An intense, mordantly funny collection of short fiction from Sam Lipsyte, author of Home Land and The Ask. The Picador paperback edition includes an excerpt from The Ask. A man with an "old soul" finds himself at a Times Square peep show, looking for more than just a little action. A young man goes into some serious regression after finding his deceased mother's stash of morphine. A group of summer-camp sadists return to the scene of the crime. Lipsyte's brutally funny narratives tread morally ambiguous terrain, where desperate characters stumble over hope, or sometimes merely stumble. Written with ferocious wit and surprising empathy, Venus Drive is a potent collection of stories from "a wickedly gifted writer" (Robert Stone).
An intense, mordantly funny collection of short fiction from Sam Lipsyte, author of Home Land and The Ask. The Picador e-book edition includes an excerpt from The Ask. A man with an "old soul" finds himself at a Times Square peep show, looking for more than just a little action. A young man goes into some serious regression after finding his deceased mother's stash of morphine. A group of summer-camp sadists return to the scene of the crime. Lipsyte's brutally funny narratives tread morally ambiguous terrain, where desperate characters stumble over hope, or sometimes merely stumble. Written with ferocious wit and surprising empathy, Venus Drive is a potent collection of stories from "a wickedly gifted writer" (Robert Stone).
What if somebody finally wrote to his high school alumni bulletin and told...the truth! Home Land is a brilliant work from novelist Sam Lipsyte, whom Jeffrey Eugenides calls "original, devious, and very funny" and of whose first novel Chuck Palahniuk wrote, "I laughed out loud--and I never laugh out loud." The Eastern Valley High School Alumni newsletter, Catamount Notes, is bursting with tales of success: former students include a bankable politician and a famous baseball star, not to mention a major-label recording artist. Then there is the appalling, yet utterly lovable, Lewis Miner, class of '89--a.k.a Teabag--who did not pan out. Home Land is his confession in all its bitter, lovelorn glory. Winner of the Believer Book Award New York Times Notable Book of the Year
In an age where the Church ruled and anything but the missionary position with your spouse was a sin, people still wanted more. That is clear from the fact that this book exists, was translated from the original French to English, and at least one parliamentarian admitted to reading it. I'll add in my own assumption that even without this book there would be a lot of people asking for forgiveness for their bedroom activities based on the Church's guidelines. Samuel Pepys, an Admiral and Parliamentarian purchased his own copy in England, in 1668 when he saw it in an average book store. Though, he notes he bought it in plain binding as he intended to burn it after reading as not to disgrace himself if someone found it. He skipped church the next day to peruse his purchase and on conclusion wrote this in his diary: "It was not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world... it did force my prick beyond stand all the while."
Have you ever noticed that you talk about luck every day of your life? Luck is your silent companion, sometimes bringing awesome parking spaces, a chance meeting with a new love interest, or a small windfall. Most of the time you probably don’t even pay attention to luck. Chances are, you only really think about luck when you buy a lottery ticket or participate in a contest. Luck is so much more than that. If you take steps to live longer by eating right and exercising, why wouldn’t you also take similar steps to improve your good fortune? Barrie Dolnick and Anthony Davidson asked themselves this very question, and set out to study luck and decipher how it works. In this insightful and engaging book, they share the secrets they’ve uncovered so you can use luck more effectively in your day-to-day life. Where does luck originate? Does one need to be “born lucky” in order to be lucky? Answering these and many other pressing questions, Dolnick and Davidson investigate both ancient and scientific approaches to luck. From early man to famous rationalists, luck has been prayed for, played with, and courted. You’ll learn how ancient practices such as the I Ching, astrology, tarot, and numerology have been used to understand luck, and how great mathematicians studied luck–some guided by their own interest in gambling. Every- one wants to be lucky. Once you know the fundamentals of luck, the authors take you through your own Personal Luck Profile so that you can use this wisdom and try your luck. People do a lot of weird things to improve their luck–and now you can make smart choices and informed decisions about how to play with yours.
The Fabulous Carousels is a historical novel based on a true story. You will love this book if you ever played in a garage band and dreamed of going on the road. Children of the '60's, JFK conspiracy theorist, historians, psychologists, and open-minded readers who enjoy a fast-moving picaresque novel with a good laugh and cry will also be rewarded. This edgy comedy/tragedy is spun by saint and sinner Rocky Strong, leader of the Carousels. Rocky chronicles youthful dreams, free love, easy drugs, the American Mafia, CIA black ops, JFK's assassination, tectonic cultural shifts, and, finally, a path to self-actualization. Join the Fabulous Carousels, The Pride of Dixie, as they chase dreams of becoming celebrity heroes in the early '60's--struggling to keep time with changing times in America.
Divides flute music into eras such as the baroque, classic, romantic, and modern; traces its development in countries such as France, Italy, England, Germany, Spain, the United States, Great Britain, by regions such as eastern and western Europe, and in cities such as Paris and Vienna. Includes appendices listing flute manufacturers, repair shops, sources for flute music and books, and flute clubs and related organizations worldwide.
In Astrology: Understanding the Birth Chart, Kevin Burk takes you step-by-step from the core basics to the finer complexities of chart interpretation while avoiding sidetracks into obscure techniques and fuzzy thinking. As a teacher, Burk also understands that a real grasp of the subject entails more than just learning the techniques-it also involves grasping the underlying principles that make those techniques valid. Astrology: Understanding the Birth Chart is designed to be useful to all students of astrology, from beginners to more advanced practitioners, and will help you develop an integrated, synthesized approach to understanding the birth chart. You will discover how classical astrology can enrich your understanding of the planets, signs, and houses. You will explore the meaning of the Lunar Nodes, eclipses, the angles, retrograde planets, and aspect patterns. You will also learn how to identify key themes in the chart, and how to relate the different aspects and elements together to gain a holistic understanding of the birth chart-and of the individual. An up-to-date listing of astrological organizations and software programs is included that offers a wealth of resources for any astrologer. In short, this is a well-designed course that provides a solid foundation for anyone who is interested in practicing astrology quickly and with confidence. While many books at this level simply give you a set of techniques and ready-made interpretations, this book will give you a deeper grasp of an art and science that has its expression in the world around us, but its roots in the invisible world of primal origins.
