This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Phil Harvey’s fiction has appeared in twenty-two literary magazines, including Phantasmagoria, which nominated one of his stories for a Pushcart Prize, and Antietam Review, which named another the winner of its annual contest. Most recently his work has appeared in The MacGuffin, Natural Bridge, and the Dos Passos Review.
Harvey’ nonfiction includes: Let Every Child Be Wanted, which drew praise from former President Jimmy Carter; Government Creep, which, as one reviewer noted, “proves that government has invaded virtually every nook and cranny of our lives,” and The Government vs. Erotica, which Publishers Weekly and Booklist praised, the ALA Intellectual Freedom Roundtable nominated as the year’s best book on intellectual freedom, and Media Coalition called “a frightening, enlightening story.”
By day, Phil Harvey is president of DKT International, a non-profit family planning and AIDS prevention organization, and president and majority shareholder of Adam & Eve, a mail-order business that sells sexually oriented books and films.
He lives with his wife, Harriet Lesser, in Cabin John, Maryland. He is stepfather and grandfather to several very promising kids. He welcomes emails from readers who have serious and thoughtful questions about any of his stories, novels or books.
Reviewed by Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite
Wisdom of Fools: Stories of Extraordinary Lives by Phil Harvey is made up of eight short stories. Each story is unique and has distinctive characters. Some stories are better than others, but they all make you think. Wisdom of Fools is a pretty easy read, but you may have to reread a few of the stories to make sure you understand the point Harvey is trying to make. A few of the tales I liked a lot more than others.
The Hiding Place was by far my favorite. This one is about a guy who wants to keep his favorite place in nature to himself. The story follows him through the years and the place remains very dear to him. I think everyone can relate to this because everyone has had a favorite place. The other story I really enjoyed was It’s a Wise Child. This one is about the fear of the unknown being greater than the known. This story made me want to get a DNA test on myself. Farewell Party made me ask myself what I would do if I was in that situation. I honestly do not think I could do what Ambrose did to his friend. Hunting Dora reminded me of The Hunger Games and The Purge put together. I was surprised how this one ended.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Wisdom of Fools: Stories of Extraordinary Lives. I liked that each one was different. You never knew how the stories would turn out once you began reading them. I would like to read more of Harvey’s work in the future.
