3 out of 4 stars
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War and Vegetables by Robert Run mainly focuses on the hardships faced by the middle class during modern day corporatism. The story begins with Paul Poznan, who has failed college, going on a road trip to his hometown, Sunny Knoll, Wisconsin, with his girlfriend Alexandra Chase, called Alex. Because of his academic fail, his girlfriend's parents, Ross and Sherry Chase, are concerned about Alex's decision to quit school and stay with Paul. Yet Alex comforts them, saying that Paul has chalked out a plan. Upon arriving home, they contact Paul's childhood friend, Spiro Young, known as Mint, who runs Stellar Gas, a gas station set up by both his (Michael and Angel Young) and Paul's parents (Keith and Valerie Poznan). They find out that Keith would be meeting them soon and ponder about the decisions he might ask them to make.
Theirs being a gas station stocked with all the essential groceries as well, the trio finds out that a lot of sale has gone down because of supermarkets and the like. Hence, they agree to Keith Poznan's idea of hosting a Farmer's Market. The rest of the story focuses on their planning and preparation for farmers to meet directly with the consumers and not to be cheated by any middlemen. In this process, they definitely find more helpers (their friends and the local community) and well-wishers than haters. But even a few haters can spoil all the fun.
Thus, the story of War and Vegetables is one of determination and perseverance. It is a tale which inspires any person to become a successful businessperson whilst being a helpful and caring one. It shows that even when you want to be on top, you must be considerate to the ones holding your ladder for you. It also relates the struggle faced everyday by the agriculture class, working to make our lives healthier and happier. In other words, it was a bridge between age old professions and technical advancement.
It was really hard to rate this book. The fact was that it was a real page-turner. But: one, I found too many grammatical errors and way too much unnecessary capitalization; two, the climax wasn't as mind-blowing as I expected it would be; and three, I felt that there was some inappropriate foul language used. Hence, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I feel really bad because it was overall a good read and deserved 4 stars just for the flow.
Little explanations about Mint's inventions and Paul's spontaneous writing adds a personal touch to the book, highlighting the fun excursions we have within our own selves. Overall, I believe that this book is an inspiration for all those who feel depressed in life and are unwilling to take a different path. You never know, a new path might be just a little prettier.
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War and Vegetables
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