A World at Risk

Merriam Press Fiction Series

First Edition 2016

Albert Einstein is alleged to have said “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” Thankfully, a catastrophic World War III has not broken out so far. However, few would disagree that the danger of it erupting has grown with the advent of the 21st century.

This book of political fiction takes the reader into an imagined future by describing what might happen in the world in the next two decades.

Specifically, the future is viewed via twenty-one newspaper dispatches that cover flash points and controversial issues around the globe, over the period 2020 - 2040.

Author’s Bio: Jochanan Stenesh is Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, at Western Michigan University where he has had a distinguished career of teaching, research, and publishing scientific papers and books. He holds a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley and had postdoctoral appointments at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and Purdue University. In addition to his scientific books, he has authored three other books, Milestones: A Book of Days, Rot on the Vine: The Many Dark Faces of Religion and, most recently, A World at Risk.

Contents

Preface

To Our Readers

On High Alert

The New Caliphate

The Growling Bear

Piracy’s Comeuppance

The Spread of Terror

The Caliphate Grows

Enough is Enough

The Dragon Stirs

Tahrir Square Reprise

A Rude Awakening

The Dragon Strikes

The Hermit

Nation Runs Amok

A Landmark Decision

An Environmental Update

Heeding the Call

The Dragon Spews Fire

An Old Controversy

Aftermath of a Ban

Ominous Clouds

Rumblings in the Himalayas

A Nation in the Throes of Death