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Atlas of Men
Dr. Robert Thames, an infectious disease specialist who travels the world in search of new antibiotics, has just learned that his government job is about to be cut when three boxes are unexpectedly delivered to his home in Washington, D.C. Inside them are files of a long lost secret research study conducted at his prestigious prep school when he was a student there. Robert has repressed all memories of this degrading “study,” particularly the naked photos. He learns that the research intended to explore the relationship between body type and leadership qualities--and it shocks and infuriates him. He decides to track down his four closest friends from Danvers Academy, and together they uncover the terrible truth of what was buried by the faculty, the school, and the boys themselves.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 14, 2018
When I received this book and decided to look it up before I read it, the book is described as a medical thriller or mystery that is based on a true story. To me, this book is a coming-of-age, fictitious memoir. Atlas of Men by David Sklar is about a man named Dr. Robert Thames. He receives a shipment of files on his doorstep. When he goes through the files, he realizes that they are photos and information about a research study that he was in during college. The only issue is, he was not aware that he was a part of the research study, and the events of that day still haunt him. The book jumps back and forth between Robert’s college days and the present. He has tried to put the past behind him, but there is also something more sinister about the research photos. As Robert contacts his old schoolmates, they must decide what to do about these files.
Like I said above, to me, this is a coming-of-age story based on true events. The events that take place to this group of men is despicable and makes you wonder how this is allowed to happen. This book is filled with emotions. This group of men was scarred for life and these events had a distinct effect on the rest of their lives. The book also discusses friendship and second chances at love.
However, the pacing of the book is extremely slow. There is no thriller or mystery aspect of this novel, in my opinion. This is clearly a book about the emotional and mental anguish of someone who was hurt and deceived. There is also a lot of medical jargon that can be a little confusing for those who are not used to those terms. The book does bounce back and forth between time periods and it does affect the pacing, Overall, this is poignant read. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Like I said above, to me, this is a coming-of-age story based on true events. The events that take place to this group of men is despicable and makes you wonder how this is allowed to happen. This book is filled with emotions. This group of men was scarred for life and these events had a distinct effect on the rest of their lives. The book also discusses friendship and second chances at love.
However, the pacing of the book is extremely slow. There is no thriller or mystery aspect of this novel, in my opinion. This is clearly a book about the emotional and mental anguish of someone who was hurt and deceived. There is also a lot of medical jargon that can be a little confusing for those who are not used to those terms. The book does bounce back and forth between time periods and it does affect the pacing, Overall, this is poignant read. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.
December 20, 2019
The prose is eloquent and vivid, which is what kept me reading through the first few chapters. The narrator’s self deprecating view had me wondering why I cared about him or what happened to him. He didn’t seem to like himself and I didn’t think I cared for him either.
The next two chapters detail the research project in which he had been an unwilling subject in his childhood. These chapters come across as a clinical analysis, problematic in scientific veracity but nonetheless, confirming his low self esteem. Chapters four and five get a little better as we flash back to his days at prep school and meet his friends, who were also in the study. We compare the research predictions with his view of these young men.
Unfortunately, it’s not until me meet Sarah in chapter 13 that most of this comes into context. In the previous twelve chapters we’ve seen his low opinion of himself. It is an opinion somewhat belied by the reality of his success. In his dealings with Sarah, we see the source of his self doubt, and may conclude it is at least partially justified. “Faint heart never won fair lady,” is a saying my mother used to tell me. Robert had the courage for moderate professional success, though he acknowledges he might could have achieved more by risking more. But his greatest failure, the metric by which he judged himself, was his dealing with Sarah. From this point on, things got interesting.
We see time and again, though his actions, that he has more courage than he gives himself credit for. The hideous study of Somatotypes parallel his doubt and self image. Is he a rabbit or a fox? Ultimately I don’t think the author takes a firm stand and it will be up to the reader to decide for themselves.
It started slow, but I was glad to have read it by the end.
The next two chapters detail the research project in which he had been an unwilling subject in his childhood. These chapters come across as a clinical analysis, problematic in scientific veracity but nonetheless, confirming his low self esteem. Chapters four and five get a little better as we flash back to his days at prep school and meet his friends, who were also in the study. We compare the research predictions with his view of these young men.
