Book Description
I’ve been a problem baby, a lousy son, a distant brother, an off-putting neighbor, a piss-poor student, a worrisome seatmate, an unreliable employee, a bewildering lover, a frustrating confidante and a crappy husband. Among the things I do pretty well at this point I’d have to list darts, re-closing Stay-Fresh boxes, and staying out of the way.
This is the self-eulogy offered early on by the unwilling hero of the opening story in this collection, a dazzling array of work in short fiction from a master of the form. The stories in
Love and Hydrogen—familiar to readers from publications ranging from McSweeney’s to The New Yorker to Harper’s to Tin House—encompass in theme and compassion what an ordinary writer would seem to need several lifetimes to imagine.
A frustrated wife makes use of an enterprising illegal-gun salesman to hold her husband hostage; two hapless adult-education students botch their attempts at rudimentary piano but succeed in a halting, awkward romance; a fascinated and murderous Creature welcomes the first human visitors to his Black Lagoon; and in the title story, the stupefyingly huge airship Hindenburg flies to its doom, representing in 1937 mankind's greatest yearning as well as its titanic failure.
Generous in scope and astonishing in ambition, Shepard’s voice never falters; the virtuosity of
Love and Hydrogen cements his reputation as, in the words of Rick Bass, “a passionate writer with a razor-sharp wit and an elephantine heart”—in short, one of the most powerful talents at work today.
Customer Reviews:
Diverse Collection.......2006-01-01
Story collections which hover around the same setting can sometimes work, but I'm much keener on those which hop throughout time and space to transport the reader to somewhere new and different with every story. The twenty-two stories collected here have all (except for one) previously appeared in various glossy magazines, literary journals, and even Shepard's previous book "Batting Against Castro." I had never read him until picking up his excellent novel Project X last year, and was so impressed with his ability to capture voice that I had to track this down. And wow, what a dazzling array of voices are represented here! Among the protagonists are: Attorney General John Ashcroft, Who bass player John Entwistle, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Czech WWII partisans, German WWII test pilots, oceanographer William Beebe, an explorer/adventurer from the 1920s, a weak-hitting baseball player in the 1950s, a Serbian soccer player in the 1960s, a few obsessed academics, an assortment of dysfunctional adults and kids, and in the title story, a gay crewman aboard the Hindenberg zeppelin.
A number of the stories feel like Shepard read an interesting work of non-fiction, and then decided to use his reading as the basis for a story. Not coincidentally, many of these were among my favorites, due to their especially strong sense of place. These include: the gay crewman's furtive relationship aboard the Hindenberg (background material drawn from the illustrated book Inside the Hindenberg) in the title story, the aesthetics of Dutch soccer circa 1966 (which draws very very heavily upon a book I have read, David Wimmer's study of Dutch soccer, Brilliant Orange) in "Ajax is Always on the Attack", the moral dilemmas of "The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich" (which draws from Jan Weiner's long out of print The Assassination of Heydrich), the fatalism of the early jet fighter test pilots in "Climb Aboard the Mighty Flea" (which draws upon Mano Zeigler's also out of print Rocket Fighter), and the story of William Beebe's historic descent of half a mile into the Atlantic (drawn from Beebe's also out of print memoir, Half Mile Down) in "Descent into Perpetual Night" in a "bathysphere" (which I think is on exhibit either at the Smithsonian Museum or the National Geographic Society headquarters, both in Washington, DC). There's a definite sense that Shepard is interested in the mysteries the universe holds-in addition to the the tale of Beebe's descent, there's an old-fashioned tale of a a man setting out to find a great shark in "Astounding Stories", not to mention the story told from the point of view of a primordial "Creature from the Black Lagoon."
The other major theme is the American family and the alienation within it. Not subject matter I'm typically a huge fan of, but Shepard usually imbues it with an interesting quirk or angle. In "The Gun Lobby", an ultra-passive husband is held hostage by his gun-toting wife as a SWAT team closes in. In "Mars Attacks", an adult looks back at his troubled relationship with his mentally imbalanced brother through a series of collectable cards (which were the basis for the film of the same name). In "Runway", a father takes nightly walks and sometimes sneaks onto a local airfield to lie on the runways as the planes lands. In "Krakatau", another adult man reflects on his mentally unbalanced brother. In "Won't Get Fooled Again", the "quiet one" in The Who reflects on his place within the wild family that is his band. Shepard also writes very well about the intersection of sports and politics -- in addition to "Ajax is Always on the Attack", there is "Batting Against Castro". This excellent story follows two light-hitting Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950s as they travel down to play for a Winter league team in Cuba.
