The post Climate Change and the Gods’ Revenge: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Angry Weather (We Never Did). appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
You speak today of climate change.
We spoke of angry gods.
Before you congratulate yourselves on your progress, let me say this:
we took the weather more seriously than you do.
On Weather That Refuses to Behave
When storms worsened in Athens, when seasons lost their manners, when heat lingered too long or rain arrived like an invading army, we paid attention. We argued about causes, certainly, but no one said, “This is normal, stop worrying.”
That would have sounded mad.
Instead, we asked what we had done to offend the gods. Had we grown arrogant? Wasteful? Excessive? Had we taken more than our share and congratulated ourselves for it?
You ask whether the data is complete.
We asked whether our behaviour was to blame.
The Advantage of Superstition
Laugh if you like, but superstition has one excellent quality:
it encourages restraint.
If you believe nature can retaliate, you tread carefully. If you believe the world exists solely to be used, optimised and extracted from, you don’t.
We lacked science.
You lack fear.
I am not suggesting you revive Zeus. I am suggesting you remember humility.
Signs, Omens and Human Denial
In Athens, strange weather was a message. Perhaps a foolish one, but at least we listened. We debated it in public. We adjusted rituals. We worried.
You have better instruments and worse instincts.
You measure. You model. You argue endlessly about causes while the signs grow louder. Floods, fires, winds that arrive like armies and leave like conquerors.
When reality raises its voice, denial becomes an art form.
Why Comedy Took Notice
Comedy exists to point at excess before it becomes catastrophe. I mocked men who believed the gods could be ignored, bribed or managed.
They always laughed – until the harvest failed.
Your world mocks concern as weakness. You call restraint pessimism. You treat caution as an insult to progress.
Athens did this too, near the end. It did not end well.
The Gods We Replaced
You no longer fear the gods. You fear inconvenience.
You do not ask what must change. You ask what can be postponed. This is not wisdom. It is procrastination dressed as debate.
We believed nature had limits because we believed it could punish us. You believe it has limits because a chart says so.
One of these beliefs encourages care.
The other encourages delay.
A Reflection from a Superstitious City
Athens was wrong about many things.
But we were right about this: the natural world does not negotiate.
Call it Zeus.
Call it physics.
Call it feedback loops.
The name does not matter. The consequences do.
So I leave you with a thought from an old, anxious, weather-watching civilisation:
We feared the gods and learned caution.
You trust yourselves and call it confidence.
When the weather grows angrier still, ask yourselves…
did abandoning superstition make you wiser…
or merely less attentive?
The post Climate Change and the Gods’ Revenge: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Angry Weather (We Never Did). appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post Interview with Liam Robert Mullen, author of The Nationalists appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I was born in London but grew up in Dublin. I now live in Rosslare, in County Wexford, but once a Dub always a Dub.
Why do you write?
Something I’ve felt I could do since I was a teenager.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Stuff I read or listen to spark ideas.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Which genre. I work across multiple genres. I don’t like been pigeonholed.
How would you describe your writing process?
Lots and lots of work. It never ends.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
A wider audience perhaps but it can be a two-edged sword.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Never give up on your dreams.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
Titles come easy to mind and are sometimes the trigger. I work with a London crowd for my covers. Sometimes Amazon stock covers can be quite good and I have received positive feedback on these too.
What’s your next step?
Getting more and more work out there.
What book do you wish you had written?
HMS Ulysses by Alastair McLean.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
If it is a bad review, I’ll tend to change things within the book.
The post Interview with Liam Robert Mullen, author of The Nationalists appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post Coyote Valley by Jan Sloane appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
Keri Quinn enters a correctional facility on a covert mission for a tabloid magazine to investigate Jared Howerton, a disgraced reality television star serving time for assault, expecting to uncover a scandal. What begins as a straightforward assignment quickly evolves into something far more complex as Keri finds herself navigating a volatile environment shaped by inmate rivalries, gang tensions, and the often-blurred boundaries between prisoners and guards.
As the stakes rise, what begins as a straightforward investigation evolves into a far more personal journey.
Her growing connection with Trevor Westbrook, Jared’s cellmate, an inmate with reasons to distrust her, adds emotional complexity to the story.
Their evolving relationship unfolds naturally against a backdrop of uncertainty. As violence escalates within the prison between prisoners, as well as guards and prisoners, and someone close to Keri becomes a casualty of the brewing conflict, the narrative shifts into a gripping tale of loyalty, sacrifice, and courage.
