Paul McEuen skillfully enthralls the reader with a tale of modern technology, science, and mystery. Spiral opens at the end of World War II when scientist Liam Conner acquires a vial of the deadly Uzumaki virus from a Japanese soldier. It finishes sixty-four years later with Liam’s mysterious death. The broader story relates advances in biochemical research. McEuen introduces to the reader nanotechnology, the world of the minute. Spiral explains complicated science and nanotechnology in simple terms. The author tells the reader that nanotechnology and biochemical toxins merge as weapons for present day warfare. Twenty-five years ago Spiral would be classified as science fiction. Today nanotechnology and biochemical weapons are reality.

Body language communicates the veracity of our spoken words. It reveals true intentions and feelings we wish to disguise. Psychologists, businessmen, and law enforcement officials study its uses in the assessment of others. Non-verbal forms of communication include stance, handshakes, mannerisms, and speech. They represent intent, social group, culture, and confidence. Individuals can control some body movements, but not all. Paul Ekman has discovered universal expressions of emotions. Liars and deceivers possess detectable defense mechanisms. Courses and lectures train professionals in the interpretation of body language communication.

This article introduces the study of extrasensory perception, defines ESP, and summarizes a brief history of psi research in the West. It focuses on mental telepathy, also known as thought transference without using the five senses. The general public overwhelming believes in paranormal phenomena. Academic institutions ridicule its research, while the United States conducts clandestine research into its military applications. Supporters contend that acknowledgment of telepathy would cause a reevaluation of intimacy, privacy, and secrets.

Industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa, bestows life’s essentials: food, medicines, fabric, fuel, plastics, building materials, and more. Recognized for its multitude of uses for thousands of years, it has contributed to sustenance and economies throughout the world. The high yield, eco-friendly crop does not deplete the soil’s nutrients or require pesticides. In recent times, United States laws prohibit its cultivation. Lawmakers and the general public confuse industrial hemp with marijuana. Marijuana contains between 5% and 30% THC, a psychoactive chemical, while industrial hemp possesses CBD, an anti-psychotic defense. Today recognition of industrial hemp’s benefits to health, the economy, and the environment has led politicians, farmers, and consumers to seek laws to legalize its agriculture.