{"product_id":"wild-card-a-satirical-business-adventure-9781036915308","title":"Wild Card: A Satirical Business Adventure","description":"\u003cp\u003eHumble computer programmer, Ricky Stern, works for the Electricity Commission in the Eighties, London. On a whim, he decides to fake himself a Commander of the British Empire Award. Surprisingly, this skyrockets his status and he is instantly recruited to GRAPE, a mysterious Government Agency that sells an innovative computer software program based in British Embassies. There, he successfully sells the software to news agencies. But his plans are scuppered by a colleague, who happens to be the son of the Personnel Director at the Electricity Commission. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eForced to leave GRAPE under a cloud, Ricky sets up Ring Inn, to provide TV phone-in services. There, he meets with another shrewd businessman who goes to even greater lengths to undermine his success. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the verge of bankruptcy, Ricky agrees to sell Ring Inn to an American billionaire. When he eventually falls out with him, he's given a significant payoff. As he leaves the London HQ, his old colleague mysteriously reappears and takes him back to GRAPE, where Ricky is in for a big surprise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe author Stephen Kirk is a serial entrepreneur and although all of Ricky's adventures are pure fiction, they could bear a close similarity to events in Wild Card!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Zero Point Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/27\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781036915308\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 316\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.81lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.71d","brand":"Stephen Kirk","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45439060443317,"sku":"9781036915308","price":12.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_edef5809-bd52-4f07-b7a0-a228086bf034.jpg?v=1749003282","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/wild-card-a-satirical-business-adventure-9781036915308","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}