Unfortunately, it’s not until me meet Sarah in chapter 13 that most of this comes into context. In the previous twelve chapters we’ve seen his low opinion of himself. It is an opinion somewhat belied by the reality of his success. In his dealings with Sarah, we see the source of his self doubt, and may conclude it is at least partially justified. “Faint heart never won fair lady,” is a saying my mother used to tell me. Robert had the courage for moderate professional success, though he acknowledges he might could have achieved more by risking more. But his greatest failure, the metric by which he judged himself, was his dealing with Sarah. From this point on, things got interesting.
We see time and again, though his actions, that he has more courage than he gives himself credit for. The hideous study of Somatotypes parallel his doubt and self image. Is he a rabbit or a fox? Ultimately I don’t think the author takes a firm stand and it will be up to the reader to decide for themselves.
It started slow, but I was glad to have read it by the end.
October 16, 2018
Atlas of Men has earned a well-deserved, permanent spot in my personal library. David Sklar mixes a coming of age tale with elements of a thriller, all set to the backdrop of a New England boarding school. Sklar writes with the poetic intensity that readers crave, making you step back and wonder what you would do or how you would react in a certain situation. And that's a true sign of a great novel!
October 20, 2018
David Sklar’s new book, "Atlas of Men" (Volcano Cannon Press), with a release date of October 16, 2018, should delight readers of medical thrillers, mysteries, and boarding school/coming of age tales—as well as all lovers of well-written fiction. "Atlas of Men" raises important ethical questions about research with live human subjects and science’s relationship to race and identity. But beyond that, it is simply a well-written, compelling story about scandal and secrecy at a prestigious private school and of the boys who, as men, transcend what happened to them while students there.
It’s a great read, with compelling characters, page-turning pacing balanced with contemplative passages, and an often gut-wrenching, always riveting plot about what happened to students at an upscale boarding school in the 1960s. There’s also a lovely second-chance-at-romance storyline in the novel. Inspired by true events that happened to the author, the narratives and dialogues ring with authenticity. With his crisp, on-point and well-worded sentences, Sklar takes readers right smack into the heart of the story—and into the heart and mind of the protagonist, the enigmatic, brilliant, and compassionate Dr. Robert Thames.
Robert Thames is a medical doctor specializing in infectious disease research. Born in the Philippines of a Filipino mother, Robert was adopted by American medical missionaries who lived there. As a teen, he was sent to the USA to a mostly-white, upper crust all-boys boarding school (modeled after the author’s own alma mater). While there, he was subjected to humiliating and unethical so-called scientific research that left him and his classmates traumatized for years.
As the story opens, Robert, as a never-married and somewhat lonely adult several decades past his boarding school days, works in a government research job and learns his position is to be cut due to funding issues. Soon after that, he mysteriously receives three boxes of old records pertaining to the unethical research conducted on him and his classmates at the boarding school. Painful memories resurface, and he decides to pursue the matter further. As part of his own investigation, Robert tracks down his four closest friends from the school. Together, he hopes they can uncover the truth of the so-called scientific research, long buried by the faculty, the school, and many of the boys themselves.
Robert locates the man who was his closest friend at the school and who is now married to the girl Robert had fallen in love with while they were all teens. To Robert’s dismay, he learns that this former best friend is dying. As a last request, his dying friend asks Robert to bring together for one last time their group of close friends from the school days. Robert agrees, though he is unsure how to locate one of them.
Robert is not only driven to reunite the friends for one final time, but also to bring some peace to himself and his dying friend. But he encounters threats and discouragement from the school’s officials once they learn he has the boxes of research. The school has much to lose if Robert publicizes the materials and the knowledge he has gained since reviewing the boxes.
Told in a combination of contemporary times and flashbacks to the boarding school days, "Atlas of Men," moves at an energetic pace, building suspense and compassion for the boys who were humiliated in the name of science. The flashbacks to the time when the boys were required to strip completely naked in front of classmates while they were individually photographed is heartbreaking, but told with candor and empathy. What becomes of the naked photographs in the wrong hands provokes anger, and Robert struggles with a desire for retribution and revenge. But he also understands much harm –including embarrassment and injury to innocent persons—could result if he goes public with what he has learned. Robert’s internal conflict over whether to expose the school for its past sins creates a compelling element of the book. The woman who was his first love offers to help him with whatever he decides to do. A new bond begins to develop between them, though much stands in their way.