One of the novel’s most interesting strengths is Keri herself. While she initially appears somewhat untested, she grows into a determined and resourceful protagonist whose fierce protective instincts define her character. Her affection for Kawaii, a striking coyote living within the prison compound, adds warmth and emotional texture to the story. The novel’s prison setting is particularly effective, providing a tense and unpredictable atmosphere where loyalties shift quickly, every decision carries consequences, and danger lurks where least expected.
More than a simple love story, Coyote Valley explores trust, resilience, and the lengths people will go to protect those they love. The result is an entertaining and heartfelt novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy romance wrapped in genuine suspense. Rating: ★★★★★ ,” The International Review of Books.
The post Coyote Valley by Jan Sloane appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post The Anomaly: A Time-Phase Slip by Robert G. Williscroft appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
“The Anomaly drew me in with a single, unforgettable question: “Was the anomaly a system failure… or four human beings with the right to exist?” It is the kind of question that transcends genre, reaching into the deepest mysteries of identity, consciousness, and what it truly means to be human.
From that moment, I was captivated.
Robert G. Williscroft has written far more than an epic of space and time. Beneath its sweeping scope lies an intensely human story, one in which courage, sacrifice, memory, and love become the forces that shape reality itself. Jax Harlan, Mira Thorne, Kai Okafor, and Asha Dey are not simply protagonists navigating extraordinary circumstances; they are fully realised individuals whose choices carry genuine emotional and philosophical weight.
The finest novels dissolve the boundaries of genre, replacing familiar expectations with wonder, and The Anomaly accomplishes precisely that.
Its speculative ideas are bold, but they never overwhelm the narrative. Instead, they illuminate the characters’ journeys, inviting the reader to reflect on destiny, free will, and the enduring significance of individual lives.
If I have one reservation, it is only that the richness of this world seems to demand even more space. The material could easily have sustained a remarkable trilogy.
The Anomaly is an ambitious, intelligent, and deeply moving novel that lingers long after the final page. It is a rare work that satisfies both the imagination and the heart, reminding us that the greatest journeys through space ultimately lead inward, to the enduring mystery of what it means to exist.” The International Review of Books.
THE ANOMALY: TIME PHASE SLIP is available for pre-order on Amazon.
The post The Anomaly: A Time-Phase Slip by Robert G. Williscroft appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post Tall Trees Catch a Lot of Wind (Soft Cover) by John Schwartz appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
A foxhunt in the Virginia countryside ends in death.
What begins as a tragic accident soon exposes a world of buried secrets, corruption, and violence hidden behind wealth and tradition.
The powerful Belmington family of Middleburg has everything—money, influence, horses, and a respected bank. But when Detective John Taylor investigates the suspicious death, he uncovers fractures inside the dynasty that threaten to destroy them all.
As evidence leads toward a violent militia operating deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Belmington brothers fight to protect both their empire and themselves. William Belmington struggles to preserve the family’s honor, while Marilyn Belmington—brilliant, ambitious, and caught between loyalty and truth—finds herself pulled toward a reckoning that could change everything.
Set against the elegant world of Virginia hunt country, Tall Trees Catch a Lot of Wind is a gripping thriller of power, betrayal, family legacy, and the dangerous secrets hidden behind privilege.
The post Tall Trees Catch a Lot of Wind (Soft Cover) by John Schwartz appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post Why Smart New Writers Are Entering the Writers of the Future Contest And What You Gain—Even If You Don’t Win appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
But there’s another path—one that many successful writers quietly take early in their careers:
They test their work where it actually matters.
That’s exactly what the Writers of the Future Contest offers—a rare combination of professional-level validation, free training, and a built-in writing community designed specifically for new voices.
And right now, with the release of Writers of the Future Volume 42 this Tuesday, there’s no better time to take a closer look.
A Contest Built for New Writers—Not Industry Insiders
Unlike many competitions, the Writers of the Future Contest is intentionally designed for aspiring and developing writers, not established professionals.
- It’s free to enter
- Open to writers with limited or no professional publication history
- Judged blindly by bestselling authors and industry professionals
- Open quarterly—so you can keep improving and re-entering
That last point matters. You’re not getting one shot—you’re getting a repeatable opportunity to grow. In fact, each quarter quality entries are acknowledged as being honorable mentions and silver honorable mentions, even if not selected as a finalist (a validation well-deserved).
