1KZ4VG6VYYYMR0QNGP0WTrueIowaLargeBooksreviewrank2887428881413759793http://www.amazon.com/Making-Believer-Rice-Paddies-Cornfields/dp/1413759793%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D14137597931621248http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519BYPCGQJL._SL75_.jpg7550http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519BYPCGQJL._SL160_.jpg160107http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519BYPCGQJL._SL500_.jpg500333Thoi NguyenPaperback9209781413759792801413759793PublishAmericaEnglishEnglishEnglish8802495USD$24.95PublishAmerica1290Book2005-05-23PublishAmericaPublishAmerica906002195USD$21.9511USD$0.112495USD$24.95131120005.018414137597934002006-08-02

Review of Making of a believer

I am a 37 year old that is usually only interested in sports and sports related literature. I meet Thoi through my feed store and seed buisness. He talked me into reading his book. I thought I would just skim through it but I was surprised with the content and was not able to put it down until it was finished. I learned so much about the Veitnam War and about different cultures. This book gives a very powerful message about heroism and patriotism. It tells a very detailed story about a mans determination for the freedom of his family and their escape to America. I would recommend this book to anyone. I also talked my mother into reading this book and she couldnt put it down either. Great Book!14137597935002006-05-25

The Making Of A Believer

I have recommended this book to all my friends. It is a great read. The author keeps you engaged at all times giving you a very insightful look at the Vietnam War. As an American who has often woundered about how I should view the War, it was very helpful. He also shows how his new Christian faith was directly involved in his escape to the Iowa cornfields. <br />Very inspirational.14137597935002006-03-11

A Must Read for every American

My husband and I have just returned from spending three weeks in Vietnam. This book gave us real insights into causes of the "American War" and the horrors the author and his young family experienced during the war and as they escaped to America just as South Vietnam fell to the communists.Although religion is not the theme of the book, this author tells how changing from being a Buddist to a Christian changes his life. <br /> 14137597935002005-12-21

an inspired story....

I never thought I would enjoy as much as I did in reading a book about the Vietnam war. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. This book is not just about the war (a subject that has been written by many before). It's an inspired story of one's true love and sacrifice for righteousness.14137597935002005-12-13

One of the BEST BOOKS I've EVER READ! (and I've read a LOT of books)

This book is EXCELLENT!!! I could NOT put it down! It is so interesting to read about the vietnam war from the perspective of a person who lived there. I believe this book will be on the best seller list before too long. It would make an excellent gift too. I can't imagine anyone not loving this book. But, beware, by the time you are done, you want to look up this family and go visit them! Thoi Nguyen was the forgotten son in a large Buddhist family. Raised under Buddhist ideals by his grandparents during the French War, he later embraced Christianity as the United States became involved in the conflict in Viet Nam. He obtained a university degree in agronomy and soon became one of South Vietnam's most influential and well-respected leaders in the field. With the onset of the Viet Nam War, Thoi finds himself caught in the midst of the Tet Offensive with the woman he hopes to marry. After beginning a family together, Thoi and his new wife face the difficult decision of leaving their families and homeland. They embark on a daring escape through the jungle with their two young children for the chance of a new future in the United States. The Making of a Believer portrays how a family's love, hope, faith and a series of miracles guide them through an unforgettable journey across Viet Nam and the waters of the South China Sea. 2375Biographies & Memoirs: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books3048891Memoirs2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books1590710134http://www.amazon.com/Long-December-Donald-Harstad/dp/1590710134%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1590710134777383http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JT4FEKBZL._SL75_.jpg7550http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JT4FEKBZL._SL160_.jpg160106http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JT4FEKBZL._SL500_.jpg475314Donald HarstadHardcover813.5497815907101351051590710134Rugged LandEnglishEnglishEnglish9352495USD$24.95Rugged Land1320Book2003-10-07Rugged Land2003-10-07Rugged Land124634480USD$4.8029USD$0.292495USD$24.9511333011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnew%2FeKwiToAdiHnOBs4zfSky5YCmZB7BiEMgWlXOGg3GdZdiaE5a6jA2zggdAUHQAoJ5TCI11t02DwSnaD%2FJ94MBw%3D%3D2495USD$24.95Usually ships in 24 hours5.015315907101345112007-07-20

Someone publish some more Harstad!

This is a very good Houseman book. Harstad has continued to develop his characters (both the "old" and the new alike), and has tried a new storytelling style with this book. At first, the chapter placement jarred me, but, in the end, it was very *right* for this story. (Those who haven't read: It begins mid gun-battle, then flashes back and forth to the backstory and the gunfight.) <br />If you are a Houseman fan, read this book. If you haven't read any of the Houseman series yet, start at the beginning! Save this gem for later. <br />SOMEONE PLEASE PICK HIM UP AND PUBLISH HIM SOME MORE! He's sitting on a manuscript right now (at least one) -- some publisher needs to grab him up!15907101345002006-12-02

Proud to claim him as a fellow Iowan...

Mr. Harstad's books are the type not to start reading when you need to get a good nights sleep... you will be up late not wanting to put the book down once you start reading. They are very fast paced, full of action and suspense. I am proud that we can claim an author of his caliber as a fellow Iowan!! There are many good things here in Iowa and Mr. Harstad is one of them - and we are thrilled to share him with the rest of you! Interestingly, the first book of his that we read, we came across in Vaxjo, Sweden when browsing through the section of English language books in a bookstore there!15907101345222006-10-26

Wha' happen??