The author, who is drawing upon personal experiences, knows exactly how to frame the plot and put the reader right there in the action. Readers will care, and care deeply, for Dr. Robert Thames, his classmates, and his lost love.
Part medical thriller, part boarding school drama, and part second-chance romance, Atlas of Men is an engaging, gripping novel, well-written and insightful, which deserves a wide audience of readers. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of the book through an online review magazine (not through the author or the publisher), but the opinions here are strictly my own.
It’s a great read, with compelling characters, page-turning pacing balanced with contemplative passages, and an often gut-wrenching, always riveting plot about what happened to students at an upscale boarding school in the 1960s. There’s also a lovely second-chance-at-romance storyline in the novel. Inspired by true events that happened to the author, the narratives and dialogues ring with authenticity. With his crisp, on-point and well-worded sentences, Sklar takes readers right smack into the heart of the story—and into the heart and mind of the protagonist, the enigmatic, brilliant, and compassionate Dr. Robert Thames.
Robert Thames is a medical doctor specializing in infectious disease research. Born in the Philippines of a Filipino mother, Robert was adopted by American medical missionaries who lived there. As a teen, he was sent to the USA to a mostly-white, upper crust all-boys boarding school (modeled after the author’s own alma mater). While there, he was subjected to humiliating and unethical so-called scientific research that left him and his classmates traumatized for years.
As the story opens, Robert, as a never-married and somewhat lonely adult several decades past his boarding school days, works in a government research job and learns his position is to be cut due to funding issues. Soon after that, he mysteriously receives three boxes of old records pertaining to the unethical research conducted on him and his classmates at the boarding school. Painful memories resurface, and he decides to pursue the matter further. As part of his own investigation, Robert tracks down his four closest friends from the school. Together, he hopes they can uncover the truth of the so-called scientific research, long buried by the faculty, the school, and many of the boys themselves.
Robert locates the man who was his closest friend at the school and who is now married to the girl Robert had fallen in love with while they were all teens. To Robert’s dismay, he learns that this former best friend is dying. As a last request, his dying friend asks Robert to bring together for one last time their group of close friends from the school days. Robert agrees, though he is unsure how to locate one of them.
Robert is not only driven to reunite the friends for one final time, but also to bring some peace to himself and his dying friend. But he encounters threats and discouragement from the school’s officials once they learn he has the boxes of research. The school has much to lose if Robert publicizes the materials and the knowledge he has gained since reviewing the boxes.
Told in a combination of contemporary times and flashbacks to the boarding school days, "Atlas of Men," moves at an energetic pace, building suspense and compassion for the boys who were humiliated in the name of science. The flashbacks to the time when the boys were required to strip completely naked in front of classmates while they were individually photographed is heartbreaking, but told with candor and empathy. What becomes of the naked photographs in the wrong hands provokes anger, and Robert struggles with a desire for retribution and revenge. But he also understands much harm –including embarrassment and injury to innocent persons—could result if he goes public with what he has learned. Robert’s internal conflict over whether to expose the school for its past sins creates a compelling element of the book. The woman who was his first love offers to help him with whatever he decides to do. A new bond begins to develop between them, though much stands in their way.
The author, who is drawing upon personal experiences, knows exactly how to frame the plot and put the reader right there in the action. Readers will care, and care deeply, for Dr. Robert Thames, his classmates, and his lost love.
Part medical thriller, part boarding school drama, and part second-chance romance, Atlas of Men is an engaging, gripping novel, well-written and insightful, which deserves a wide audience of readers. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of the book through an online review magazine (not through the author or the publisher), but the opinions here are strictly my own.
December 21, 2019
From a Rabbit to a Fox
Atlas of Men by David Sklar is a heart-breaking story of secret abuses that leave their indelible unhealed wounds on individuals throughout their tormented life.
The main character, Dr. Robert Thames, is an infectious disease doctor who works for a government agency. His position with the agency is in jeopardy due to budget cuts and his timid personality allows for him to resign himself to the situation.
However, things are about to change.
