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Late Bird
In pursuit of the American dream ... From an early age Falcon Sane wanted to be president. When asked why, he answered, So I can help people. During a period of political and social unrest in the U.S., tenderhearted Falcon travels through youth into adulthood crossing the paths of love, corruption, and power, in search of the American dream -- freedom. Despite incredible odds, he never gives up, never gives in, and never loses sight of who he is. His quests carry him to the wilderness of the Idaho mountains, into the belly of a foul profiteering county jail, clamped in the jaws of an unethical corporation, and ultimately to a long-desired romance. As a successful businessman, and with an incredible woman at his side, Falcon turns his passion toward fixing the corruption of his beloved America and runs for president. His message is United, we can make a difference.
532 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2014
122 people want to read
About the author
Jason Kraus
14 books10 followersI am an author and entrepreneur. My background includes a BA in Psychology, counseling of troubled youths, and law enforcement. I write a regular column for the purpose of breathing appreciation, freedom, and responsibility back into America. I live in California with my amazing wife.
God Bless the United States of America.
God Bless the United States of America.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 12, 2014
Just finished the book. Thank you so much for sharing your life with us. Not only did I laugh and cry, my focus changed from all the chaos we are in right now, to the excitement of our future. Even though you wrote this as a novel, this can and will happen! Time for us to get to work :)
October 5, 2014
This is one amazing book. Transports you to a happier time, makes you want to get it back there. Can't wait for others to read and share their thoughts.
January 31, 2015
This was a truly awesome book. It really was a eye opener I wish to thank the author for writing a brillant book. I recommend this book to everyone. I won this book on Goodreads.
July 27, 2016
Bought this book because the subject matter interested me (I am from California myself and was interested in the perspective from a fellow Californian).
Pros: It’s easy enough to get into, if small town life, experience, and narrative are something that interests you.
It delves a little into a sort of metaphoric character and setting, who is analogous to the author, while paralleling his life as well as where he would like to be. For some strange reason it reminds me of the Left Behind series of books, perhaps because of the inter-splicing of reality and fiction. I’m going to take a quick crack at the names, which seem to contain some symbolism. Main protagonist: Falcon Sane (Falcon=patriotic, Air Force Academy mascot, Sane=rational, possessing of common sense. Am I close?)
I have a few criticisms; since this book was put forth as sort of autobiographical, these bother me a bit:
(a) The trauma of seeking public assistance—while this may be an authentic experience for Jason, I’ve had the same experience (been on Medicaid, food stamps, etc.) and not found it to be quite as troublesome. Perhaps there is more of a stigma in California than in other states? When our family qualified for Medicaid (in a different state), no fanfare was made, and my child--who received low cost lunches in school--was not made to feel segregated or any different. Just wondering whether the impact this had on Jason had more to do with the area he grew up in, or his personal pride/perception of the event.
(b) Pg. 239, “It is unacceptable to be obese on welfare, and sign up for government medical care for type II diabetes medication, heart medication, or Levita.” It was hard to me to come to terms with this, especially if it is a serious political statement. As an Air Force veteran, MBA recipient, and former athlete, I struggled with weight my entire life, finally developing a thyroid problem and needing weight loss surgery to get the problem under control. To deny an entire population (the obese) access to needed medical care such as cholesterol medications, surgery, etc. is something I find borderline offensive, especially when some of us struggle so tirelessly with it. Not all of the obese population are lazy, unmotivated, or inclined to be overweight. I hate to see people refuse to work and not take actions to help themselves, but in some situations people need extra assistance and these things should at least be judged on a case by case basis; the first statement seems rather dangerous to the public health, as well as hyperbolic.
(c) Pg. 243, “I planned to enlist in the military, but they were downsizing, so I worked a year with severely emotionally disturbed youths and saved my money.” If this is a statement of pure fiction, fine. However, this is nowhere near true. I enlisted in the military circa the time this statement took place (1997). Regardless of whether the military (which consists of several branches) is doing a drawdown or amping up for war, they are ALWAYS recruiting. If you are medically qualified, they have a place for you. A statement to the effect of not being able to enlist due to “downsizing” is factually inaccurate.
