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The Project
In a dystopian world where money and greed rule, one man has a plan to change it all and an island full of people to back him up.
John Greenleaf is the President of Adrianna, the world’s first all-inclusive country, with pollution-free, wireless electricity and amazing new food sources that can bring an end to world hunger and cure cancer and diabetes.
While the world would benefit from Adrianna’s gifts, the rich and powerful see the tiny island nation as a threat to the global economy. With trillions of dollars per year at stake, the Alliance, a secret society of power-hungry warmongers and heartless corporations will stop at nothing to prevent Adrianna’s technology from spreading.
When major American cities start disappearing in clouds of black smoke, the world begins to question the origins and intentions of Adrianna and its people.
Delve into an eye-opening analysis of the stranglehold money has on our society. The war against greed and corruption has begun.
John Greenleaf is the President of Adrianna, the world’s first all-inclusive country, with pollution-free, wireless electricity and amazing new food sources that can bring an end to world hunger and cure cancer and diabetes.
While the world would benefit from Adrianna’s gifts, the rich and powerful see the tiny island nation as a threat to the global economy. With trillions of dollars per year at stake, the Alliance, a secret society of power-hungry warmongers and heartless corporations will stop at nothing to prevent Adrianna’s technology from spreading.
When major American cities start disappearing in clouds of black smoke, the world begins to question the origins and intentions of Adrianna and its people.
Delve into an eye-opening analysis of the stranglehold money has on our society. The war against greed and corruption has begun.
314 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2016
108 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 18, 2017
Quote: "How do you take power away from the rich? Take power away from money."
How do you create a perfect society and be able to write about it and still keep the interest of the people who are reading the book (you, me, everyone on Amazon.com, lol)? A perfect society has no conflict. Readers of our society (American or English or Earth's) are bored unless there is conflict.
There is a scene in The Matrix where the main Matrix man in the white suit says something along the lines of, "We created a Utopia for humans and hooked them up to the power grid but lost whole crops (of humans) because they had nothing to strive for, nothing to fight, no conflict in this Utopia. They just gave up and let themselves die. Humans are hardwired for conflict to survive.
So, if you take away the struggle for the 3 basics of life: food, water, shelter, what do you have? If those 3 basics are provided free and clear, unending, no reason or need to "struggle for survival," what do you have?
In creating this perfect society in the book The Project, I was going to believe it a complete plot hole (to my way of thinking) if the author, Johnny Moscato, thought he could logically (for this reader) change Earth's many human societies and believe that it was going to go smoothly. We ARE hardwired for conflict. We may wish it to be different, and strive for (there's that word again: strive) a better life for humanity, but facts are facts.
Do I want to live on D2? Absolutely. Would it be hard to give up the "fight for survival"? I'd like to say no, but I don't know. We are trained from babyhood that if you snooze you will not only lose, but be mowed over and plowed under. Most people try not to hurt other people with their decisions but do enough to get by without being mowed over.
Unfortunately, the ones who rise to the top in society, are the extremes and it only takes a few to topple the ponzi scheme.
Johnny Moscato lays it out and lines it up. Every single thing that I have thought was "stupid" in our society, is documented, analyzed, and weighed against the diagram of a Perfect Society. When you look at the road we travel, every single day, you gotta wonder, How did we come to this? Where could we have changed our society so we did not end here?
The Industrial age? Before Christ? Before GOD? (LOL) Or back in Africa, at the top of a tree with our other monkey buddies? That first monkey that took the piece of fruit from some other monkey and said, "Mine."
Or maybe, this is a documentary easing us into, and gradually preparing us for The Conversion?
;) I'm ok with that.
How do you create a perfect society and be able to write about it and still keep the interest of the people who are reading the book (you, me, everyone on Amazon.com, lol)? A perfect society has no conflict. Readers of our society (American or English or Earth's) are bored unless there is conflict.
There is a scene in The Matrix where the main Matrix man in the white suit says something along the lines of, "We created a Utopia for humans and hooked them up to the power grid but lost whole crops (of humans) because they had nothing to strive for, nothing to fight, no conflict in this Utopia. They just gave up and let themselves die. Humans are hardwired for conflict to survive.
So, if you take away the struggle for the 3 basics of life: food, water, shelter, what do you have? If those 3 basics are provided free and clear, unending, no reason or need to "struggle for survival," what do you have?
In creating this perfect society in the book The Project, I was going to believe it a complete plot hole (to my way of thinking) if the author, Johnny Moscato, thought he could logically (for this reader) change Earth's many human societies and believe that it was going to go smoothly. We ARE hardwired for conflict. We may wish it to be different, and strive for (there's that word again: strive) a better life for humanity, but facts are facts.
Do I want to live on D2? Absolutely. Would it be hard to give up the "fight for survival"? I'd like to say no, but I don't know. We are trained from babyhood that if you snooze you will not only lose, but be mowed over and plowed under. Most people try not to hurt other people with their decisions but do enough to get by without being mowed over.
Unfortunately, the ones who rise to the top in society, are the extremes and it only takes a few to topple the ponzi scheme.
Johnny Moscato lays it out and lines it up. Every single thing that I have thought was "stupid" in our society, is documented, analyzed, and weighed against the diagram of a Perfect Society. When you look at the road we travel, every single day, you gotta wonder, How did we come to this? Where could we have changed our society so we did not end here?
The Industrial age? Before Christ? Before GOD? (LOL) Or back in Africa, at the top of a tree with our other monkey buddies? That first monkey that took the piece of fruit from some other monkey and said, "Mine."
