During the onslaught of legal actions during the Savings and Loans crisis of the 1980s, John Smith came to realize the extent of his employer’s wrongdoing, and that he too had been one of many deceived. He discovered that you don’t have to commit a crime to be convicted of one.

If it can happen to me, it can happen to you. This story is your warning, your red flare. But also, I have learned a deeper lesson: there is much more to this world than we can see or feel or even comprehend. The Abyss is that part of you that you don't come in touch with very often. It's the place where you engage in the ultimate struggle for truth, where you ache for a lasting answer. When you touch the Abyss you gather the breath from deep within you, grasp it, embrace it, and hold on for dear life.