Lawrence G Mannino

Cogh and the Machine: a Children's Book for Adults Lawrence G Mannino

Publisher Marketing: When a chance encounter with the CEO of a huge multinational corporation results in a surprise job offer Cogh, an idealistic recent college graduate, suddenly finds himself on an unexpected career path. On his very first day, however, a Human Resources error removes the last letter from his name, and he is suddenly granted unprecedented access to the deep secrets of the corporate machine. As he navigates his way through the surreal world of the corporation, Cogh meets the creatures of Sales and Marketing, learns the truth of R&D, and witnesses the corrosive effects of The Machine on his old friends - and his own conscience. More and more he finds himself viewing the world solely through the opportunistic eyes of the corporation and becomes tortured by an incessant, malignant whispering voice in his head. Before long, the results of his choices begin to manifest themselves physically. Driven by both fear and a growing taste for wealth and power, an increasingly cold and ruthless Cogh finds himself torn between following a fading inner voice that he cannot fully silence, and an outer persona that urges him to become the corporate ideal. A dark satire and novel in verse, Cogh and the Machine takes an unblinking look at the very real effects of today's profit-above-all corporate culture on every aspect of 21st Century America, and sheds a bright light on the hidden underpinnings of our current state. From the disempowerment of the middle class to economic inequality by design; from the for-profit privatization of education and Common Core's deliberate homogenization of our children to the final and absolute corruption of our political system, this children's book for adults reveals how we got to where we are today - and where we just might be going next. If you're thinking about giving Dr. Seuss' timeless "Oh The Places You'll Go" to someone who's graduating, think of Cogh and the Machine as a timely companion piece that may save them a few steps along the way. And, quite possibly, their soul...