In the dead of night, 50 farmers escape an evil king's tyranny.    The farmers travel west and found their own city: Apple Valley.    It is paradise on earth, a place where anyone can succeed.   They start businesses, open shops, and toil the miles of apple trees across their new town. Their hard work brings them reward.   But one day, a mysterious stranger - The Man - comes to Apple Valley with a stark warning.    Apple Valley, he claims, is running out of fresh air.    The stranger hoists a Red Balloon into the sky.    Then, he tells them that their children will one day be fighting over the last gasps of air inside this balloon.   If the people concede to his wisdom and give him control to remake their town, he promises fairness for all...   But at what cost?   The Man with the Big Red Balloon is a satire about the temptations of economic utopia.    It is a warning about leaders who rise quickly and mean to rule the lives of others.   And it is an ideal read for those debating the Green New Deal in America. "A master work of political fiction." - Modern Trader Garrett Baldwin is a Baltimore native.  He earned a BS in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, an MA in Economic Policy (Security Studies) from The Johns Hopkins University, an MS in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and an MBA from Indiana University.