Photo by Andrew Revkin

Andrew,

Keep on preaching the gospel Andrew. Although our youth face a dangerous future, it is only through education that we can awaken them to the problems they will face, and empower them to take on these problems as our future leaders.

As someone that recently had a book published, focusing on endangered species and a sprinkling of racism, I've heard similar rhetoric from some readers and reviewers. I think feedback, in whatever form it may take, is good. It means people are reading the book and taking an interest.

The Beast Bowl, an allegory in the spirit of Animal Farm, was written to educate and entertain. I felt by wrapping it in a football fable and using animal characters, I could possible reach male teens and young adults. That hard-to-buy-for age group, preoccupied with girls, you know, the ones that rather have a ball in their hands than a book. Finding my niche reader don't you know.

Stereotypes aside, these male teens, like all or our future advocates and leaders are faced with a world filled with high expectations at school, sports, frenetic social lives and text messaging—not necessarily in that order. With all these distractions and expectations, it's no wonder they don't have time to read and consider the environmental problems that will face them. Only through persistence and evenhanded education can we hope to reach them. I believe your doing just that.

Again keep up the good work.

Tom Chaikin
Author The Beast Bowl