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I am a biochemist, dentist, and photobiologist. I have patented technologies in the areas of lasers, circadian medicine, and biofilm eradication, and am widely published in peer-reviewed journals such as Current Trends in Microbiology and Compendium. I have been writing and delivering Medical C.E. courses on the topics of Marijuana and Hallucinogens for the last six years. As a long-time fan of Robin Cook, Michael Crichton, and Dan Brown's work, I decided to write a Historical/Medical/Thriller, reminding the American public about the CIA's infamous MK-ULTRA program. I chose the Chinese angle, as the United States is now in a new Cold War with China, and America's existential battle with China is in the news daily and foremost in the public consciousness. If this book does well, I am planning sequels that expand on some of the same characters and themes as Sun Tzu's Café.
Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
Sun Tzu’s Café by Eric Bornstein is a political thriller that will keep readers glued to their seats. The experiments conducted by the U.S. during the Cold War using hallucinogenic drugs to interrogate prisoners and extract information have been turned around on them. The Chinese Communist Party has infiltrated the major universities and technical institutes of the US with a series of coffee shops that serve students more than just your average brew. Partnering with a disaffected CIA agent, the Chinese government is pouring THC compounds and hallucinogenic drugs into the coffee of the best and the brightest at universities across the United States, allowing trained baristas to easily extract information and technical knowledge from these students. Difficulties arise, however, when a small proportion of the students have a bad reaction to the drug cocktails and undergo serious psychotic episodes. When a Vermont doctor begins looking into these psychotic episodes, it is clear that the scheme is under threat and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) will do whatever it takes to keep this channel of vital technical information open. The scene is set for thrilling action and subterfuge.
Sun Tzu’s Café is a wonderful read. It has all the elements required for a tense political intrigue that is easily imaginable in today’s fractured international environment. Author Eric Bornstein has researched this topic and the history of the CIA extensively to come up with a scenario that is realistic and not at all far-fetched. A fiction author achieves his objectives when the reader starts questioning if the story is made-up, or possibly could be true. Such is the case with this story; the author’s references to current events and real people and entities give the entire story a ring of truth. I found myself constantly questioning; could this happen? Did this happen? So, kudos to the author for this clever and innovative plot. The story is related from different perspectives which gives it a depth and breadth it might otherwise have lacked. I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the character of the disaffected CIA agent and his mission to make America pay for its treatment of the early Chinese immigrants to the US and that stopping immigration at the end of the nineteenth century directly caused the deaths of thousands of Chinese, including members of his own family. As someone who appreciates the philosophies of Sun Tzu, it was wonderful to read a modern-day adventure that celebrates the teachings of this wonderful philosopher. This is an easy-to-read, fun thriller that will engage readers on many levels and I can highly recommend it.
