{"title":"For Fiction Fans","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"suzanne-davis-gets-a-life","title":"Suzanne Davis Gets a Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e236-page paperback \/ 5\" x 8\" \/ ISBN 978-1-58988-095-5 \/ Publication Date: May 2014\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Incredibly charming…\u003cem\u003eSuzanne Davis Gets a Life\u003c\/em\u003e has an emotional honesty and moments of real wisdom.\"—\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pauldrybooks.com\/blogs\/news\/14328409-the-inquirer-loves-suzanne-davis-gets-a-life\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhiladelphia Inquirer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCohen \"portrays timeless and universal challenges through a buoyant combination of humor, pathos, and gumption.\"—\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eSuzanne Davis Gets a Life\u003c\/i\u003e isn't just seriously entertaining, it's entertainingly serious…I want my romantic comedy heroines to have wit, but I want them to have character too, and be as interested in the world as in themselves. Paula Marantz Cohen has given me all of that.\"—Margo Jefferson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA \"witty commentary on contemporary life, enriched by a funny, flawed, and likable heroine.\"—\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Ms. Cohen is a perceptive, comic writer.\"—\u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuzanne Davis lounges around her tiny New York City apartment in her pajamas, writing press releases for the International Association of Air-Conditioning Engineers, listening to the ticking of her biological clock, and wondering where life is taking her. As her 35th birthday looms, Suzanne embarks on a wrong-headed, but very funny, quest—to find Mr. Right and start the family she hopes will give meaning to her life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer quest plunges us into the world of her Upper West Side apartment building, a world of overly invested mothers, fanatical dog-owners, curmudgeonly longtime residents, and young (and not so young) professionals. All are keenly observed by Suzanne, whose witty self-deprecation endears her to us even as it makes us want to shake some sense into her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLight in its tone but incisive in its social satire, \u003ci\u003eSuzanne Davis Gets a Life\u003c\/i\u003e balances its wit with true concern for its protagonist. We can't help but wish Suzanne success in \"getting a life.\" But can such a search possibly yield the meaning she craves? When her extremely annoying mother arrives on the scene, it appears that her plan has been hijacked. But serious illness opens her to new people and a new perspective. She ends by getting a life—even as she may lose one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1lS9lVP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/suzanne-davis-gets-a-life\/id881250297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/suzanne-davis-gets-a-life-paula-marantz-cohen\/1117339034?ean=2940149283408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Paula_Marantz_Cohen_Suzanne_Davis_Gets_a_Life?id=hLU_AwAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-US\/ebook\/suzanne-davis-gets-a-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/paulamarantzcohen.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Paula Marantz Cohen author website\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003ePaula Marantz Cohen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e's novels include \u003ci\u003eJane Austen in Scarsdale or Love, Death and the SATs\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eJane Austen in Boca\u003c\/i\u003e; and the recent \u003ci\u003eWhat Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper\u003c\/i\u003e. Cohen is Distinguished Professor of English at Drexel University, and is host of the weekly public television program \u003ci\u003eThe Drexel Interview\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Paula Marantz Cohen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Cohen's wit is sharp, smart, and satirical, and her characterizations are vividly on target.\"—\u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eJane Austen in Boca\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Utterly charming.\"—\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Page turner of the week.\"—\u003ci\u003ePeople Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eMuch Ado about Jesse Kaplan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A brightly comic book.\"—\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Kept me laughing from beginning to end...a comic tour-de-force.\"—\u003ci\u003eThe Hudson Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eJane Austen in Scarsdale\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Paula Marantz Cohen has done it again! Jane Austen in Scarsdale is laugh-out-loud funny, literate, wise—and best of all, a satirical mirror of our times. She has become our own Jane Austen.\"—Diane Ravitch, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Language Police\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eWhat Alice Knew\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A marvelously rich and intelligent read.\"—John Banville\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pauldrybooks.com\/pages\/discussion-questions-for-suzanne-davis-gets-a-life\" title=\"Discussions Questions for Suzanne Davis Gets a Life\"\u003eBook Club Discussion Questions\u003c\/a\u003e for Suzanne Davis Gets a Life\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paula Marantz Cohen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131238281,"sku":"","price":12.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/SuzanneDavis_hires.jpg?v=1399063034"},{"product_id":"the-summer-house","title":"The Summer House","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e339-page paperback \/ 5.5\" x 7.5\" \/ ISBN 978-1-58988-086-3 \/ Publication Date: April 2013\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A work of astonishing illumination and delight…so edgy, bright and subversive about women's inner lives and experience.\"—Francine Prose, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Notable Book\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNancy Pearl recommended \u003ci\u003eThe Summer House\u003c\/i\u003e on NPR's Morning Edition. Listen \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2013\/12\/27\/255448752\/nancy-pearl-turns-back-the-pages-with-picks-from-the-past\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Summer House\u003c\/em\u003e trilogy, three very different women, with three very distinct perspectives, narrate three very witty novels concerning one disastrous wedding in the offing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Clothes in the Wardrobe\u003c\/em\u003e: Nineteen-year-old Margaret feels more trepidation than joy at the prospect of her marriage to forty-year-old Syl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Skeleton in the Cupboard\u003c\/em\u003e: Syl’s mother, Mrs. Monro, doesn’t know quite what to make of her son’s life, but she knows Margaret should not marry him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fly in the Ointment\u003c\/em\u003e: And then there’s Lili, the free spirit who is determined that the wedding shall not happen, no matter the consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/Yq0YWs\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKindle\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-summer-house-alice-thomas-ellis\/1113113630?ean=2940016641287\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNook\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/the-summer-house\/id685778272\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eiTunes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-US\/ebook\/the-summer-house-a-trilogy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Alice_Thomas_Ellis_The_Summer_House?id=extm-SCwyDsC\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle ebook\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Her style is succinct, her humor dry…Unputdownable.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The subtlety of James, the comedy of Spark, the penetrating—and the deep, unflinching—eye of Jane Austen.