The provocative ponderings and questions of a modern-day prophet will arouse the reader/listener from an easy acceptance of ready-made explanations of what may be called the good life. Each of these vignettes, presented as questions and ponderings, is a launching pad for a sermon, a group discussion, or personal reflection and growth. Through a lifelong commitment to the classroom and a careful examination of the institutions of our times, Dr. Francisco reaches through the disillusionment spread across American culture for the past forty years to consider values... and restores a reasoned foundation upon which we can build anew. Dr. Francisco's style is easy, almost casual, but the questions he poses will keep you on the edge of your chair... this book is a must-read. Clyde O. Rogers Executive Director (retired) Duluth Bethel Society Dr. Francisco is a distinguished teacher who combines dispassionate scholarly discipline with passion for human culture... look, and you will find the incisive critique, the prophetic bit, on nearly every page. Watch out! Paul Nicely Emeritus Professor Methodist Theological School in Ohio If you are questioning the values that are pushed at us today and wondering if you are alone, this book is for you. Dr. Francisco addresses social and spiritual issues that plague us and reduces them to manageable dimensions... this book will make you think! Bonnie C. McNurlen, Ed.D. Des Moines, Iowa Noel Francisco earned the A.B., M.A., and B.D. degrees from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, and his Ph.D. from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. He has taught sociology at Albion College, Albion, Michigan; Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois; Lycoming College, Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and the University of Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, Wisconsin. He has directed the Lycoming Center for the Study of Democratic Living and for twelve years served as president of the board of directors of the Duluth Bethel Society, an organization which works primarily with chemically dependent individuals.