The Caduceus By Dennis Edwards PhD Plain View Press (2006) Review by William Phenn for Reader Views (3/06)

The Caduceus, an amazing book by an amazing Author. Dennis Edwards received his education at the University of Illinois. He has held positions as a College Administrator, Counselor and Teacher. He is also a Poet, Cartoonist, Writer and the Great Grandson of John Gray, one of the most prestigious Welsh poets in America. With all he has going on, it is no wonder Dennis and his wife would choose to live in the beauty and tranquility of the Ozark Mountains.

The Caduceus is Indiana Jones and James Bond wrapped in a nice package of 130 pages. Conspiracy, drama, the paranormal and a little romance for good measure. The main character (Dr. Francis Allenton) is a shy and nerdy gent that gets himself into a web of murder, intrigue and conspiracy that only Houdini could get out of. His quest for the proverbial Caduceus and his infatuation with the healing capabilities of water, lead him down a path that is both adventurous and deadly. Dr. Allenton is accompanied along this narrow path by a most striking female character, a boisterous Hospice Nurse named Cassidy Martin. Brash and outspoken, the girl knows how to get what she wants.

The way Dr. Edwards draws his characters into this dramatic sequence of events is masterful. His use of a humorous situation in the introduction of the female character (Cassidy Martin) showed me the lighter side of both her and Francis Allenton.

What these two discovered about the worlds water supply both shocked me and made me think.

What if there was a Water Cartel that was out to control the worlds water supply? What if someone could control what is in our drinking water? What if someone wanted to control a state, a country, the world? What better way, than to control that which is the source of life on this planet.

With what is happening in the world today, The Caduceus is just liable to be put on the Non-Fiction shelf. As our dependency for Oil decreases our focus will hopefully turn to quality of life and what we are doing with our world. If not, then The Caduceus will most assuredly become a non- fiction book. If youve ever wondered why there is such aggression in the world, then this book is a must read for you. If nothing else, The Caduceus brings out some very interesting things to think about. I would not be surprised to see it come out as a movie. I anxiously await the sequel giving The Caduceus my highest A+ rating, dont miss it!