Listen—once, two wives ago, two hundred and fifty thousand cigarettes ago, three thousand liters of alcohol ago… Back when everyone was young… Listen—the world spun, the rich were bored stiff with stupidity, and the poor had only one thing left—to be free and smart. The truth was more unbelievable than any invention. Women were both wicked and beautiful, and men were miserable and full of foolish hopes. And life kept turning, twisting, entangling more and more—like some wild, strange game called “The Cat’s Cradle” …