Book Description
Set in 1970, in the last, dark days of hippiedom, Perv -- A Love Story is the saga of Bobby Stark, a sixteen-year-old batch of desire and angst struggling to stay sane in a world gone Day-Glo.
As the novel opens, Bobby loses his virginity in a drug-addled tryst with a one-armed barber's daughter. For his sins he's thrown out of school and dispatched to live with his mom, a festive electro shock aficionado, whose condo he flees to track down Michelle, the gorgeously damaged, lasped Hare Krishna-ette he's adored since kindergarten.
Like the rest of their generation, the couple hit the road for California, only to be picked up in a hell-fueled Lincoln by a pair of Bad Hippies -- Meat and Varnish -- smacked-out spiritual cousins to Charles Manson. From here the trip gets vicious....
Already an underground classic, Perv-A Love Story is relentlessly twisted, sexy, and savagely funny literary excursion, a novel of doomed youth in the era when Flower Power had begun to wilt.
Customer Reviews:
A letdown........2006-07-18
Like another reviewer, I had previously read "Permanent Midnight" and LOVED it, so I was definitely looking forward to getting my meathooks on more of Jerry Stahl's work. Unfortunately, this one turned out to be a major letdown. The first chapter was quite amusing, so my hopes were high, but as the book went on I just waited and waited for something engaging to happen, and it never did. The ending was so abrupt and lame, I got the impression that Mr. Stahl just got tired of writing and stopped.
Don't waste your time with this one. Re-read "Midnight" instead.
Perversion Should Be Made of Sterner Stuff.......2005-12-01
"Catcher in the Rye," this ain't.
"Perv" drags and drags and drags. The whole story basically consists of two scenes with some filler and exposition thrown in between and at the end. Scene One involves the hero being imprisoned in the basement of a deranged, one-armed barber who wants to give the hero a tatoo because he had sex with the barber's daughter. It goes on and on and on, but gets nowhere. Then comes some filler, in which the hero, in a very Holden-Caufield-clone manner, gets kicked out of boarding school and runs away from home, meeting a girl he'd long been pining for along the way. And so we get to Scene Two, in which the hero gets imprisoned . . . again, except this time it's in the back of a speeding car driven by two deranged drug users. Oh, and the girl is there, too. Again, it goes on and on and on . . . .
I suppose what annoyed me the most was the fact that the hero, despite the title, didn't seem like much of a "Perv." His sexual interests and proclivities seemed fairly typical for a teenaged boy. However, the title suggests that the story is going to be about someone who's, well, a "perv," or at least perceived to be perverted in some way, although not necessarily in the sexual sense. Instead, Jerry Stahl gives us a very average tale of a very average teenage boy. Sure, he thinks about sex all the time and checks out women's underwear in the laundry room, but so what? Perversion should be made of sterner stuff.
Great read!.......2004-11-14
This was the first book I've read by Jerry Stahl and I must say that I am looking forward to reading more of his stuff. I finished the book in only a few days - I just couldn't put it down. It's the story of a twisted adventure that only someone with an open mind can appreciate. I highly recommend it.
Oh, Jerry Stahl, Jerry Stahl..........2004-05-10
I guess I liked this.... I guess? I'm just kind of confused. I mean, I didn't not like it, but it wasn't the best. I suppose I was just a bit disappointed after reading Permanent Midnight and then reading this. Permanent Midnight was SO good! It was SO good, and after I finished, I couldn't wait to get my unsanitary hands all over another one of Mr. Stahl's books. So I bought this one. I don't know, it was okay. I just think he could've done better.
I just didn't really like a couple of the characters. Tennie Toad was stupid. I didn't like that kid. I wanted to smack him around and call him Penny and ask "Do ya lak that?" Hahaha. I didn't like either of the Schmidlaps. Mr. S. reminded me of this psycho old guy that is stalking me over the internet. I can imagine them to have the same voice. And they both seem like drunken idiots.
I did like the ending. It wasn't what you'd expect or anything. It wasn't a happy, happy ending, but it wasn't sad. It was just fine. Well, it was kind of sad. I don't know. And this book was very interesting. I think I finished it in about a day and a half; it usually takes me a 1.5 or 2 weeks to complete a book, for I never seem to make time. I am such a busy girl! Anyway, the good does outweigh the bad.