Overall, would have liked to see more of an actual autobiography, if that is what is meant to be portrayed, and less of a theoretical future run for political office. The experience with the Sheriffs Department was interesting, and it would have been nice to see this fleshed out a little bit more. Kraus (author) seems like a good and well-intentioned person, if a little inexperienced in CONUS and international affairs. I believe he is likely beneficial to have on one’s side, but perhaps needs a little bit more experience to broaden his worldview.
Pros: It’s easy enough to get into, if small town life, experience, and narrative are something that interests you.
It delves a little into a sort of metaphoric character and setting, who is analogous to the author, while paralleling his life as well as where he would like to be. For some strange reason it reminds me of the Left Behind series of books, perhaps because of the inter-splicing of reality and fiction. I’m going to take a quick crack at the names, which seem to contain some symbolism. Main protagonist: Falcon Sane (Falcon=patriotic, Air Force Academy mascot, Sane=rational, possessing of common sense. Am I close?)
I have a few criticisms; since this book was put forth as sort of autobiographical, these bother me a bit:
(a) The trauma of seeking public assistance—while this may be an authentic experience for Jason, I’ve had the same experience (been on Medicaid, food stamps, etc.) and not found it to be quite as troublesome. Perhaps there is more of a stigma in California than in other states? When our family qualified for Medicaid (in a different state), no fanfare was made, and my child--who received low cost lunches in school--was not made to feel segregated or any different. Just wondering whether the impact this had on Jason had more to do with the area he grew up in, or his personal pride/perception of the event.
(b) Pg. 239, “It is unacceptable to be obese on welfare, and sign up for government medical care for type II diabetes medication, heart medication, or Levita.” It was hard to me to come to terms with this, especially if it is a serious political statement. As an Air Force veteran, MBA recipient, and former athlete, I struggled with weight my entire life, finally developing a thyroid problem and needing weight loss surgery to get the problem under control. To deny an entire population (the obese) access to needed medical care such as cholesterol medications, surgery, etc. is something I find borderline offensive, especially when some of us struggle so tirelessly with it. Not all of the obese population are lazy, unmotivated, or inclined to be overweight. I hate to see people refuse to work and not take actions to help themselves, but in some situations people need extra assistance and these things should at least be judged on a case by case basis; the first statement seems rather dangerous to the public health, as well as hyperbolic.
(c) Pg. 243, “I planned to enlist in the military, but they were downsizing, so I worked a year with severely emotionally disturbed youths and saved my money.” If this is a statement of pure fiction, fine. However, this is nowhere near true. I enlisted in the military circa the time this statement took place (1997). Regardless of whether the military (which consists of several branches) is doing a drawdown or amping up for war, they are ALWAYS recruiting. If you are medically qualified, they have a place for you. A statement to the effect of not being able to enlist due to “downsizing” is factually inaccurate.
Overall, would have liked to see more of an actual autobiography, if that is what is meant to be portrayed, and less of a theoretical future run for political office. The experience with the Sheriffs Department was interesting, and it would have been nice to see this fleshed out a little bit more. Kraus (author) seems like a good and well-intentioned person, if a little inexperienced in CONUS and international affairs. I believe he is likely beneficial to have on one’s side, but perhaps needs a little bit more experience to broaden his worldview.
June 9, 2015
I loved "Late Bird". Jason Kraus made me believe in the possibility of turning this nation around. His character, Falcon Sane stands for TRUTH, INTEGRITY, and the America we all yearn for. HONESTY, what a concept. LEADERSHIP, what a concept. Through his heart-felt story-telling, Kraus delivers a strong and powerful message. If we believe, we can achieve! USA, USA, USA!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews