The Seven minutes (published in the year 1969) Written by Irving Wallace

Irving Wallace was born in Chicago, to Jewish parents,Bessie and Alexander Wallace Who had Emigrated from Russia. He completed his studies in California and started out as a journalist at a tender age of 15. He studied creative writing at the Williams Institute in Berkley and from the mid-30s he worked as a free-lance correspondent. In 1941 he married Sylvia Kahn; they had two children. Irving Wallace served in the air force during world war two and later collaborated in several movies as a writer. His first book “Sins of Peter Fleming" did not attract much attention. But his second book influenced by the Kinsey report was a best seller. He has been a prolific churner of best sellers and his books have been adapted as major movies.
The Seven Minutes was published in 1969 and has its reverberations even today. It talks about the rights of an individual vis a vis that of the society. Is an authors right to publish his opinions above than societal injunctions and whether the banning of a book tantamount to trampling of the individuals right to free speech? The book is an in-depth analysis of the famous Voltaire quote “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."



A small town teenager Jeremy Griffith buys a book which borders on pornography from Fremont, a small time publisher. Many may consider this book as an impressive literature including the protagonist, Micheal Barrett. Micheal is a brilliant attorney who has a rich girl friend who entices him to make money and a high moral compass which makes him fight for the truth. Jeremy is charged with rape of Sherry Moore who suffers a head injury and is in coma. The prosecutor Elmo Duncan who is running for office insinuates that the book enticed him to carry out the rape, and therefore runs a campaign to ban the book. He is supported by money bags Yerkes and Jeremy's father who are just looking out for patronage from a future president.
So Michael Barrett puts his career, girl friend and life on the line to defend the book. This book by J. Janeway gives insights in to a womens mind during the seven minutes of sexual intercourse. So Michael has to marshal all his resources to prove the innocence of a book. His only recourse is to find the author and her protagonist who might be real and alive. Micheal learns to find and defend the truth and ends up with the girl of his dreams.
The good thing about the book is the unique story, and a thought provoking theme packaged neatly in to a action packed best seller. The court room scenes and Micheal's dilemma's are well presented. But the bad news is that it is less on the suspense quotient. You know the villains and know they are going to bite the dust. But still a realistic, amazing and very current book and a must read for all democracies.