And because judging is anonymous, the only thing that counts is the story on the page—not your credentials or connections. It is genuinely inclusive – authors of all races, nationality, ages, and gender compete on equal ground.
This international writing competition has been running for 42 years. It was created and endowed by L. Ron Hubbard, one of the genre’s greats as a means for, as he put it, “new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.”
He understood the importance of the author’s creativity and the challenge of getting started:
“A culture is as rich and as capable of surviving as it has imaginative artists. The artist is looked upon to start things. The artist injects the spirit of life into a culture. And through his creative endeavors, the writer works continually to give tomorrow a new form.
“In these modern times, there are many communication lines for works of art. Because a few works of art can be shown so easily to so many, there may even be fewer artists. The competition is very keen and even dagger sharp.” ―L. Ron Hubbard, 1985, Writers of the Future Vol 1 Introduction
What You Really Gain (Beyond Prizes)
Yes, there are cash prizes—up to $5,000 for the annual grand prize.
But focusing only on the money misses the bigger picture.
Writers who engage with the contest consistently gain:
1. A Professional Benchmark for Your Writing
This isn’t a popularity contest—it’s judged by working authors who know what sells and what resonates. Judges include genre legends like Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Hugh Howey, Nnedi Okafor, Jody Lynn Nye, Larry Niven and may others.
Entering means asking a powerful question: “Is my story competitive at a professional level?” That kind of feedback loop is hard to find elsewhere.
2. A Free Writing Workshop
One of the most valuable resources is its free online writing workshop.
It covers:
- Story structure and narrative flow
- Character development
- Openings that hook readers
- When to “show” vs. when to “tell”
And it’s taught by accomplished authors, not generic instructors.
In other words, you don’t need to win the contest to benefit from it—you can level up your craft immediately.
3. A Built-In Writing Community
Writing can be isolating. This contest quietly solves that with resources like their active Writers Forum
Many entrants become part of what’s often called the “Writers of the Future community”—a network of writers who:
- Share insights and feedback
- Study past winning stories
- Improve together over multiple submissions
That sense of shared progression is something most indie writers don’t have—and it can accelerate your growth.
4. Real Career Momentum (If You Win)
For winners, the opportunity expands fast:
- Publication in a widely read anthology
- A professional-level workshop experience
- Industry exposure and credibility
Winners are also invited to a dedicated training week and awards event, where they learn directly from established authors and publishing professionals. [add photos of event winners and the dragon with Cireulo
This isn’t just recognition—it’s career acceleration.
Why Volume 42 Matters (And Why You Should Read It)
With Writers of the Future Volume 42 launching this week, you have a unique advantage: You can see exactly what winning stories look like right now.
Reading the anthology gives you:
- A feel for current storytelling standards
- Insight into tone, pacing, and originality that stands out
- A clearer target for your own submissions
- Articles with tips to improve your skill by legends of the genre: Larry Niven and L. Ron Hubbard
Think of it as reverse-engineering success.
Instead of guessing what judges want, you can study proven examples.
And, for your inner-geek, who just loves a great story, you’ll meet the future of sci-fi and fantasy in twelve fresh voices and exclusive tales by Orson Scott Card and Nina Kirki Hoffman (and a bonus classic military SF short story by L. Ron Hubbard). From time warps to monsters, fairy-tale quests to VR romance, this anthology delivers innovation, emotion, and unforgettable adventure.
Read it. That is really the best way to immerse yourself in this community.
A Smart Way to Approach the Contest
If you’re considering entering, don’t treat it as a “one-off gamble.”
Treat it like a professional submission:
- Read recent winning stories (start with Volume 42)
- Go through the free workshop
- Write and submit your best story
- Learn, refine, and submit again next quarter
Because the real advantage isn’t just winning.
It’s becoming the kind of writer who can win and publish what they write.
Final Thoughts
This is one of the few “no-risk, high-reward” opportunities in publishing.
There’s no entry fee. You keep your rights. And even if you don’t place, you walk away with stronger skills and clearer direction.
That’s rare.
This year I attended the Gala and had an opportuniy to meet the Contest Admistrataor, Joni Labaqui, personally (she has Irish blood – and proud of it), as well as many of the staff and genre legends who select the winning stories each year. Being part of this event was an emotional experience. So much creativity and support of new talent–totally aligned with my purpose.
