Although some of Bob's stories are distinctly lighthearted, much of his writing is infused with issues of violence and the darker nature of mankind as he experienced them in war and civil strife in many parts of the world. And there is an underlying, basically unspoken message in his writings. Bob considers it a universal truth that one must examine every contour, every edge, every excrescence of the horrors of darkness and conflict. Only then, he believes, will it be possible to truly appreciate enlightenment and compassion.