Where is Harstads new book? It was due to be released Jan 2005, and is not availble. The publisher changed and everything went downhill from there. Is Donald dead or what? Does anyone know what is going on in Elkader,Iowa?15907101345222006-02-03

great series

I've loved every book in this series. Low-key wit, intelligent humor, tight writing that gets better with each outing, an insider's glimpse at how Things Really Work. <br /> <br />The only thing I find myself wishing for is more from Mrs. Houseman's (Sue's) perspective. Does she have to remain a nonentity? Or like Mrs. Columbo, does it just work best that way? hmmmm...1590710134512122006-01-15

Another great book from Harstad!

Donald Harstad writes an incredibly good police procedural. I'm not even a fan of the genre and yet I am hooked on this series! Carl Houseman, deputy sheriff and senior investigator for Nation County, Iowa, is called to the Heinman farm to investigate a dead body. The dead body, Rudy Cueva, worked at a local kosher meat packing plant in Battenberg and was shot at close range. Soon, another body is found, Juan Gonzalez aka Orejas, only he wasn't shot. Instead, he ingested the deadly toxin ricin and what has appeared to be a drug deal gone bad now has turned into a federal case involving terrorism. Meanwhile, people in New York are dying from ricin due to purchasing products connected to the Battenberg plant. All the usual characters from this series are present, including Iowa DCI agent Hester Gorse and the dispatcher, Sally. The book actually begins with the finale where Carl, Hester, Sally, and George are holed up in a barn, outgunned and outmanned. Harstad alternates chapters with the investigation from the beginning and scenes from the barn until reaching the final, dramatic conclusion of the novel. At first, I found this confusing but soon I realized that this actually added to the story. I eagerly await Harstad's next Carl Houseman novel!The people of Nation County, Iowa-a heartland town straight out of a Coen Brothers movie or a John Cougar Mellencamp song-practice a unique brand of American stoicism. You betcha. And they rely upon their public servants to shield them from the horrors of the outside world. Carl Houseman, deputy sheriff of the 750-square-mile county, dedicates his life to keeping his citizenry so secure that you can leave the door unlocked at home and walk his streets with a big hello and a smile to every stranger. On Houseman's watch, the mounting terrors of the new world order stay far away. But December 2001 could change all of that. Outsiders are everywhere. The meat plant is now kosher and there are more Jewish fellows per capita than any other place in the country. Hispanic and other foreign workers, with dubious immigration papers, have taken jobs from the locals. Eighteen other languages are now spoken within the tiny region, and Carl and company can't speak a single one. Then the eighty-odd-year-old Heinman brothers' call comes in from their farm down in Frog Hollow. They've witnessed an execution-style killing not one hundred yards from their pig feeders. The victim's awful dead and half his head's been blown off. The boys haven't seen nothing like it since Normandy. When Carl gets to the scene, he believes them. What follows is a masterful police procedural thriller-think Joe Wambaugh crossed with Fargo-written with a singular and authentic voice that has electrified readers around the world.0553580981055358303405535814810553580957B00127QF5O10129Contemporary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10482Police Procedurals18Mystery & Thrillers1000Subjects283155Books10484Thrillers10487Legal10489Medical10491Psychological & Suspense10493Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue10495Suspense10497Technothrillers18Mystery & Thrillers1000Subjects283155Books10485Mystery & Thrillers: Thrillers: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books605116Mystery & Thrillers: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books1S1CK12ENM4E1A World of Fictional Detectives1TPVX8JL1OMAOFavorite SuspenseUA9LARHIH4MCGreat SuspenseT33X9RMH03BDHow ya gonna keep `em down on the farm ... ?0813808081http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Carpet-Airplane-Gregory-Brown/dp/0813808081%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0813808081473185http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bJc3QgADL._SL75_.jpg7549http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bJc3QgADL._SL160_.jpg160105http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bJc3QgADL._SL500_.jpg500329Gregory N. BrownHardcoverStephen Coonts629.130929780813808086990813808081Iowa State PressEnglishEnglishEnglish8862999USD$29.99Iowa State Press1256Book2003-02-19Iowa State PressIowa State Press1256424477USD$44.771408USD$14.082999USD$29.993810005.011308138080815002007-07-24

most inspiring book about general aviation

I have been following Greg Brown's columns in AOPA Flight Training for a while now, but I would have never guessed that if you read a handful of these short, factual-yet-full-of-emotions stories one after the other, you can get a complete picture of what general aviation is all about. Highly recommend this book to everyone, pilot spouses or parents above all.08138080815002007-05-19

Great read!

I've followed Greg Brown's column in numerous aviation magazines over the years, and have always looked forward to reading his latest adventure. Now, with "Flying Carpet", he has detailed stories and events from his past that have served to educate, enlighten, and amuse both aviators and non-aviators alike. I thoroughly enjoy his writing style, and am always recounting something he wrote to someone else to emphasize a point or provide an example of some aviation-related subject. I love the fact that he relates his stories as if aviation was a sort of pagan religion, and he, and all other pilots, are willing followers. He truly highlights the romance and passion that flying evokes in those of us do it, and stimulates curiousity in those who don't. I highly encourage anyone to read this book, whether you're a pilot or not. 08138080814002007-03-19

Interesting.

Full of fun interesting stories but not a book I would want to read again. The books sounds like it is a collection of Gregs adventures that may have been published somewhere before.08138080815082006-11-05

Cannot give this a review.

