After he has faced so many struggles and foes, and fighting for his life against the "bad guys" while trying to hide the whole things from cops who might not appreciate him taking matters into his own hands, it is hard to say if Stranahan is really struggling against individuals or against society as a whole. Despite the fact that the book ceaselessly mocks all sorts of prominent, respectable professions (doctors, tv anchors, lawyers, cops, actors, and wood-chipper-operators) it nonetheless escapes being didactic about its point. It could theoretically be controversial that this book suggests that many doctors and lawyers are corrupt, or seems to justify taking the law into one's own hands. However, the situation is treated with so much humor, and with such disparagement for the "bad guys," that one doubts anyone is actually offended. If there was going to be any controversy about the book, it would probably only be if it were being show to children. There is a lot of graphic sex and violence in the book, and it probably shouldn't be taught to young children. As one might expect from such content, it is difficult to give an answer as to "What benefits can a child...

On the other hand, after some thought I decided that a bright, mature child probably would find the book very amusing. Some of the characters are positively cartoonish, and the violence is often very much like an adult Saturday-morning cartoon. If a child wasn't bothered by the sexual content, and was old enough not to be disturbed by the violence, then they might not only have the benefit of being deeply amused (like I was!) but also learn something about the untrustworthy way of grown-ups. The lessons of this book, hidden under the funny gruesomeness, are that one should be careful before trusting selective surgery which is making a doctor somewhere rich, or before trusting a television host to tell the whole truth, or even before trusting a cop or lawyer who says he has your best interest in mind, regardless of his profit motives. The corruption of people who demand trust is a difficult lesson, and the sooner children begin learning that many grown-ups are only seeking their own best interest, the better.