For Books Go Social authors—and especially those attending the Dublin Writers Conference—this is exactly the kind of opportunity worth leveraging:
One that improves your craft, expands your network, and puts your work in front of the right eyes.
And with a new volume releasing this week, there’s no better moment to start.
Quick resource links:
Enter the Contest (free):
Join the Community:
The post Why Smart New Writers Are Entering the Writers of the Future Contest And What You Gain—Even If You Don’t Win appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post Interview with Elmont Kristiansen, author of Forty-Nine appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I was raised in the southeastern United States, but my favorite places on earth are in the desert. The desert plains, dramatic mountains and broad skies are inspirational.
Why do you write?
I am driven by the narratives that pop up in my imagination. I ignored them for a long time, but I found a great sense of enjoyment out of bringing them to the written page.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
I’ve been following UFO disclosure as a topic for many years. I always found it interesting that the threat angle has been pervasive in Hollywood and in the recent disclosure chatter. What if we have it wrong? That’s the premise that I started exploring in Forty-Nine
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
I enjoy the variation of themes, tropes and general flexibility in the science fiction genre. It can span from a space opera to an exploration of a troubling mathematic proof.
How would you describe your writing process?
I usually start with a scenario or even a scene in my imagination. From there, I’ll form around that initial idea the outline of the narrative, the characters at play and how these come together. I’ll also usually start collecting snippets of dialogue that support the plot direction, before finally writing and assembling scenes.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
Audience is the most important thing an author can gain from social media. Not sales, not likes, but a forum to find the readers that connect with your work.
What advice would you have for other writers?
I have two pieces of advice:
One, surround yourself with the support you need as a writer. It’s a tough business putting your hard work out there into the world. Find editors and writing partners that can help prepare your work to be the best it can be.
Secondly, trust your gut. Ultimately, your writing is your own and you owe it to yourself and your readers to reflect that intuition you have in your work.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
For titles, I try to find as singularly as possible, the core notion of the piece, even if it’s not immediately apparent. Forty-Nine is titled this way for a reason, but the reason for the title in my next novel, Vanish, is evident early on.
For covers, I really try to match the cover to the mood and audience. For Forty-Nine, I went more abstract with bold typography because it communicated the novel is more on the literary side of the fence than a pure genre novel. My next novel, Vanish, will focus more on the relational tension it covers.
What’s your next step?
I’m working to get my next novel, Vanish, out this year. I also have two novellas I’d like to prepare for 2027 release. I’m also working on scenes and outline the follow up to Forty-Nine.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
When I see a new review or rating, I get very excited. It means someone took the time to read my work, but also were so moved by it to write a review.
The post Interview with Elmont Kristiansen, author of Forty-Nine appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post AI in Marketing and Publishing World by Sheryl Lee appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
You can also embrace it and use AI tools to assist in the writing process to speed things up, help with sentence structure, inspiration, or in some cases, write the entire manuscript. Many authors are choosing this route, and inevitably there are those who are using AI tools to churn out multiple novels in the hopes of making a quick dollar.
This means the market is becoming saturated with AI written books, which makes it harder for your book to be seen. Savvy marketing is more important than ever, and producing a great book with an eye-catching cover is vital. Readers are learning what an AI written book and AI generated cover look like, and a lot avoid them.
Books written in conjunction with or entirely by AI tools have a robotic feel to them that often makes them bland. They contain formulaic sentences and phrases, can have errors in continuity, character development and grammar and can be ‘flat’. AI, after all, mimics genuine human emotion; it can’t truly feel. It chooses words and phrases from a huge well of human-written work and applies them emotionlessly. It follows the rules of grammar, but does not know when to break those rules or when there is a grey area, where the technically correct grammatical choice is the wrong one. These are the issues with AI written books that have been published without a human touching them, especially using less sophisticated tools.
It is far cheaper and quicker, of course, to use AI to generate covers and books, and to edit them. However, without human input in these phases of publishing, the finished product has an AI feel to it that is increasingly being noticed by readers. Humanising AI output has become a business, but a lot of this humanising is being done by yet another programme and not by a human.