This book was purchased as a gift. I do not know if it's been read or not.08138080815442005-05-18

Excellent book for all seeking adventure

I am a student pilot and have been reading just about everything I can get my hands on that has to do with flying for the past two years. I first learned of Greg Brown through his Flying Carpet column in AOPA's Flight Training magazine and enjoyed his articles and writing. I stumbled upon this book through a search on Amazon and am so glad I did! <br /> <br /> The book is extremely well written and you can tell through each page how deep Greg's passion is for flying and for sharing it with those around him. I felt as if I were along for the ride to all of the wonderful destinations he has been to. <br /> <br /> I highly recommend the book not only for those interested in flying but the non-fliers alike! 0671892088067153761X03128533780671636030089658589121Reference11444Almanacs & Yearbooks11448Atlases & Maps385096011Audiobooks11461Business Skills2572Careers11626Catalogs & Directories11472Consumer Guides11475Dictionaries & Thesauruses11628Education11713Encyclopedias11761Etiquette11773Foreign Languages11871Fun Facts11880Genealogy2576Job Hunting300955Large Print10975Law11891Publishing & Books11902Quotations301751Spanish-Language Reference1099190Study Guides11904Test Prep Central11970Words & Language12015Writing1000Subjects283155Books5107Reference5066Antiques & Collectibles48Home & Garden1000Subjects283155Books11941Aviation300361Transportation5035World9History1000Subjects283155Books173515Engineering226498Aerospace13647Automotive226506Bioengineering227539Chemical227541Civil227543Computer Technology52168011Design52166011Economics52158011Education227544Electrical & Electronics52215011Energy227550Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems52167011Management107157011Marine226704Materials227552Materials Science13778Mechanical13796Nuclear52156011Patents & Inventions226710Petroleum, Mining & Geological16244621Power Systems13803Reference52157011Research226715Special Topics13809Telecommunications16244091Welding173507Professional & Technical1000Subjects283155Books745504Piloting & Flight Instruction11935Aviation11934Transportation53Nonfiction1000Subjects283155Books3048891Memoirs2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2375Biographies & Memoirs: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books5085Home & Garden: Antiques & Collectibles: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books13756Professional & Technical: Engineering: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books408268Reference: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books13643Engineering44258011Specialty Stores283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books1U05Z3VUS3NHRGreat Flying Books141965151Xhttp://www.amazon.com/Junkyard-Junction-Squirts-New-Home/dp/141965151X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D141965151X1470591http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61exs9zbPoL._SL75_.jpg7552http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61exs9zbPoL._SL160_.jpg160111http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61exs9zbPoL._SL500_.jpg500348James PottebaumPaperbackKelly Johns978141965151920141965151XBookSurge PublishingEnglishEnglishEnglish9901399USD$13.99BookSurge Publishing30Book2006-11-02BookSurge PublishingAges 4-82006-11-02BookSurge Publishing156701399USD$13.998217USD$82.17440011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewheQbQpIJpVUozVsqVEd%2BymlmVsdFzAcgSuDhJvZ3nNsuFeyEoi%2FAZl2tXNJIkto4kE%2BZcbJ9poqCgaeGwvGwgQ%3D%3D1399USD$13.99Usually ships in 24 hours5.0102141965151X5002007-01-30

Great theme, I hope this is the first in a long series

This book has wonderful, colorful pictures that captivate my nephew. The story is fun to read and entertaining for him. The characters spark a lot of questions from the little guy which makes it a great book to read to him. He's only 2 and loves reading it daily. My older 6 year old cousin likes reading it himself and it's one of his favorites too. We'd really like to see more stories from the characters at Junkyard Junction.141965151X5112007-01-10

Junkyard Junction : Squirts New Home

We thought this book was very good, we all enjoyed reading this and have read it several times since receiving it. <br />The pictures are very interesting and the characters are so cute. This would be a very helpful book for any child moving to a new home and needing to make new friends. It helps kids learn how to help each other out when you really need it. Really enjoyed it! Wonderfully done! <br />When is the next book?141965151X5112006-12-21

Wonderful Book!

This is truly a wonderful book, with a great story and beautiful pictures. I know that my great nieces and nephews will enjoy this (as I will) for many years to come.141965151X5222006-12-04

A uniquely creative story that is meant to awaken a child's imagination.

This book is such an amazing example of pure creativity that any child would be delighted to read it. Because of the imaginative quality of the entire book I am left to believe that the authors have a deep understanding of the imaginary nature or essence of childhood. This book won't disappoint you. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />141965151X5222006-11-21

Wonderful Children's Book (Great gift idea)

This is a wonderful book with great illustrations. It is the perfect Christmas gift for any child. This story about a little bug named Squirt finding a new home in the country and making new friends is great for all ages. I hope there will be more stories to come. An adorable book written to teach children about the value of friendship, the importance of helping others, and how changes in their lives can be a a positive and rewarding experience. This is a wonderful book that has something for any child but could be especially helpful to a child who is moving to a new home or going to a new school.2785Ages 4-8184993Arthur2249Books on Cassette1038362Classic Books on CD2974Classics170831Dr. Seuss3315Early Reader Series170061Picture Books209468Pokémon3012Read-Aloud170060Staff Favorites4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books3059New Experiences3045Family Life3020People & Places4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books3134New Experiences3123Social Issues3020People & Places4Children's Books1000Subjects283155Books170062Children's Books: Ages 4-8: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books673422011Ages 4-8673420011Age Range (age_range)388186011Refinements283155Books081382740Xhttp://www.amazon.com/Trees-Northern-United-States-Canada/dp/081382740X%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D081382740X20691http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CX7KVXTYL._SL75_.jpg7553http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CX7KVXTYL._SL160_.jpg160113http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CX7KVXTYL._SL500_.jpg475334John Laird FarrarHardcover582.1609739780813827407140081382740XIowa State PressEnglishEnglishEnglish9805999USD$59.99Iowa State Press1502Book1995-07-30Iowa State PressIowa State Press2306604559USD$45.595606USD$56.06630011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewneweZaavDSzWBBGl1x4deziSwpsLc9LCWtpLDNtrmCVuJOFrdL4NkZbLL3uTJNNnd4Y5U%2F6JMBNcafdXzK1wH%2FMLA%3D%3D4559USD$45.59Usually ships in 24 hours5.0102081382740X5112007-12-14

