sub-title -- The Challenge and Response of A Purpose-Driven Life The Cold War had heated up and the President had sent his assistant, Sam Radford, on a mission to Paris to try to negotiate a settlement and prevent a major catastrophe threatening to destroy civilization. In the meantime, Sam's personal life -- his previous romance with Sylvia and his marriage to, and love for, Sheila -- struggled under the pressures of his mission. Could Sam's marriage survive the many separations required by his mission? Could Sylvia, who had known Sam since high school, carve out a niche in his life? Could Sheila, a genteel Southern country girl, fit into Sam's world?