The Noah Principle—A Review
As I sit here typing this blog post, surrounded by books, I realize how fortunate I was to receive an education that taught me to read in order to seek knowledge and be entertained. I’m also lucky to live in a country that allows me to read whatever I want without state or any other kind of prohibitionary interference. Many people around our planet are not as fortunate. They are denied the opportunity to receive education, read books, gain knowledge, absorb stories, and be offered opportunity to learn different perspectives of history, love, tragedy, and faith, to name but a few aspects of our multi-faceted human condition.
Still others have fallen out of love with reading, distracted in our modern world by the cornucopia of alternative entertainment options available. But there is more to this tragedy than may at first meet the eye. To be completely honest, reading is an art, a practice that must be maintained if it is to improve over time and change the reader’s life for the better, just as it did for me. All that is needed is for a reader to find the right book for them to start (or restart) their literary journey. That is why I am here in the fortunate position of being able to read and gain knowledge, from any one of an infinite number of books, willing to share a review of an incredible book that I cannot shake from my mind.
Books and I are made for each other. Ever since I turned 10 years of age, I can’t remember a single day when I did not spend at least a little time, reading a good book. Fiction, nonfiction, horror, mystery, suspense, or a glimpse into history via historical fiction, I absolutely adore reading books.
It not only gives me a great deal of satisfaction, it provides a sense of faith, hope, confidence, and strength. Furthermore, whenever I am depressed, just looking at my shelves and stacks of books (some of which are as yet unread and beckon my attention) gives me great joy and a heart-lifting feeling of happiness and well-being. With my books I am at one with the world and in those books may lie the potential answers to many of the world’s most prescient issues. In such moments I find myself (very) loosely paraphrasing Shakespeare as I contemplate the fact that I may be just a character in my own life story.
That same feeling overwhelmed me as I read The Noah Principle.
The Noah Principle is an engrossing literary thriller that deftly interweaves a very real, very dark period of history with a suspenseful story of corruption, murder, mystery, and ethnic strife in South-East Asia.Set within the context of the 1997–1998 Asian Financial Crisis. The story revolves around the lives of Cain and Charlie, who are two ambitious young expats working for the Temple-Speer Financial Advisory in Jakarta.
As Asia’s economies are engulfed by the crisis, Cain and Charlie unwittingly become embroiled in a deadly battle of wits between their bosses which undermines their friendship. But it’s when they are trying to survive the chaos and violence erupting all over Jakarta, that their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
The Noah Principle is a well-crafted literary thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. By skillfully fusing fiction and reality, the author has created a world that is both recognizable and captivating. From the storyline to the characters, the book comes very close to perfection. The plot is fantastic and yet very believable. The extremely relatable characters tug at your heartstrings because the quality of the writing propels the reader into their world to feel their struggles, their pain, and their joy.
Having read a lot of historical fiction, I have to admit that I particularly like how the book explores the ethnic unrest in South-East Asia at the unsettling time of the Asian Financial Crisis. From niggling questions of class and social stigma in the UK, the author does a great job of redirecting the story toward the old tensions between ethnic groups in South East Asia, and ultimately onto the streets of Jakarta where those tensions explode into brutal ethnic violence. Questions still exists about the evolution of this violence and the author fills those gaps of knowledge with a powerful fiction based on rumors that still haunt the period about how powerful Indonesians tried to manipulate the situation to their advantage. The book is therefore a timely reminder of how fragile our societies actually are, and how we can all be left completely exposed to the avalanche of adverse effects that inevitably accompany the hubris displayed by those who dare to take their positions of power for granted.
The Noah Principle’s depiction of the human cost of the financial crisis is another aspect of the book that I found to be admirable and spine chilling. The author does not hold back in illustrating how the situation affected ordinary people. From the vicious street riots to the hopelessness of those who lost everything, from various overwhelming emotions and disturbing patterns of behavior, to adverse effects on society as well in the financial markets, this eye-opening read, paints a disturbing picture of how a financial crisis can breathe life into a nightmare. Furthermore, it serves as a sobering reminder that economic policies can affect people in real life and how, if we had paid more attention to the origins of the late 90s Asian Financial Crisis, we may have averted the Global Financial Crisis just 10 years later.
To get straight to the point, I heartily endorse The Noah Principle. It is a compelling, creative, well-written, and well-researched book that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Whether you love history or not, this is a book that will keep you intrigued like no other. So pick up a copy today and prepare to be transported to a fascinating world of intrigue, corruption, and danger. This compelling book is available on Amazon as an E-book, paperback or hardback.