\"—\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A witty and original writer.\"—\u003cem\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Inspired malice…Alice Thomas Ellis only bothers with the things that really bother her. That's why her novel is short. That's why her novel is good.\"—Victoria Glendinning in \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"it oozes enjoyable malice.\"—\u003cem\u003eObserver\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The glitter comes from Alice Thomas Ellis's mastery in keeping just the right distance between tones and undertones…This is a dark comedy.\"—\u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlice Thomas Ellis\u003c\/strong\u003e (1932–2005) was one of Britain's most widely admired writers. Her dozen novels include \u003cem\u003eThe 27th Kingdom\u003c\/em\u003e, which was nominated for a Booker Prize, and \u003cem\u003eThe Inn at the Edge of the World\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the 1991 Writers' Guild Award for Best Fiction. She also published many essays and edited books by Penelope Fitzgerald and Beryl Bainbridge. She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alice Thomas Ellis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29047692105,"sku":"","price":15.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/summerhouse_ellis_525.jpg?v=1399072934"},{"product_id":"only-the-longest-threads","title":"Only the Longest Threads","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e221-page paperback \/ 5.5\" x 8.5\" \/ ISBN 978-1-58988-088-7 \/ Publication Date: November 2014\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/i\u003e presents dramatic and lucid accounts of the great breakthroughs in the history of physics—classical mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and string theory—each from the viewpoint of a (fictional) witness to the events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTasneem Zehra Husain re-imagines the pivotal moments in the history of physics when radical new theories shifted our perception of the universe, and our place in it. Husain immerses the reader in the immediacy and excitement of the discoveries—and she guides us as we begin to understand the underlying science and to grasp the revolutionary step forward each of these milestones represents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Part fiction, part overview of 'Aha!' moments in the forward march of physics, \u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers dramatically through scientific fields such as quantum field theory, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, and string theory. Each idea or concept is explored in an inventive chapter, each told from a different first-person narrator; the faux emails, letters, and diary entries take place from 1728 to the present day.\"—Boing Boing, \"\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/boingboing.net\/2015\/01\/12\/the-best-books-for-nerds-from.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Best Books for Nerds from 2014\u003c\/a\u003e\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The author demonstrates her own solid understanding of physics as she translates it for nonscientists, and she makes clever use of analogy to illustrate scientific concepts…A fictional approach to physics that captures both the substance of the theory and the passion of its practitioners.”—\u003cem\u003eKirkus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e \u003cimg style=\"float: right;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/files\/TasneemZehraHusain.jpg?1305\"\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e\u003ca title=\"Tasneem Zehra Husain, author of Only the Longest Threads\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tasneemzehrahusain.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTasneem Zehra Husain\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tasneemzhusain\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e@tasneemzhusain\u003c\/a\u003e) is a writer, educator, and Pakistan’s first female string theorist. She holds a PhD from Stockholm University and did post-doctoral research at Harvard University.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHusain is fascinated by scientific theories, how we engage with them, and how they change us. She explores these themes in her fiction and nonfiction writing, her popular talks, and the educational workshops she conducts for science teachers. Husain is actively involved in science outreach, and frequently delivers talks about theoretical physics to students and lay audiences. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRead \u003ca title=\"Tasneem Zehra Husain profile, author of Only the Longest Threads\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/files\/TasneemZehraHusain_profile.pdf?1317\"\u003eTom Elliott's profile\u003c\/a\u003e of Tasneem Zehra Husain. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead a \u003ca title=\"Q\u0026amp;A with Tasneem Zehra Husain\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pauldrybooks.com\/pages\/q-a-with-tasneem-zehra-husain\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eQ\u0026amp;A\u003c\/a\u003e with the author.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pauldrybooks.com\/pages\/discussion-questions-for-only-the-longest-threads\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDiscussion Questions\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1wEcqxg\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/only-the-longest-threads\/id937108726\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/only-the-longest-threads-tasneem-zehra-husain\/1118329522?ean=2940150468122\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Tasneem_Zehra_Husain_Only_the_Longest_Threads?id=j28cBQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-US\/ebook\/only-the-longest-threads\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdvance praise for \u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Science is done by real human beings, with human concerns. \u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e tells a story that conveys the human side of science in a way that is as moving as it is accurate.\u003cspan\u003e”\u003c\/span\u003e—Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist at Caltech and author of \u003cem\u003eThe Particle at the End of the Universe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“\u003c\/span\u003eTasneem Zehra Husain writes lyrically, poetically about life, love, and physics. I highly recommend this wonderful book for anyone interested in what physics, and indeed all of science, is about. She masterfully describes the most momentous moments in physics history with verve and talent.\u003cspan\u003e”\u003c\/span\u003e—Amir D. Aczel, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eFermat’s Last Theorem\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A delightful meditation on the development of modern physics, culminating in the discovery of the Higgs. Husain follows the thread of its creation through a dialog between a journalist and young theory student, and as seen through the eyes of witnesses.”—John Huth, Donner Professor of Science, Harvard University\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How do theoretical physicists think? Tasneem Zehra Husain knows. She knows their purpose, feels their passions, articulates their frustrations, shares their triumphs. Through the device of fiction \u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e communicates the history of physical thought—its roots in inquisitiveness and essential disinterest in outcome—with greater clarity than any popular science text.” —Michael Duff FRS, Abdus Salam Professor of Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well-written and cleverly constructed, this book takes us on a journey through the history of physics as a series of fictional adventures, loosely linked by another fiction, the storytellers’ emails to each other. Some books are praised because ‘I couldn’t put it down,’  but this one merits a deeper reading, one that stops, muses on, and savors each story before going on to the next. Each one captures not only the emergence of a significant idea in physics, but also something of the characters, culture, and times surrounding that development. So take your time, pause to ponder, but persevere, you will be well rewarded!”