The Focus Factor [Paperback]

Darrell Bain (Author), Gerald W. Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2008

A scientist whose family is killed by illegal immigrants decides to use his research on autistic idiot-savants to discover a solution to the problem. Before long, he finds himself inextricably involved in a conspiracy to not only solve the illegal immigrant crisis, but almost every other ill besetting America.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In this near future world money is tight, medical costs are skyrocketing, gas prices are still climbing, the government is broke and corruption is everywhere... Bain and Mills have written an impressive novel of the not too distant future that will make people think about the state of American politics and how it can be changed to create a better place for us all. Many of the ideas are not new but they are very reasonable and workable. This is another of those books I've read lately that should be required reading for everyone of voting age. Kudos to all for a job well done. --Barry R. Hunter for Baryon

This is a tale with roots based on a premise not considered before, a story I am pleased to be able to highly recommend to any sci-fi fan. It will set you to thinking about the present state of affairs and what the future may hold. You'll be looking for other books by these talented authors, Darrell Bain and Gerald Mills. --Anne K. Edwards, author of The Last to Fall

About the Author

Darrell Bain is the author of about two dozen books, in many genres, running the gamut from humor to mystery and science fiction to non-fiction and a few humorous works which are sort of fictional non-fiction, if that makes any sense. He has even written for children. For the last several years he has concentrated on humor and science fiction, both short fiction, non-fiction (sort of) and novels. Darrell served thirteen years in the military and his two stints in Vietnam formed the basis for his first published novel, Medics Wild. Darrell has been writing off and on all his life but really got serious about it only after the advent of computers. He purchased his first one in 1989 and has been writing furiously ever since. While Darrell was working as a lab manager at a hospital in Texas, he met his wife Betty. He trapped her under a mistletoe sprig and they were married a year later. Darrell and Betty own and operate a Christmas tree farm in East Texas which has become the subject and backdrop for many of his humorous stories and books. Gerry Mills spent most of his first sixteen years studying the piano, reading everything in print and ruining as many staged events as possible just by appearing in them. His promising career as a concert pianist came to an end when he found it involved hard work. Instead he entered Northeastern University. In return for his promise never to return there, he was handed a degree in electrical engineering. Misreading that as encouragement, he began a career in avionics engineering. When the engineering industry learned his true value, he wisely switched to sales, but divorce unhappily followed. He later met and married Lori, continued in sales, then launched his own business, selling it ten years later. The high-speed automation and robotics industry kept him occupied until 1990, when he took a brief sabbatical with Lori, his bride of twenty-eight years by then. They set out on a 45 foot ocean-sailing yacht, managing to terrorize most of the Canadian Maritimes and eastern seaboard for over a year before ending up in the Bahamas, where fortunes ran out. Not one to fret, he immediately wrote his first novel, Then Is The Power, typing furiously to see how the story ended, while Lori plotted a course for Florida. While in Florida, he worked in automation and learned to herd nine cats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Twilight Times Books; First edition (June 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193120196X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931201964
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,651,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Focus on success, March 23, 2010

By 

Tony D. (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Focus Factor (Paperback)

The transaction was seemless. The book arrived in top condition as expected. The price was right. I was very satisfied.

3.0 out of 5 stars Like the premise, November 25, 2008

By 

Cliff Kline (Goleta, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Focus Factor (Paperback)

I liked the premise of the book. The build up was good, but the conclusion was hurried. As an aside, is this really fiction? Our government seems to be similar to the one discussed in this book!

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging political satire, October 23, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Focus Factor (Paperback)

Murray Blake is stunned as he feels his life has collapsed. First, his firm shuts down his project, ending his research into helping autistic idiot-savants when his work showed promise and is at a critical stage. Second illegal immigrants killed his family. Although he considers Alice's Red Queen is an optimist with her philosophy of perpetual running to remain in one place, he feels he fell down the rabbit hole. Still grieving, Murray ponders how pathetic the government is as it fumbles its reason for existing, deal with man-made or natural disasters.

With time on his hands, Murray decides to use his research to solve the illegal immigration issue that has caused him so much personal anguish. He tests his findings on himself. Soon afterward, the scientist becomes a key cog in a scheme to solve all of America's most vexing problems starting with illegal immigration.

THE FOCUS FACTORY is an engaging political satire that has science fiction roots. The story line lampoons the foibles of the industrial-government complex that share the common goal that the bottom line supersedes any real solutions to issues unless it feeds the bottom line. Extrapolating failures like Katrina and the Illegal Immigration responses (what happened to those two problems as they seem to have faded away during the current campaign); Darrell Bain and Gerald Mills provide a strong saga. Murray makes the tale work as a beaten down man refusing to allow the Queen of Hearts to direct her minion with "off with his head" without fighting back.

Harriet Klausner