When the first aliens come to Earth, it is not with altruism or malicious intent, but with profit in mind. Their arrival presents great opportunities for humanity, with the offer of miracle cures and advanced technology... for the right price What will a nation pay for exclusive rights to end cancer, or to possess the first interstellar spaceship? Only mining rights to the moon, or perhaps a few metric tons of gold-for a good faith deposit. Bids run fast and furiously among many industrialized nations, but not everyone is invited to participate, seeding greater global tensions. As the nations of the planet sell the solar system's resources for a shot at tomorrow, there remain those few individuals with suspicions, but still others with almost religious devotion toward "the Visitors." Stuck in the middle is Michael Baldwin, Special Assistant Advisor to the President for Alien/Human Policy Affairs. Sometimes feeling in over his head, he is afforded opportunities few humans could have ever dreamed of, but at what price? The answer will lead him to the truth of Earth's alien benefactors, and an unlikely meeting of madmen at the crux of a madcap investigation. Snake Oil is a cynical sci-fi story of humanity's First Contact with an alien race. Full of comic relief and zany characters, it is a compelling exploration of what could happen if Earth's first alien visitors turn out to be a bit more like us, after all.