Shawn Lawrence Otto Knihy

The book explores the critical role of informed citizenry in governance, as emphasized by Thomas Jefferson. It delves into the current landscape where scientific progress faces significant threats from a coordinated war on science, encompassing identity politics, ideology, and industrial interests. This conflict has led to a troubling decline in rational discourse within Western democracies, where evidence-based decision-making is increasingly overshadowed by populism and vocal minorities, affecting crucial areas like climate change, health care, and technology.

Reveals how social and policy changes are failing to support scientific research in such key areas as climate change, energy, and genetics, counseling readers on how to overcome such challenges as political denials and a lack of scientific government expertise.

The story revolves around a corrupt banker in Minnesota who, after embezzling money for his gambling habit, finds himself blackmailed by his boss. Tasked with undermining a Native American-owned bank, he unexpectedly forms genuine friendships with the community he intends to betray. As he grapples with his moral dilemmas and attempts to redeem himself, the narrative explores themes of ethics, identity, and the complexities of cultural relationships.