Not every story worked for me -- I didn't care for "Glut Your Soul On My Accursed Ugliness" (about a kid in a disintegrating family), "Eustace" (about a semi-rebellious kid), "Reach for the Sky" (about a teenager working at a dog shelter), "Alice and Emmett with the 17th Lancers" (about a selfish academic husband and father), "The Mortality of Parents" (about an out of control pair of brothers and their dying father), "Spending the Night with the Poor" (about an adolescent girl who becomes friends with a much poorer girl), "John Ashcroft" (a series of satirical homey sayings), "Messiah" (about a college football player's bizarre friendship with a star teammate), and "Piano Starts Here". But even most of these had a kernel or two worth stumbling across and are well written. Overall , it's a collection that will rewards readers looking for a diverse set of voices and a strong sense of place.
hugely ambitious.......2005-11-02
the problem, for me, with jim shepard is that he has what seems to be *exactly* the right idea. his clinametic efforts to avoid the rote american short story are frequently spectacular, at least in scope, and possibly worth the price of admission in and of themselves; he offers short stories set on the hindenburg, in the secret test pilot camps of the luftwaffe; he offers a mini-bio of the who as narrated by john entwistle himself. he couldnt try harder to do something new and spectacular with the short story form, and even a reader who perceives a certain strain on these stories should at least appreciate the audacity and the effort.
at first glance, shepard seems ready to join george saunders and aimee bender at the top of the short fiction pigpile (a pile whose quality drops off precipitously close to the top). however, there are far more failures than successes in this collection. in fact, some of shepard's more successful pieces are those free of the historical baggage that weigh down the marquee pieces. this is not to say that they are formally complacent; the one true home run in the collection, "mars attacks" is as good as a good saunders, and features a novel formal conceit that actually works. in it, a narrator reconstructs his relationship with his mentally unstable brother as he examines a richly significant relic of their childhood--the "mars attacks" card collection that they worked on together. the story is brilliant, rich with nostalgia and sorrow. occaisonal practitioners of the intentional fallacy such as myself will probably speculate that the story features a more direct vein of autobiography than the others in the collection.
this is probably necessary reading for people interested in writing short fiction of their own, because what shepard is doing is important, even necessary. its always a good read, even at its less affecting. it remains troubling, however, that shepard has managed to fill his stories with so much color, history, humor, and imagination, but with so little of life.
A 13-year-old's sensibility (this is a good thing).......2005-06-24
Many of these are the kind of stories that you wish you could've written when you were 13 years old, but couldn't possibly have known how. What's amazing is that Shepard has found a way to retained the sensibility of puberty in so many of these great stories--like about the Creature From the Black Lagoon, or the kid who locks out the nuns, or the risk-taking dad, or even about the rich girl who goes to spend a night at the poor girls house. There are others, too. Great political satire on John Ashcroft, and the title story is absolutely incredible, telling a story of gay lovers working as staff aboard the Hindenburg. That very idea idea is genius, and the way it unfolds, well, read and find out for yourself. Interestingly, despite my five-star review, there were two stories that I absolutely hated. Hated!! This makes sense to me, though, since Shepard is trying hard to push some boundaries. Every great inventor must fail, and it is those failures that generate genius.
It's spelled "Entwistle"!.......2004-12-21
....No "H"! I'll save my other comments for when I read the book, but as a loyal Who fan I had to point out the litte mistake in the Booklist review. I can't wait to read this book because I am in awe of those who can skillfully write in multiple narratives, and this book has intriguing characters. Hopefully the author spells "Entwistle" correctly. :)
We have become the inexplicable.......2004-09-25
Reading Jim Shepard's `Love and Hydrogen' right after Adam Haslett's overwrought and over-rated `You Are Not a Stranger Here' was what I needed to re-affirm my faith in short fiction as an art form. As a reader I want a fulfillment of what fiction promises: a mimesis; that the author will try to inhabit other lives and situations and render them in a way that produces something novel for me. I don't need self-affirmation or a lesson. I want a story. And in a short story collection I want stories. Many times, such as in Haslett's book, the situations are so repetitive that you suspect that the author is rendering his own life through these stories, that self-indulgence and egotism over-ride art or any interest in art. Sorry for writing of my opinion of Haslett's work, but it brought into stark contrast why I liked this collection so much more.
Shepard's work is most notable for its incredible diversity of setting, voice and theme: a teen-age girl's first person account of a friendship strained by class division (Spending the Night With the Poor), the disaffections and fascination of a Yugoslav footballer in progressive 1960's Holland (Ajax is All About Attack), the thrill and resignation of a World War II German test pilot (Climb Aboard the Mighty Flea) are just a sample. He can approach a story as a straight ahead narrative (The Mortality of Parents) or as an ironic romp(The Creature from the Black Lagoon) and yet he always seems to find his way to the dark heart of the story. He is at his best when he takes on narratives or personae that we think we know and produces something startlingly fresh: `We Won't Get Fooled Again' a brief history of The Who from the eyes of their most enigmatic member, bassist John Entwhistle, is hilarious and heart-rending.
Nor is Shepard ideologically bound; in his exceptional story `John Ashcroft: More Important Things Than Me' he paints a self-portrait of the man that is at once more generous and chilling than any number of partisan biographies could hope to accomplish. Characters who would be no more than walk-ons or caricatures in another writer's story take centre-stage with Shepard, and you get the feeling that no character is automatically invested with more insight or dignity than any other. In all, it is a refreshing approach and one that declares a fuller, more humanistic artistic vision than ninety percent of the reheated autobiographies that masquerade as fiction today. The only weak point I found in the collection was `Alicia and Emmet with the 17th Lancers at Balaclava' where the interweaving narratives felt somewhat strained. It is a minor drawback, like a complaint about the scuff-marks on Fred Astaire's floor.
At first this incredible array of voices and settings may seem like a self-conscious tour de force, that the author is trying to keep you on your heels with off-speed pitches because he doesn't have any real `stuff', but the writing is so good and the voice so authentic that the novelty of reading a story about something other than domestic conflicts seems secondary. I was thinking for a word to describe this work, which reads like an anthology of great writing, and I could only come up with fearlessness, that Shepard has no fear, and that alloyed with his skill and curiosity and utter decency as an artist, he has given us a work of depth and intelligence and beauty. Here's the last paragraph of the final story in the collection 'Climb Aoard the Mighty Flea' where a World War II German pilot, knowing a horrific war has already been lost, straps himself into the first rocket powered fighter plane,
'No one's speaking. Our ears are on the slipstream. Our thumbs are on the cannon triggers. Our hearts are in the dive. We have become the inexplicable. We have beome the unbelievable. We are our own descendants, the children we have always wanted to be.'
Wow.
Book Description
In this concise biography, Parsons masterfully chronicles the dramatic and prolific career of one of America's most absorbing figures.
Customer Reviews:
John Quincy Adams.......2005-10-14
John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, the second President, was one of America's greatest diplomats. He made a name for himself as the country was being formed, especially with his defense of "the rules of law" against the will of the majority. He was one of the last of the old Federalists. He was a foreign minister to Holland, Portugal, and Prussia, and was Secretary of State under Monroe (where he was the main force in establishing the Monroe Doctrine). He became the sixth President in a controversial election that was decided in the House of Representatives.
Parson's short (272 pages) but thorough and well-written biography of Adams is a job well done. She details the accomplishments of his life, but focuses primarily on the man himself. Adams was a stern man (his portrait reminds me of some evil Dickens character, Marley perhaps), and not well-liked by the public. He believed that one should not "run" for a political office, but should just accept it if offered (imagine that today!). He hated Andrew Jackson and slavery, and fought hard against both. This is an excellent book on an interesting man.
You cheered his life after reading this book........1999-10-15
After reading this well written biography, I experienced the sorrows, joys, and accomplishments in the life of one of our country's greatest statesmen.
A highly recommended, easy reading bio of the 6th President.......1998-05-26
Lynn H. Parsons has written a biography that is blessedly free from 'academic speak' or the sense that he is only writing for other historians. This is definitely a biography for even the most casual lover of history. Parsons' familiarity with JQA allows him to introduce us to that prickly character as one would introduce an eccentric friend--always aware of the eccentricities but never apologizing for them. Adams (and his father) are two of the greatest of America's early statesmen and two of it's worst politicians. Parsons presents the genius and the folly and allows us to weigh our opinions--tho' its clear where Parsons' affections lie. It is hard to imagine that anyone will (or could) write a better one volume popular biography of JQA. Parsons clearly could tell us much more, but he chooses not to bog his narrative down in the kind of historical detail that glazes the eye of the casual reader. For serious historians this is a valuable book because it doesn't get lost in its own importance--the writing is direct, succinct and keeps the reader aware of the difference of the attitudes of Adams and his contemporaries to our current sensibilities. Parsons ends with a note that JQA's only monument in Washington is a small plaque in statuary hall in the Capitol. I would argue that Adams' best monument in DC is the one he would be proudest of--the Smithsonian Institution he fought so hard to help establish. I highly recommend this book.