Mysteriously a delivery of several file boxes are delivered to him. The files chronicle a study conducted by Dr. Hart who is a respected member of the Danver's faculty and considered a mentor of Robert Thames.
Upon closer examination the files contain nude photographs of some of the young males who were students corresponding to the time when Robert Thames attended this prestigious prep school for young men.
The files capture a compilation of medical data and were the basis of a study that was conducted by Dr. Hart as it related to Somatotypes. Somatotypes is a scientific study of body types and were thought to be a future prediction method of achievements and leadership capabilities of those studied.
This beginning is just the start as a further investigation of those files serve as a key to unlock the dark secrets of events that transpired at Danver.
Atlas of Men by David Sklar is an absorbing novel that is extremely well-developed and written with a nicely developed twist and flair of science and medicine. Adding to the intrigue are several unpredictable plot twists that complimented the reader being enveloped in the story and unfolding mystery.
Highly recommend as it is a story of friendship, young innocence, emotional and psychological trauma, mystery, personality transformation and healing.
Atlas of Men by David Sklar is a heart-breaking story of secret abuses that leave their indelible unhealed wounds on individuals throughout their tormented life.
The main character, Dr. Robert Thames, is an infectious disease doctor who works for a government agency. His position with the agency is in jeopardy due to budget cuts and his timid personality allows for him to resign himself to the situation.
However, things are about to change.
Mysteriously a delivery of several file boxes are delivered to him. The files chronicle a study conducted by Dr. Hart who is a respected member of the Danver's faculty and considered a mentor of Robert Thames.
Upon closer examination the files contain nude photographs of some of the young males who were students corresponding to the time when Robert Thames attended this prestigious prep school for young men.
The files capture a compilation of medical data and were the basis of a study that was conducted by Dr. Hart as it related to Somatotypes. Somatotypes is a scientific study of body types and were thought to be a future prediction method of achievements and leadership capabilities of those studied.
This beginning is just the start as a further investigation of those files serve as a key to unlock the dark secrets of events that transpired at Danver.
Atlas of Men by David Sklar is an absorbing novel that is extremely well-developed and written with a nicely developed twist and flair of science and medicine. Adding to the intrigue are several unpredictable plot twists that complimented the reader being enveloped in the story and unfolding mystery.
Highly recommend as it is a story of friendship, young innocence, emotional and psychological trauma, mystery, personality transformation and healing.
January 16, 2019
Although a number of characters in this book are doctors, I don't agree with its classification as a medical thriller. To me, it's more of a memoir-like book, which includes the discovery of some rather questionable and clandestine "research" conducted on some unwitting subjects when they were prep school students.
Revelations about shocking medical studies are nothing new. Most of us are aware of some of the shameful "studies" that have been conducted over the years, in which the subjects are completely in the dark as to how their lives and well-being are being manipulated in the name of "science." These teenage boys certainly had no idea. They thought the mandatory nude photos taken of them at the school were for some kind of posture study. Sure, they thought it was weird, but they had no idea how weird. And they certainly didn't know their lives were still being studied some forty years later.
The study is based on body type as a prediction of performance. Ergo, the photos. But, it turns out the photos were used for some more nefarious pursuits, as well, which contributed to psychological problems for some of the subjects.
The writing is good, albeit a bit slow-moving at times, but the characters steal the show. The author does an excellent job depicting the uncertainty and anxiety of boys trying to "make the grade" and conform to school-prescribed ideals so they can "fit in." And it shows how, as adults, their experiences at that school and the friendships they made there forged their characters, for better or worse. For lack of a better term, it's an interesting "study" in human behavior.
Revelations about shocking medical studies are nothing new. Most of us are aware of some of the shameful "studies" that have been conducted over the years, in which the subjects are completely in the dark as to how their lives and well-being are being manipulated in the name of "science." These teenage boys certainly had no idea. They thought the mandatory nude photos taken of them at the school were for some kind of posture study. Sure, they thought it was weird, but they had no idea how weird. And they certainly didn't know their lives were still being studied some forty years later.
The study is based on body type as a prediction of performance. Ergo, the photos. But, it turns out the photos were used for some more nefarious pursuits, as well, which contributed to psychological problems for some of the subjects.
