Human Frailties

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Showing posts from March, 2025

George H. Rothacker

George Rothacker grew up in Upper Darby and has lived, with his wife, Barbara, in Radnor, Delaware County, Pennsylvania since 1984. He graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1965 and earned an Associates Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Temple Technical Institute in 1968. He has owned and operated a successful design and marketing firm since 1978, and has built a parallel career as an illustrator and painter over 50 years. The Book of Edie is George’s 11th published book and is based, in part, on people he’s known throughout his life, renowned individuals, and composites of many he’s learned from and cared for throughout seven decades,

The Book of Edie – A novel

”As you grow older, Edie, and things don't happen the way you hoped they would, try to be mindful of the story of Job. Then decide how you choose your own ending." - Hilda Wilson At age 16, Edie had the perfect blend of beauty, brains and talent. She also had a diagnosis of the crippling and misunderstood disease of multiple sclerosis. Her response was not what one would expect, even as additional problems pursued her, and the realities of life took turns she hadn't counted on. The Book of Edie uses a story of the modern era to reexamine stories from the Old and New Testaments that many of us have become familiar with in simpler forms through children's books, religious study groups, TV shows and movies. Using the science of the 20th and 21st centuries, "The Book of Edie" explores the source of our talents and strengths, and how, despite our weaknesses, we may have the ability to choose our destiny throughout our life rather than having it chosen for us. Although the book contains religious themes, it's primarily about the science of our times, the mysteries of humanity and a universe we still don't understand. But, most of all, it's about the complexities of the human race, the scriptures that are timeless, and one woman's journey to overcome the odds and use all that her DNA had given her - for better and for worse.

The Little Green Car - A novel

Though Dillon's wife, Doris, passed away after more than 50 years of marriage, her death didn't diminish the relationship they'd shared. Instead, it enabled a second act to be added to their story, one that proved that love doesn't have to die, but sometimes just requires a slightly altered ending. 82-year old Dillon Everette lost his wife to pancreatic cancer in April 2029. Following her death, Dillon remained in his home, but his three children thought that he should move to a retirement community, and perhaps even cease to drive due to a few mishaps of his that disturbed them. They loved their father, but Dillon, who still conversed with his deceased wife, strove to maintain his independence. The children's infringement on his life provoked Dillon to escape from his home and them by planning a trip south in his 1953 MG TD, which he'd rebuilt himself nearly 35 years ago. Assisted by his financial advisor, he made sure that his house, property and finances were in order, and decided to retrace some of the trips taken during his earlier life with his wife and young family by heading south in the MG on his deceased wife's birthday, November 13th. After a few days on the road, he became involved in an incident from which he emerged a hero and acclaimed for his bravery on national news. His children read and heard about their father's adventure, and thought he had lost his mind and, but Dillon was approached by a documentary film producer to possibly record the story of his life and his accomplishments. The Little Green Car is about aging, the desire for independence, and the possibilities of a life that extends past the age of what many would call "elderly." It's about how we see ourselves as we get older as well as how others see us. It's also about the ways we can look ahead. plans for the future, while understanding the inevitability and the limitations of our lives moving forward.

The Diverse Artistic Universe of George H. Rothacker - A memoir

How important is DNA to the development of an individual as opposed to the teachings he or she receives throughout his life? George Rothacker addresses this and other aspects of his personal development as he takes you on an artistic journey from childhood to a lifetime in the profession of art, design and creative thinking that has endured for more than 50 years. The memoir offers the reader a glimpse into the influences of his two artistic parents, and maternal grandmother who strove to elevate her family beyond the working classes. It also provides a portfolio of the development of the artist/writer own work, and the insights into the choices he made, and the people and circumstances who guided him throughout his career. “Those who are not both blessed and tortured by an artistic nature often don’t understand the jagged and often impractical path taken by a people in the arts,” says the author. “It has taken me to the last segment of my life to see the precipices upon which I walked throughout many of my years, and how fortunate I was to survive and realize the dreams imagined by my maternal grandmother.”

Comedy of Errors – A novel

“Comedy of Errors” is the story of Stewart Little, a boy who grows up with some handicaps that might have led him to failure as an adult, but which actually propel him to a successful career as an innovative and renowned cartoonist and graphic novelist. Stewart began life without any obvious physical or mental flaws, but was given a name at birth that was similar to that of a mouse-like fictional child created by the essayist E.B White for a book written in 1946, the year before Stewart’s birth. It was not until Stewart reached middle school in the early 1960’s that he was ridiculed by a classmate familiar with the children’s story who nicknamed him, “Mouse,” at precisely the same time that an undiagnosed learning disorder kicked in, which led to Stewart to failures in school and contributed to a decline in his grades and his self-esteem. The story takes the reader on Stewart’s pathway through a childhood of poverty and aimlessness, through his teenage years, as he stumbles awkwardly with little assistance from teachers or his parents to expand his goals. With little to guide him, Stewart approaches adulthood at which time he forges a successful career as a cartoonist and an innovative writer and illustrator of graphic novels. Despite, or because of, his mistakes and mishaps, Stewart adapts quickly to his circumstances and develops relationships that enrich his life as he uses every advantage presented to him along his journey. “Comedy of Errors” is about persistence, passion and survival, and the ways humans can change the course of their lives by making positive use of their failings as well as of their assets, their loves lost as well as those that blossom, and goals dashed as well as those achieved, to attain fortunes that are often far richer than those achieved by individuals blessed by perfect genetics, wealth, and opportunities.

Sinatra at the Sands - 2026 - A Novel

Sinatra was at his finest at the Copa Room in 1966. Can the entertainer be even better, enhanced by new technology sixty years later? Twin brothers from Lakehurst, New Jersey, join forces to bring Frank Sinatra back to life in 2026, reprising and updating a concert series staged in Las Vegas in 1966 by the legendary entertainer. After earning their masters degrees in computer science from Oxford University, Lorenzo and Aldo Fiore set off on different career paths only to find their way back into a collaboration that pushes technology to the edges of possibility, as they each reach their own personal objectives though the process. Sinatra at the Sands -2026 is full of twists and turns, successes and setbacks, each shedding light on what it means to be human, as well as the limitations of our species to predict outcomes for ourselves and for future generations. Although the novel is speculative and the climactic events perhaps not totally possible at this time, the technology within its pages exists for readers of today, provoking questions about the limits of our science just a few short years away.

Witches Everywhere - A Novel

Roger Leibert’s story, inspired by his wife’s reading of Roald Dahl’s The Witches to their granddaughter, explores the challenges faced by humans in the not-so-distant future. Roger populates his tale with characters who, though well aware of the their diminished usefulness on Earth, remain committed to the prospect that humanity will survive despite the likelihood that they will be rendered obsolete. Witches Everywhere merges fact with imaginary stories told by educators, scientists, poets, prophets, and business tycoons, who, despite their flaws attempt to forge a pathway to the future. The decisions they make are unique, as are the conflicts they face, while Roger mixes a bewitching cocktail from a cauldron full of scientific possibilities, poetic suppositions, and artistic interpretations — sprinkled with a dose of tongue-in-cheek prophesy.

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Nails (Read or listen to a story by George H. Rothacker)