Only Small Things Are Good: or The Open Letter

Joel Alden has brought the craftsmanship of a West Texas mechanic to his job in the Pentagon when the President invites him to the White House. Everyone wishes he could tell the President something, the President says: what is that thing for you? Spanning from Texas to Washington, DC, Joel brings his whole life to bear on this question as he lives out the task of a lapsed Christian who must speak truth to the President.

This is not a tell-all tale, luckily for Micah’s coworkers, directors, (and assistant secretary!) but, still, it builds a picture of the bureacracy that can only be built by someone who has lived through the joy and frustration of making a difference. This is a novel that offers a lively portrait of the realistic and fantasy life of a Pentagon staff oficer–using a startling sense of humor to color the thoughts of a very earnest narrator. – Madelyn R. Creedon, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense