<p><em>Don't Blame the Rats </em>is based on the life of Dr. Anthony Paul Sterling. Part true and part fiction, the author's story represents a compilation of his vivid imagination, gift of language, and desire to stir the inspiration of those who read his short stories and other explorations.</p><p>He says, "The characters are mine and mine alone. The child is my granddaughter. I wanted her to be recognized in my writings."</p><p>His book covers his life in New York City from 1955 to the present day, as well as his experiences in Vietnam.</p><p>As for the rats:</p><p><em>"On the outside Detective Adam was smiling but on the inside, he was down: he knew some facts that were very disheartening: all female and male prostitutes in New York City were HIV positive; few people could afford treatment; many of these people left the city and traveled over many states and foreign countries. He also knew that a single female rat can deliver 15,000 babies in litters in a single year, which meant billions world-wide. Imagine AIDS being carried and spread everywhere on the globe! He notified his superiors, then called the ASPCA,CDC, Board of Health and friends at Columbia University. The bottom line was: we need animals for testing and treatment." </em></p><p><strong>About the Author: </strong>Anthony Paul Sterling, M.D., Ph.D., says he "was born in a ghetto in New York City. I studied hard and became an orthopedic surgeon." Now retired and living in Florida, he was inspired to write this book by his granddaughter (because of the way she speaks to animals). Besides writing, he is an aficionado of competitive martial arts.</p>