Or maybe, this is a documentary easing us into, and gradually preparing us for The Conversion?
;) I'm ok with that.
February 25, 2018
Johnny Moscato seems to break all the rules of writing in The Project and it turns out to be an incredible and unique book. Although I fell in love with the characters, I got the feeling that you're not supposed to love the characters. They are different than us bc of their origins which causes an uneasy feeling. Are they good or evil? Moscato keeps you guessing rather than have you fall in love with a character and feel he/she can do no wrong. It's a bold strategy that I think works beautifully in this particular story.
Another broken rule- The main characters seem to have no weaknesses. But it's actually refreshing to see the good guys win. It's HOW they win and WHY they do it so confidently that is interesting. I loved trying to figure out how they were going to "MacGyver" their way out of each problem. Bc let's face it- you know the good guy is going to win in the end. It's the HOW that makes a story interesting. Above all, The Project makes you think, regardless of whether or not you agree with it's messages.
Adrianna's government was one of the most interesting things in the book. I loved the idea of the president being a coordinator rather than a dictator. Voting is mandatory. So the people actually control the government and vote on the issues directly rather than voting for someone to make the decisions for them. So much better than any other system.
There are two types of people in this world- those who will love The Project and those that are ruining the world for the rest of us. If you'd rather pretend everything is just fine because you can't handle the truth about the things you hold dear, this book is not for you. If you're tired of the way society has been ruining itself and the planet then you'll want a one way ticket to Adrianna by the time you finish half of The Project.
There is so much packed into this book that I had to read it a second time to remember everything. The storylines are all related but there are plenty of stories.
Another broken rule- The main characters seem to have no weaknesses. But it's actually refreshing to see the good guys win. It's HOW they win and WHY they do it so confidently that is interesting. I loved trying to figure out how they were going to "MacGyver" their way out of each problem. Bc let's face it- you know the good guy is going to win in the end. It's the HOW that makes a story interesting. Above all, The Project makes you think, regardless of whether or not you agree with it's messages.
Adrianna's government was one of the most interesting things in the book. I loved the idea of the president being a coordinator rather than a dictator. Voting is mandatory. So the people actually control the government and vote on the issues directly rather than voting for someone to make the decisions for them. So much better than any other system.
There are two types of people in this world- those who will love The Project and those that are ruining the world for the rest of us. If you'd rather pretend everything is just fine because you can't handle the truth about the things you hold dear, this book is not for you. If you're tired of the way society has been ruining itself and the planet then you'll want a one way ticket to Adrianna by the time you finish half of The Project.
There is so much packed into this book that I had to read it a second time to remember everything. The storylines are all related but there are plenty of stories.
March 26, 2016
Very creative, thoughtful social commentary with interesting characters and an excellent plot. Fun read!
December 27, 2016
Wow!!!!
Wow. Finally a book that lays it out in black and white for you to really see what is wrong with our world! If only it were true!
Wow. Finally a book that lays it out in black and white for you to really see what is wrong with our world! If only it were true!
April 14, 2017
This book is really really good. Am consciously going to reveal no spoilers whatsoever. I want everyone to read this book, it's just that amazing!
As soon as I finished it, I knew this was something I just had to recommend to people.
I am not going to share a synopsis because that's already there in the blurb. I love the world that has been created in this book. I want to be a Leafer.
Yes there is science fiction in it, and good enough explanations for all the phenomena listed.
There are no glaring plot holes, which is one of the major issues in sci fi books. So I'm glad about that too.
The author has created such an amazing world that I would love if that actually happened on earth. Also, there are many thinly veiled references to names and descriptions of currently existing people and organisations.
Also, there is a lot about religion, science, and the intersection thereof. If you are too touchy about religion, you might be outraged. May I direct you to a character called Elsa.
What I liked -
- beautiful descriptions
- an amazing world and community created
- fixed most of the probable plot holes
- everything tied in nicely at the end
- so many new things in D2 that fascinated me
- incisive observations about what happens when you let power get to your head and cloud judgement
What I didn't like -
- the major cliffhanger at the end (but only because I'm impatient)
- a few minor typos
Seriously these are the only flaws I could find in the book! I recommend it to everyone!
*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As soon as I finished it, I knew this was something I just had to recommend to people.
I am not going to share a synopsis because that's already there in the blurb. I love the world that has been created in this book. I want to be a Leafer.
Yes there is science fiction in it, and good enough explanations for all the phenomena listed.
There are no glaring plot holes, which is one of the major issues in sci fi books. So I'm glad about that too.
The author has created such an amazing world that I would love if that actually happened on earth. Also, there are many thinly veiled references to names and descriptions of currently existing people and organisations.
Also, there is a lot about religion, science, and the intersection thereof. If you are too touchy about religion, you might be outraged. May I direct you to a character called Elsa.
What I liked -
- beautiful descriptions
- an amazing world and community created
- fixed most of the probable plot holes
- everything tied in nicely at the end
- so many new things in D2 that fascinated me
- incisive observations about what happens when you let power get to your head and cloud judgement
What I didn't like -
- the major cliffhanger at the end (but only because I'm impatient)
- a few minor typos
Seriously these are the only flaws I could find in the book! I recommend it to everyone!
*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2016
The Project is the story of Earth, slightly in the future. There was a global earthquake, disrupting power and communication lines around the world. A society takes advantage of the disarray to create a utopian world on an island “newly created” by the earthquake. But all is not quite as it seems.
