violence, violations of basic rights and freedoms and so on. And I know this is a huge generalization, but it is an empirically sound one. Even if people come to power for the right reasons and desire to bring a positive change, a brief time in that coveted office changes all of that. It might just be down to something as basic as the inherent defects in social make up, it’s more difficult to be good, it’s easier to go the either way. Tragic as that may be. And it’s tragic the way first world countries exploit their lesser by using them for their own ends as military power in the chosen region and so on. Like a vicious cycle of exploitation on various scales. Something about the evils of too much power. So anyway, sorry for the tangent, but this book made me think about all that. Because it’s the sort of book that really makes you think. It was also very educational and provided a complex well balanced representation of Ethiopia past and present, locally and on global scale. Frankly, I’m not sure I would ever read a nonfiction book about all of this, and so I really appreciated the way the author combined the investigative journalism with a fictionalized plot aspects for a much more compelling reading experience. All in all, I found it to be a great read, enlightening, smart, intellectually engaging. It may not be a great work of literature (I’m not even sure I very much liked the protagonist either, his unwillingness to realistically perceive the situation he was perpetuating was frustrating, his dedication to maintaining status quo was maddening, but all of these were all too understandable foibles of a wealthy man who is proud of himself for making a difference and refuses to critically consider his actions), but it is a terrific account of a country in crisis, one that, interestingly enough, says as much about the US as it does about Ethiopia. Read this book for its historical and sociopolitical context and you’ll come away educated, informed and disturbed, kind of like after reading NYT in the morning. But, if you can deal with the inherent bleakness of the subject matter, do read this book. Thanks Netgalley.
January 3, 2022
MONEY, BLOOD & CONSCIENCE is a novel in which a successful TV producer in Los Angeles (Buddy Schwartz) is moved to help provide famine relief to Ethiopia during the mid-1980s after watching a late night TV commercial for Ethiopian famine relief. This undertaking comes to be the chief mission of Buddy's life over the next 30 years as Ethiopia shakes off one oppressive government only to see the succeeding government (under Meles Zenawi, a former freedom fighter from Ethiopia's Tigray Region) apply its own oppressive (genocidal) measures against Ethiopia's non-Tigrayan tribes whilst presenting a democratic façade to the rest of the world.
Ethiopia comes to occupy center stage in this novel. There is also a love story that develops in the novel between Schwartz and a young Ethiopian woman freedom fighter to whom he was introduced during one of his visits to the country in the 1980s.
Much of what David Steinman has written comes out of his own experience as a senior foreign advisor to Ethiopia's democracy movement. Some of the characters in "Money, Blood & Conscience" are taken from real-life personages, such as Meles Zenawi, who was Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 to 2012. Prior to that, Zenawi had been President from 1991 to 1995.
Steinman deftly combines fiction with historical reality in this novel, which is why I rate it at 3-and-a-half stars. For anyone wanting to better understand Ethiopia and its history over the last 37 years, read "Money, Blood & Conscience."
Ethiopia comes to occupy center stage in this novel. There is also a love story that develops in the novel between Schwartz and a young Ethiopian woman freedom fighter to whom he was introduced during one of his visits to the country in the 1980s.
Much of what David Steinman has written comes out of his own experience as a senior foreign advisor to Ethiopia's democracy movement. Some of the characters in "Money, Blood & Conscience" are taken from real-life personages, such as Meles Zenawi, who was Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 to 2012. Prior to that, Zenawi had been President from 1991 to 1995.
Steinman deftly combines fiction with historical reality in this novel, which is why I rate it at 3-and-a-half stars. For anyone wanting to better understand Ethiopia and its history over the last 37 years, read "Money, Blood & Conscience."
December 30, 2021
An amazing book. I would definitely encourage and recommend this book to everyone who will listen to me.
March 6, 2020
Historical fiction about Ethiopia and US relations
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and in return this is my honest review. At first, I wasn’t into the story, I felt that the author did not know how to weave facts with the fictional story. Instead, I would learn about a character or plot point and then would have an appropriate but random fact about the time period or Ethiopia thrown in.
As the story progressed, I began to become more involved and interested with the plot and characters. The author also becomes better at tying fact and fiction to create a compelling narrative. Steinman highlights the horrifying events in Ethiopian history, but also manages to reveal tender moments. I do not want to spoil it for anyone, but the events surrounding the wedding is my favorite part of this novel and makes me smile as I look back at the scene.
Overall, this book has lots of harrowing imagery that may not be for sensitive readers, but these images show the issues that Ethiopians are facing during this period and provides some context on why starvation, censorship, and corruption are prevalent in Ethiopia and other African nations.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and in return this is my honest review. At first, I wasn’t into the story, I felt that the author did not know how to weave facts with the fictional story. Instead, I would learn about a character or plot point and then would have an appropriate but random fact about the time period or Ethiopia thrown in.
As the story progressed, I began to become more involved and interested with the plot and characters. The author also becomes better at tying fact and fiction to create a compelling narrative. Steinman highlights the horrifying events in Ethiopian history, but also manages to reveal tender moments. I do not want to spoil it for anyone, but the events surrounding the wedding is my favorite part of this novel and makes me smile as I look back at the scene.
Overall, this book has lots of harrowing imagery that may not be for sensitive readers, but these images show the issues that Ethiopians are facing during this period and provides some context on why starvation, censorship, and corruption are prevalent in Ethiopia and other African nations.
December 30, 2019
In his impressive debut novel, David Steinman seamlessly weaves together his expansive knowledge of Ethiopian culture and history with a love story and political thriller that is as compelling as it is plausible. As not-too-distant-historical fiction, ‘Money, Blood and Conscience’ successfully incorporates Ethio-centric details to place the reader in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during various points in the country’s relatively recent and uneven struggle towards democracy.
Neither predictable nor one-dimensional, the novel’s characters are complex and nuanced – each reflects various degrees of ambition, idealism, generosity, and self-interest. They are human and relatable, and their struggles throughout the decades-long story ring true.
‘Money, Blood and Conscience’ is both an homage to the Ethiopian people and a cautionary tale about revolution evolving into corruption. Thanks to Mr. Steinman’s excellent writing, the novel serves to both educate and entertain in equal-measure.
Highly recommended. A+
Neither predictable nor one-dimensional, the novel’s characters are complex and nuanced – each reflects various degrees of ambition, idealism, generosity, and self-interest. They are human and relatable, and their struggles throughout the decades-long story ring true.
‘Money, Blood and Conscience’ is both an homage to the Ethiopian people and a cautionary tale about revolution evolving into corruption. Thanks to Mr. Steinman’s excellent writing, the novel serves to both educate and entertain in equal-measure.
Highly recommended. A+
September 5, 2020
A riveting novelization of the 20+ year struggle of dictatorship in Ethiopia. Wrapped around a beautiful love story, the reader follows characters that begin their journey by fighting for good. But what happens when the good guy becomes corrupt? When the good guy, ends up repeating history? What happens when we blindly follow organizations and don’t research their full intentions? What happens when a country is faced with voter fraud and peaceful turned violent protests? And what happens when war criminals become the director general of the WHO?
“After the holocaust, the west vowed ‘never again’ would such crimes against humanity be tolerated. Yet they have devastated places such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Congo, Sudan, Myanmar....and Ethiopia...”
“After the holocaust, the west vowed ‘never again’ would such crimes against humanity be tolerated. Yet they have devastated places such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Congo, Sudan, Myanmar....and Ethiopia...”
March 25, 2023
First, let me admit, I went in knowing almost nothing about the events this book revolves around. Although this is a fictional take on actual events, it feels like Steinman did a lot of research to bring it all to life. There are unforgettable people withing the pages of this book, and they face daunting challenges, including corruption and violence. Although those outside Ethiopa mean well, they're truly unprepared for what faces them and hinders their desire to provide aid within the country. I would've liked some of the characters to be more fleshed out, but the plot moves along smoothly, and makes you want to keep reading. If you enjoy historical fiction based on real events, then you're going to want to grab this one.
December 29, 2019
I just finished David Steinman’s first fictional work. This powerful, disturbing, and complex portrayal of Western aid and the consequent ties to dictatorship and genocide provides insight into how dictators can remain in power while being a major contributor to their people’s suffering. This book contains love, complicity, good intentions, betrayal, and genocide.This work is deeply influenced by Mr. Steinman’s work as a senior foreign advisor to Ethiopia’s democracy movement. Steinman was a nominee for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. I received this work in exchange for my honest feedback. I highly recommend this work.
August 15, 2020
A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for a fair and impartial review. Buddy Schwartz, a successful TV producer, hopes to add meaning to his life by championing the poor and famine-stricken in far-off Ethiopia. Thus the wheels of this novel begin turning. The aura of authenticity in this tale of two cultures derives from its author’s real-life experiences. Fiction is perhaps easier to write than history, but fiction can be more inspirational. The crucible that is modern-day Ethiopia deserves the attention and compassion of the West, as this eloquent work of fiction attests.
May 13, 2020
Fascinating read
I know basically nothing about the political landscape in Africa, and this was a riveting novel about Ethiopians challenging journey to democracy over three decades with the help of Help Ethiopia and a TV producer.
I know basically nothing about the political landscape in Africa, and this was a riveting novel about Ethiopians challenging journey to democracy over three decades with the help of Help Ethiopia and a TV producer.
January 5, 2020
Kep my attention from the first page to the last
March 29, 2020
Interesting read from the point of view of a Westerner trying to balance his massive charitable enterprise against a corrupt and genocidal dictator. Does one turn a blind eye to the atrocities bought with charity money in order to provide food and basic, minimal healthcare to the suffering hordes? What will developed countries ignore in order to have an “ally” in Africa? All are difficult dilemmas that are addressed and not completely answered in the book, because is there are right answer? This was an eye opening book. This was a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.
