The Camel Club by David Baldacci

Title: The Camel Club

Author: David Baldacci

Genre: Thriller

Summary: A man without a past and no history unravels a conspiracy theory so impossible that the president's life depends on him being right.

The Take-Away: While the book and plot were good, with a believeable build up, enjoyed it more for the social issues it raises than the plot it uncovered.

The president isn't, of course, identied as any of the current or recent administration, but the political situation remains the same. Set no later than ten years after the collapse of the World Trade Center twin towers, the Middle East continues to be divided by national and religious factions while the US leads the efforts to put the country back together. Only past foreign policy has created some of the troubles and no one wants to recognize it.

Also, while we try to put a democratic government in place, we don't understand the national division or the religious principles that guide them. Instead, the solution is a "one size fits all" without any comprehension or understanding.

It made me wonder about how history, events unable to be altered, are changed to fit the story teller. Has the US caused the bulk of the problems faced by the characters in the novel? Or is it merely the author's telling of the story? How consistent, really, is the US in its foreign policy?

I don't have any answers. I don't even have opinions at this point because I have no knowledge of the subject, other than the conjecture of the author and various hyped election campaign blurbs. Is it something I should pay attention to? Probably. But given that much of what is found in the media has been careful sculpted, by staffers of various specialties, that I still don't feel that I have the truth of what is happening. The local media does what it can with the information that they are provide, but is it enough? Shouldn't they be questioning their sources? Is investigative journalism still alive today?

I'm not sure where our country is going, but this title raises interesting points about the why we are getting there.

Recommendation: Read it with an open mind.

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