What is tomorrow's Wall Street Journal worth to you today? Where is the line between reality and fiction? Are the financial markets really predictable? Does an ancient artifact hold the key to how some of the world's wealthiest families made their fortunes?When a mysterious granite and cypress Egyptian box is found hidden away in a secret room in the palatial Biltmore Estate, twin scientists Alex and Nicholas Shepard work to unlock the secret of its intricate dials, gauges, crystals, and carvings. What they discover has the potential to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But it could also collapse financial markets, bankrupt corporations around the globe, and destroy many of the world's most powerful families. As the twins quickly find out, people will not only kill to make money, but will kill to keep it. What begins as a simple scientific experiment in the stock market quickly descends into a nightmarish intrigue of murder, deception, and mystery. When one Shepard brother is killed, the surviving twin and his wife find themselves in a desperate gambit to learn the truth about the box's legacy. Using ancient documents found with the box, they unearth clues to trace its history through the ages, from the catacombs of Paris to the Knights of the Templar in Scotland. Their investigation takes them from London to Paris, Venice, and finally, to the Vatican itself, where they uncover the greatest deception ever perpetuated by man. Robert D. Taylor's enthralling debut novel "Paradigm" is a unique and masterful blend of intelligent scientific suspense and bold historical mystery stretching from earliest antiquity to the present day-and beyond. His intriguing plot and cast of memorable characters makes for a suspenseful pager-turn that will keep readers guessing about where the lines of reality and fiction merge."Paradigm" demands we believe the unbelievable. The challenge of finding out just what is truly real and what is not is now up to you. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robert D. Taylor is a research scientist and the CEO of Trend Corporation, Inc. He is a successful businessman. His research focus in econo-physics has been vital to the development of the economic modeling software. He lives with his wife in Atlanta, Georgia.Reviews:"Robert Taylor's fascinating, ingenious, and well-written novel, Paradigm, should be at the top of everyone's fall 2005 reading list. It's a fabulous book about the breathtaking pursuit of the secrets behind a mysterious Egyptian box - and how that desperate chase leads to riches, treachery, and murder. Paradigm is the Da Vinci Code for Wall Street arbitragers and others who enjoy fantasizing about offbeat ways to make money"" (Dan E. Moldea, Author of The Hoffa Wars)"Robert Taylor's intelligent Wall Street thriller, Paradigm, has more twists and turns than a steep mountain road. It's a very well written, first rate murder mystery that will challenge the readers intellectually." (Vincent Bugliosi, author of Helter Skelter, 'Till Death Do Us Part, and the acclaimed New York Times #1 hardcover bestseller, And the Sea Will Tell.)"The science wrapped in this novel will challenge how we think about gravity and the relationship between science and business. Truth and fiction merge to tell an intriguing tale." (M. Douglas Ivester, Former Chairman and CEO, Coca-Cola)"Simultaneously an exciting tale of intrigue and adventure and an intellectual paradigm-quake, this enthralling reality-fiction novel's emotionally gripping plot and players completely absorb both the reader's mind and heart until the final, satisfying denouement." (Dr. Robert W. Bass, M.A. Oxon -Rhodes Scholar- Professor. of Physics and Astronomy, BYU 1971-81, retired)"Paradigm rockets along powered by the ultimate 'what if.' WHAT IF someone could predict when the stock market would rise or fall? Paradigm weaves a tale full of suspense and secrecy and Robert Taylor takes it even one step further-the science behind the story is real!" (Jeff Sagansky, past President of CBS Entertainment and Tri-Star Pictures)"Paradigm is not only a quick read but a wicked blend of both reality and fiction. If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you'll love Paradigm!" (Alan (Ace) Greenburg, Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Bear Stearns)"Almost immediately, I realized this book is reality itself. Reading it was like watching wonderful, complex people on a screen as they move through their extraordinary lives. Paradigm redefines not only how we will view the stock market, but novel writing itself." (Tony Romano, Producer, "Catch Me If You Can" and "I, Robot") REVIEWS GOLD MEDAL FOR FICTION, 2006, MILITARY WRITERS SOCIETY OF AMERICA