The Cure for Modern Life

By: Lisa Tucker

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Matthew and Amelia were once in love and planning to raise a family together, but a decade later, they have become professional enemies. To Amelia, who has dedicated her life to medical ethics, Matthew's job as a high-powered pharmaceutical executive has turned him into a heartless person who doesn't care about anything but money.

Now they're kept in balance only by Matthew's best and oldest friend, Ben, a rising science superstar - and Amelia's new boyfriend.

That balance begins to crumble one night when, on his way home to his upscale Philadelphia loft, Matthew finds himself on a desolate bridge face-to-face with a boy screaming for help. Homeless for most of his life, 10-year-old Danny is as streetwise as he is world-weary, and his desperation to save his three-year-old sister means he will do whatever it takes to get Matthew's help.

What follows is an escalating game of one-upmanship between Matthew, Amelia, and Danny, as all three players struggle to defend what is most important to them - and are ultimately forced to reconsider what they truly want.

Dazzlingly written, Lisa Tucker's The Cure for Modern Life is a smart, humorous, big-hearted novel about what it means in the 21st century to be responsible, to care about other people, and to do the right thing.

©2008 Lisa Tucker (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"In crisp, lively prose, Tucker cleverly executes a series of surprising twists that, coupled with the Big Pharma backdrop and cinematic feel, make the novel as fast-paced as a thriller, but with astute and often humorous observations about the shifting morality of 21st-century America." ( Publishers Weekly)

I LOVED THIS BOOK

This story had so much draw, I turned it off whenever I couldn't give it my full attention. Anyone that listens to audio books on a regular basis should know what that means, hell, anyone that reads a book knows what that means. You skim the boring parts. But this book really doesn't have any. It skips all the lengthy (and largely unnecessary) descriptions in favor of really good dialog which does a much better job of developing characters, which in turn allows for a richer story. It is albeit somewhat predictable and not wholly believable, but you can hardly blame the author for that - after all, what hasn't been done?
In the end, it's a touching, well written, and thoroughly engaging book. I strongly recommend.

Light and engrossing entertainment

A romantic comedy with interesting characters and a fun but implausible plot. I found myself anxious to listen to more every time I had to turn it off. I liked the main characters and cared about what happened to them. The narration is excellent!

Chick lit

Good distraction book with plot but annoying narrator.
I listened twice -- the second time years later. It was pleasant enough for background while I worked.

I loved this book!

I really enjoyed this story and now that I am finished listening to it I find myself missing the characters.

Scott Brick is a wonderful narrator -- can't wait to listen to more of his work!

Implausible plot

Honestly, I wanted to like this book because I was taking an 8 hour car trip and it was the only book I had to listen to. However, I have to say that the plot was implausible, the characters were annoying and unlikable and the author was so focused on details that she often let the plot unravel as she delved into the details and background. By the end I didn't like any of the characters and just wanted to finish the book.

Ho Hum

I listened all the way through in the hope that the book would redeem itself, but throughout I found it difficult to care about these people. One too many stories about the evils of Big Pharma, I guess. At any rate, I found there were a few too many coincidences holding a thin plot together, and not enough character development or descriptive depth to really fire my imagination.

Scott Brick good, book badly written

Don't buy it