—Helen R. Quinn, Physicist, Science Educator, and Co-author of \u003cem\u003eThe Mystery of the Missing Antimatter, \u003c\/em\u003eProfessor Emeritus SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Tasneem Zehra Husain’s writing is both enlightening and entertaining as it captivates the challenge and excitement of working at the forefront of paradigm-shifting discoveries. Book-ended by the history-making discovery of the Higgs field, this tale offers a sparkling account of our understanding of fundamental physics. Through many voices rich with evocative metaphors, the threads woven through time and place that make up our current understanding of reality are revealed.”—Elizabeth F. McCormack, Professor of Physics, Bryn Mawr College\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e describes the process of scientific discovery by focusing on the human elements: the bold conjectures, the wrong turns in the road, the competitiveness among scientists, the strength of their community, all seen from the point of view of the writers of letters and journals who make up the narrative. The clear, flawless prose is laced with a gentle wit when human behavior is described in the terms of physics—a welcome, light-handed nerdiness. Everyone who has studied physics but is unable to see the forest for the trees—and that means most of us—will relish this lovely little volume as it brings into perspective, through its accessible yet substantive treatment of the grand unifications, a magnificent edifice created by the human mind.”—Asad Abidi, Distinguished Chancellor’s Professor, UCLA Engineering\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Tasneem Zehra Husain skillfully weaves a poetic tapestry from tight threads of science and richly imagined strands of time. A weft of physics and warp of love makes a delightfully gripping read. Her flowing prose conducts us by some unfamiliar force from falling apples to colliding protons where the Higgs boson looms.”—Joseph Mazur, author of \u003cem\u003eEnlightening Symbols\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This highly original book puts a fresh perspective on humanity's inevitable obsession with understanding the laws of Nature. On an artfully constructed journey through space and time, Tasneem Zehra Husain gives us a tantalizing taste of how physicists struggle to find ‘true nuggets of gold, and the only immortal elixir.’”—Freddy Cachazo, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Tasneem Zehra Husain’s observant narrators are witnesses to the intellectual revolutions of Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr, and others, the drama building to the mysteries of the present day. She uses her deep knowledge of physics to create a new genre—true science fiction, imagined vignettes of physics in all its humanity, woven together as a story within a story.”—Mark A. Peterson, author of \u003cem\u003eGalileo’s Muse\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e is a page-turner that portrays the excitement of discovery in physics from Isaac Newton to string theory. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to feel the thrill of the succession of ideas that have led us to the current highly successful, but incomplete, understanding of our universe.\"—Richard Dower, Chairman, Science Department, Roxbury Latin School\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This book reveals a love affair, a love affair with physics. \u003cem\u003eOnly the Longest Threads\u003c\/em\u003e is not about formulas and mathematics, but about people who have changed the way we comprehend the universe. We meet these icons, some ancient and some brand new, in a very personal way, and see that the driving force behind discoveries is very often a passionate relationship with the problems you try to solve.”—Olov Amelin, Director of the Nobel Museum\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“With a self-referential structure reminiscent of Calvino’s novels, and a premise—that fiction can bring physics to life—similar to McCormmach’s \u003cem\u003eNight Thoughts of a Classical Physicist\u003c\/em\u003e, Tasneem Zehra Husain takes us on a journey through epic discoveries as they might have been seen at the time by amateur enthusiasts. With the story framed by the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN, and carried forward through e-mails between an aspiring young physicist and a struggling science journalist, the ‘long threads’ of the ‘tapestry’ woven by Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, are examined in the course of elegantly composed letters between imagined witnesses to physics history, until the narrative is taken out of their hands for a buildup to the Higgs boson discovery, and a nod to string theory.”—Paul Townsend, DAMTP Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It is very rare to come across a book popularizing science that not only gives an excellent rendition of the development of a research area but also has high literary qualities. Tasneem Zehra Husain has managed to combine an outstanding description of the development of several areas in physics while painting historical and geographical mini sketches, using voices from the times and places where key developments took place. Theoretical physicists will nod in recognition when reading about CERN, the Niels Bohr Institute, Trieste, Stockholm, Harvard and Cambridge University. The author is obviously sharing her experience of all these places. I have read many popular books describing various stages in the attempts to unify fundamental physics, but none as convincing and as good a read as this one.”—Ulf Lindström, Professor of Physics, Uppsala University\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Husain takes you by the hand and walks you through half a dozen of the most important discoveries in physics over the past three centuries, in each case as seen through the eyes of a fictional protagonist living through the discovery. Along the way she gives you an almost personal sense of how science feels as it is happening, along with distilled insights into the essence of the discoveries themselves. These vignettes are wrapped in a story that is in itself a page-turner. I can’t wait for the sequel.”\u003cspan\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eKrishna Rajagopal, Professor and Associate Department Head for Education, Physics, MIT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RiusA545_CA\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003eloo\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Tasneem Zehra Husain","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131129865,"sku":"","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/LongestThreads_R3.jpg?v=1411065432"},{"product_id":"wilder-good-the-elk-hunt","title":"Wilder Good: The Elk Hunt","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e100-page paperback \/ 5\" x 8\" \/ ISBN 9781589880870 \/ Publication Date: August 2013\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too.\"—\u003cstrong\u003eJohn R. Erickson, author of \u003ci\u003eHank the Cowdog\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Given the dearth of material on the topic and the readability of the text, this slim novel will be appreciated.\"—\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Favorites of 2013\"—\u003cstrong\u003eGlen Dromgoole,\u003ci\u003eTexas Reads \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Earnest and technical.\"—\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLamplighter Finalist 2015-16 (Triple Crown Awards)\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeet 12-year-old Wilder Good, who lives with his parents and little sister, Molly, in a small town in southern Colorado. When he's lucky, he gets to go hunting with Gale Loving, a 72-year-old elder at the church the Goods attend, and a good friend and mentor to Wilder. They make sort of an odd pair, an old man and a boy, but they fit together pretty well in the outdoors. (Though sometimes Wilder still can't help but wonder what kind of a name \"Gale\" is for a grown man.