Human Capital: A Novel

This great novel is suffused with white suburban hedge fund evil from start to finish. It is a stirring rallying cry to change what we do, especially to our children, in the name of wealth and status pursuit. In order to maintain his position in Totten Crossing (a/k/a Greenwich, CT), Drew Hagel invests funds he doesn't have with the dominant financier Quint Manning. Hegel's daughter Shannon, the ex-girlfriend of Manning's son Jamie, rescues him from a drunken party and tragedy ensues for her new boyfriend Ian, a mentally disturbed patient of Shannon's stepmother, a psychologist. The family connections are diminished by the fraught business webs of cheating and deceit. The sad tale is told commandingly by Amidon, who gets deeply into the show more guts of each character and is able to generate sympathy for them all. The book reminded me of the classic "The Ice Storm" by Rick Moody, which spawned an excellent movie. An Italian movie of Human Capital came out this year - here's a great interview with the author: http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2015/02/07/stephen-amidon-discusses-film-... show less

Just saw "Il capitale umano" at the film fest and am interested to see how the book compares. (2014)

Update: Finally read this. I found it engrossing, and that's with already knowing the story. All credit to the author. I also, however, kept picturing the film, which is a credit to the filmmakers as well. The biggest hindrance for me is that this particular setting invokes some of my own assumptions and maybe prejudices, and for that reason I think I enjoyed the movie a touch more.

I am terrified of all car accidents, especially the ones where cars hit defenseless people who are not in cars that can protect them, like bicyclists, pedestrians and people just standing on the street corner. So many innocent people are struck by ignorant drivers who should know better.
I notice a similarity between the above idea and a second idea, that of investments and their promoters who sometimes run amuck. All of us have seen enough examples recently of scams associated with investments. Are the victims in both instances equal in being guiltless?
Well, someone has said that putting your money on the stock market is a gamble just like any other. So is putting it in a retirement investment plan. The odds are a little bit different show more than Vegas, but a gamble nonetheless. Does anyone else agree with me that we are all gamblers, but moral authorities such as churches approve some forms of gambling but not all? If you engage in what is deemed to be the safest gamble, is that any different from making the most insane gamble on a underdog contender with long odds, or on a impossible-sounding investment like David comes up with in this book?
Definitely worth reading. This is my second Amidon book and will without a doubt look for some more after this. show less

Contemporary novel of the closely intermingled lives of several families, each experiencing connected forms of crises. Satisfying, well written, urban page turner.

Young love, abandonment, money, family, lies, secrets. This book has it all, and the author does a good job of character development and moving the story along. Very sad but realistic ending.

completed 7.27.14, 4.5 stars

Drew Hagel ha trascorso gli ultimi dieci anni guardando la vita sgusciargli fra le dita: un primo matrimonio fallito, la sua attività di immobiliarista che non è mai decollata, la figlia Shannon con cui non è mai riuscito a costruire un rapporto. Finché sopravviene, inaspettata, l’amicizia di un potente finanziere, Quint Manning, che gli offre la possibilità del riscatto. Ma anche Manning ha dei problemi: una moglie delusa, un figlio alcolizzato e un’imminente bancarotta. Quando un terribile incidente lega definitivamente il destino delle due famiglie, e i loro figli vengono indagati per omicidio, Drew decide di approfittarne e di andare all’attacco. Ma non si può investire sul “capitale umano” come si investe su un show more capitale finanziario… show less