So, if you want to read this AND Permanent Midnight, read this first. You will enjoy this so much better, and your reading adventures will be much more exciting and fulfilling, or something.
Nothing like being smacked in the head..........2004-03-04
Perv: A Love Story does just that. You have to get through three quarters of the book to understand what I'm talking about, but you'll get it. You think the beginning is shocking? You think anything in the middle is disturbing? Just wait until the end. Based on the graphic details of what occurs to Bobby and Michelle with their, let's call them, captors, I can only assume Mr. Stahl has been there and done that.
Overall, it was a funny and sad story, but I don't think Stahl wants us to feel sorry for the main character. As stated in the book at some point, there's empathy and there's sympathy. I think Stahl wants us to empathize with the characters but to just stand back a minute and not get too close.
Recommended for those that aren't uptight. If you are, you won't even get through the first couple of pages.
Average customer rating:
- fun
- Darkly humorous and clever
- Wonderful Fun!
- Excellent new series to read
- Attracted by the cover art., the book is every bit as good!
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One Foot in the Grave
Wm. Mark Simmons
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 United States | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671877216 |
Customer Reviews:
fun.......2007-04-11
I bought this book thinking to read a gay-themed vampire novel which unfortunately is not the case.
Luckily enough though, this story is quite good. Christopher, the likeable main character, very well rounded, witty, deep, finds himself thrown into a new world populated by every possible mythical creatures, many of which not exactly friendly.
While the book is undoubtedly fun there are still some flaws: from time to time Mr Simmons loses his compass: his writing gets confused, hurried, most of all during action scenes; his sentences are clumsy and disconnected, whole paragraphs in need of a thourough editing.
Some minor inconsistencies are to be found here and there; literary references are not always to the point while pop culture ones are hard to grasp for a foreigner.
Because of gore this book is not suitable for children.
Darkly humorous and clever.......2007-01-16
I'll be frank. The best reason to read this book is to read the sequel "Dead on my Feet". Chris is more brooding and angry in this book and Simmons doesn't hit his stride with the character until the next one.
That being said this is an original take on the vampire series. It's a parody of the entire horror Genre and Chris never misses an opportunity to mock it.
Wonderful Fun!.......2006-09-24
I picked up "Dead on My Feet" (the second book in this series) in 2005 and read it; then realized it was the second book in the series and spent a year trying to find this book before I managed to get my hand on it and read it. I was very happy with this book (although a bit puzzled by the fact that Liz Bachman turns into Lilith by the second book - that won't spoil anything for anyone, so no need for anyone to get upset with me!) and though it is isn't strictly necessary to read it to have enjoyed "Dead on My Feet," I am now re-reading DoMF so I can catch the nuances I may have missed before. Now I have to catch "Habeas Corpses" and eagerly await the promised 4th book. For those who enjoy the sillier, non-traditional vampire novel, this is just your cup of tea! Others have summarized the plot, so I won't go into that here - just will add my hearty endorsement - don't miss this one!
Excellent new series to read.......2006-08-30
I picked this book up from being recommended through Amazon, due to my recent selections in other books. I enjoyed this first novel in a series of three so far, and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Great humor, mystery and ups and downs you would expect with a book containing the undead, the dead, and other things that go bump in the night.
Attracted by the cover art., the book is every bit as good!.......2006-07-24
I first read "One Foot in the Grave" 5 or 6 years ago. It is one of the most entertaining and gripping books I've ever read.
Recently I decided to reread it and spent a lot of time looking for my original copy. After not finding it I went looking for it in the store at which point I also discovered the sequels to it, "Dead on My Feet" and "Habeas Corpses". The three books together make up one of the most amazing trilogies I've ever seen, each one fast out of the gate, constant action, constantly changing, and displaying what appears to be a remarkable knowledge of history and mythology.
I want to express my deep appreciation and thanks for the pleasure the author provided to me through these books.
P.S. A fourth story is on its way, "Dead Easy", probably late '06 or early '07.
Book Description
The author of the acclaimed Emma Trilogy switches gears in this non-fiction account of his years working as a cemetery sexton.