One of a kind for northern USA

This is an excellent book with clear photos of different parts of trees in its stated regional area.Maps are very good also and easy to see. I know what I am talking about since I have all the field guides available thru Peterson, Audubon,etc for North American coverage. Coverage of species native and introduced is thorough. This makes identifying them easier by narrowing your choices .Too big for field work,but good notes taken in the field with your significant other helping you with smaller regional guides and camera phones in tow will suffice when you get back to your home or motel.You can sip a glass of red wine together and share the day's fun in the Natural world!081382740X5222007-05-15

Another great book

This book is just about as complete as everyone else that has reviewed says. I really only wanted North American trees and that is precicely what I got. A very fine book that is well organized with abundant photos, drawings and discriptions. I am just a novice so the more complete of a book the better. The only thing I wish is that I had an old beat up one to take into the woods.081382740X5332006-11-22

The one I reach for

There is no one book that will satisfy all your tree needs, but this one comes closest. Though it is Canada-centric, it should be useful no matter where in the US you may live. The pictures and line drawings are excellent, but most importantly they are consistent throughout. The "Quick Recognition" bits are a wonderful feature. <br />It is organized as an identification book but I use it more as an encyclopedia and wish it was organized alphabetically by genus. This is a book you read, then go for a walk, then read again. Highly recommended to everyone.081382740X5462006-06-05

The best tree book

Every attempt I've made to identify a tree with this book has been successful. Worth every penny.081382740X511112003-09-10

Great Field Guide

This is a great book to help with the identification of tree specimens that you find in our northern forests. Beautifully illustrated, with pictures of leaves (and fall color), flowers, fruits, and the bark of both mature and young trees, Farrar really provides horticultural enthusiasts with all the tools they need to make correct identifications (in most cases, of course). In addition to the pictures, other botanical information is provided such as max heights, growth rates, silhouettes, reproductive information, ranges, etc.<p>My only small complaint with the text is that the ranges for several species are incomplete, covering only the areas in Canada and the very northernmost United States. Many species have a much broader native habitat, and it's often necessary to reference a second text for that information. Other than that; however, it is a great text that even includes "quick recognition" tips for most species. Farrar gives us a valuable resource for horticulture lovers and woodsmen of the north.091255003109125500150811728110039450760615823809295313Trees5241Gardening & Horticulture48Home & Garden1000Subjects283155Books13521Botany16310691Biochemistry16310711Genetics16310721Molecular Biology16310731Morphology & Anatomy16310741Pathology16310751Photosynthesis16310761Physiology16310771Phytochemistry16310781Plant Geography13469Biological Sciences75Science1000Subjects283155Books16310941General13559Trees13547Plants13469Biological Sciences75Science1000Subjects283155Books16310951Seed-Bearing Plants13559Trees13547Plants13469Biological Sciences75Science1000Subjects283155Books227279Botany227266Biological Sciences173510Professional Science173507Professional & Technical1000Subjects283155Books764418Reference290060Outdoors & Nature1000Subjects283155Books13552Science: Biological Sciences: Plants: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books16310701Science: Biological Sciences: Botany: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books465600New & Used Textbooks468220Business & Finance468226Communication & Journalism468204Computer Science468224Education468212Engineering468206Humanities468222Law468228Medicine684283011Reference468216Science & Mathematics468214Social Sciences684300011Test Prep & Study Guides251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books319654011Qualifying Textbooks368369011All Titles368370011Arts & Photography368371011Biographies & Memoirs368372011Business & Investing368373011Children's Books368375011Computers & Internet368376011Cooking, Food & Wine368377011Engineering368378011Entertainment368379011Gay & Lesbian368380011Home & Garden368381011Literature & Fiction368382011Medicine368384011Nonfiction368385011Outdoors & Nature368386011Parenting & Families368387011Professional368388011Reference368389011Religion & Spirituality368391011Science368393011Teens368394011Travel251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksRVXGBB5AUBPY7Gardening Bestsellers IIR63A0PCUFMHXEPlanting Design & Reference0877457271http://www.amazon.com/Troublemakers-John-Mcnally/dp/0877457271%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0877457271703872http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JFQW8PEZL._SL75_.jpg7545http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JFQW8PEZL._SL160_.jpg16096http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JFQW8PEZL._SL500_.jpg475284PaperbackJohn Mcnally813.69780877457275600877457271University Of Iowa PressEnglishEnglishEnglish9291500USD$15.00University Of Iowa Press1228Book2000-10-01University Of Iowa PressUniversity Of Iowa Press775551350USD$13.50225USD$2.2511120011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewxXEyat5iOf%2FOYhODX40lp2VdpJsejZFuwzUBrRQtoLPZuhrbX1baV1eGvS1Ik%2FxUmtUhW1SJeFEZHmHpu1%2FQEg%3D%3D1350USD$13.50Usually ships in 24 hours5.010208774572715222005-08-08

Wickedly funny . . .

