(PRLEAP.COM) New Smyrna Beach, FL – A new book of fiction explores the turbulent and complex interconnections between race and racism, sickle cell disease, malaria, and climate change.

In The Final Race, ($16.95, Mill City Press, Pub Date: 8/14/12) author Dr. Oliver Chiapco tackles the subject of race and racism head on. Leaving no stones unturned he skins the subject alive and exposes not only the malignant ideologies that divide us but also the very core of humanity that ultimately unites us.

ReviewsThe Final Race has garnered positive reviews, even earning a Kirkus Star, one of the most revered designations in the industry.

Inspired by true events, the novel gives the lowdown on how the elements of race interlock with the complex forces of nature and sharply echoes stories that are here to stay—many less often told:

The roots of white supremacy The tragedy of African slavery The ravages of sickle cell disease—a racial affliction The curse of malaria—an African scourge The paradox of the sickle gene and intrinsic African genetic advantage The controversies surrounding climate change, its putative role in the global spread of disease and the catastrophic chain reaction that can spiral out of control The irony of segregation in light of human evolution "I learned about Jim Crow, the vicious injustice of apartheid and the Civil Rights Movement when I was growing up," says Dr. Chiapco. "But I never fully and truly understood what they represented until I came to the United States more than a decade ago and experienced their aftershocks firsthand. Although the contemporary expression of racism may now seem a bit subdued, unfortunately, it still pulsates quite vigorously. I wrote this book to serve as an educational resource for everyone in the national and international stage—to offer a different angle on stories that won't go away. Perhaps, a totally different vantage point could make other folks better understand the world that we live in and the fact that every person, regardless of race or creed, is so much more than the color of his or her skin."

About the AuthorDr. Chiapco is a board-certified US physician in private pediatric practice in Central Florida. He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's degree in Biology at the De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines. He obtained his medical degree in 1994 and completed his residency training at Miami Children's Hospital in 2000. Thereafter, he did two years of fellowship in pediatric hematology/ oncology at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has been in private general practice since 2002.

About the bookThe Final Race ($16.95, 288 pages, 5.250 x 8, paperback, ISBN: 978-1-938223-28-0, LC number 2012938925) is now available for Pre-Order at www.thefinalrace.net/buythebook.html and soon will also be available for purchase at other major online booksellers. Ebook formats for the Kindle, Nook, Apple iPad and other electronic devices are forthcoming.

Mill City Press, Inc. is a Minnesota corporation headquartered in Minneapolis. One of the principal investors is Hillcrest Media Group, Inc, a traditional book publishing and media company. You may reach Mill City Press at 1-888-MILL CITY; by email at info(at)millcitypress(dot)net; or by mail at 212 3rd Avenue N, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401.