The writing is good, albeit a bit slow-moving at times, but the characters steal the show. The author does an excellent job depicting the uncertainty and anxiety of boys trying to "make the grade" and conform to school-prescribed ideals so they can "fit in." And it shows how, as adults, their experiences at that school and the friendships they made there forged their characters, for better or worse. For lack of a better term, it's an interesting "study" in human behavior.
September 6, 2018
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways.
This book was absolutely riveting. I really couldn't wait to finish the story of what happened to the boys at Danvers. The way this is written is very much stream-of-consciousness for our narrator, Robert Thames, and there is a very dreamlike quality to both his thoughts and the action of the story. There was enough in it to make it feel real and rooted, but also plenty to make it seem as if it was fate (barang, maybe) or something else. It wraps up, but not neatly, much like life, and the "mystery" isn't really so mysterious at all once you get to the heart of it. Highly recommend.
This book was absolutely riveting. I really couldn't wait to finish the story of what happened to the boys at Danvers. The way this is written is very much stream-of-consciousness for our narrator, Robert Thames, and there is a very dreamlike quality to both his thoughts and the action of the story. There was enough in it to make it feel real and rooted, but also plenty to make it seem as if it was fate (barang, maybe) or something else. It wraps up, but not neatly, much like life, and the "mystery" isn't really so mysterious at all once you get to the heart of it. Highly recommend.
October 16, 2018
ATLAS OF MEN couldn’t be more timely. Based on the true story of somatotype studies done by Dr. William H. Sheldon, which involved taking nude photographs of adolescent boys at elite New England prep schools in the 1950s, David Sklar's book imagines the devastating and shameful effect this abuse had on four boys. Dr. Robert Thames receives a surprise carton of files from the past that fill him with the cold chill of recognition, sending him on a suspenseful journey around the world to reconcile these recovered memories and to understand the effects of this experience on three old friends, now middle-aged men living in very different circumstances.
May 10, 2019
Atlas of Men is not the type of book I’m normally drawn to as it is dark and intense with some very disturbing subject matter. Having said that, once I started reading I found it to be pretty fascinating. It is dark, intense, and often disturbing, but it is also full of twists and turns that kept me engaged. The story is based on true events, so in many ways is a fictionalized memoir. Many of the characters are deeply flawed because of their past experiences, but the story progresses through their trying to live with and through those flaws and past experiences. It can be a difficult read at times, but it is worth it.
November 12, 2025
DNF got maybe halfway through. This book isn’t what I thought it would be. It was basically a growing up story. I thought it was going to be conspiracy, intrigue, coverups, big things looming. It hinted at that but never got there (or didn’t get there fast enough for me) and it seemed like an excuse for the author to just fantasize about a life he maybe partially led. The core mystery was just kind of perverted and sad. Is it bad I keep DNFing books or is it a sign of strength and taste? Maybe both?
October 8, 2018
Every chapter is full of twists and turns, and
problems related to sexual abuse, child experimentation, and racial discrimination that is very relevant today. I was on edge from the drama that unfolded from the protagonist Robert’s travels and each new thing he discovered in the files. This is a book of confusion and betrayal, while still remaining true to reality with an open ending.
problems related to sexual abuse, child experimentation, and racial discrimination that is very relevant today. I was on edge from the drama that unfolded from the protagonist Robert’s travels and each new thing he discovered in the files. This is a book of confusion and betrayal, while still remaining true to reality with an open ending.
October 8, 2018
I enjoy immersing my imagination in a good scandal! Atlas of Men had a very complex love triangle that was far more than two men liking the same woman. This book was like a medical drama, with elements similar to Grey’s Anatomy.
October 8, 2018
Who doesn’t love a good mystery? This book is psychological, scientific, and thrilling! It’s got complex characters who are so closely intertwined through their school days that their dark adolescent secrets follow them well into their adult lives.
October 16, 2018
Atlas of Men is an incredibly riveting literary drama. I was blown away by medical aspects of this book and how well they intertwined with the story, a perfect balance of secrecy and science. A wonderful choice if you enjoy thrilling mysteries that keep you guessing!
August 29, 2018
Just got this book in the mail! Can’t wait to read it! Will get back with a review.
March 6, 2019
Fascinating especially because it is partly autobiographical.
Want to read
March 20, 2025I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
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