The cover photo on this book (cuffed hands) isn't quite right. This is not gritty realism or "Cops"-like docudrama. Instead, author McNally's sensibility lies somewhere between the blue-collar melancholy of Raymond Carver and the outrageous humor of Hunter Thompson. His characters (all males in their early teens to their thirties) are comically pathetic, living lives that barely hang together. Teenagers Hank and Ralph appear in three stories set on the Southside of Chicago, obsessed with girls (who are all repelled by the two boys) and spending their aimless days and nights on the ragged boundary line between adolescent angst and Big Trouble. Roger, a UPS driver, moves blankly through empty days haunted darkly by thoughts of Squeaky Fromme and Charles Manson, while a fellow worker runs a personal ad and discovers the liberating mysteries of "raw carnality." Meanwhile, romantic relationships and marriages languish and sour. <br /> <br />Far from being bleak, the wonky dialogue and cock-eyed situations in these stories had me laughing out loud. In my favorite story, a debt-ridden young English instructor is beleaguered at work by witless students and an annoying, politically-correct faculty and then harassed at his new home by a neighborhood bully. All comes unglued for him at a faculty party where he gets entirely too drunk. Only the last longer story, "Limbs," shows McNally stretching himself into something more novel-like, as he explores the disintegrating impact of a murder on the lives of several small-town people, and here there are few laughs, just a dizzying descent into confusion and rage. <br /> <br />I love this book. It is both disturbing and fiercely entertaining.08774572714112003-01-06

Stories of Troubled Men

The eleven stories collected here range in setting from Chicago's south side to small towns in southern Illinois, but are all thematically linked in their exploration of confused and often angry lower-class white males. The stories are also generationally linked, in that their characters all appear to have come of age in the early to mid-'70s. Indeed, the three best stories are set in the '70s and follow the same junior high boys through a trio of episodes ("The Vomitorium,'' "Smoke'' and "The Grand Illusion''), which include a trunk full of stolen Tootsie Rolls, and the forming of an "air band", and a homosexual advance. These three stories share much of the humor and angst of Chris Furhman's excellent novel The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, and Tom Perrotta's collection Bad Haircut.<p>In "The New Year", "The Greatest Goddamn Thing" and "Torture", the narrators are teenage boys, whose primary role in each is as sidekick or witness to another person's pain. In the first story, a cuckolded and abandoned father takes an axe to a deer. In the second, a brother just out of jail leads him into an all night bar party complete with gun, fire, and sex. And in the third, a neighbor is stranded on his roof by an irate wife, and no one calls for help. In each case, there's a kind of sad desperation to it all. Desperation is also present in two stories ("The End of Romance" and "Roger's New Life") that follow a UPS driver with a flaccid marriage, two kids, and a shaky grip on sanity. These are the most distant of the collection, as the protagonist is clearly cracking up and it becomes harder and harder to identify with his tenuous grip on reality. A rather similar character is the focus of the longest story, "Limbs," sharing a troubled marriage, kid, and in this case, friends of dubious character. <p>Two Chicago-set stories stick out: "The Politics of Correctness" abandons the world of the unemployed and lower-class for the world of academia and a struggling young English professor who must contend with the drug dealer who menaces his home, and the uber-PC people in his department. One sense this is a very personal story from McNally, and while it's not bad, it's not particularly original or noteworthy either. My own favorite is "The First of Your Last Chances," which stands out if only because it has a happy ending. Both funny and tender, it's a welcome respite from the heaviness of the other ten stories. The collection as a whole reveals a great new talent, I'll look forward to his next work.08774572714332001-08-03

Nice and Easy

Eleven stories make up this solid collection, and three of them are related ("The Vomitorium," "Smoke," and "The Grand Illusion"), starring a kid in the eight grade named Hank and his sometimes goofy, always strange adventures with Ralph, his dangerous deliquent of a friend. All three are excellent, and they make a logical progression, offering nice closure at the end of the third story. <br /> <br />The remaining eight are a mixed bag. "The New Year" is fantastic, but "The End of Romance" is not. "The First of Your Last Chances" seemed a bit too crafty, but I ultimately loved the story, which features a hilarious S&M vignette and a real cute ending. "The Politics of Correctness" was a wonderful story all the way through, my favorite in the collection. "The Greatest Goddamn Thing" didn't do it for me -- it all seemed too forced, and I didn't buy the narrator's voice. "Roger's New Life" just never seemed to go anywhere (a detached 3rd person pov, reminiscent of Raymond Carver), while "Torture" was strong from start to finish, though I'm not sure if it's a story that has a real direction. And the last and the longest, "Limbs," is a winner. <br /> <br />I wouldn't consider any of these stories as bad -- they are all finely written, and McNally's got a very nice, easy style. Many of the stories were very funny and thoroughly enjoyable.08774572715572001-02-26

Brilliant storytelling

I was a lucky person to have had John McNally as an instructor in college. He taught at my college for a short time and I still feel that college (which will remain anonymous) did not know what they lost when they lost this brilliant writer. He taught a creative writing class which was based fully on the power of the written word and how the simplest and most realistic language often tells the best story. McNally's own work completely upholds this belief. I unfortunately have lost touch with John, but when I found out via the web that he had published this collection of short stories, I knew I had to find it. I had him for one semester, yet I remember him better than any other teacher I have ever had.<p>As a fan of the writing of Richard Yates and Raymond Carver (who John introduced me to), I can tell you that he learned his craft from the writings of these masters. His characters are believable, the dialogue is simple but powerful and the settings are described in the most minimal detail, but yet you have a feel of exactly where you are and who these people are. McNally's characters exist through their dialogue and that is what makes his stories powerful.<p>I highly recommend this collection of stories. Some are disturbing, others are more lighthearted. However, the writing is tremendous and you get inside these characters almost immediately. The art of the written word is not lost. People like John McNally are keeping it alive.08774572715562001-02-02