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilder plays basketball, is active in his 4-H club, likes to read—his hero is Teddy Roosevelt—and does all the things that seventh-graders do. (He has a \"secret\" girlfriend, too.) He's a Dallas Cowboys fan. But mostly he loves the outdoors, hunting in the Colorado Rockies with Gale or his dad, or at his grandfather's Texas ranch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilder is on the threshold between being a kid and beginning to grow up, and he's trying his best to figure out just what it means to join that grownup world. There's a lot to learn, and he's grateful to have rock-steady Gale to guide him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Elk Hunt\u003c\/i\u003e, Wilder accompanies Gale into the mountains in search of his first elk. It's a special day for Wilder in many ways—the biggest game he's ever hunted, and the first chance to use his grandfather's Winchester .270. He's determined to succeed with high marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHunting elk is an exciting and demanding pursuit, but even after Wilder and Gale are headed home, there's still danger to face—that's when nature decides to really test Wilder's resolve.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLearn more about Wilder at \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/wildergood.com\/\"\u003ewildergood.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and read his running journal entries about wild stuff.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRead an \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/lubbockonline.com\/local-news\/2013-09-17\/local-author-creates-young-hunter-book-series#.UjnGGH8o75p\" target=\"_blank\"\u003earticle in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal\u003c\/a\u003e and see \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HDSOwMyidVY\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ea video piece\u003c\/a\u003e on the author and his book. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRead a\u003c\/em\u003e review in \u003ca title=\"The Old Schoolhouse Magazine\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theoldschoolhouse.com\/Homeschool_Reviews\/5422.php\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Old Schoolhouse\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author received this note from a public schoolteacher in Missouri:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Tyler came in my room reluctant and unsure of himself. That was his personality but also as a reader, he was reluctant. He knew that he wanted to be part of something bigger than the 'baby' books I kept offering him. He wanted to be part of the group of kids who read and love to read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"My first goal in teaching children to become readers is to help them discover that reading is enjoyable. Second, I want to make lifetime readers. I was not getting anywhere with these goals with this particular student. I had offered book after book. I picked out several books from the library to show him. He turned his nose up at every single one of them. He had no interest in them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Then one day Tyler saw \u003ci\u003eWilder Good : The Elk Hunt\u003c\/i\u003e sitting on my desk. He pointed to it and said, 'I want to read that book.' This is the first time those words had been said by this student. I decided to give him a copy to read at home. The book immediately became more than a book. It became a trophy, a rite of passage into the world of readers. He carried it around and showed a couple of other students, who then wanted their own copy. He set it carefully at the top of his desk for everyone to see.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Soon after, another student in my class began reading Wilder Good. Then they started discussing daily what chapter they were on. Tyler was not only reading, he was leading an informal reading group!\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/14yPTb9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/elk-hunt-adventure-begins\/id685760406\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-elk-hunt-s-j-dahlstrom\/1113113631?ean=2940148799115\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/S_J_Dahlstrom_The_Elk_Hunt?id=SfqMwmLHt-YC\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/ebook\/the-elk-hunt\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eS. J. Dahlstrom\u003c\/strong\u003e lives in West Texas. He is a board member and founder of Whetstone Boys Ranch \u0026amp; Boarding School in Mountain View Missouri. In his writing he also draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, and father.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"S. J. Dahlstrom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131434633,"sku":"","price":7.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/WilderGood01ElkHunt_72REV.jpg?v=1572985318"},{"product_id":"wilder-good-texas-grit","title":"Wilder Good: Texas Grit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Adventures Of Wilder Good #2 \/ 141-page paperback \/ 5\" x 8\" \/ ISBN 9781589880948 \/ Publication Date: April 2014\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the 2015 Will Rogers Award—gold medal for \"Younger Readers\" category\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If you like Hank, you'll like Wilder Good, too.\"—John R. Erickson, author of \u003ci\u003eHank the Cowdog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"I am a big fan of this series. Last fall I included \u003cem\u003eThe Elk Hunt\u003c\/em\u003e in my list of favorite books of 2013, and \u003cem\u003eTexas Grit\u003c\/em\u003e is every bit as insightful and positive as the first one.\"—Glenn Dromgoole\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Dahlstrom writes about ranch life with flair and specific detail.\"—\u003cem\u003eWORLD \u003c\/em\u003emagazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Family, friendships and faith converge to provide a thoughtful story for independent readers or for parents reading with their children.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Christian Chronicle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*****\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eTexas Grit\u003c\/i\u003e, Wilder spends a week in West Texas at his grandfather's ranch, while his mother and father travel to Denver to see her doctors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilder finds it hard to leave his parents. Papa Milam is a cowboy, gruff and sometimes a bit intimidating, yet grandfather and grandson care for each other very much—and find they actually have lots to learn from each other, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilder works cattle on horseback and explores the rough ranch country with Papa. One night they start out to hunt for whitetail deer in the cottonwood bottoms but end up encountering a rattlesnake instead. A few days later, four cowboys arrive at the ranch to help with the branding of Papa's new calves. Wilder gets the opportunity to join the crew and takes his place alongside the grown men in the strenuous and sometimes dangerous work of herding, roping, and branding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilder does a lot of growing up over the week, and together he and Papa experience the kind of adventures that only a place like Texas can provide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLearn more about Wilder at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/wildergood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewildergood.com\u003c\/a\u003e and read his running journal entries about wild stuff.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead an \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/lubbockonline.com\/local-news\/2013-09-17\/local-author-creates-young-hunter-book-series#.UjnGGH8o75p\" target=\"_blank\"\u003earticle in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal\u003c\/a\u003e and see \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HDSOwMyidVY\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ea video piece\u003c\/a\u003e on the author and his books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1j7YmCq\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/texas-grit\/id881257138\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/texas-grit-s-j-dahlstrom\/1119074357?ean=2940149283477\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/S_J_Dahlstrom_Texas_Grit_The_Adventures_of_Wilder_?id=nQZQAwAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/ebook\/texas-grit\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eS. J. Dahlstrom\u003c\/strong\u003e lives in West Texas. He is a board member and founder of Whetstone Boys Ranch \u0026amp; Boarding School in Mountain View Missouri. In his writing he also draws on his experiences as a cowboy, husband, and father.