David Stelzer, our middle-aged protagonist, was a respectable real estate broker until he ran into nineteen-year-old Neuman, a radicalized, intensely religious, and slightly mad Hebrew school teacher. Thanks to Neuman's connivances, the two unlikely companions are transported to Luxenben, a utopian planet.
Upon their arrival on Luxenben, Stelzer is dispatched to a zoological garden devoted to intelligent species acquired from all over the galaxy. Once he gets his bearings, the adaptable man finds little to complain about. He is comfortably quartered, well fed, befriended by other zoo inmates, and assigned no duty other than acting hospitably to the zoo's Luxander visitors. Moreover, he is free to take advantage of the zoo's amenities including its surrounding parklands, a good library, museums, and amusement area. Stelzer’s only concern is that Neuman has unaccountably dropped out of sight.
While attempting to discover Neuman’s whereabouts, Stelzer has the opportunity to observe the planet’s harmonious culture and gain an understanding of the underlying philosophy that makes it work.
The reunification of the two men solves one mystery but opens a deeper one that is not resolved until the very end of the book.
Dispersed throughout the book are a series of essays covering Luxan religion, economics, politics, and sociology. These essays portray a coherent system of social sciences that had evolved in the same manner as the planet's natural sciences—i.e., step-by-step from demonstrably true propositions. Whether or not readers agree with the Luxander's approach, the author believes they will find it at least interesting and, perhaps, even a bit intriguing.
Read more about the book from Author’s Note, Excerpts and Reviews.
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