Christina Preston, a young American exchange student is kidnapped in Santa Marta - the historic capital of Magdalena, Colombia while pursuing a degree in environmental studies at a prestigious university. In typical youthful passion and defiance, Christina went to Colombia against the advice of her dad - Texas billionaire, Mike Preston. Her dream of becoming a research scientist was shattered on a cloudy, overcast and chilly October morning, when masked gunmen stormed the university tour bus, en route to Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino. Mike Preston is devastated when he learns of his daughter's fate. Preston does what any caring father would do. He hires a retired United States Navy Seal, John Bradley to find Christina. In utter desperation, Preston also seeks assistance from a highly influential figure in Washington, imploring him to exert pressure on the Colombian authorities. Bradley gave Preston a commitment to free Christina and make her captors pay a heavy price for the pain and anguish. He heads to Colombia, travelling through dense jungle terrain and treacherous swamps. Along the way, he encounters huge venomous snakes and other hazards. A fisherman from Taganga Bay accepts Bradley's money in exchange for a midnight rendezvous near a secluded cove, notorious for pirates and drug dealers. Bradley's efforts to find Christina are frustrated by a sinister twist - Rebel guerrilla fighters have infiltrated the upper echelons of a key military establishment. And while Christina languishes somewhere in the impregnable forest of the Sierra Nevada; her dad waits anxiously for news from the South American mainland.

This work provides a thorough overview and analysis of the increasing gap between the Americans at the top and bottom of the economic scale. Rich and Poor in America: A Reference Handbook provides an in-depth analysis of—and possible solutions for—the growing disparity between those at the top of the economic ladder and everyone else, a disparity that has reached its highest level since the 1920s. Expertly researched and written, Rich and Poor in America explores a wide range of explanations for the trend that undercuts the U.S.'s "Land of Opportunity" image, including heavy immigration, weakening labor unions, globalization, and technological change. Separate chapters look at the issue chronologically and from a global perspective, while biographical sketches provide fascinating portraits of some of the "winners" in our winner-take-all society, as well as leading scholars and activists working on this issue. copywriter rewrite: Rich and Poor in America: A Reference Handbook provides an in-depth analysis of the widening income gap in the United States—a situation where, over nearly three decades, fewer and fewer Americans have made significant financial strides while more and more have seen their real incomes remain the same or decrease. Objective, expertly researched and clearly written, Rich and Poor in America looks at a wide range of explanations for the income gap, including heavy immigration, weakening labor unions, globalization, and technological change. Separate chapters examine the trend as it has evolved over time and from a global perspective, while biographical sketches provide fascinating portraits of some of notable successful individuals as well as leading scholars and activists working on this issue.