I recently read Chuck Hogan’s book, “Devils In Exile”. I am not very good at offering up reviews of books, movies, or albums. My typical description of said items usually can be summed up by either, “Me Like” or “Me No Like”. So, my review of this book is, “Me Like”, but I would like to add that even though this book had a lot to offer in plot and action sequences my favorite part was actually the philosophy aspects. In a few parts of the book the guns take a break to cool down and Hogan’s characters are offered a chance to share their views on life and how it works. The following is offered up near the beginning of the book:
“The Tomorrow Man theory. It’s pretty basic. Today, right here, you are who you are. Tomorrow, you will be who you will be. Each and every night, we lie down to die, and each morning we arise, reborn. Now, those who are in good spirits, with strong mental health, they look out for their Tomorrow Man. They eat right today, they drink right today, they go to sleep early today – all so that Tomorrow Man, when he awakes in his bed reborn as Today Man, thanks Yesterday Man. He looks upon him fondly as a child might a good parent. He knows that someone – himself – was looking out for him. He feels cared for, and respected. Loved, in a word. And now he has a legacy to pass on to subsequent selves.
But those who are in a bad way, with poor mental health, they constantly leave these messes for Tomorrow Man to clean up. They eat whatever they want, drink like the night will never end, and then fall asleep to forget. They don’t respect Tomorrow Man because they don’t think through the fact that Tomorrow Man will be them. So then they wake up, new Today Man, groaning at the disrespect Yesterday Man showed them. Wondering why does that guy – myself – keep punishing me? But they never learn and instead come to settle for that behavior, eventually learning to ask and expect nothing of themselves. They pass along these same bad habits tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, and it becomes psychologically genetic, like a curse.” – Chuck Hogan
Okay. So, when you sit down to read a book about an army vet who joins a group of other veterans to sabotage drug deals and steal the money but ruin the drugs, you aren’t typically looking for words that will catch you off guard to the point that you stay up at night thinking about the words you read.
Since then I have found myself finishing up yard work that I would usually put of until tomorrow, staying up a few minutes extra to put away the dishes that would normally wait until the next day, making hard decisions that I had been dreading for a long long time, and even occasionally putting down the ice cream scoop a few scoops quicker than usual.
This book was priced at $7.99 and was 70% thanks to Borders going under. So for around $2.50 I received words that in my mind have played a small part in pretty dramatically altering the course of my life.
So, I must say that if you are at the book store anytime soon and notice this book just remember that Brandon HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommends NOT buying it. Think of Tomorrow Man! You could use that $7.99 for something way cooler tomorrow!
