From Tom Dyson, founder, Palm Beach Research Group: I’ve been waiting to read it for 10 years. I thought it would never get written… but finally, it’s here. I’ve read it. And it’s great.

It’s Doug Casey’s first novel, Speculator.

I’m a huge Doug Casey fan.

I’ve been reading his newsletter for years, I’ve traveled around the world to hear him speak at conferences, and I own collector’s editions of his books worth several thousand dollars.

(His book Crisis Investing for the Rest of the ’90s is my favorite finance book of all time.)

For years, Doug has said he was going to write a series of six novels. They would be about a man who takes on six politically incorrect occupations: He starts as a speculator, then progresses to drug lord, assassin, terrorist, warlord, and finally “Antichrist.”

I was starting to think Doug would never get around to writing this epic series… then the first novel—Speculator—arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago.

It’s the story of a young man, Charles Knight, who invests in a gold mine in West Africa. It’s the biggest, most exciting gold discovery on the planet and the hottest investment story on Wall Street. Charles tours the mine and discovers it’s a giant fraud. Great adventure ensues… including Charles’s attempt to get rich from the situation.

There are two things I loved about the book.

First, it’s a page-turner. I stayed up much later than I should’ve several nights in a row until I’d finished it. I had a hard time putting it down.

Second, in terms of philosophy, economics, religion, and politics, Doug has influenced my thinking more than anyone else. I love the way he looks at the world. I’ve read just about every word of nonfiction he’s ever published.

While Speculator is a novel… an adventure story… Doug injects it full of real-life lessons. He discusses money, freedom, government, tax, gold and silver, violence, charity, business, sex, law, and, of course, speculation via his various characters—both good and bad.

Anyway, for me it was a different way of drinking in Doug’s unique view of things. If Crisis Investing is a steak, Speculator is more like eating a hamburger: same meat… totally different presentation. Speculator would be especially good for young adults, I reckon. I’ll definitely be pushing it on my kids in a few years.

As I said, Speculator is the first book of a six-book Charles Knight series. Drug Lord comes next. I can’t wait.