Insightful, Compassionate, and Moving

John McNally's Troublemakers sparkles with electric language and moves the heart with touching scenes faithfully depicted. Often these days, one must look widely and patiently to find contemporary fiction that rises above the level of workshop attempts to that of true literary art. McNally has shown his work to be sensitive, laugh-out-loud funny, and true to the spirit of what it means to be human. For all familiar with the plight of the college adjunct, I especially recommend "The Politics of Correct", a tale of a young man oppressed, financially and culturally, to such an extreme that radical decisions and actions are called for, and it resonates with a veracity nearly impossible to find in other works dealing with this subject. This collection is a fine example that good literary work is out there, if one looks patiently for it.Winner of the 2000 John Simmons Short Fiction Award <P><I>Troublemakers</i> is an often hilarious, sometimes frightening, occasionally off-the-wall collection of stories about men living on the edge. From the streets of Chicago's southwest side to the rural roads of Nebraska to the small towns of southern Illinois, these men tread a very fine line between right and wrong, love and hate, humor and horror. Each story is a Pandora's box waiting to be opened: a high school boy with a new driver's license picks his brother up from jail; a UPS driver suspects his wife of having an affair but cannot find any tangible evidence of her indiscretion; an unemployed man's life begins to unravel after he discovers a dead man in a tree in his own backyard; two boys spend Halloween with an older thug; a young college teacher's patience is tested by both his annoying colleagues and the criminals who haunt his neighborhood. In story after story, McNallyÕs troublemakers lead readers to a place no less thrilling or dangerous than the human heart itself. 0743257774088748287203930660530393324796141653244710129Contemporary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10132Literary17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10301United States10300Short Stories17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books10307Literature & Fiction: Short Stories: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books16004691Literature & Fiction: World Literature: United States: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books1ZUSMUCZ6CIXZO Cornhuskers! 24 books of Nebraska fiction2G2STTN9P1GT2Cather & Co.: 25 books by Nebraska writers2B2RSX6X6I542Great literary fiction for guys0898231884http://www.amazon.com/Degree-Mastery-Journey-Through-Apprenticeship/dp/0898231884%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D08982318841303318http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518D7AHER3L._SL75_.jpg7550http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518D7AHER3L._SL160_.jpg160106http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518D7AHER3L._SL500_.jpg475315Annie Tremmel WilcoxAnnie Tremmel WilcoxHardcover686.39780898231885870898231884New Rivers PressEnglishEnglishEnglish8832795USD$27.95New Rivers Press1222Book1999-06-01New Rivers PressNew Rivers Press975852498USD$24.9897USD$0.9712600005.08208982318843132005-02-26

Pleasant, but very light

This was a strange read, because the author continually expresses her surprise for certain techniques and methods of the book conservators craft as she discovers them during her early learning and apprenticeship. I find this odd, as I've done a bit of self-taught bookbinding, and have encountered most of this knowledge through reading, and that the author purports to be a reader and decent student. <br /> <br />An element I found annoying was the typesetting of the book. In general, I'm tolerant of these things, but, as this is a book on book arts and the author worked as a typesetter for some time, one would think that more attention would be paid to this. Specifically, there is only a word space (1/5 em) between sentences, not the age-old standard of 1/3 em (or even the 2 spaces that is acceptable giving 2/5 em). Also, the excerpts are set in too small a font, which contrasts poorly with the main text face. This detracts from the pleasure of reading a book, and should have been more carefully considered. I suspect the publisher is to blame, not the author. <br /> <br />The book also seems to lack a broadness to the characters; their personalities, life, and interests are confined to the conservation department. Although the book is clearly a loving tribute to a master book conservator, one doesn't really learn about the man (nor much about the author).08982318845002003-12-24

accessible, delicate, honest

Wilcox artfully narrates her experience as an apprentice for Bill Anthony, a famous book binder and conservator. She artfully interspeses observations about books she is restoring with phases of her life as an apprentice and other texts. She evokes the spirit of craftmanship, of taking many years, much time, and much patience to develop mastery of her craft. Great for book art students, art students, or those considering an apprenticeship of any kind. Of particular interest to those who've made books before, because they will understand vividly the technical descriptions of her project (thought these are accessible to the lay person as well).08982318845442002-07-30

Illuminations

Someone who knew that I was in the Interdisciplinary Book and Paper MFA program at Columbia College Chicago gave this memoir to me. It's a really nice read---especially since the bookbinding world is a small one, and everyone in it knows everyone else, as people travel around the country giving workshops. Always interesting to read about people who you've had as teachers. I found it very well written, an evocative and accurate depiction of an obscure art/craft/lifestyle choice, an illuminated window into a small, specialized world.08982318845222001-09-10

Literal or spiritual - take your pick

A practical person can read this book as an extended essay on how to approach an apprenticeship, and how to bind conservation texts. A spiritual person can add layers to the stories and extrapolate life lessons. Either way, the main character/author is extremely sympathetic character. Her teacher had amazing gifts, both as a conservator and as a teacher.<p>The book is deceptively short. Looks like a quick read, but was so meaty and detailed, I found myself reading it for several weeks in order to digest all the material carefully. <p>If your taste runs to the obscure, the "sleeper," I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.08982318845332001-03-21

A wonderful autobiography!

A Degree of Mastery tells the story of one woman's journey through the education and apprenticeship necessary to become a book preservationist. Annie Wilcox, a bright woman with an impressive past in the field of English and writing, begins to take an evening class in bookbinding at the University of Iowa taught by a world-reknowned preservationist, William Anthony. Little does she know that not more than two years later she will become the first female apprentice ever to study under the direct supervision and teaching of Bill Anthony, an honored position granted only to six others before her. Through her apprenticeship, Wilcox learns the art of preservation and the dire need for conservation in every library, but especially those libraries that house an archives, manuscript or rare books collection. Through Wilcox's autobiography, the reader learns the basic process and means by which book preservation becomes possible as well as the importance and value of conservation in today's libraries. It is a wonderful piece of literature well-worth your time.This memoir describes an apprenticeship in the art of restoring fine books. Wilcox was the first woman accepted by Bill Anthony as a student in the demanding trade of restoration and bookbinding. Wilcox develops a special friendship with her mentor, Bill Anthony, an internationally known book preservationist, and as she does, she also acquires a great devotion to the craft of book preserving. Eventually, Anthony develops cancer, and Wilcox goes on to become a master in her own right. 1579908772083480196508306348352375Biographies & Memoirs: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books465250Biographies & Memoirs: Historical: United States: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books2395United States465252Civil War2376Historical2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2421Educators2419Professionals & Academics2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2445Women2437Specific Groups2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books5130Book Making & Binding5126Crafts & Hobbies48Home & Garden1000Subjects283155Books10620Multicultural10613Contemporary Methods69829Education Theory10605Education53Nonfiction1000Subjects283155Books15991491Material Preservation69845Library & Information Science11232Social Sciences53Nonfiction1000Subjects283155Books394181011Hardcover394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155Books9AK13SNXI0IEBibliomania3AYLW14MO7FNBooks on Books0877453292http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-But-Stay-Carrie-Young/dp/0877453292%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0877453292450402http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417JAE59H5L._SL75_.jpg7543http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417JAE59H5L._SL160_.jpg16092http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/417JAE59H5L._SL500_.jpg475274Carrie YoungPaperback978.400439820229780877453291370877453292University Of Iowa PressEnglishEnglishEnglish8951600USD$16.00University Of Iowa Press1128Book2000-01-01University Of Iowa PressUniversity Of Iowa Press44561532USD$5.32250USD$2.5018180011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewgYr%2FKbxRflFYkLQKEAmp67yx6V%2By9cJ%2FMa1MS%2F1m4uPn7cc2amI6fIbsSEzfzxszJLUaDi537Dmvh5d%2F%2FCx%2Bbg%3D%3D1088USD$10.88Usually ships in 24 hours5.08208774532925442007-12-21

Story-telling at its best

It often happens that our own stories are intimately entwined with someone else's story, and that to understand who we are, we have to tell another person's story first. This is true for Carrie Young, who has written a marvelous memoir of her mother. <br /> <br />This warm, hopeful testament to a woman's courage tells the story of Carrine Gafkjen, who--all alone, and with the single-minded, strong-hearted independence that is often obscured in men's stories about women--homesteaded 160 acres of North Dakota prairie. That was in 1904, and Carrine Gafjken spent the next eight years working for money in the winter and returning to her homestead in the summer. By the time she was thirty, she owned 320 acres of productive land. In 1912 she married Sever Berg. They sold his homestead and took up residence on hers, and over the next decade she bore six healthy children, the last of whom has told us her story in a style that is as strong, clear, and direct as Carrine herself. This is story with no frills or fancy lace, a story of hard work and tough times, but through it all runs hope and love for the land and a firm belief that perseverance will win out in the end. <br /> <br />To my mind, the best books are like this one, valuable in ways too many to count. I not only learned important things about life on the Dakota prairie, but I learned some very good ways to tell a story, to give voice to someone who can no longer speak for herself and who must live--if she continues to live--chiefly in the words of a writer and the heart of a reader. Carrie Young is a fine teacher for any aspiring writer, and her stories about her mother's life are instructive examples of story-telling at its best. <br /> <br />by Susan Wittig Albert <br />for Story Circle Book Reviews <br />www.storycirclebookreviews.org <br />reviewing books by, for, and about women 08774532925002007-09-19

Loved it!

There's no plot here and certainly no white knuckle drama. The book is a series of essays, each chapter relating an event or way of life experienced by the author as a child growing up on the North Dakota plains during tbe early 1900s. From education to farm life to holidays, each was covered with love and humor. I felt like I was getting to know my own grandmother as a child. My only wish was that there were more photographs, but considering the time period it was wonderful to have a few.08774532925442003-03-27

this was a GREAT story

I stumbled on this book in a used book store. It is the amazing story of the author's parents and their life in rural North Dakota. The book has adventures, anecdotes, and gives the reader a real sense of how families existed in the early 20th century. This was a very entertaining story, although perhaps you can't tell from this review. None of us who have read it could put it down, from my 78 year old mom to my sister who is reading it to her 7 year old daughter.08774532925342002-02-16

An amazing story about a frontier Mom!

I loved this book. Its a compendium of short pieces about the author's mother, who was a frontier woman with a wonderful outlook on life. I also loved the descriptions of her husband, who had to drive the children through snow, to get to their respective schools, and the descriptions about how the kids were settled in the schoolhouse overnight, while wild mustangs banged against the door. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I would send my children to a schoolhouse way far away, with food for a week. Can you imagine what they did after school let out... all by themselves? I wanted to hear more about this. The descriptions of quilting are wonderful.It is a great book if you are in the mood to feel cold, hungry, and in North Dakota with the snow beating down upon you. Also if you enjoy descriptions of sumptuous meals at holidays, replete with Norwegian recipes!08774532924462001-04-10

