Gardening and the $7 Tomato: Plus Other Stories by OldGuyMike

If you read newspapers, watch cable news shows, or listen to the radio, you might think all old guys, especially old white ones, were right-wing, semi-literate, climate-change denying anti-sciencers who believe America is becoming a third-world country. You might also think the retired - particularly former government employees - were living the high life sucking off government entitlements and inflated pensions. And you'd be wrong.

Award-winning writer Mike Bowler shows in a series of interrelated, conversational, humorously satirical essays why these stereotypes are bunk. OldGuyMike can read, write, deserves his pension, thinks women are real people and believes minorities should be allowed to vote. He sees animal cruelty as immoral, tells why tech-geeks should learn to write in English, explains how his pension helped win World War II, and why the West Coast is better than the East Coast.

He is a former defense attorney, who explains why police stop-and-frisk tactics don't work. He finds being a bit of a curmudgeon enjoyable and tells about having fun annoying his children by spoiling their children. He expounds on the choice between government conspiracy and government incompetence. And he tells you how to grow a $7 tomato.