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"S. J. Dahlstrom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131423881,"sku":"","price":7.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/WilderGood02TexasGrit_72_RE.jpg?v=1572985539"},{"product_id":"boston-boy","title":"Boston Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e212-page paperback \/ 5.38\" x 8.5\" \/ ISBN 978-0-9679675-2-3 \/ Publication Date: December 2001\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBoston Boy\u003c\/em\u003e is Nat Hentoff's memoir of growing up in the Roxbury section of Boston in the 1930s and 1940s. He grapples with Judaism and anti-Semitism. He develops a passion for outspoken journalism and First Amendment freedom of speech. And he discovers his love of jazz music as he follows, and is befriended by, the great jazz musicians of the day, including Duke Ellington and Lester Young among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This memoir of [Hentoff's] youth should be appreciated not only by adults who grew up through the fires of their own youthful rebellion, but by those restless young people who are now bringing their own views and questions to the world they are inheriting. They could learn from this example that rebels can be gentle as well as enraged and compassionate in their commitment.\"—\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Nat Hentoff knows jazz. And it comes alive in this wonderful, touching memoir.\"—Ken Burns, creator of the PBS series \u003cem\u003eJazz\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[A] charmingly bittersweet memoir.\"—\u003cem\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This is a touching book about a painful, wonderful time in Boston…I loved it.\"—Anthony Lewis\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/JGyjUB\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/boston-boy\/id526108916?mt=11\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/boston-boy-nat-hentoff\/1101061017?ean=2940014320498\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Nat_Hentoff_Boston_Boy?id=awo3bgssKw8C\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/ebook\/boston-boy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eNat Hentoff\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Boston in 1925 and lived there until he moved to New York City at the age of twenty-eight. For many years he has written a weekly column for the \u003cem\u003eVillage Voice\u003c\/em\u003e. His column for the \u003cem\u003eWashington Times\u003c\/em\u003e is syndicated in 250 newspapers, and he writes regularly about music for the \u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e. For twenty-five years, he was a staff writer for the \u003cem\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e and for many years was a columnist for the \u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e. His numerous books cover subjects ranging from jazz music and musicians to civil rights and civil liberties, on which he is a recognized authority. He was jazz critic at \u003cem\u003eDown Beat\u003c\/em\u003e and has written liner notes for many important jazz recordings. His work has won him honors not only from the music industry, but also from the American Bar Association and the American Library Association.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Nat Hentoff","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29130923017,"sku":"","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/hentoff_hires.jpg?v=1399098039"},{"product_id":"cries-in-the-new-wilderness","title":"Cries in the New Wilderness","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e236 pages, available as a paperback or hardback \/ 5.75\" x 9\" \/ ISBN 978-0-9679675-5-4 \/ Publication Date: August 2002\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInside the disintegrating Soviet Union, a professor compiles \"The New Sectarianism,\" a classified manual of manifestos, articles, and sermons by members of banned religious sects—from the mystical Thingwrights and the absurdist Folls to the messianic Khazarists and the doomsday Steppies. \u003cem\u003eCries in the New Wilderness\u003c\/em\u003e is filled with the voices of these groups. As a counterpoint to this medley of comic, grotesque, poetic, banal, poignant, and harrowing voices is the voice of the commentator, Professor Gibaydulina, who struggles to maintain the purity and objectivity of her scientific atheism in the face of an amazing variety of religious experiences. Epstein's depiction of the inner drama of Gibaydulina's response to the crumbling of the Soviet Union and her quest for a new, creative atheism adds a tragic note to his polyphonic work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCries in the New Wilderness\u003c\/em\u003e is a work of extraordinary artistic and philosophical imagination, begun in Moscow in the mid-1980s and now available for the first time in English translation in an expanded version. Drawing on his own participation in Moscow's intellectual associations and in expeditions to study popular religious beliefs in southern Russia and Ukraine, Epstein recreates the spiritual experience of a whole Russian generation. His is not a documentary book, however, but a \"comedy of ideas,\" in which he constructs from the voices he hears in the culture around him the religious and philosophical worldviews of Foodniks and Domesticans, Arkists and Bloodbrothers, Atheans and Good-believers, Steppies and Pushkinians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn award-winning essayist and critic, Mikhail Epstein has been compared to Jorge Luis Borges for his literary inventiveness and to Walter Benjamin for his acute observation of cultural phenomena. Transcending genres and disciplines, \u003cem\u003eCries in the New Wilderness\u003c\/em\u003e is a brilliantly original work, a \"virtual document\" that illuminates the spiritual condition of the Soviet Union as it reveals unsuspected affinities between Russian and American culture. In the mirror of Soviet society, we recognize our own enthusiasm for alternative spiritual experiences, our worship of technology, our doomsday cults. We may also recognize that we ourselves are participants in many of the sects Mikhail Epstein describes, sects that seem at first fantastic and outlandish, but prove to be the religious basis of our own lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The prolific, inexhaustibly inventive Mikhail Epstein has produced a novel — almost. \u003cem\u003eCries in the New Wildnerness\u003c\/em\u003e is fiction, but (according to Epstein's own philosophy of 'possibilism') not untrue: it has merely realized some of the vital potentials of post-atheistic Russian culture, where people thirst for a faith that can sacralize everyday practices while at the same time endorse a transcendent Whole. Whether you do Russia for a living or simply love the spectacle of dullness broken up into a thousand crazy glittering points of light, you will recognize, in reading it, a passion of your own.\" —Caryl Emerson, Princeton University\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Mikhail Epstein is probably the most important figure in Russian literary theory in the post-Bakhtin, post-Lotman era. What he has to say is of great interest to everyone interested in cultural studies.\" —Walter Laqueur, Chairman, Center for Strategic and International Studies\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Borgesian in its design, \u003cem\u003eCries in the New Wilderness\u003c\/em\u003e is the best example of that rare genre of theological fantasy that strikes a precise equilibrium between search for God and struggle against God.\" —Alexander Genis, author of \u003cem\u003eRed Bread\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eCries in the New Wilderness\u003c\/em\u003e presents a completely new view of the spiritual life of Russian society…The book is full of tragicomic tension and brings to mind the multivoiced novels of Dostoevsky.