Memorable

The author is the youngest of six children of hard-working Norwegian-speaking parents, and the account of the struggles her parents went thru is awesome. Sometimes I thought the author indulged in hyperbole, and I would have appreciated a little more exactitude, but it no doubt is true that life during the twenties and thirties in northwestern North Dakota was a hard and demanding one. The first part of this book is the best, as the author relates the fantastic efforts necessary for the kids to be educated. There is a lot of discussion of Norwegian food, and those of you who are of Norwegian descent will gobble that talk up, but for me I could not get too interested in how her mother went to extraordinary lengths to prepare, under primitive conditions, the food she was so good at concocting. There is less talk of the interesting political events during the time than I would have liked. Appam, North Dakota, which was apparently a home town to the family during these years, has, according to my 1958 atlas, a population of 18. I would like to have learned whether it was a bigger place when the author was a child. But the upbeat attitude to her childhood was a real plus for this book--not the dreary catalog of hardship one sometimes gets from depression sagas. I liked this book.Carrine Gafkjen was, as her daughter remembers, at once the most liberated and unliberated of women. If she had considered the subject at all she would have thought it a waste of time. She firmly believed in destiny; what fate planned for her she dealt with head-on. <P>In the early 1900s the twenty-five-year-old Gafkjen boarded a train from Minneapolis to claim a homestead for herself on the western North Dakota prairies. She lived alone in her claim shack, barred her door at night against the coyotes, existed on potatoes and salt, and walked five miles to the nearest creek to wash her clothes. A decade later she had, by her own ingenuity, doubled her landholdings and became a secure women of property. Then, at an age when most other women would have been declared spinsters, Carrine Gafkjen married Sever Berg and had six children. <P>Nothing to Do but Stay tells the story of this uncommon woman with warmth and good humor. It gives testimony to the lasting spirit of our pioneer heritage and, in these uncertain times, to the staying power of family and tradition. This book will appeal to all those with an interest in the settlement of the West, the history of the Great Plains, women's studies, and the perseverance of the early-twentieth-century farmers.087745718208061288600877454361073851865408735117512365Ethnic & National2366African-American & Black2367Australian2368Chinese2370Hispanic & Latino2371Irish2372Japanese916612Jewish2373Native American1043838Native People (Canada)2374Scandinavian2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2395United States465252Civil War2376Historical2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books2445Women2437Specific Groups2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books3048891Memoirs2Biographies & Memoirs1000Subjects283155Books10108Essays17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books11314True Accounts11316Espionage11320Murder & Mayhem271636011Organized Crime271635011Serial Killers11322True Crime53Nonfiction1000Subjects283155Books14279211North Dakota14278871State & Local4853United States4808Americas9History1000Subjects283155Books2369Biographies & Memoirs: Ethnic & National: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books2375Biographies & Memoirs: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books10114Literature & Fiction: Essays: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books465250Biographies & Memoirs: Historical: United States: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books1205142History: Americas: General404929011General404928011Archive251254011Custom Stores44258011Specialty Stores283155Books400272011Paperback394184011Mass Market401237011Trade394174011Binding (binding)388186011Refinements283155Books618083011Printed Books618072011Format (feature_browse-bin)388186011Refinements283155BooksR3653E5WY61PWHSoul Nourishment - Contemporary Women Farmers and Ranchers Memoirs353ZIA0IKDAEKTigress Book Club List(Farmington, MN)8RGUV6I5QJC7my favorite books about familiesF4C1FX1BAO25More of My Favorite BooksCAIIKOFY3GX1My Eclectic Reading List0877458405http://www.amazon.com/Thieves-Latin-Iowa-Poetry-Prize/dp/0877458405%3FSubscriptionId%3D05ERXYTS89KFGEPQR5G2%26tag%3Dthebookrevi0b-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D08774584051515719http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VSZPHDJ3L._SL75_.jpg7556http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VSZPHDJ3L._SL160_.jpg160120http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VSZPHDJ3L._SL500_.jpg475357Peter Jay ShippyPaperback811.69780877458401350877458405University Of Iowa PressEnglishEnglishEnglish8141600USD$16.00University Of Iowa Press1100Book2003-02-26University Of Iowa PressUniversity Of Iowa Press34604449USD$4.4940USD$0.40640011ATVPDKIKX0DERhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/home.html?seller=ATVPDKIKX0DERNewnewNeqzAqnWEG%2BUiKlkAYuGP1vgbS38%2BooS%2BTAfcqGgQ3zXCoo6CHOBGb%2FuS%2BSiJMQgiaFv3YDhn%2F8Ktw5COx2%2Bxg%3D%3D1600USD$16.00Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks5.08208774584055002006-12-26

Chuck Berry Chuck Berry

One of the best contemporary poets writing, and a force to be reckoned with. Buy this book.08774584055232003-09-25

A virtuoso verbal performance.

The feeling grows as one turns the pages that Peter Shippy is one of the most original poets now writing in American. While the external surface of the poems is busy--byte-n surrealism to sci-fi baroque--they are secure and madly intelligent. No matter how wild his reality--and we have lovesick aliens, chop-socky crickets, a brain in a vat, a dog who digs Pier Paolo--these poems are a grand thing happening. A virtuoso verbal performance.08774584055022003-04-09

Vast beauty

This is a world of brilliance--but also with great weird humor.08774584055222003-04-08

Few Better This Year

Shippy puts the anti back in anti-poet. Daring and glorious.08774584055222003-03-27

SmartSmartSmart

Funny, eccentric, very smart. Tough, too. But I like my poems tough. ...&#147;Ah, writ happens.&#148; Like the con men who rely on thieves' Latin to ply their trade, the poems in Peter Jay Shippy's award-winning collection don't play well with other poems. They are difficult. They rave. They are unsettling and blunt. They crash cars and ride tsunamis and hitch rides on tugs. They also provide a contemporary, ironic, and tender view of America, all the while layering wordplay, cleverness, and sentiment. <P>Shippy's narrators &#147;dance like night writing&#148;; they &#147;witness the reverse / side of actions&#148; and &#147;take a walk on the wing&#148;; they feel &#147;nothing but articulation&#148; and attach &#147;our planet to the highest branch"&#148; they &#147;have a good feeling about most birds, and trust / that they are a friend to man.&#148; In other words, their condition is Beckettian, but they speak like one of Sam Shepherd's dusty road angels.9940General9928History & Criticism9822United States10311World Literature17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books997220th Century9966Poetry9822United States10311World Literature17Literature & Fiction1000Subjects283155Books725800General9966Poetry9822</