Book Description
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition single-handedly changed the face of reality TV with its heartfelt, philanthropic mission: to provide struggling families with safe, beautiful homes. In each episode, host Ty Pennington and the talented design team work around the clock for seven days to transform one needy familys home into a place of comfort and love. The first season garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program and since then the show has only gained momentum, touching the hearts of millions every Sunday night. The official tie-in provides behind-the-scenes details on the challenging home makeovers, from demolition to last-minute decoration, profiles of the cast and crew, and profiles of the featured familiesincluding the special circumstances that have inspired the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team to turn these families houses into state-of-the-art homes-come-true. Beautiful full-color photos of the before and after transformations will run throughout.
Customer Reviews:
Not what I was looking for.......2007-01-22
I wanted finished room design ideas from the show. It's mostly photographs of the steps before the finished project. It might be helpful to someone who wants to do the construction of a building.
Book Description
Peter Donahue’s debut novel Madison House chronicles turn-of-the-century Seattle’s explosive transformation from frontier outpost to major metropolis. Maddie Ingram, owner of Madison House, and her quirky and endearing boarders find their lives inextricably linked when the city decides to re-grade Denny Hill and the fate of Madison House hangs in the balance. Clyde Hunssler, Maddie’s albino handyman and furtive love interest; James Colter, a muckraking black journalist who owns and publishes the Seattle Sentry newspaper; and Chiridah Simpson, an aspiring stage actress forced into prostitution and morphine addiction while working in the city’s corrupt vaudeville theater, all call Madison House home. Had E.L. Doctorow and Charles Dickens met on the streets of Seattle, they couldn’t have created a better book.
Customer Reviews:
Old Seattle Comes Alive.......2006-01-04
As a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest, I am eager to learn as much as I can about its past as well as its present. Madison House allowed me to walk the streets and breathe the air in the early days of Seattle in the exciting days of the Denny Hill regrading. I also loved the sections on life in Alaska during the gold rush that made me think of Michner's Alaska. Some historical novels are hard to get through. This one, because of its vivid characters, is a great read!
Rich and rewarding.......2006-01-03
This is one of the best novels I've read in 2005. It's most certainly one of the best Northwest novels I've ever read. It ranks with A.B. Guthrie's The Big Sky and Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion. The historical scope and detail of the novel are truly impressive. I loved the many characters and the way their stories interweave with one another. The novel made me really experience early Seattle in all its grittiness. The two gold rush chapters also add a surprising look at Alaska and the Yukon from a woman's perspective. Donahue's writing paints a picture of the period that's vivid and alive.
Enjoyable reading.......2005-12-20
This book has nice character development and the story is a compelling one. It would benefit from some copy editing and the inclusion of a map for those not familiar with Seattle streets. Mr. Donahue's knowledge of Seattle in the early 1900's is apparent in his attention to historical detail. It certainly kept my interest and added dimension to my knowledge of Seattle's history.
Average customer rating:
|
The Findlay House: A history
Thomas D Brock
Manufacturer: Science Tech Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 General | Building Types & Styles | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006P51N0 |
Average customer rating:
|
Homes A Critical Eye
Madison Buck
Manufacturer: A Critical Eye Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Construction | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Buildings & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 096745980X |
Book Description
The book HOMES, A Critical Eye is designed to help the consumer select a contractor for a new home by explaining what is going to be done and the associated costs. Someone who is purchasing an existing home could use this book as a reference for things to look for or ask about. A current homeowner could use it as a reference when hiring a contractor to replace the roof, build a deck or any number of other maintenance items. It would also be a good resource for homeowners to fight their tax assessments, helping compare their homes to others.
Product Description
facsimile reprint edition
Product Description
facsimile reprint edition
Product Description
facsimile reprint edition
Book Description
"One of the best novels on Deep Space Nine isn't a novel at all."
-- Cinescape
"Remarkably effective....A cadre of solid science ?ction tales....Easily one of the year's better anthologies, and one of the least predictable."
-- Amazing Stories
"The Lives of Dax does not disappoint."
