ECONOGAL

I Know Why Old Men Plant Trees by Bob Seay is a library find that is absolutely delightful. Pinpointing the genre is a bit difficult. The story reminds me of books I loved long ago. Seay’s story is a mix of Ray Bradbury and George Orwell with a healthy dose of Dave Barry. The book can be found on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The book set in suburban Denver focuses on the Algorithm Compliance Department of Peregrine Perch, Colorado. Since Peregrine Perch has a mayor, the community is bigger than a subdivision with an HOA. But the rules and regulations remind one of such an entity. And of course, there are many departments of compliance in Peregrine Perch to keep the residents in line.

We meet Wendell Jones on an executive bonding retreat for the various compliance officers of Peregrine Perch. He is out of his natural element and quite concerned about the first day task, rock climbing in California. He completes the task and immediately quits. Both the retreat and his job.

Back in Colorado, he begins walking dogs for a living. And starts a rebellion against his old boss. Key to Wendell’s transformation from compliance officer to renegade leader for common sense laws are friends, Michael Porter, Mr. Tuttle, owner of an area landscape company, Erica, and the many residents of Peregrine Perch.

Wendell becomes a hero to all as he sabotages park landscape rules and regulations.

The overarching theme in I Know Why Old Men Plant Trees is the dark side of algorithms and artificial intelligence. Common sense goes out the window when a society tries to keep everything within a narrow window of parameters. Exceptions and anomalies are part of life, but it is easier for bureaucrats to maintain conformity. Otherwise, those in charge must engage in critical thinking to ensure fairness and justice. Algorithms and AI are restricted by their inputs. At least for now, computers cannot think for themselves.

I absolutely love this book. Well-written and edited, Mr. Seay’s work rivals many of the books I review from established publishers. So, for my followers in the field of publishing, always bombarding me to read free copies, take some time to buy a copy of I know Why Old Men Plant Trees. You might just find your next best-selling author…unless you are just an algorithm or AI bot.