Whether by circumstance, disposition or both, Otto Rieke has led a curious and comical life, and recounts it with great passion. First and forever foremost, Otto, and his wife of many years, parent...view moreWhether by circumstance, disposition or both, Otto Rieke has led a curious and comical life, and recounts it with great passion. First and forever foremost, Otto, and his wife of many years, parented five beautiful children. They currently have four grandchildren, each of whom is a uniquely wonderful light in life. Otto was High School Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude graduate from Rockhurst Jesuit University, and has performed graduate work in Mathematics, Nuclear Physics, and Political Science. He has earned varsity letters in all sports. Otto is a veteran, a veritable war hero, as the “gunning guard” for the Brigade Bombardiers at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo, while the real war, the one in Vietnam, raged without him. But American flags still wave in the heartland, so heroic was his defense of it from Communism, while he was playing basketball. He has also taught Mathematics at Indiana University, has run for public office, taught “public speaking” at Hallmark Cards, toiled for years as a Techno-Dork, been a guest on talk shows, and has been published over 200 times in various venues. He remains non-controversial in his life, and throughout his public outbursts, by speaking primarily on topics about which he claims special expertise: politics, religion and sex. He was born and raised in Jefferson City Missouri, but has yet to grow up. Since his military service, his homes have been in Bloomington, In, Chicago, Il, and most recently for many decades in the Kansas City, Mo, area.
The Rieke family has suffered cataclysmic tragedies in life, which have rocked hearts, minds, and spirits. But this book is not a cosmic pity party. It is fun, engaging, and if not thoroughly entertaining, he has failed. Many of his public rants are woven into the story, and should entertain, inform, and inspire the reader. Otto possesses a visionary perception about the cosmos that make his story telling riveting. His great vision notwithstanding, Otto cannot see Russia from his front porch. He can, however, see a toxic waste dump from his back deck. Its proximity to his house has surely affected his sanity. There is no more reasonable explanation for his numerous behavioral disorders. He now lives alone in the world without adult supervision.
Otto is retired, and this book has been exploding within him for years, and its publication is a culmination of his life’s mission on planet Earth. Maybe. Otto has a valid birth certificate, authenticated by the Republican, Democratic, and the American Tea Parties. He is considering a run for the presidency in 2016. The late beloved Tony Snow, ex-presidential press secretary (to Bush 43), once witnessed an Otto extemporaneous show, and commented, “Passion, passion, passion…Otto is ingeniously and creatively clever with words…” As a story teller, and public speaker, Otto does not just talk, he performs a passion show. Audiences don’t just listen; they jump up, and are ready to march. None remain unaffected. Now it is all in writing, and yours to enjoy. You can probably read this book before his appearance on Oprah.
An adversarial wag growled at him recently, having no idea of this book’s content, that it would not sell fifty copies. To which Otto responded off the record, “Pshaw, it will have failed if I’m not sued that many times.”
About this biographical blurb, Otto has only commented, “I couldn’t have said it any better myself.”view less