In this entertaining book readers will meet such characters as a lock-picking ghost, a coffin-chasing cow, a rock band with boorish graveside manners, and Mrs. Robinson, whose leg preceded her to the grave.
Each chapter gives a behind-the-scenes look at different aspects of a sexton's world, including cemetery blunders, meddling spirits, bizarre events, and efforts to outfox the Grim Reaper.
Written in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek style, this collection of the author's actual graveyard adventures is a curiously uplifting book you won't be able to put down-or ever forget!
Customer Reviews:
I can sum up this book in one word..........2006-12-30
B O R I N G...
I wish I had listened to the reviewer who said NOT for anyone over age 12... I wholeheartedly agree. I have 2 kids who wouldn't enjoy this either. Wish I had my money back. I feel ripped off.
An Excellent Read.......2006-06-01
A well-written feast of a book. I goggled it down in one afternoon. I couldn't put it down. I just had to see what would happen next. This book is a must read for everyone. It will make you see death and cemeteries in a whole different light.
Funny Book.......2004-08-06
This book is great! It is just what it says it is- a humorous look at what goes on behind the scenes in a cemetery. I have read it several times, and I laugh out loud every time. I worked in a cemetery for several years, and this book brings back memories of the funny things that happen that people just don't hear about.
Waste of Time for those over 12.......2004-06-26
I actually had to stop reading this book 2 paragraphs in to see what company would actually have published this. I would not be so harsh in my review of this book, had it been billed as Juvenile non-fiction. Poorly written, hardly edited, and what little factual information Mr. Daybell provides is unresearched and obviously wrong to anyone with any knowledge of the funeral industry. This book is not worth the money, effort of borrowing it from the library, or any of your time.
One Foot In The Grave.......2003-09-13
If you enjoy looking around cemeteries, wondering what takes place behind the scenes, then you will enjoy this book. Chad Daybell writes an excellent book, with a humorous side of the cemetery caretaking business. I found myself laughing several times over incedents that took place, unbelievable requests made by the deceaseds relatives, the "war of the roses" cemetery style, and what a cemetery Sexton actually has to go through and put up with. There is a seriouse side to this book too, what to do and what not to do when visiting a cemetery, appropriate and inappropriate behavoir, and a cemetery is NOT a motocross track nor a sports field. I think it was an excellent read and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cemeteries.
Average customer rating:
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"One Foot in the Grave" (BBC)
David Renwick
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140234985 |
Average customer rating:
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The Complete One Foot In The Grave
Richard Webber
Manufacturer: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0752873571 |
Average customer rating:
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HORROR HUNTERS: Thing on the Roof; Gateway of the Monster; Ancient Sorceries; Unnamable; Mr. Ames' Devil; In the X-Ray One Foot and the Grave; I Kiss Your Shadow
Roger; Ghidalia, Vic (editors) (Robert E. Howard; William Hope Hodgson; Algernon Blackwood; H. P. Lovecraft; August Derleth; Fritz Leiber; Theodore Sturgeon; Robert Bloch) Elwood
Manufacturer: Manor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Blackwood, Alegernon | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Elwood, Roger | ( E ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Leiber, Fritz | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Lovecraft, H. P. | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 3532954060 |
Product Description
Macabre
Book Description
This is the one, the only, the complete Star Fleet Technical Manual with everything you'll ever want to know about day-to-day life on the Enterprise. With architectural designs of the Enterprise, headquarters, detailed drawings of the weapons and equipment, official patterns for men's and women's uniforms, maps of orbit patterns and so much more, all your practical questions will finally be answered.
Customer Reviews:
For original series lovers.......2007-06-27
This book is good only if you love the original series. It is an extrapolation of the original concepts and it is very unique. I already knew this book in a very previous edition and this one lets nothing in debt for the late one. I recommend.