There is nothing wrong with using AI to help you write, and using it for initial editing and basic cover design. But before you publish, get your manuscript copy edited and/or proofread by a human editor. Let a person add the warmth and quirks that characterise humans, as well as improving the often repetitive and generic sentence structure and word choice generated by AI tools. Likewise, using AI to help decide on your cover is great, but use a human cover designer who will give that cover depth and meaning, so it stands out and catches the human eyes skimming titles and covers, looking for a good book.
In the future, AI will improve and even the most basic of AI programmes will be better at mimicking human emotions. But even then, I hope the creative process of writing, editing, and cover design is done by people. Storytelling, the creative process of making an entire world and populating it with people who exist only within the pages of a book, be it physical or electronic, is part of what makes us human. It would be a shame to lose that.
The post AI in Marketing and Publishing World by Sheryl Lee appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post The Illusion of Insurance appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
In contemporary culture, the American insurance industry invests trillions of dollars across a range of assets while receiving hundreds of billions in annual premiums. It is among the most politically powerful and financially advanced sectors in the economy. Like many other strongholds of modern corporate capitalism, it is guided by a strict legal mandate that prioritizes shareholder returns in corporate executives’ decision-making. The unyielding principle of maximizing shareholder value has increasingly conflicted with the fundamental purpose of insurance as originally designed. Many Americans no longer perceive insurance as a symbol of protection and security, but rather as a continual struggle.
The modern insurance industry, including auto, health, life, and property, has been markedly restructured by aggressive cost reduction, consolidation, financialization, and political influence. Critics maintain that the result is an industry that extracts wealth from policyholders while minimizing its obligations to them. The central business strategy has become quite simple: collect as much as possible and pay out as little as possible.
In the early days of America, insurance models were mutual societies in which farmers, merchants, and neighbors pooled funds to protect one another against various forms of financial loss. Frequently, these organizations were owned by their members, and profits were returned to policyholders as lower premiums or dividends. This incentive structure strongly supported policyholders and was consistent with the true purpose of insurance.
However, during the twentieth century, insurance became increasingly concentrated in large shareholder-owned enterprises. As these companies grew, they diversified into financial conglomerates. They used insurance premiums, which were paid in advance, as an enormous source of investable capital. Companies realized that they could generate handsome profit not only from underwriting risk but also from investing the so-called “float,” the accumulated premium funds retained before claims were paid. This realization profoundly affected the industry’s priorities. Rather than treating their policyholders as valued members, companies increasingly treated them as potential revenue streams. They became vehicles for wealth accumulation, with little concern for financial risk. Theoretically, insurance companies are in the business of helping policyholders to effectively manage risk. In reality, the conflict between that noble mission and the pressure of shareholder demands is characteristic of the modern American insurance industry.
There is a simple formula that insurance companies rely on to boost profitability: premiums collected minus claims paid minus administrative costs equals profit. These companies are strongly incentivized to continually increase premiums and reduce claims paid. These strategies have been carefully refined over the past few decades. Insurance executives frequently justify premium increases by citing actuarial risk models, rising costs, and macroeconomic conditions. However, in many markets, rate hikes have outpaced inflation and wage growth. Consumers are often required by law to carry auto insurance, by mortgage contracts to carry homeowners insurance, and by public policy to obtain health coverage, giving them limited leverage. Insurance companies have also developed increasingly advanced methods to reduce payouts. Critics of the industry have referred to this as the “business of denial.”
The ethical contradiction in this scenario is aptly illustrated by the issue of health coverage. Each paid health insurance claim is a cost, and each authorized treatment reduces margins. This creates an obvious conflict between medical necessity and corporate profitability. Over the past two decades, large publicly traded insurance companies, including UnitedHealth Group, The Cigna Group, and Elevance Health, have grown into massive corporations earning billions in annual profits. Executive compensation agreements commonly are in the tens of millions of dollars. Stock buyback programs also return billions more to investors. At the same time, patients struggle to navigate prior authorizations, coverage details, and time-consuming appeals processes.(36)
Prior authorization requires physicians to obtain insurer approval before performing certain procedures or prescribing certain medications. Insurers maintain that this requirement prevents unnecessary care and reduces waste. However, critics counter that it delays treatment, inconveniences providers, and is frequently used strategically to discourage the use of expensive care. In recent years, insurers have utilized automated systems and artificial intelligence to review large numbers of claims. This has led to investigations and lawsuits alleging that some companies quickly deny many claims, sometimes without an individual inspection. The negative impact on patients is significant, including delayed chemotherapy and denied rehabilitation services. Patients are forced to choose between financial hardship and simply not being treated at all. When denial becomes commonplace, the original commitment of insurance, security, and peace of mind is supplanted by bureaucratic conflict.
