This Sci-fi series is immensely intriguing and I'm impressed with James for not shying away from very difficult questions regarding our current society. The author is also willing to extrapolate his suggestion for improvement to a very big problem our current generation faces and doesn't hesitate to look at the good, the bad and the ugly in his treatise on the subject.
Research shows that our current education system is rigged against boys, meaning that they, on average, are failing at school and are unable to integrate into our modern work environment. Anyone noticing the trend in men living with their parents well into adulthood, the increase in young men "traveling the world" to "find themselves" will recognise the basic concern Paul James addresses in this series. I am impressed by how much consideration the author has given this subject matter and how clearly he presents his very believable, possible future. It is quite sobering to see how close to the edge we could be. The collapse James describes is eminently possible and I appreciate the detail he goes into in order to illustrate what his particular premise could lead to in the near future. It is an interesting and worthy consideration. I take my hat off to this author for having the guts to take on such a difficult and contested subject.
The Modest Proposal Institute is the brainchild of an elderly man, Dean Swift, who theorises around the current situation the world is facing with overpopulation, rampant capitalism powered by unsustainable sources of fuel, and where boys are failing at school and young men are not coping with life. His modest proposal is an institute envisioned to re-establish the balance by offering boys a system of learning that matches their fortes and nurturing their potential. The theory is something of a utopian treatise and James indicates how utopian visions are always flawed. So, although the theory is sound, even the Institute will risk collapse, but is it the dangers within or those without which will prove more perilous?
Each of the books in the series adds a new perspective to the story, deepening the reader's understanding of opposing forces and the ultimate core of human nature that swirls with both good and evil. James examines in great detail how even the best intentions can be twisted when the interests behind them are not pure. The series also highlights the precept from transformational lore, that to do good, we have to stay true to ourselves by doing things in alignment with our core values. The author is in no way daunted by the difficult subject of navigating questions about what is right and what is wrong and the varying shades of grey in between.
Additionally, there are fantastic parallels to William Golding's Lord of the Flies. James similarly discusses the nature of boys, but he actually comes to a different conclusion from Golding. If Lord of the Flies fuelled the belief that boys are animals who need to be tamed by civilised culture, then James accepts that boys are competitive, but their natural drives can be focused to bring good to society. This is a powerful message, removing the stigma from boyish behaviour and instead encouraging a change in perspective from all of society. There is loads of food for thought, for teens and adults alike. I highly recommend!
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