-- Dreamwatch
"Live The Lives of Dax and discover what being human is all about."
-- Comics Corner
Download Description
Statesman, scholar, scientist. Engineer, officer, ambassador. Mother, father...and murderer. Virtually immortal, the symbiotic Trill named Dax -- an alien creature who must join with a humanoid host to survived -- has experienced nine very different lives over 357 years of Star Trek history. Part historical epic, part anthology, The Lives of Dax tells the story of each of those incarnations, ranging from the formative days of the Federation to the terror of the war. The first all-professional Star Trek ever published, The Lives of Dax features stories from award-winning authors such as Steven Barnes, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, L.A. Graf, and many others. Packed with major Star Trek guest stars and surprises, designed to appeal to fans of every version of Gene Roddenberry's star-spanning saga, The Lives of Dax is one the most important -- and unique -- events in Star Trek publishing history.
Book Description
An essential work by the mysterious Wei Wu Wei.
Customer Reviews:
better choices than this.......2007-06-14
If you are drawn to cleverness, intellectual excessiveness, and a confounding ability to make the simple seem hopelessly complicated, then this book is for you!!!
Otherwise try "I Am That" or "The Science of Enlightenment", both of which will take you down the rabbit hole of non-duality/Advaita with grace, charm and simplicity.
I'm a bit disappointed.......2007-04-10
I bought this after hearing that Wei Wu Wei gave the clearest description of Non Duality. This book is way too complex to be any fun to read. I have loved Nathan Gill and Tony Parsons etc, but this one is an excercise
in little used language by folks that consider themselves "the intelligencia" of spiritual madness. Even after 30 years of spiritual study, I found it frustrating. After reading two chapters, it is on a shelf waiting to be donated to good will.
Got questions ? You will never ask them again........2006-04-22
Wei Wu Wei is one the true zen masters so I think, read his books and know for your self, as other reviewer wrote,truth is not for everyone, you have to be strong mentally to know it. All his books say it lucidly (pun intended). Just read the book, if you are searching for answers about god, about your self, this book will end your search.
Many books no matter are written on Advaita or Buddhism for that matter. Please go ahead and read them, then take this book and read it. You will see a difference, the difference is that,this author makes an effort in making you understand something so profound.
Some concepts are easy to understand, some aren't, this book is meant for those who are are looking for answers and who can think. If you are in the lookout for a bed time story book, better stay away from it else, you will be writing a review that this book is a disappointment.
If you are a beginner in eastern philosophy look else where.
HEAVY!.......2005-03-19
WOW! This slim volume is very heavy(!), did I say heavy? This work is phenomenal(!) but(whoa unto you)VERY abstract...trust me when I say this. It must be read very, very slowly and each paragraph must be contemplated upon for quite sometime. Wei is not for the faint-hearted and not a starting point for the beginner of non-dualistic thought. Please read elsewhere gentle reader, and when you are ready - really ready for truth spoken at the most inclusive and abstruse level then - and only then - prepare yourself for a feast which will de-cloak all that you have held near and dear about what you erroneously have concluded about "reality".
Blowing apart the concepts.......2004-10-11
This book deconstructs the subject-object relationship and puts into question the reality of either of these. It also focuses the reader back into the concept of his or her own individuality and what its true nature is.
Books:
- Loving Pedro Infante
- Marques De Collections De Dessins & D'estampes, Avec Des Notices Historiques Sur Les Collectionneurs, Les Collections, Les Ventes, Les Marchands Et Editeurs, Etc.les
- MirrorMask: The Illustrated Film Script of the Motion Picture from the Jim Henson Company
- Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past
- Mountain Time : A Novel
- Mr. Ives' Christmas
- Mr. Sampath--The Printer of Malgudi, The Financial Expert, Waiting for the Mahatma (Everyman's Library)
- My Old Sweetheart
- Nothing Like the Sun: A Story of Shakespeare's Love-Life (Norton Paperback Fiction)
- Our Kind: A Novel in Stories
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Of Grammatology
- Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating
- Witness of St. Ansgar's
- American Civil War Artillery 1861-65
- Bad Twin
- Extended , Fundamentals of Physics, 6th Edition
- Energy Management Handbook
- Ben & Jerry's: The Inside Scoop: How Two Real Guys Built a Business with a Social Conscience and
- A Guided Tour of the United States Economy: Promises among the Perils
- Rowe College Business English
Project X: A Novel
Like You'd Understand, Anyway: Stories
The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
Silences
Ship Fever