They don't make futures like they used to.......2007-02-03
I had one of these when I was a kid and remember my Mom, seeing my 11-year-old delight at receiving the book, urging my Dad to build me an engineering section (I don't think she realized what it was) ... Dad and I looked at each other and laughed. Sure the book has its "inaccuracies" and sure you can argue about whether it's canon and if so, which parts (and how'd you like to try to dock a starship in one of those spheres at the edge of the spinning Starfleet HQ?) ... but c'mon, it's FUN! As for canon, Trek, like Doyle's Holmes, would build a backstory until it became unwieldy to keep straight or convenient to abandon, and it was still FUN! So pick up this reminder of the days before Trek took itself so seriously. Oh, I also recommend the gloriously "outdated" Spaceflight Chronology with its Sternbach illustrations and since-discarded backstory; it's more (dare I say?) FUN than anything that happened aboard NX-01.
Star Trek Starfleet Technical Manual.......2007-01-12
A wonderful Star Trek fan-fiction writers bible. Everything and anything you wanted to know about Starfleet and the Federation - but was embarrased to ask - is here.
'Bout Time.......2006-11-12
This is it. This is the origional, the one that fueled the imagination of a generation, the one I have referred to since the day it first hit the shelves in the glorious days of yesteryear. Not the namby-pamby next-gen, but the frontier spirited, Great Bird inspired tome that should have been reissued years ago. Now with the 40th anniversary it is the perfect companion to the new 'Ships of the Line' edition.
Not too heavy in the techno-babble that would mark its descendants, the author managed to fill in the gaps left by the nefarious abortive efforts of NBC while leaving enough space for the minds of fans around the world to wiggle in and have fun. Remember fun?
Now, if the Powers-That-Be will reissue Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise all you newbies(whether Trekkie or Trekker you decide) can enjoy the movie-era follow-up to this fine work.
And remember, have fun.
Fun book but Roddenberry didn't think so.......2006-06-24
I have the original hardcover of this book and loved it when I got it.
However, Roddenberry had a fit when he saw the single and triple warp nacelle starships in it. He said there would never be a starship with 3 nacelles. He intended there to be an even number of engines. That is why when he was still alive you never saw odd numbered engined starships in Star Trek. You saw the regular 2 engine ships and Picards 4 engine Stargazer.
Book Description
In an era plagued by religious conflict, the
Second Edition of
Gods in the Global Village directly responds to issues of social problems prevalent in the world today. Using an engaging, though-provoking style, author Lester R. Kurtz focuses on the relationship among the major faith traditions that inform the thinking and ethical standards of most people in the emerging global social order.
Key Features:
- Explores religious life in today’s world: This book introduces students to the fundamentals of each of the world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and considers the various global interconnections among beliefs and believers, as well as among those who oppose them. The author offers a comparative study of the world’s religions, including personal reflection upon the time he spent living in India and China that further shaped his own beliefs.
- Challenges students to overcome biases: This book assumes that all knowledge is shaped by the social context of the knower; therefore, both religious traditions and our studies of them are shaped by the context in which we construct them. The question that faces us as a human community is not "Which religious tradition is true?" but "How can we enable the various religious and secular traditions to coexist peacefully?"
- Reexamines conventional understandings about the role of religion: The sociology of religion provides invaluable insight into the most pressing social problems. This book does not suggest sociologists should lead the way in solving these problems, rather it encourages them to assess the role of religion in the global community and become involved in the lively debates about the future of humanity.
Intended Audience:
This book is designed for undergraduate and graduate students studying the Sociology of Religion. Due to the high level of interest in religion and religious conflict, it is also an excellent textbook for a variety of courses such as Introductory Sociology, Social Movements, and Social Problems.
A current user of
Gods in The Global Village said, "the bottom line is this is a terrific book, the best I’ve found for this course in twenty years of teaching. It reflects solid scholarship, but is written in an accessible style, and addresses what I believe are the most important issues in our world today. It offers what I want my students to learn! I look forward to the revised edition, which I will certainly use in my class."
Customer Reviews:
excellent text on the sociology of religion.......2004-01-29
Summary:
This is really more of a textbook on the sociology of religion than anything else. As such, it is not particularly conducive to summation (too many topics; too much information).
However, there are two things worth noting about the contents. First, the book goes to great lengths to look at religion from a global perspective, which I found to be invaluable and informative, especially considering how uncommon it is to do so. The second point is similar - the book doesn't focus on just Christianity or U.S. religion. The book compares, contrasts, and examines all of the major world religions- Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. There isn't really more emphasis on one than another; they pretty much receive equal treatment, which is also unusual.
