The events of September 11, 2001, the invasion of Iraq, the threat of radical Islamists, an impending showdown with Iran--what do these things have in common? Oil. And the world is running out. The Shell Game is far more than a thriller; it is a cautionary tale that exposes the next 9/11 event, a deception that will lead to a retaliatory chemical weapons strike on Iran and the terrorist elements that the regime supports. Though written as fiction, this novel is filled with all-too-real details provided by insiders in the ...
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The events of September 11, 2001, the invasion of Iraq, the threat of radical Islamists, an impending showdown with Iran--what do these things have in common? Oil. And the world is running out. The Shell Game is far more than a thriller; it is a cautionary tale that exposes the next 9/11 event, a deception that will lead to a retaliatory chemical weapons strike on Iran and the terrorist elements that the regime supports. Though written as fiction, this novel is filled with all-too-real details provided by insiders in the oil industry, military, and Middle Eastern affairs and extrapolates from real events of the past and present a future that will lead us down a path of self-destruction, unless we stop the insanity now.In 2007 two CIA spooks meet with an American colonel in military intelligence. The war is going badly, and President Bush, who steadfastly refuses to back down, remains unchallenged at home as Democrats and Republicans continue to toss verbal grenades, positioning themselves for the 2008 elections. Meanwhile, Iran's pursuit of nuclear energy will yield enriched uranium within five years--uranium that can be used to manufacture suitcase nukes. The United States military is too drained to invade Iran, and a preemptive strike is out of the question; unless, that is, a nuclear detonation were to occur in an American city--one in which the uranium can be traced back to Iran. A US reprisal would strike a death blow to radical Islam, quell the insurgent violence in Iraq, and yield more oil. Yes, the cost is unthinkable, but sitting back and doing nothing could result in a dozen suitcase bombs going off in a dozen American cities, bringing with them anarchy and the collapse of Western civilization.December 2011. Ashley "Ace" Futrell is an oil expert working for PetroConsultants and married to Kelli Doyle, a former National Security advisor and one of the CIA spooks in the 2007 meeting. When Kelli threatens to expose the plot, Ace finds his existence hurtling down a rabbit hole of deceit in which the orchestrated lies of the powerful few could lead to the darkest days of human existence and the death knell for billions.
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Add this copy of The Shell Game to cart. $40.32, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Blackstone Audiobooks.
I've read all of Steve Alten's work. I was introduced to him in high school by one of my teachers and I've never been able to not pick up one of his books. This book is no different and I really couldn't put it down. As with all of Alten's work, it is very detailed and very well researched and I am always very intrigued. It leaves the reader looking for more research on there own time much like the Domain series. I found myself looking up other books quoted in Shell Game and trapped in this whirlwind of thought of the future ahead and the facts of the past.
If there is one book that I would say has had an overwhelming impact on me, it is this book and the picture it paints of the next few years.
F4pilot
Mar 27, 2008
Dazzling political thriller
The Shell Game, named for the game involving three shells and one ball which dates back to the Fifteenth Century, is Steve Alten's latest stand-alone novel. It's a dazzling political thriller about the end of oil and the next 9/11. It's not a conventional novel and can't be classified as fiction or nonfiction. Rather, it's a cautionary tale, backed by upsetting facts, which takes place in 2012 as oil begins to run out. I'm a fan of hard science fiction and I found this book absolutely riveting. I can't recommend it highly enough. Read it! You'll be glad you did. Steve Alten is now one of a handful of authors whose books I will buy as soon as they are released. I am eagerly awaiting his next book.
