Southampton - In a year when the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology went to a team of researchers for their work on the human aging process, Ernesto Robles delivers a smart, fast-paced and decidedly engrossing novel that poses a question with a seemingly obvious answer: Would you want to live forever?

"The Malthusian Catastrophe" (Loyal Dog Publishing, $14) is a biomedical/social thriller that drives at the root of our cultural obsession with the "fountain of youth" and the perilous socioeconomic repercussions. A Malthusian Catastrophe, originally postulated by the 18th century economist Thomas Malthus, proposes that "the power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man."

In "The Malthusian Catastrophe," society has become obsessed with youth and will do anything to hold onto it. Aseso Nutraceuticals, an herbal supplement company co-founded by a charismatic American scientist and a mysterious Japanese businessman, exploits this growing global anti-aging craze by producing Sinsen, what is widely believed to be the "fountain of youth" in a
bottle. This belief forms the basis of a new hope that would inspire an otherwise disheartened society caught in the deepest recession seen in decades. Michael Jeffs, after failing to secure his dream job on Wall Street, accepts a position at the much-hyped Aseso and unwittingly becomes involved in a series of deceptions that would dramatically alter the social and political landscape of the world. Realizing the truth, Michael is forced to reconcile his sense of social responsibility with his own self interests.

With a crisp, approachable writing style, Robles crafts together a stylish novel whose gripping plot points are far outweighed by the modern-day dilemmas they weave together. Through complicated, often conflicted, characters he forces the reader to question his or her idea of fairness and equality. Ultimately, and most importantly, is the paramount question of social responsibility. Should we live forever? Can we?

About The Author
Ernesto Robles was born in San Francisco, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master of Science from the University of Texas and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago. Before writing "The Malthusian Catastrophe" he spent the majority of his career as a Washington DC based
economist and New York based investment banker. This is his first novel.

For more information go to www.themalthusiancatastrophe.com.