Acclaimed author George Putney, through numerous "Short Works," has continued his insightful and revealing observations of the cultural, technological, and historical forces that have brought our society to its present state. Among his musings are how we would be viewed by a future alien society, thoughts about the interaction between man and God, and reminisces about the magician and mystic, Joe Dunninger, whose voice was recognized only second to Franklin Roosevelt. Putney then turns his attention to Dick Wilson Associates which, through a series of adventures, reveals how entrepreneurism and business have evolved over the decades, for both better and worse. In 'Manchester-by-the-Sea', we learn of the seedy and corrupt underbelly of one of America's wealthiest communities. Of particular delight to everyone who has read Putney's first three novels, "The Crab Trilogy," we are once again thrust into the world of John Boxford and Dante Ferrante as they untangle the mysteries of nursing home care, organ transplant, and human cloning. No modern author has quite the visionary bent as George Putney, and his "Short Works" is another must read for anyone who strives to understand the forces that have created our modern world.