What book? Sci fi, 70s/80s, esp is genetic

[Jux]

Esp runs in families and those with it are just 'coming out' to wider society, which feels threatened by it. They can feel when a new psychic is born. The psychics have different forms of power.

One family is more powerful or something, or maybe it's just the story centres on them, but I think their esp is stronger.

The scene I remember best is the central character in a Canadian hotel eating breakfast - a pile of eggs which he slathers with maple syrup (I remember this scene, because I was curious about eggs with maple syrup,mso hunted some syrup down - not easily available back then - and tried it. Haven't looked back!). He's a successful businessman, partly because of his psychic powers.

I thought for a long time that it was a series by Julian May, because my brother told me it was, but now I'm not so sure. Have looked at Jack the Bodiless and have no idea whether it is or not. It was certainly set in 20th century or close as the tech and society was pretty much what we had/have now.

Any ideas?

It does sound somewhat like the Julian May Galactic Milieu books - your scene I think may be from 'Intervention', the first one.

Julian May- Saga of the Exiles?

Or is it A Scanner Darkly by PK Dick?

Or Ubik? That has a business magnate in it.

It is Intervention! Thank you. The pleiocene refs threw me, as I didn't read any more of the series, only that one, and perhaps it didn't figure hugely?

The Saga of the Exiles was written first - featuring time travel from the 22nd Century to the Pliocene Epoch, largely set in the Pliocene Epoch.

Intervention, Jack the Bodiless and 2 sequels were published after the Saga of the Exiles, and are essentially a prequel to the Saga of the Exiles. Time-wise, Intervention starts in the 20th century and the sequence of books moves along to a few decades before The Saga of the Exiles starts. And as it's a prequel, events in these 4 books tie into and reference the Pliocene stuff.

Some of my favourite books ever! I read a review copy of intervention on my otherwise vile geology field trip in 1988...was the only good thing about it!!!