Comments:
The fact that the book looks at all of the major world religions rather than focusing on just Christianity, which is early on outlined as the book's objective (a global perspective), is refreshing and likely very informative for students in the U.S. who typically are somewhat ignorant of life outside of their country.
It is also nice that the author, Lester Kurtz, reveals his personal religious biases to begin with. His wife and kids are Jewish, but as a family they predominantly worship at Quaker worship services. His interest in the Quaker religion is revealed, to a degree, by his treatment of Ghandi. Not only is the treatment quite extensive, but Ghandi is idolized for his peaceful tactics (not that I disagree with this approach, I just found it revealing of the author's biases). Also, the final chapter, though well-written and not particularly overt, is definitely Kurtz's attempt to spread a message of peace. He doesn't necessarily attack religions for their history of justifying violence, but he definitely hopes this history is nearing its end.
Despite being well-written and offering an informative global perspective, there are a couple of problems with the book. First, there is only minimal treatment of secularization. Lacking is a discussion of neo-secularization (Chaves 1994), though admittedly much of this was happening while Kurtz was writing the book. Also, though the debate continues, there is definitely much more evidence for the existence of secularization in the U.S. than is presented in the text.
The book also gives the impression that it isn't possible to have values/morals without religion. I'm guessing this isn't the intention of the author as he tends to be fairly objective, but it is implied in several locations. I also found the author's usage of scripture, the Bible in particular, disturbing. He goes in and out of using the Bible as historical and metaphorical and never specifically states which perspective he is employing at any given point. For instance, Kurtz uses the story of Moses coming to power as the leader of the Children of Israel to make a point about religions generally, but also seems to conclude that the story is historically accurate. Whether he really believes it is or not isn't clear.
Finally, the author has a tendency to drift off onto theoretical tangents that at times are more rambling than coherent. These occurrences are few and far between, but when they do happen you find yourself wondering how you arrived where you are.
Overall, I highly recommend this book as a text for a course on the sociology of religion. The book is for the most part accurate, well-written, and clear (I know he missed one point with Mormons, but I didn't find many other flaws). The book isn't without its problems, but they are truly minimal compared to the synthesis of a global perspective on religions he has produced in writing this book.
Finally! My kind of Sociology of Religion!.......2000-10-11
Exceptional. Unlike most Sociology of Religion texts, this one is not stuck in the mechanics and jargon of the author's pet method for analyzing, nor does it assault one with crude reductionisms. One learns a great deal about the various religions, whose major themes are compared utilizing ample sociological acumen. Thus the book is informative enough for the student of sociology and is readable enough for the non-sociologist. Kurtz discusses the challenges encountered by the world's religions and the responses they make to pluralism, modernism, and social conflict. I especially appreciated the discussion of religion's response to violence and the rise of feminism, both not inconsiderable issues in today's world, but seldom treated in previous texts. I would have liked to have seen something about Sikhism, the dissemination of Native American tradition, and more about newer religions. Any reader may have his or her own favorite. If all were included the book would be a library and probably not yet available. We can only hope for further work on religion from this author. Useful for the students of religion as well as of sociology and likely to provide fertile discussion. This is the kind of book I longed to read for years. This is a book I will assign.
Books:
- Pictures from an Expedition
- Plays Well with Others
- Scepticism Inc.
- Shut the Door
- Smart Vs. Pretty
- Soft Subversions (Semiotext(e) / Foreign Agents)
- Some Can Whistle
- Sweet Land: New and Selected Stories
- The Angel with One Hundred Wings: A Tale from the Arabian Nights
- The awakened eye: A companion volume to The Zen of seeing, seeing/drawing as meditation
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Charming Billy
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- Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Physical Principles and Sequence Design
- History: Fiction or Science
- Forging Reform in China: The Fate of State-Owned Industry
- Conquering Corporate Codependence: Lifeskills for Making It Within or Without the Corporation
- Smartstart: Your Minnesota Business
Permanent Midnight: A Memoir
I, Fatty: A Novel
Love Without: Stories
Permanent Midnight
Angel Dust Apocalypse