\" —Ilya Kabakov\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eMikhail Epstein\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Moscow in 1950 and graduated from Moscow State University summa cum laude in philology in 1972. He was the founder and director of the Laboratory of Contemporary Culture in Moscow. In 1990 Epstein moved to the United States, where he spent a year in Washington, DC, as a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center. He is now Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Cultural Theory and Russian Literature at Emory University.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEpstein's recent books in English include \u003cem\u003eAfter the Future: Paradoxes of Postmodernism and Contemporary Russian Culture\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eRussian Postmodernism: New Perspectives on Post-Soviet Culture\u003c\/em\u003e (with two coauthors); and \u003cem\u003eTranscultural Experiments: Russian and American Models of Creative Communication\u003c\/em\u003e (with Ellen Berry). He is the author of 15 books and approximately 400 essays and articles, translated into 14 languages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2000 Mikhail Epstein was the recipient of the Liberty Prize, established in 1999 and awarded once a year to prominent Russian cultural figures who have made an outstanding contribution to American society. He has also received among many other awards the 1995 Social Innovations Award from the Institute for Social Inventions (London) for his electronic Bank of New Ideas, and the 1991 Andrei Belyi Prize (St. Petersburg) for the best work in literary criticism and scholarship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eEve Adler\u003c\/strong\u003e is professor of classics at Middlebury College and is the translator of several books, including \u003cem\u003eDictionary of Russian Slang \u0026amp; Colloquial Expressions\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mikhail N. Epstein","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":723783405,"sku":"","price":12.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/CriesInTheNewWilderness_72.jpg?v=1450804853"},{"product_id":"the-discovery-of-slowness","title":"The Discovery of Slowness","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eForeword by Carl Honoré \/ Translated from the German by Ralph Freedman \/ 325-page paperback \/ 5.38\" x 8.5\" \/ ISBN 978-1-58988-024-5 \/ Publication Date: May 2005\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Absolutely stunning.\"—\u003cem\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This book made my life more interesting.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Christoph Niemann (as described in the Netflix series \u003cem\u003eAbstract: The Art of Design\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Discovery of Slowness\u003c\/em\u003e—a huge commercial and critical success across Europe, where it is considered the popular author's masterpiece—recounts the life of the nineteenth-century British explorer Sir John Franklin (1786-1847).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough the author's acute reading of history and his marvelous storytelling prowess, the reader follows John Franklin's development from awkward schoolboy and ridiculed teenager to expedition leader, governor of Tasmania, and icon of adventure. Slow and deliberate from boyhood, Franklin appeared destined to be a misfit. But he escaped from the ever-expanding world of industry and Empire to the sea's silent landscape, where the universe seemed more manageable. At age fourteen he joined the navy. After surviving the harrowing battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar, he embarked on several voyages of discovery into the Canadian North, and served as governor of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). Everyone with whom he came into contact sensed that Franklin was a rare man, one who was \"out of his time\" and who moved to a different, grander beat. That beat eventually led Franklin to sail once more—on his final, fateful voyage—into the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Discovery of Slowness\u003c\/em\u003e is a riveting account of a remarkable and varied life. And it is also a profound and thought-provoking meditation on time. The result is an unforgettable and deeply moving reading experience that justifies the novel's reputation as one of the classics of contemporary world literature. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Vivid and constantly surprising…excels at conveying the feel of discovery…Nadolny evinces remarkable empathy with his unlikely Odysseus and Ralph Freedman's translation captures the crystalline freshness of the author's imagery.\"—\u003cem\u003eWashington Post Book World\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This remarkable, superbly translated novel derives from the life of the real 19th century explorer John Franklin…[whose] adventures are conveyed with spellbinding skill.\"—\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe Discovery of Slowness\u003c\/em\u003e is a masterpiece of characterization, a portrait of inwardness in the most outward-thrusting of lives.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe New Republic\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Fluid and suspenseful, a thought-provoking reminder of contemporary society's tendency to speed through everyday life.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Providence Journal-Bulletin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Amazing…His book is a historical painting, a seafarer's novel, a love story, an outcast's story all in one. This variety appears very harmonious, just as it incidentally, almost secretly, reflects on our right to discover the world at our own, personal pace.\"—\u003cem\u003eFrankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Sir John Franklin is the embodied contrast to the frenetic agitation of the modern world. The discovery of slowness is the slowness of discovery.\"—\u003cem\u003eNew York Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Nadolny's vision is conveyed with restraint and charm…He has written a Utopia of character.\"—\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Its appeal lies in its observation of the texture of life, seen by a character who has to work everything out from first principles. It needs to be read slowly, to be absorbed as much as understood.\"—\u003cem\u003eScotland On Sunday\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This is more than an adventure; it's a meditation on time and perception…Not to be rushed, or forgotten.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Herald\u003c\/em\u003e (Scotland)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Nadolny brilliantly sets the narrative pace to the rhythms of the frozen landscape, and to the 'slowness which is bred by hunger.'\"—Robert MacFarlane\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This is both a wonderful historical novel and a spell-binding individual portrait…This is a marvellous translation of a masterly work.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Time, action and vision—a magical hat-trick and one that this translation pays faithful tribute to, capturing grand adventures like a detailed painting.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Scotsman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Slow movements of emotion and plot pull the reader expertly in, and the book with its self-consciously ponderous charm, offers all the pleasures of the best historical fiction.\" —\u003cem\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A suspenseful and meaningful novel…The historical background and detail are effortlessly created, but most important, the hero's enthusiasm and persistence become infectious…The novel is a plea for humanity and against alienation.\"—\u003cem\u003eKurier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Reading this book has a unique effect: it changes one's perception of the world, sharpens one's ear for rhythm and tempo, and sensitizes one for each person's unique inner time. At first glance, it is an historical novel; at closer glance it reveals itself as a plea to respect unalterable human rhythms in a time of rampant development.\"—\u003cem\u003eDie Weltwoche\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A rarity…a strikingly friendly, entertaining novel.