I'm a healthy and active 72 year old and living in semi-retiement with my wife, Olga, and son, Sergiy. When such issues mattered, I earned 3 academic degrees, worked for the government for 20 years, and in the private sector for 25 years. Now, my focus has narrowed to the gentler arts of reading, writing, golfing, and sharing knowledge and experiences.

The New American Challenge is my first book although I've been writing for about 40 years. It is a survivor's guide to everyday economics and market choices. Don't look for a textbook with lots of boring charts and data. It is a hard critical look at life in America. I've made the argument that life is good for about 20 percent, and not so good for the other 80 percent. Clearly, there is nothing startling in that observation. But when anyone tries to move up the economic ladder, obstacles appear at every entry point. That journey is the most formidable challenge you are likely to ever confront. You are not welcome to join the "top 20 percent" club. There are roadblocks everywhere. The first step in overcoming these obstacles is to know that they exist, why they exist, where they exist, and how to overcome them. You can spend a lifetime (as I did) learning about them in the school of hard knocks. A few hours with this book can help trim 20 rough years off your journey.

I've also written a lot of essays and some poetry, some of which are posted on AuthorsDen.com. Stop by and read them if you can. There are many, many interesting books and authors on that website, just as you will find here.

I'm currently gathering data for a follow up to this book. It should be ready for publication by next year.