Book excerpt: The Long Lost Garden of Eden is a tribute to the fruit growers of the Central Valley of California and all other agriculture-derived industries. Mr. Charles remains true to his upbringing deeply rooted in agribusiness. This book is the result of his keen observations and 12-year research into what makes the San Joaquin Valley one of the most fertile lands in the country. His poems will give you a glimpse of the Central Valley's diversity. His research has culminated into the realization that fruit consumption must be the foundation of any worthy diet program. This collection will engage your mind and soul. It will provoke deep reflection that will lead to enlightenment, positive attitude and spiritual renewal. The themes of these poems are universal. Artistic appreciation, hope, beauty, love, loss, hard work, self-improvement, despair, migration, and drought are all themes anybody can relate to, irrelevant of their origins and taste.