\"—\u003cem\u003eDie Zeit\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In this novel about a heroic anti-hero, the concepts of victory and defeat become unsuitable categories: the name of the game is to insist, gently and stubbornly, on one's own themes, the motifs of one's own life…A novel both of power and of cunning, sometimes roguish, gaiety.\"—\u003cem\u003eSüddeutsche Zeitung\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Nadolny is a writer who has studied history and has worked in film. All his interests are reflected in this novel: \u003cem\u003eThe Discovery of Slowness\u003c\/em\u003e is an historical biography, based on original sources, and at the same time is concerned with seeing, with the fixed as well as the quick and fleeting look, with the perception of movement and its speed…He knows how to rise above time with slow-motion and time-lapse takes, in close-ups or long shots, with changing perspectives…In Nadolny's hands, Franklin 's slowness becomes an entire system: a tolerance for the unique speed of each person, of respect for all men. The discovery of slowness becomes also a discovery of literature.\"—\u003cem\u003eNeue Zürcher Zeitung\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eSten Nadolny\u003c\/strong\u003e (b. 1942) was an historian and filmmaker, before writing four novels and two collections of essays. He lives in Berlin and has been awarded four prizes: Ingeborg Bachmann (1981), Hans-Fallada (1985), Premio Vallombrosa (1986), Ernst Hoferichter (1995). \u003cem\u003eThe Discovery of Slowness\u003c\/em\u003e (1983) has been translated into all major languages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eCarl Honoré\u003c\/strong\u003e has worked as a journalist in Europe and South America. He is also the author of the international bestseller \u003cem\u003eIn Praise of Slowness: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging The Cult of Speed\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in London with his wife and two children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eRalph Freedman\u003c\/strong\u003e, born in Hamburg, emigrated to the US in 1939. His many publications include criticism, and two major biographies on Hesse and Rilke, as well as fiction. Having taught literature at Princeton for twenty-two years, he is now writing novels in his retirement.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sten Nadolny","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131298889,"sku":"","price":15.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/DiscoveryOfSlowness_72rev.jpg?v=1596647440"},{"product_id":"farewell-to-salonica","title":"Farewell to Salonica","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFarewell to Salonica: City at the Crossroads \/ 299-page paperback \/ 5.38\" x 8.5\" \/ ISBN 978-1-58988-002-3 \/ Publication Date: June 2003\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA World of Sephardic Jews, Greek Orthodox, and Turkish Muslims in the early 1900s\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A jewel of memory.\"—Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Book-of-the-Month Club\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the crossroads of East and West, Salonica (now Thessaloniki) was an oasis in a swirl of conflicting powers and interests, a vibrant world of varied peoples, where Leon Sciaky grew up at the turn of the twentieth century. This Paul Dry Books rediscovered classic includes many photos courtesy of Leon Sciaky's son Peter, who has also written a short biographical sketch of his father's life in America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eFarewell to Salonica\u003c\/em\u003e is a fresh and charming book that throws a kindly light on a sector of human life unknown to most Americans.\"—\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A gallery of beautiful and quaint sketches, revealing fascinating aspects of civilization in a strange city where East met West and the ancient past met the future…It creates an atmosphere of expectation and wonder and enjoyment. Most of all, an atmosphere of living.\"—\u003cem\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An altogether charming book, so simply and truthfully written…The Salonica one reads about is not only a fascinating and complex city in which many national and cultural strains run side by side, but it is a critical city of Aegean politics…The breakdown of the Turkish Empire and its consequences for Balkan affairs are better understood when one has read this book. But it is not the political value of the book that should be emphasized so much as its quiet charm, its unpretentious and easy portrayal of a cultural pattern through an account of an engaging family…A warm and softly luminous book.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Nation\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This is a story of one man's intensely happy boyhood, set against the politically seething years at the turn of the century in the ever-coveted prize city of the Balkans, Salonica…written in a charming and effortless manner.\"—\u003cem\u003ePhiladelphia Inquirer\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"For the gift of a happy youth, Mr. Sciaky has repaid his city handsomely…it recalls Rebecca West's\u003cem\u003eBlack Lamb and Grey Falcon\u003c\/em\u003e…It is an intensely personal story, yet so completely was [the young Sciaky] of his time and place that it is also the story of Salonica in the final phase of its existence; for the city that Sciaky knew, largely dominated by its 70,000 Spanish Jews, has gone…The author has made Salonica a living town, peopled by men and women of flesh and blood, people with all the human faults and weaknesses, but also with the lovable qualities that may be found in humanity everywhere by the man with skill to pick them out.\"—\u003cem\u003eNew York Herald Tribune\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A charming portrait of an era.\"—\u003cem\u003eHonolulu Advertiser\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This picture of a Jewish childhood among rich merchants in Salonica has a glow, the radiant sunshine of a protected childhood.\"—\u003cem\u003eChicago Sun\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/IbUmAw\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/farewell-to-salonica\/id526115005?mt=11\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/farewell-to-salonica-leon-sciaky\/1118598949?ean=2940013913080\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/ebook\/farewell-to-salonica\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eLeon Sciaky\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in 1894, when the Turkish flag still waved over Salonica. His family left their beloved but turbulent homeland in 1915, settling in New York City. Sciaky lived in America—mainly upstate New York—with his wife, Frances, and son until his death in 1958. He taught at a number of progressive schools and camps and, in his last years, owned and operated a school and camp with Frances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Leon Sciaky","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29130948361,"sku":"","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/salonica_hires.jpg?v=1399099049"},{"product_id":"the-parnas","title":"The Parnas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Parnas: A Scene from the Holocaust \/ Foreword by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner \/ 147-page paperback \/ 5.75\" x 8.5\" \/ ISBN 978-0-9664913-0-2 \/ Publication Date: March 2000\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eView the curriculum guide \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/files\/arieti_guide.pdf?1003\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Parnas\u003c\/em\u003e recreates the final days of Giuseppe Pardo Roques, the lay leader, or parnas, of the Sephardic Jewish community of Pisa, Italy, who was killed in his home by the Nazis in August, 1944. Pardo was a mentor to the author, and, indeed, he was a figure adored and celebrated not only by the Jews of Pisa but by the Christians as well. He was learned and generous, but he was also profoundly phobic. Animals terrified him: so much so that he almost never left his house—except to go to the synagogue—for fear of encountering stray dogs or cats. At the outbreak of World War II, Arieti fled to America where he became a renown psychiatrist. But the parnas, despite a wealth of connections that could have helped him escape, was too phobic to flee Pisa. On the morning of August 1, 1944, Nazi soldiers, searching for Pardo's fabled riches, entered his home. The soldiers found neither gold nor silver, but they did find the parnas, along with six fellow Jews whom he was sheltering and five Christian neighbors. All were murdered. In \u003cem\u003eThe Parnas\u003c\/em\u003e, Arieti imagines what took place in the home, and in the mind, of this devout, kindly, and tormented man in the last days of his life, providing, in the process, an overview of Italian Jewry. Arieti hopes to show \"that tragic times have a perfume of their own, and smiles of hope, and traces of charm, and offer olive branches and late warnings that may not be too late.