In many states, health insurance markets are highly concentrated. A relatively small number of companies monopolize employer coverage and individual plans. Consolidation reinforces bargaining power over hospitals and doctors, but it also reduces competition for consumers. Policyholders are left with fewer alternatives when premiums increase or networks decrease. Critics claim that consolidation has transformed insurance companies into monitors with exceptional influence over both prices and patient access.
Property insurance can cause policyholders considerable stress in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires test the validity of insurance contracts during such times. In theory, claims adjusters generally arrive promptly to survey the damage and file a report. Policies are expected to be honored, enabling families to quickly rebuild. However, in practice, policyholders often report underpayment, delays, or outright denials of their claims.
A noteworthy illustration of this unfortunate scenario is Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Thousands of homeowners filed claims for extreme wind damage. One major insurance company in the ensuing controversy was State Farm. Litigation contended that the company improperly attributed the wind damage to flooding, damage covered by a federal flood program rather than private insurance, thus reducing its own liability. The legal battles were protracted, preventing many families from rebuilding their homes for years. Katrina became symbolic of a broader accusation: that, in the most vulnerable moments of policyholders’ lives, insurers seek loopholes.(37)
As climate change intensifies storms and wildfires, insurance companies have responded with premium increases, stricter underwriting guidelines, and even complete withdrawal from high-risk regions. In states such as California and Florida, homeowners have seen rates rise dramatically or have had policies simply not renewed. Insurers contend that actuarial risk necessitates these drastic adjustments. Critics argue that insurance companies have been amassing substantial profits for decades but have retreated in the face of potential losses. Frequently, the burden is transferred to state-backed insurers of last resort, socializing risk after corporations have privatized significant gains.
Insurance contracts are highly complex, with pages of conditions, definitions, exclusions, and procedural requirements that govern coverage. A policyholder’s ability to file a lawsuit may be limited by arbitration clauses, and strict deadlines can invalidate otherwise legitimate claims. This complexity is by design to favor the insurance company in the event of a dispute. Corporations employ teams of attorneys and adjusters, whereas individual policyholders generally cannot afford to do so. A family attempting to negotiate a denied claim must interpret complex legal language, gather relevant documentation, and address appeals, often while managing the crisis that the insurance was intended to mitigate.
Insurance companies have spent billions of dollars on stock repurchase programs, according to public filings. These buybacks raise share prices and earnings per share, directly benefiting shareholders and increasing executive compensation connected to stock performance. It is not uncommon for these companies to announce record profits while policyholders struggle with premium increases and claim disputes. A dramatic illustration of conflicting incentives occurred during the 2008 financial crisis. American International Group (AIG) became heavily exposed to mortgage-backed derivatives and required an enormous federal bailout to prevent a total collapse. Subsequently, it became public that the company intended to pay substantial bonuses to its executives in its financial products division. Predictably, the public outcry was immediate. The company had been rescued from collapse by taxpayer funds, yet company executives appeared quite willing to reward themselves. This is yet another example of a recurring theme in corporate America: financial risk is socialized while reward is privatized.
Auto insurance occupies an enviable position in the United States. In almost every state, drivers are legally obligated to carry coverage, essentially creating a captive market. Auto insurance advertising entices consumers with the promise of savings, simplicity, and friendly service. However, maximizing profit depends on precise underwriting and claims management. Companies determine appropriate premiums based not only on driving history but also on credit scores, ZIP codes, and advanced data analytics. Critics contend that these factors can magnify socioeconomic disparities, leading to higher rates charged to marginalized communities. Claims disputes regarding liability, medical coverage, and vehicle valuation, are frequent. Policyholders often feel compelled to accept low settlement offers rather than endure time-consuming coverage disputes. This structure clearly favors the company.
