From the back cover of the book:

This is only temporary.

Jim Crayson pulls the work vest over his head. As his first shift begins at the backwoods convenience store he realizes things weren't supposed to turn out like this.

Sick of teaching logic at Midwestern colleges, Jim had taken his chances at starting over in Northern Florida. But that was many months and many resumes ago. For now he just needs cash while he keeps looking for something permanent.

The possibilities seem endless. Jim feels certain that any day now his degrees and experience will land him writing work--or at least a job with benefits. Maybe his book will finally get published. And then there's that shot he has at winning thousands on a quiz show.

But it's no picnic dealing with this job and the people it involves. Will Jim watch his hopes dissolve into the seedy, violence-prone world he encounters at the store? Could his last sight be a customer pointing a gun at his head?

Geddy Gibson's bleakly comic novel is an unflinching portrayal of the real prospects for many who attempt to change careers and pursue their dreams. Warkin takes an insightful and often witty look at being overeducated and underemployed.