They Call It Living is a work of fiction encompassing themes of innocence, omnipotence, ruin, salvation, redemption and creation. Its themes are embodied in four successive couplets of poem by the author that start each section of the work: Innocence (Earth), Omnipotence (Sky), Ruin (Sea), and Salvation and Redemption (Island). These themes constitute the transition for the main character, Jay Raymond Kimmellmass, from the easy going, heady years of first successes as a junior trader in the world of finance to the more sober yet happier years of a fuller life that includes self awareness and responsibility beyond self. The central cast of characters are thirty-somethings (one is forty) living primarily in New York City (one in Washington, D.C. Virginia surrounds). A secondary cast includes numerous supporting characters of varying ages, cultural backgrounds, and points of view. The central story is colorfully flesh-out with local mores as presented through the detail of the supporting characters. The action takes place in and around new York City, eastern Long Island, France, and the Caribbean island of Dominica.