{"product_id":"9780312650599","title":"The Pursuit of Other Interests : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Pursuit of Other Interests\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Jim Kokoris\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCharlie Baker is a neurotic but charming 50-year-old workaholic CEO of a major Chicago ad agency who seems to have it all: an impressive house in an upscale suburb, an equally impressive salary, the requisite pretty wife and accomplished son. All of this comes crashing down when Charlie is unceremoniously fired. In an instant, his life is transformed from corporate titan to just another out of work American.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Charlie—an admitted workaholic—a world without a job is a strange world indeed. Rather then tell his family, every morning Charlie leaves home to spend his days at an outplacement firm, where he meets a cast of equally desperate corporate misfits. As Charlie reluctantly embarks on a journey of self-discovery, he finds out what happens when his work life is lost and his real life begins. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumorous, poignant, and honest, \u003ci\u003eThe Pursuit of Other Interests \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a glimpse into the lives, hearts, and minds of the 21st-century American family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Pursuit of Other Interests\u003c\/i\u003e has the absurd hilarity of \u003ci\u003eAnd Then We Came To The End\u003c\/i\u003e coupled with the poignancy of \u003ci\u003eDeath of a Salesman\u003c\/i\u003e. Compellingly readable. Utterly entertaining. Thought provoking. I was hooked by the first line and willingly pulled into the downward spiral of Charlie Baker's life. He's endearing and quirky in an embarrassingly real way. We are all Charlie, single-mindedly chasing after what we think we want, and then, when we get it, realizing we sped past the truly important things in life. Jim Kokoris absolutely nails the character of Charlie, with humor and pathos. I give it two thumbs up and five stars.” —\u003ci\u003ePatricia Wood author of Lottery\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Watertight...so packed with zany Americana that you fear it might burst.” —\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times on The Rich Part of Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Impressive...a novel of character.” —\u003ci\u003eNewsday on The Rich Part of Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A cohesive and poignant story...Kokoris has an ear for how people talk and think.” —\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune on The Rich Part of Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Unexpected, hilarious, and more than worth the trip.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review on Sister North\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Few novelists explore, much less capture, the religious imagination with the talent Jim Kokoris invests in these pages. \u003ci\u003eSister North\u003c\/i\u003e is an impressive achievement.” —\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A compelling story of forgiveness and spiritual awakening . . . imaginative, deeply felt.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Dallas Morning News on Sister North\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A tender poignancy permeates this charmingly profound yet deviously humorous portrait of redemption and renewal.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist on Sister North\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9780312650599\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"St. Martin's Griffin","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40642359787726,"sku":"9780312650599","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_94d63225-b4cf-497b-8f6e-cd4538d63d67.jpg?v=1639104910","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9780312650599","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}