Notable Works

Family Genes is based on the medical and genetic breakthroughs from the world’s leading experts. These physicians, PhDs, and geneticists are personally responsible for discovering the disease gene or the gene function, or they lead the field in disease treatment. These ten diseases take the lives of nearly two million Americans annually at a cost to society in excess of $1 trillion.

When a genetic disorder is diagnosed, parents usually want to know the likelihood that they or their children will develop the condition. This can be difficult to predict because many factors influence a genetic condition. One important factor is how the condition is inherited. Some disorders are caused by an inherited gene mutation. Some are caused by environmental factors, such as dietary habits. Other gene mutations are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Family Genes provides a guide to the best disease treatment facilities in the world. Each center of excellence featured includes their website, address, and contact phone number. Staff members at these hospitals have been trained to answer questions from every state and most countries across the world. Feel free to visit their websites or call the hospitals to get your questions answered.

During the writing of Family Genes, we heeded the guidance provided by Francis Collins, M.D., PhD, and Director at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Collins warned us about “presenting such genetic variants as predetermining, rather than predisposing – [which] is a tendency that the media (and some scientists) have, and it would be important to counter that misunderstanding in [our] book.”

For this book I sought out a broad sampling of couples that had achieved fifty years or more of marriage. The couples came from twenty-four different states. There were different religious persuasions of varying levels of intensity including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Mormon, Greek Orthodox, Christian Science, Atheism and Mysticism. I interviewed couples from fourteen different cultures and nationalities including Hispanic, Afro-American, Filipino, Greek, Cuban, Italian, Caucasian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Russian, German, Irish and Polish.

In some cases, couples interviewed knew the other couples and were part of their support network. There were also two sets of siblings each consisting of two brothers and a sister who were each married for fifty years. One set of brothers and their sister live within ten miles of each other. The other set of siblings live 3,000 miles apart.

The net financial worth of the couples varied across the board. While some had achieved their economic goals and were living well in retirement, others were still working.

All but three of the couples had children and grandchildren. Most shared the same disappointment of seeing their grandchildren grow up in broken homes.

These couples did not take a magic pill to insure that their marriages lasted. There were, however, several shared traits that emerged. I call these the Golden Rules.

The Golden Couples faced similar challenges of life that included the Great Depression, three major wars, recessions and inflation, transition of fourteen presidents, bankruptcies, alcoholism, drugs, AIDS in their children, deaths, some infidelities and disabilities. None of the couples escaped pain or struggle. They all faced their problems in the same era and emerged with their marriages intact. Since the completion of the research, fourteen of the 100 participants have passed away. So this book has captured their secrets forever. The fifty couples interviewed averaged fifty-three years of marriage with the longest tenure being 75 years.

Rahab is one of least appreciated women in all of history. When you understand Rahab’s faith, it will help build your own faith!

This book is important for several reasons. First, it is the story of a woman whose life changed dramatically because she believed in God. Her legacy impacts not only what we believe today, but also how we live.

Second, Rahab’s story gives people hope. Even when we do things that mess up our lives, there is always the opportunity for a new start. Rahab’s life is a testimony to how God gives us all a new start.

Finally, this book helps me communicate to you how Rahab builds a bridge between my Jewish roots and my belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Her story is told in both the Old Testament and New Testament.

There are several things you might want to know about Rahab before you begin reading this book:

Who was Rahab?
We don’t really know much about this woman from Biblical times. Very few books have been written about her. What we do know about Rahab can be found in two key references in the Bible. The first reference is in the Old Testament, the book of Joshua, chapter 2, verse 1 & 2, “Then Joshua sent two spies from the Israeli camp at Acacia to cross the river and check out the situation on the other side, especially at Jericho. They arrived at an inn operated by a woman named Rahab, who was a prostitute.”

The second key reference to Rahab is in the New Testament in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 31, “Because Rahab believed in God she did not die, but welcomed the spies in.”

What did Rahab do?
Rahab was a prostitute who lived on the inside of a 20-foot-wide wall that surrounded a city called Jericho. The mystery of Rahab’s life is revealed in what she believed. Her belief then changed her life and ultimately changed the world.

Where did Rahab live?
She lived in a town called Jericho, which was located across the Jordan River on the border of the “Promised Land”. I have been to Jericho. It is a desert town and not much goes on there today. But for thousands of years it was considered one of the greatest cities in the world.

When did her life change?
Rahab made an important decision. She risked her life to help a couple of spies escape. That decision required Rahab to take a step of faith, which pleased God and was truly honored throughout the ages.

Why is Rahab important today?
The step of faith transformed Rahab’s hopeless existence into a life of eternal value. She went from Prostitute to Princess, in a manner of speaking. She is the great, great, grandmother of Israel’s King David and the 28th great grandmother in the genealogy of Jesus.

What I want you to understand from this story:
How to become a person of faith by having your own Rahab Moments.