Dialogues with the Wise Woman

Scammed by an evil Las Vegas con artist, pianist George Sistern descends into a deep depression; and even after three years, his pain, guilt, self-loathing, rage, and desire for revenge remain. Through an acquaintance, he contacts Mildred Markowitz, a psychologist and philosopher of genius. Dialogues with the Wise Woman is more than a novel. It is a psychological and philosophical treatise that tackles many important issues: What is evil? Can good and bad be determined? Is revenge ever justified? What is the best way to deal with the current violent crime epidemic? Can all criminals be rehabilitated? Is there good in everyone? What is self-esteem, and how does one acquire it? How does one release toxic and distracting thoughts? How should one prioritize time, the universal limited commodity? How can we determine the most ethical course of action? What is happiness? A no-holds-barred search for truth that encourages readers to utilize their own rational judgment, Dialogues with the Wise Woman is the perfect read for intelligent skeptics everywhere.

Richard Devens is a classically trained pianist who actively performs and teaches. He is also a public speaker who regularly addresses audiences throughout the country on a multitude of topics. As a writer, his articles have appeared in newspapers, as well as such music magazines as Piano Guild Notes ("What is Talent?" 1992; "Earl Wild - The Romantic Master," 1996), and martial arts magazines such as Kung Fu Tai Chi (formerly Kungfu Wushu), Official Karate, Karate/Kung-fu Illustrated, and Black Belt. Richard co-authored the book Martial Arts for Kids (Weatherhill, 1997). His second book, Rational Polemics, was a 2013 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Book of the Year Award Winner, a 2014 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award recipient, and a second-place winner in Philosophy at the 20th Annual Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Book Awards, also in 2014. Dialogues with the Wise Woman was a 2024 Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner and a first-place winner in Philosophy at the 2024 Pacific Book Awards. He is passionate about philosophy, human achievement, and transcendence. He lives in New York.