On Adrianna, as the island nation is called, no one uses money, they have a cure for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and everyone is very content. How is this possible? Do they really provide free food and electricity without pollution? And what can this mean for the rest of the world? This book explores the relationship between the Leafer society (the people on Adrianna) and the American way of living – including the rich getting richer.
I don’t like to give spoilers, but the conflict in this story is a war. Not really surprising, based on the idea that Adrianna has the ability to cause a collapse of the global economy. Not all the world’s leaders would be happy by that outcome.
This story is kind of sci-fi/fantasy, but also with elements of utopian society, human greed and ignorance. I really liked the conflict being between the American capitalism-style society and an environmentally secure, no-money-required Leafer society.
The writing was great – very few errors in the layout and editing of this story. I think this is a book I will pass on for others to read – I really enjoyed it that much!
On Adrianna, as the island nation is called, no one uses money, they have a cure for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and everyone is very content. How is this possible? Do they really provide free food and electricity without pollution? And what can this mean for the rest of the world? This book explores the relationship between the Leafer society (the people on Adrianna) and the American way of living – including the rich getting richer.
I don’t like to give spoilers, but the conflict in this story is a war. Not really surprising, based on the idea that Adrianna has the ability to cause a collapse of the global economy. Not all the world’s leaders would be happy by that outcome.
This story is kind of sci-fi/fantasy, but also with elements of utopian society, human greed and ignorance. I really liked the conflict being between the American capitalism-style society and an environmentally secure, no-money-required Leafer society.
The writing was great – very few errors in the layout and editing of this story. I think this is a book I will pass on for others to read – I really enjoyed it that much!
August 3, 2017
This book almost reads part dystopian, part sci-fi , part parable, part lesson in political corruptness. I thought it was particularly fitting given the current state of the US right now.
Basically, you have Adrianna, an island that formed after a huge natural disaster. But did it? The documentary crew finds strange things about this island that should have only existed five years. The book is told from many different character's points of view so you get the tension, but the information when the author is ready to reveal it.
I loved the way the entire plot was woven. Sometimes, you think, well the good guy is not so good after all! Then there's a plot twist and you're sitting there questioning everything you thought you knew. The author left the end open for new stories in this series and it says book 1 in the title, so I hope he continues to write in this series.
That said, while I loved this book and would love to give it to particularly narrow minded people that I know, especially the ones who keep spouting the virtues of capitalism and "The US is a Christian nation" (Do some research, it's not), I have a feeling this would go totally over their heads and result in a little butthurt on their part
Basically, you have Adrianna, an island that formed after a huge natural disaster. But did it? The documentary crew finds strange things about this island that should have only existed five years. The book is told from many different character's points of view so you get the tension, but the information when the author is ready to reveal it.
I loved the way the entire plot was woven. Sometimes, you think, well the good guy is not so good after all! Then there's a plot twist and you're sitting there questioning everything you thought you knew. The author left the end open for new stories in this series and it says book 1 in the title, so I hope he continues to write in this series.
That said, while I loved this book and would love to give it to particularly narrow minded people that I know, especially the ones who keep spouting the virtues of capitalism and "The US is a Christian nation" (Do some research, it's not), I have a feeling this would go totally over their heads and result in a little butthurt on their part
March 1, 2021
**Fun facts from the author** (May contain spoilers)
Tommy Nazadt translates to "there and back" from Ukrainian- a name that fits his job and a clue to the Leafers' origins.
The acronym for the Nigelian Organism Archive History is N.O.A.H. and owned by the company General Organism Developers or G.O.D.
Bone trees are related to starfish.
Crabgrass freezes in the winter but doesn't die. Pieces can still be cut off and boiled. The missing pieces will regenerate in the spring.
Air traffic controller, Carlin Hedberg is named after author, Johnny Moscato's two favorite comedians. George Carlin and Mitch Hedberg
Leafers have higher levels of oxytocin and more triggers making them bond and fall in love quickly.
Bone trees reproduce underground. They locate each other using chemical signals. The trees' sexual organs grow toward each other underground. The female produces an egg which is fertilized by the male. The egg hatches underground after a month and grows into a new bone tree.
Tommy Nazadt translates to "there and back" from Ukrainian- a name that fits his job and a clue to the Leafers' origins.
The acronym for the Nigelian Organism Archive History is N.O.A.H. and owned by the company General Organism Developers or G.O.D.
Bone trees are related to starfish.
Crabgrass freezes in the winter but doesn't die. Pieces can still be cut off and boiled. The missing pieces will regenerate in the spring.
Air traffic controller, Carlin Hedberg is named after author, Johnny Moscato's two favorite comedians. George Carlin and Mitch Hedberg
Leafers have higher levels of oxytocin and more triggers making them bond and fall in love quickly.
Bone trees reproduce underground. They locate each other using chemical signals. The trees' sexual organs grow toward each other underground. The female produces an egg which is fertilized by the male. The egg hatches underground after a month and grows into a new bone tree.
August 5, 2016
This book was absolutely fascinating! I will be passing it along to everyone I know.
My raging inner conspiracy theorist was celebrating every aspect of this book. Aliens, dimensions, Big Pharma health scams, governmental testing... the works.
I've been talking about this stuff for years and it was great reading it in this form. Although all of it is rolled into a fictional story, all the concepts are substantial. The writing's excellent and the plot solid. The characters are well written. Just as much as I was celebrating the concepts, I was interested in what was going to happen to the characters.
The sheer amount of discussion in this book about each of the conspiracies is enough to make the average schmuck's head spin, that's for sure, but it would be a shame for the masses not to read this book. Ignorance is not an excuse.
My raging inner conspiracy theorist was celebrating every aspect of this book. Aliens, dimensions, Big Pharma health scams, governmental testing... the works.
I've been talking about this stuff for years and it was great reading it in this form. Although all of it is rolled into a fictional story, all the concepts are substantial. The writing's excellent and the plot solid. The characters are well written. Just as much as I was celebrating the concepts, I was interested in what was going to happen to the characters.
The sheer amount of discussion in this book about each of the conspiracies is enough to make the average schmuck's head spin, that's for sure, but it would be a shame for the masses not to read this book. Ignorance is not an excuse.
March 9, 2016
Epic ! Must Read !!!
This book is a real eye opener and hard to put down. It presents itself as fiction but there’s a lot of things in it that make you wonder if it’s true. It’s more than just utopia vs. dystopia. It’s like a behind-the-scenes look at how the world operates, how governments manipulate people and how making money is more important than human life. The plot is exciting while the characters are calming. Quick paced and easy to read. We can only hope Adrianna’s technology can really be made someday. There’s so much to The Project, you’ll want to read it more than once.
This book is a real eye opener and hard to put down. It presents itself as fiction but there’s a lot of things in it that make you wonder if it’s true. It’s more than just utopia vs. dystopia. It’s like a behind-the-scenes look at how the world operates, how governments manipulate people and how making money is more important than human life. The plot is exciting while the characters are calming. Quick paced and easy to read. We can only hope Adrianna’s technology can really be made someday. There’s so much to The Project, you’ll want to read it more than once.
March 10, 2017
Excellent book. Easy reading, can't put it down book. If you like science fiction,this book is for you.
Excellent book !!! Easy reading book. If you like science fiction, this book is for you. The author has a great imagination, just loved the book. I hope he writes a sequel to this book.
Excellent book !!! Easy reading book. If you like science fiction, this book is for you. The author has a great imagination, just loved the book. I hope he writes a sequel to this book.
April 19, 2016
You can tell that the author is an extremely educated individual. He highlights some very important flaws in today's society and contrasts it with a solution creatively showcasing a new country called Adrianna where there is no monetary currency and it is mandate to vote.
The country of Adrianna is a representation of hope for the world and how we can get ourselves out of the current mess we are in.
I thought it was genius Johnny's idea of giving every citizen a cell phone with a voting app and everyone is required to vote by law. When a vote is needed to move forward as a country, and if they do not vote, then their cell phone and computer service is shut off. Absolutely awesome. Johnny would be a great president, and you can tell through his book that he wants to make change, and understands the changes that need to be made in today's society and the system. His book puts it into simple terms and in order to move forward and protect what we have not damaged already on this planet, we need to live sustainably, and we cannot do that with the supply and demand way of doing things. As of now, we cannot have products that are durable and last, because that cuts the demand, and ‘people lose jobs.’ We need to keep the vicious cycle of supply and demand going by making faulty short-term functioning products...we will never get to a sustainable lifestyle with this system which only blossoms greed and environmental damage.
If you care about the planet, the world, improving society, living a more sustainable lifestyle, this book is a must read. Educational, and positive. Excellent! I’ve already recommended it to a few friends. Reading this novel, you realize there is hope for the world and that WE can change.
The country of Adrianna is a representation of hope for the world and how we can get ourselves out of the current mess we are in.
I thought it was genius Johnny's idea of giving every citizen a cell phone with a voting app and everyone is required to vote by law. When a vote is needed to move forward as a country, and if they do not vote, then their cell phone and computer service is shut off. Absolutely awesome. Johnny would be a great president, and you can tell through his book that he wants to make change, and understands the changes that need to be made in today's society and the system. His book puts it into simple terms and in order to move forward and protect what we have not damaged already on this planet, we need to live sustainably, and we cannot do that with the supply and demand way of doing things. As of now, we cannot have products that are durable and last, because that cuts the demand, and ‘people lose jobs.’ We need to keep the vicious cycle of supply and demand going by making faulty short-term functioning products...we will never get to a sustainable lifestyle with this system which only blossoms greed and environmental damage.
If you care about the planet, the world, improving society, living a more sustainable lifestyle, this book is a must read. Educational, and positive. Excellent! I’ve already recommended it to a few friends. Reading this novel, you realize there is hope for the world and that WE can change.
March 30, 2016
‘Take power away from money’ and what do you get? You get ‘The Project’. Moscato’s book is a powerful examination of the way we live today. The story of Adrianna and its mysterious Leafers presents us with a Utopian island of perfect living set in a Dystopian future. The book is a switchback ride, moving through place and time and shifting the reader’s focus cleverly in a way that creates variety without it ever being overdone. The book could have teetered on the edge of unconvincing in a world where cancer is cured, a world of Bone Trees and Crabgrass. But like Margaret Attwood in ‘Oryx and Crake’ the book deals with issues in a way that allows invention to contribute to understanding. And there are plenty of issues taken head on. Religion, money, technology, big pharma, greedy global corporations, fossil fuels – all get dissected. Its true to say that ‘The Project” has, in more ways than one, more dimensions than meet the eye. It’s also true to say that this story definitely and successfully spans time and space.
March 27, 2021
WOW!!!
I have always been a voracious reader, now-retired I am able to read a book a day! That being said, I have to say this is my all-time favorite book! Robert McCammon's "The Swan" is now in second place. It has held my first place since the 1980s! This book has all the necessary ingredients, great storyline, believable characters, suspense, action and surprises. Terrifyingly true to what is happening in the world now with speculation of a better future! Throughout the book I just kept saying, if only, if only.
I have always been a voracious reader, now-retired I am able to read a book a day! That being said, I have to say this is my all-time favorite book! Robert McCammon's "The Swan" is now in second place. It has held my first place since the 1980s! This book has all the necessary ingredients, great storyline, believable characters, suspense, action and surprises. Terrifyingly true to what is happening in the world now with speculation of a better future! Throughout the book I just kept saying, if only, if only.
May 14, 2016
The Project was a like a breath of fresh air. It was different and exciting seeing how it would play out.
Something that was said early on by the President in Adrianna made me wonder about their intentions as I knew all was not what it seemed. This kept me thinking and wondering for a lot of the book. I enjoyed learning about this new country and the characters were fun.
I enjoyed the concept although at times it did get a bit repetitive about how bad America was and how awesome Adrianna was. The point was well and truly made. I wasn't very impressed with the linking of vaccinations and autism either, as this is a sensitive issue.
There were a few unanswered questions at the end so I would be interested in reading a sequel.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
Something that was said early on by the President in Adrianna made me wonder about their intentions as I knew all was not what it seemed. This kept me thinking and wondering for a lot of the book. I enjoyed learning about this new country and the characters were fun.
I enjoyed the concept although at times it did get a bit repetitive about how bad America was and how awesome Adrianna was. The point was well and truly made. I wasn't very impressed with the linking of vaccinations and autism either, as this is a sensitive issue.
There were a few unanswered questions at the end so I would be interested in reading a sequel.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 30, 2017
A brilliantly thought out book with dynamic characters that left me wanting to read it again! The social commentary hidden in the fiction is relevant and important. i can't recommend this book enough! You need to read it once in your lifetime.
~~A proof was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.~
~~A proof was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.~
April 26, 2016
Amazing book that you keep reading and you realize its 4am and next day you need to go to work. Each chapter of the book brings new stories and excitement. Author did great job engaging reader with constant surprises. You feel you cannot put this book away. I was thrilled to read it.
August 6, 2017
Entertainment value: 1.5/5
Copy editing: 3/5
Characterization: 1/5
World building: 1/5
Ideology: 1/5
The first fifth or so of this book wasn't bad. There was some mystery, a secret island with too-good-to-be-true claims and slick salesmanship. I kept reading, waiting for the big reveal.
And then I realized there wasn't one.
The story quickly devolved into more and more opportunities for the perfect Leafers to decry how evil, corrupt, and stupid American capitalism is and expound on increasingly absurd conspiracy theories. Probably 80% of the book was, "Oh, it makes me so sick how those evil companies are just trying to make money!" "Why yes, you're right, I never realized how I was being duped!" "Never fear, here in paradise we give you everything for free and kill anyone who disagrees!"
Conspiracy theories portrayed as actually true:
Other things that made me think, "What?!":
If 80% of the book was selling the views above, the other 20% felt like a chance to vicariously shame / belittle / blow the heads off of all the people that might annoy you if you agree with these views. For example:
Then there was the world-building, which I was really excited about at the beginning and gradually disillusioned with throughout the book, as everything seemed to be poorly thought out "magic" to allow such an infeasible society to function. Aside from the convenient abundance of free everything that means people don't really need to work (thus eliminating the need for any system of trade to motivate people to work), there were plenty of science fiction elements that made no sense:
Finally, this book lauded an "all dissenters deserve to die" sentiment, which was not only scary, but often directly contradictory to criticisms of the current world. For example, the heroes (talking about poachers) say, "Bringing a species to extinction is a crime punishable by death". Then, within pages, they say, "We can make them (Earth humans) extinct. That's the only way we can change D1 (Earth), in my opinion. I don't necessarily mean killing them all. We can attempt to change them, help them evolve, but if it doesn't work or we run out of time, extermination might be the only choice."
The book was fairly well edited for an independent book (only 25 or so typos) and the story was more coherent than some I've read, but unless you happen to love conspiracy theories (the more ridiculous the better), there's not much entertaining or thought-provoking here.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
Copy editing: 3/5
Characterization: 1/5
World building: 1/5
Ideology: 1/5
The first fifth or so of this book wasn't bad. There was some mystery, a secret island with too-good-to-be-true claims and slick salesmanship. I kept reading, waiting for the big reveal.
And then I realized there wasn't one.
The story quickly devolved into more and more opportunities for the perfect Leafers to decry how evil, corrupt, and stupid American capitalism is and expound on increasingly absurd conspiracy theories. Probably 80% of the book was, "Oh, it makes me so sick how those evil companies are just trying to make money!" "Why yes, you're right, I never realized how I was being duped!" "Never fear, here in paradise we give you everything for free and kill anyone who disagrees!"
Conspiracy theories portrayed as actually true:
Other things that made me think, "What?!":
If 80% of the book was selling the views above, the other 20% felt like a chance to vicariously shame / belittle / blow the heads off of all the people that might annoy you if you agree with these views. For example:
Then there was the world-building, which I was really excited about at the beginning and gradually disillusioned with throughout the book, as everything seemed to be poorly thought out "magic" to allow such an infeasible society to function. Aside from the convenient abundance of free everything that means people don't really need to work (thus eliminating the need for any system of trade to motivate people to work), there were plenty of science fiction elements that made no sense:
Finally, this book lauded an "all dissenters deserve to die" sentiment, which was not only scary, but often directly contradictory to criticisms of the current world. For example, the heroes (talking about poachers) say, "Bringing a species to extinction is a crime punishable by death". Then, within pages, they say, "We can make them (Earth humans) extinct. That's the only way we can change D1 (Earth), in my opinion. I don't necessarily mean killing them all. We can attempt to change them, help them evolve, but if it doesn't work or we run out of time, extermination might be the only choice."
The book was fairly well edited for an independent book (only 25 or so typos) and the story was more coherent than some I've read, but unless you happen to love conspiracy theories (the more ridiculous the better), there's not much entertaining or thought-provoking here.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
October 22, 2019
Johnny Moscato lays down the ultimate slugfest between utopia and dystopia in The Project! John Greenleaf creates the perfect society, one with abundance for all, a society the world isn’t quite ready for. The great clash of ideologies is what I found most interesting and Moscato’s writing brought the perfect blend of action and believability to bring it all to life! I’m excited to see where this battle of thought runs next!
July 9, 2017
I read a review once which described George Orwell’s 'Nineteen-Eighty-Four' as an “essay with characters”. Johnny Moscato’s ‘The project’ is similar in that sense, although I daresay the characters are ultimately more engaging.
A fast paced, not so farfetched sci-fi story, ‘The Project’ is centred largely on a war between a mysterious, new country, Adrianna, and the pinnacle of capitalism, America. The description of this futuristic island nation and its many weird and wonderful features is truly engaging. While the depiction of America and its government’s practices are bound to upset any true patriot, as well as delight any conspiracy theorist. For ‘The Project’ features conspiracy theories galore, although fortunately dodges the ‘lost city of Atlantis’ bullet I was fearing throughout.
The story itself bridges a gap between dystopian and utopian futures, and as you get the feeling nobody’s true intentions are shown, by the final chapter you’ll be wondering which one will actually prevail in ‘The Project’ universe.
Present tense, real-time description not being the norm in today’s storytelling, the hardest thing to come to grips with in this book, for me, was the narrative. Once I got used to it however, I found it made for a quicker, more thrilling read; as if I were watching the action as it happened.
Overall it’s a gripping, well written novel with a very cinematic feel. I was impressed by the attention to detail, especially the way Moscato pre-empts the reader’s questions. For instance whenever I started to think ‘wait that dosesn’t make sense’ I found the explanation waiting for me in the following pages; Mr Fedotenko’s accent being a good example of this. There’s plenty of unresolved questions to make you crave a sequel, but happily not so many that the end doesn’t feel satisfying when you reach it.
I’d certainly recommend this book to fellow readers, and read the sequel if and when it’s written. I’ve given it four out of five stars, because I really enjoyed the story but felt it just needed to dial back slightly on the numerous speeches regarding America’s evil ways.
A fast paced, not so farfetched sci-fi story, ‘The Project’ is centred largely on a war between a mysterious, new country, Adrianna, and the pinnacle of capitalism, America. The description of this futuristic island nation and its many weird and wonderful features is truly engaging. While the depiction of America and its government’s practices are bound to upset any true patriot, as well as delight any conspiracy theorist. For ‘The Project’ features conspiracy theories galore, although fortunately dodges the ‘lost city of Atlantis’ bullet I was fearing throughout.
The story itself bridges a gap between dystopian and utopian futures, and as you get the feeling nobody’s true intentions are shown, by the final chapter you’ll be wondering which one will actually prevail in ‘The Project’ universe.
Present tense, real-time description not being the norm in today’s storytelling, the hardest thing to come to grips with in this book, for me, was the narrative. Once I got used to it however, I found it made for a quicker, more thrilling read; as if I were watching the action as it happened.
Overall it’s a gripping, well written novel with a very cinematic feel. I was impressed by the attention to detail, especially the way Moscato pre-empts the reader’s questions. For instance whenever I started to think ‘wait that dosesn’t make sense’ I found the explanation waiting for me in the following pages; Mr Fedotenko’s accent being a good example of this. There’s plenty of unresolved questions to make you crave a sequel, but happily not so many that the end doesn’t feel satisfying when you reach it.
I’d certainly recommend this book to fellow readers, and read the sequel if and when it’s written. I’ve given it four out of five stars, because I really enjoyed the story but felt it just needed to dial back slightly on the numerous speeches regarding America’s evil ways.
March 22, 2018
The Project by Johnny Moscato is a difficult book to review. Moscato displays a brilliance and creativity that is spellbinding. The political ideas presented in the book are disturbing in that they challenge aspects of society that we normally accept as good in a democracy. The book addresses many topics including the corrupting power of money, the corruption in the health care industry, the polluting of the environment, religion, and technology; in a nutshell Moscato questions nearly all aspects of society and forces the reader to question our society, our government, and ourselves. It is a book that demands that the reader think and question. From a creative view, the book is excellent and I want to read more by Moscato. However, one aspect of the technical writing of the book annoyed me and that is the author's use of the present tense throughout the book. I found this to be awkward at times and the story would have read better from a grammatical standpoint had the narration in the book been written in the past tense with the dialogue written in the present tense. While this writing style annoyed me at times, it did not distract from the depth of the material in the book. Moscato is certainly an author who demonstrates great potential and I hope to see more books in the future from this talented writer.
April 3, 2016
This book grabbed my attention right away with the way it started. It also found many ways to keep my attention til the end. The explanation of the new country does sound like paradise. Is this Alien technology? A cure-all planet possible? Free everything by working together? There was killing in this book and the reasons why they were killed- does it make it OK for the better of all? There was a lot to ponder and had tons of good ideas and different ways of looking at things. There are spies and a bit of supernatural. There is quick romance with no build up. More twists and turns than I can count can be found within these pages. It states often that Greed is a disease. I thought of the TV show Eureka while reading it for some reason. Not sure if anyone else would get the feel to it but I did. Worth the read.
April 16, 2017
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'd say this is closer to 3.5 stars....
The Project is a story set against the backdrop of an America in the aftermath of a great earthquake. The earthquake resulted in the appearance of a land mass I the middle of the ocean that hadn't been there previously. A man named John Greenleaf "discovers" and aims it as his own. He founds the country of Adrianna and, within five years, is a thriving nation with technology the likes of which the world has never seen. The source of this technology is unknown, but it has the ability to provide free electricity. Adrianna also has plants which provide a free and unlimited source of food, and another plant which has the ability to cure cancer. Greenleaf's plans to bring this technological to the rest of the world in order to bring down the corrupt corporate and political powers currently in control.
The author has crafted together a creative and interesting story. I was kept intrigued by wanting to know where Adrianna came from, with its advanced technology and unique plant life. I also identified with many (not all) of the author's views on the current state of politics, big business (especially big pharma) and the growing gap between the rich and the poor.
It fell short, I felt, in the writing, though. The characters were not very well developed, nor were the relationships between them. The main character met a woman named Alaska, and within just a few days, they are calling each other "baby" and appear to be crazy in love. I think character development was sacrificed too much in the name of getting the message across, which is frequently delivered through his characters' speeches and conversations. The delivery is very plain and direct. It often felt akin to trying to be convinced that the author's point of view is correct, rather than allowing the readers to view, for ourselves, the flaws of our current political/economic system, and coming to our own conclusions.
Overall, this was a worthwhile read. I enjoyed the elements of science fiction and dystopia contained within the story. I would recommend that anyone give it a try.
I'd say this is closer to 3.5 stars....
The Project is a story set against the backdrop of an America in the aftermath of a great earthquake. The earthquake resulted in the appearance of a land mass I the middle of the ocean that hadn't been there previously. A man named John Greenleaf "discovers" and aims it as his own. He founds the country of Adrianna and, within five years, is a thriving nation with technology the likes of which the world has never seen. The source of this technology is unknown, but it has the ability to provide free electricity. Adrianna also has plants which provide a free and unlimited source of food, and another plant which has the ability to cure cancer. Greenleaf's plans to bring this technological to the rest of the world in order to bring down the corrupt corporate and political powers currently in control.
The author has crafted together a creative and interesting story. I was kept intrigued by wanting to know where Adrianna came from, with its advanced technology and unique plant life. I also identified with many (not all) of the author's views on the current state of politics, big business (especially big pharma) and the growing gap between the rich and the poor.
It fell short, I felt, in the writing, though. The characters were not very well developed, nor were the relationships between them. The main character met a woman named Alaska, and within just a few days, they are calling each other "baby" and appear to be crazy in love. I think character development was sacrificed too much in the name of getting the message across, which is frequently delivered through his characters' speeches and conversations. The delivery is very plain and direct. It often felt akin to trying to be convinced that the author's point of view is correct, rather than allowing the readers to view, for ourselves, the flaws of our current political/economic system, and coming to our own conclusions.
Overall, this was a worthwhile read. I enjoyed the elements of science fiction and dystopia contained within the story. I would recommend that anyone give it a try.
August 24, 2017
I would definitely want to live in the alternate dimension where the Leafers come from! Not having to worry about food, water and shelter, knowing that all you have to do is raise a hand and everyone is surrounding you to help you… being able to write, and paint, and create all day and enjoy the people around you… sounds like a great place to live. And the world that Johnny Moscato describes as our world, Earth, in all of it's deviant, corrupt disgrace… I swear, if someone asked me if I'd like to live in a world where big business rules our health and consumerism and well-being to the degree it is described in The Project? I'd say, "Are you kidding me? That place sounds horrible!" Kinda like how the people of the Leafer world are horrified by the people and society of Earth. I'm horrified and I have to live here!
March 30, 2021
Save yourself and skip this one
Well, the blurb up front was misleading. Most of this book was the good people of Adrianna bashing the crap out of the United States. I know our country has problems but if you are not doing anything to help, and writing this book is NOT helping, then aren't you the same as the lawyer in the beginning of the book? I sincerely wonder if this author is American or what. If so, he showed not one ounce of patriotism. Rent a good proofreader coz there was enough stuff in here that kept knocking me out of a crappy story that I was skippimg whole pages, just to avoid the lectures and trash talking against America. Granted, a ton of this was made-up, show me the proof otherwise, but we do know how the Walton's etc pay starvation wages so that their associates end up on foodstamps. We know how ungodly expensive healthcare is-and sometimes just how useless it can be. We have problems but hey, go ahead and beat us into the ground with them. I am sure that will fix the issues since we don't have any freaking aliens to come along and save us.
Well, the blurb up front was misleading. Most of this book was the good people of Adrianna bashing the crap out of the United States. I know our country has problems but if you are not doing anything to help, and writing this book is NOT helping, then aren't you the same as the lawyer in the beginning of the book? I sincerely wonder if this author is American or what. If so, he showed not one ounce of patriotism. Rent a good proofreader coz there was enough stuff in here that kept knocking me out of a crappy story that I was skippimg whole pages, just to avoid the lectures and trash talking against America. Granted, a ton of this was made-up, show me the proof otherwise, but we do know how the Walton's etc pay starvation wages so that their associates end up on foodstamps. We know how ungodly expensive healthcare is-and sometimes just how useless it can be. We have problems but hey, go ahead and beat us into the ground with them. I am sure that will fix the issues since we don't have any freaking aliens to come along and save us.
March 25, 2025
sci-fi
An origin story, combining several myths and theories into a story. The greed, and disregard of the earth are portrayed accurately. Conspiracy theories abound. What happened to the sphinx, the black dust is not supposed to destroy but relocate, though it’s not mentioned again unless it’s the one on mars. All is not just a desire to help though as is stated a requirement for expansion for leafers in a dimension with little room already.
An origin story, combining several myths and theories into a story. The greed, and disregard of the earth are portrayed accurately. Conspiracy theories abound. What happened to the sphinx, the black dust is not supposed to destroy but relocate, though it’s not mentioned again unless it’s the one on mars. All is not just a desire to help though as is stated a requirement for expansion for leafers in a dimension with little room already.
October 8, 2024
Absolutely fantastic!!! Addicting and just an all around marvelous read!
April 28, 2025
2 thumbs up 👍🏼👍🏼
Read
November 29, 2019Loved the storyline, but boy does it need some proofreading.....
April 28, 2016
Ther are minor spoilers there, be aware!
The Project could have been a very interesting story, but it wasn't. I have only finished it because I received the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am really sorry that I can't say almost anything good about this story.
We have Adrianna, where everything is good, than we have real world (our world) where everyhing is bad. He book starts with the explanation of the problems of our world. And than it continues with the explanations of those problems. And then characters have a conversation about the same problems. And than others also do. Then 2 pages later it's there again... And again. The author seems to have copypasted 80% of the book. It would have been better if i was only 30 pages long, and than we would have the same information.
About the story (so the remaining 20% of the book): it is horribly shallow. There are some opportunities for action, but then there is no action. Nobody is ever worried. It is rubbed into our face that Adrianna is going to in the war it created for the 'greater good' no matter what happens. It is plain and simple (and boring).
The characters are all shallow, there are good ones and bad ones, all of them very poorly developed.
I have to talk about contheos now. This book is full of those. I actually think that the author believes all of them. At first, one could think that he just has an understanding of the real problems of our world, but than he repeats himself so many times that it gets frustrating. And then it gets weirder as he introduces contheos. You could say that it is only fiction, but it feels like he wants to push you to believe the things he says are there in real life. I do not say that he is not right in some of the ways, there are some well-known problems that are definitely there. But then he writes that the evil government is doing evil research on humans by using the flu-vaccine which causes authism. There are a lot of people who unfortunately really think this to be true. I am sure that Mr Moscato is aware of this. I think that this is a very harmful thing to write, especially if you try to sell your book as he does (partly utopistic, partly realistic). People could actually believe you, Mr Moscato, and that is very harmful. I am not even going to talk about how he tries to describe religious people. And I am also not going to describe all of the other contheos that are there in this book, but believe me, there are many more.
As a summary I think that Mr Moscato tries to sell this as a realistic book, and Adrianna seems to be his dream. It could have been nice, but instead, it feels like he tries to brainwash the reader.
The Project could have been a very interesting story, but it wasn't. I have only finished it because I received the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am really sorry that I can't say almost anything good about this story.
We have Adrianna, where everything is good, than we have real world (our world) where everyhing is bad. He book starts with the explanation of the problems of our world. And than it continues with the explanations of those problems. And then characters have a conversation about the same problems. And than others also do. Then 2 pages later it's there again... And again. The author seems to have copypasted 80% of the book. It would have been better if i was only 30 pages long, and than we would have the same information.
About the story (so the remaining 20% of the book): it is horribly shallow. There are some opportunities for action, but then there is no action. Nobody is ever worried. It is rubbed into our face that Adrianna is going to in the war it created for the 'greater good' no matter what happens. It is plain and simple (and boring).
The characters are all shallow, there are good ones and bad ones, all of them very poorly developed.
I have to talk about contheos now. This book is full of those. I actually think that the author believes all of them. At first, one could think that he just has an understanding of the real problems of our world, but than he repeats himself so many times that it gets frustrating. And then it gets weirder as he introduces contheos. You could say that it is only fiction, but it feels like he wants to push you to believe the things he says are there in real life. I do not say that he is not right in some of the ways, there are some well-known problems that are definitely there. But then he writes that the evil government is doing evil research on humans by using the flu-vaccine which causes authism. There are a lot of people who unfortunately really think this to be true. I am sure that Mr Moscato is aware of this. I think that this is a very harmful thing to write, especially if you try to sell your book as he does (partly utopistic, partly realistic). People could actually believe you, Mr Moscato, and that is very harmful. I am not even going to talk about how he tries to describe religious people. And I am also not going to describe all of the other contheos that are there in this book, but believe me, there are many more.
As a summary I think that Mr Moscato tries to sell this as a realistic book, and Adrianna seems to be his dream. It could have been nice, but instead, it feels like he tries to brainwash the reader.
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