The insurance industry is one of the most active lobbying groups in America, maintaining a notable presence in Washington and many state capitals. Corporate political action committees and trade groups contribute heavily to campaigns and lobby regarding legislation affecting consumer protections, liability, and regulation. Individual states are primarily responsible for regulating the insurance industry. This decentralized system can encourage regulatory competition but also disrupt regulatory oversight. Generally, lobbying efforts focus on reforms that threaten profitability, such as limits on premium increases, stricter claim rules, public insurance options, or expanded consumer remedies. Critics contend that political influence enables insurers to strongly affect the rules governing their accountability.
The human cost imposed by insurance disputes can be significant. It can place a great burden on a cancer patient whose treatment is delayed by administrative obstacles, or a homeowner forced to live in a damaged house due to protracted negotiations. It can also be highly inconvenient for a small business owner waiting months for coverage after a major fire. The emotional stress caused by insurance disputes cannot be overestimated. These disputes often require meticulous documentation, dogged persistence, and even legal assistance. This results in a dramatic erosion of trust for the industry.
Insurance companies counter by noting that they operate in inherently unpredictable environments. Catastrophic weather events, fraud, rising healthcare costs, and litigation trends all impact profitability. They contend that denying fraudulent or unnecessary claims supports the larger risk pool and maintains premium affordability. They also pay out substantial sums annually and note that regulatory oversight helps restrain unreasonable behavior. It is true that insurance is a complex actuarial undertaking. However, when executive compensation and shareholder returns depend heavily on quarterly results, the pressure to reduce payouts is unending.
During the 1980s, American capitalism underwent a transformation that profoundly affected the insurance industry. The doctrine of shareholder primacy, popularized by economists and eagerly embraced by corporate boards, redefined the corporation’s purpose as maximizing shareholder value. According to this new business model, employees, customers, and entire communities were treated as secondary. Insurance companies with substantial capital to invest, increasingly operated like financial institutions rather than service providers. Complicated investment strategies, mergers, acquisitions, and diversification into asset management obscured traditional boundaries. As a result, the culture of sharing risk was supplanted by a culture of financial optimization.
The enforcement resources of state insurance boards vary widely, and political pressures can deeply affect regulatory priorities. In the wake of crises such as financial collapse, natural disasters, and healthcare controversies, the call for reform intensifies. However, over time, the momentum for change fades. It is a repeating cycle of scandal, public outrage, incremental reform, and renewed consolidation.
The American insurance industry is currently at a crossroads, affected by climate change, healthcare inflation, technological innovation, and increasing public skepticism. The level of trust in insurance companies, an essential component of the industry, has become increasingly unstable. If consumers perceive insurance primarily as a means of profit extraction, with continually rising premiums, claims frequently contested, and executives enriched, the industry’s foundational commitment is destroyed. A range of reforms has been proposed, including stronger consumer protections and transparency requirements, public options, and a comprehensive structural overhaul. Some critics advocate nonprofit business models in essential areas such as health care. Others propose stricter limits on stock buybacks and executive compensation tied to claim-denial formulas.
The fundamental purpose of insurance is to protect against uncertainty. This enables individuals and families to take risks, such as buying a home, starting a business, or seeking needed medical care, without facing financial ruin. When that system operates fairly, it strengthens society. However, when it is perceived as an instrument of exploitation, it exacerbates cynicism about such institutions. The central question facing the industry, and our nation, is whether the balance between profit and protection can be restored. If insurance is to fulfill its original commitment, it must once again place policyholders at the center of its corporate mission.
The post The Illusion of Insurance appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>The post Wrong Hand Right by William Michael Ried appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>
In a gritty backdrop of graffiti-covered subway cars, downtown loft spaces, dive bars and an old-world gentleman’s club in the New York City of the late 1980s, Finnegan Alger is a 30-year-old left-handed litigator. Burdened as a child by his parents’ death, he harbors resentment against the “right-handed world” while striving to find his place in a routine of pursuing trademark infringers and hopeless romances. But then a routine case reveals that Navy pilots are dying and his case begins to feel like a trap closing in around him. How willing is Finn to defy his bosses and fight for the truth, or is it retribution?
“A sharply drawn, atmospheric thriller, Wrong Hand Right delivers a gripping blend of legal intrigue, conspiracy, and character depth. Finnegan Alger, odd, wounded, unforgettable, anchors a story rich with humor, tension, and 1980s New York grit. William Michael Ried crafts a super clever, surprising mystery that keeps readers guessing and fully invested to the final page,” The International Review of Books.
The post Wrong Hand Right by William Michael Ried appeared first on Books Go Social.
]]>