In the not-too-distant future, a natural disaster "sneaks up" on the international agency charged with observing and responding to climate change. Indications are topsy-turvy as sea levels and tides are falling, as opposed to rising. As the central characters are drawn into the disaster, readers of The Last Straw get an up-close look at how modern man deals with the challenges of a fluctuating planet and life-threatening climate change.

The Last Straw is also the story of how our social attitudes and values can surprisingly and dramatically change as our lives grow longer. It also explores new and future technology, both realistically and in the realm of science fiction. On the lighter side, it is a sea- faring adventure involving an enigmatic man of great longevity, skills, and personality; a globe-trotting couple who at times find themselves at odds; and a long-lost sibling with a dark past who brings them together. Geologists, climatologists, an oceanographer, and a world-class Elon Musk-like technologist dealing with latent homosexuality round out the cast of characters.

Paralleling the story's global climate change theme along with ideas of enhanced futuristic technology and communication capabilities, the action extends from the eastern front of the Colorado Rockies to Falmouth, Massachusetts; Andalusia, Spain; Zug, Switzerland; and the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters of the Iberian Peninsula.