November 21, 2019
Money, blood, and conscience is a tale written with a combination of fiction and investigative journalism. It includes a political call to action for the reader and has a strategic role in Ethiopia’s recent democracy revolution.
The book emphasizes on Ethiopia’s present-day struggle for freedom. The author uses fiction to draw attention this way and succeeds in writing this book grasping the reader’s attention in portraying the battle Ethiopia faces and the heart-rending harsh situation they endure.
The literature is written with precision, containing descriptive writing. This allows the reader to raise questions and ponder over the political story.
I particularly enjoyed how masterfully the author chose to tell this fictional story, yet kept it real. I believe the book would suit anyone that enjoys political thriller stories, suspenseful and multicultural plotlines.
The book emphasizes on Ethiopia’s present-day struggle for freedom. The author uses fiction to draw attention this way and succeeds in writing this book grasping the reader’s attention in portraying the battle Ethiopia faces and the heart-rending harsh situation they endure.
The literature is written with precision, containing descriptive writing. This allows the reader to raise questions and ponder over the political story.
I particularly enjoyed how masterfully the author chose to tell this fictional story, yet kept it real. I believe the book would suit anyone that enjoys political thriller stories, suspenseful and multicultural plotlines.
October 7, 2020
I read the debut novel, Money, Blood, and Conscience, at the request of the author, David Steinman. This political drama opened my eyes even more about the situation of the people of Africa in general, and Ethiopia specifically. The author has drawn on his real-life experience to depict the holocaust being visited on the people of that country.
Buddy Schwartz is an excessively idealistic television producer who, with the best of intentions, starts a charity for victims of famine and war in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian leader who is supposed to be passing on the food and other assistance provided by the charity, gradually begins to pocket the money, and withhold the food. So begins the story of starvation, genocide, and holocaust committed by a leader on yet another generation of his own people.
So many countries in Africa and Asia have experienced their own holocaust, as evil men gain power. Clean water, medical care, and simple hygiene are kept from these people while those in power become more and more wealthy.
The story itself was intelligent, compelling, and educative. The editing, however, left a lot to be desired.
What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
I’m a stickler for the Oxford comma. Without it, the last 2 items in a sentence appear to be a pair; there were a lot of missing commas. Additionally, there were:
• several typos or misspelled works;
• singular vs. plural issues;
• verb tense disagreement;
• trade name “Jeep” not capitalized;
• people referred to as “that” instead of as “who”;
• confusing “further” with “farther”.
Buddy Schwartz is an excessively idealistic television producer who, with the best of intentions, starts a charity for victims of famine and war in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian leader who is supposed to be passing on the food and other assistance provided by the charity, gradually begins to pocket the money, and withhold the food. So begins the story of starvation, genocide, and holocaust committed by a leader on yet another generation of his own people.
So many countries in Africa and Asia have experienced their own holocaust, as evil men gain power. Clean water, medical care, and simple hygiene are kept from these people while those in power become more and more wealthy.
The story itself was intelligent, compelling, and educative. The editing, however, left a lot to be desired.
What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
I’m a stickler for the Oxford comma. Without it, the last 2 items in a sentence appear to be a pair; there were a lot of missing commas. Additionally, there were:
• several typos or misspelled works;
• singular vs. plural issues;
• verb tense disagreement;
• trade name “Jeep” not capitalized;
• people referred to as “that” instead of as “who”;
• confusing “further” with “farther”.
December 30, 2019
This wasn't as enjoyable a book as I've discovered on here. I've found a few things about it that felt derivative, and maybe 'alt-history' but it possibly went over my head. It's not a bad book, but it's not a book for me. I have to give it two stars for quality of writing, but I couldn't get into it, and found the story difficult to enjoy, so that's the best I can offer. Pretty sure that it's based around one of the big music events to raise money in the 80's (live/Band aid), and there are pastiches of the big names in there somewhere, but that felt tenuous when I finally made the link, so I could have missed the point entirely.
December 10, 2019
Interestingly informative
Steinman pens a story of fiction, based on facts in Money, Blood and Conscience. This title gives the reader information, as it tells a story. Steinman writes well, and can add the blend of both facts and fiction together in a well-told story. With pains in politics, as well as impact of politics on different cultures, and those who serve or don't wish to serve. It's a very intense and engrossing book, and very unpredictable. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
September 27, 2019
Pros
culturally relevant content for the 80s
character development
educational
organized
Cons
couldn't connect with the protagonist
full review at kaybeesbookshelf
culturally relevant content for the 80s
character development
educational
organized
Cons
couldn't connect with the protagonist
full review at kaybeesbookshelf
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews