Some time ago I watched a network news anchorman as he insisted that books have no impact on our lives. Books don't change anything. Had this fella never heard of Das Kapital Or Mein Kampf Or Silent Spring Or The Descent of Man My head was spinning with books that have impacted our lives. Perhaps the anchorman meant novels. The first one that jumps to my mind is Uncle Tom's Cabin which fueled the cry for the abolition of slavery. When Lincoln met the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said "So this is the little lady who made this big war." Novels by Charles Dickens helped shut down London's debtors' prison, and led to the reform of Britain's judicial system. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair spurred the Meat Inspection Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, and the creation of the Food and Drug Administration. All of these books, and a great many others, were great reads. They also had an impact on the world. My childhood was centered on books. Books which entertained, which showed that there are other countries and cultures in this work, which opened this Southern boy's eyes to the perils of secregation, and the timless lessons of life embedded in the great myths of the world. Books don't have an impact? Huumph! After growing up in Charlotte, NC, I learned how to write under the stern eyes of a city editor in South Carolina. During a 30-year career, I have published in newspapers, major magazines, and authored a travel guide, Bus Across Mexico. What keeps me awake at night is the struggle to learn fiction as I write my first novel, Temperance Hill. My email address is bengirwb@yahoo.com