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/IfTP4l\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/parnas\/id526131351?mt=11\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/parnas-silvano-arieti\/1101061008?ean=2940014240291\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Silvano_Arieti_The_Parnas?id=Jir7k1acmoAC\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-US\/ebook\/the-parnas-a-scene-from-the-holocaust\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The psychiatrist's insight and the storyteller's skill offer an absorbing tale.\" —Elie Wiesel\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A book to read again and again with the same piety with which it has been written. A rare event in publishing: at once an accurate and documented historical study, and in the interpretation made by one of today's greatest psychologists of a strange and symbolic disease.\" —Primo Levi\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This is one of the most extraordinary stories yet to reach us from the bitter ashes of Nazism…Dr. Arieti weaves his story so beautifully that to unravel it would mean losing its dramatic effect. Suffice it to say that God, Jews, Christians, fascism, cowardice, and bravery are discussed throughout the story in such a way that the reader is at once shaken and enlightened as the plot unfolds. It is like a parable, suffused with the dignity of both the parnas and the author…a work of art.\" \u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Foreword by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner: \"In this brief, deceptively simple narrative, Arieti has told the story of Giuseppe Pardo, parnas (lay leader) of his native community of Pisa, and of his death at the hands of the Nazis. Pardo was the leading citizen of a small Jewish community that produced more that its share of distinguished Jews. He was a learned man, familiar with Bible, Talmud, and secular subjects. He was a wealthy man, and charitable to Jew and non-Jew alike. (He ultimately met his death together with six fellow Jews and five gentiles who had sought the protection of his home.) And he was a profoundly neurotic man, who had an irrational fear of animals, especially dogs. When he walked in the streets of Pisa—which was not often because of his fears—he would swing a cane from side to side behind him to drive away the imaginary animals. The distinguished psychiatrist tells of his strange life and equally strange death.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eSilvano Arieti\u003c\/strong\u003e (1914-1981) was born in Pisa and immigrated to New York in 1939, where he lived until his death. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, with a particular interest in schizophrenia and depression. He was the editor-in-chief of the \u003cem\u003eAmerican Handbook of Psychiatry\u003c\/em\u003e, and the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Will to be Human\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eCreativity: The Magic Synthesis\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eUnderstanding and Helping the Schizophrenic\u003c\/em\u003e;\u003cem\u003eAbraham and the Contemporary Mind\u003c\/em\u003e; and \u003cem\u003eInterpretation of Schizophrenia\u003c\/em\u003e, for which he won the National Book Award for Science.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Silvano Arieti","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29047656457,"sku":"","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/parnas_hires.jpg?v=1426177734"},{"product_id":"one-is-one","title":"One Is One","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e285-page paperback \/ 5\" x 8\" \/ ISBN 978-1-58988-027-6 \/ Publication Date: July 2006\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 14th-century England, Stephen de Beauville dreams of becoming a knight—not a promising ambition for a contemplative boy with a talent for drawing. Quiet and solitary, Stephen must endure the bitter torments of his brothers and cousins until he finds his first true friend; through that friendship Stephen gains courage to endure the lack of kindness in his life. But believing that Stephen will never possess the valor to be a knight, his father abruptly sends him away to spend the rest of his life in a monastery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a harsh apprenticeship in the monastery, Stephen realizes he must flee its confines. In a twist of fortune, he becomes squire to a wise knight and then attains knighthood himself. The death of his own young squire causes the twenty-six-year-old Stephen to re-examine his ambitions. In doing so, he makes an important discovery: His journey through dangerous times has instilled in him the strength and self-confidence to find his true place in the world. \u003ci\u003eOne is One \u003c\/i\u003eportrays a man ready to heed his mentor's maxim: \"Do not be afraid to do what you want to do.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral of Barbara Leonie Picard’s many books, including \u003ci\u003eOne Is One\u003c\/i\u003e, have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, Britain’s oldest children’s book award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Her narratives have the ring of tales told by skald and bard, and her choice of words would fill great halls. Her literary fairy tales are lushly romantic, with poetic language and an almost other-worldly knowledge that informs and enriches them. Open one of her books and read it aloud. See how her words will still echo in the storytelling rooms and libraries that have become our great halls.\" —Janice M. Del Negro\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In \u003cem\u003eOne is One\u003c\/em\u003e . . . there is a large cast of entirely credible characters and a good contrast is pointed between fourteenth-century courtly and monastic life. The strength of this book derives from its concern with important themes—loneliness, loyalty, courage and love; above all, self-knowledge.\" —\u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Miss Picard has been bold in choosing for her hero a weakling and a coward. The final resolution of Stephen's doubts, though not unexpected, is most beautifully handled.\" —\u003cem\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eBarbara Leonie Picard\u003c\/strong\u003e (1917–2011) was the author of over twenty-five books, all of which have received praise for the mature and thought-provoking fare they offer young readers. Her first book was published in 1949. Her works include five historical novels for young adults, many retellings of myths and epics—including the Odyssey and the Iliad, the story of King Arthur, and legends of the Norse gods—and collections of fairy tales. Several of her books have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the oldest children's book award in the UK. Paul Dry Books also publishes Picard's book \u003ci\u003eRansom for a Knight\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \"Something about the Author Series, Volume 10\" by Barbara Leonie Picard:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have never written with children or, indeed, anyone else in mind, but always for myself. I have accepted only commissions which I wanted to write, and refused all others. I have \u003cem\u003epublished\u003c\/em\u003e for money—how many writers have not? We have to eat, after all—but I have never \u003cem\u003ewritten\u003c\/em\u003e for money: there is a difference. Any story I have written has been a story I would have wanted to read myself. Indeed, sometimes when there is no other book to hand, I can take up one of my own and read—and even enjoy—it, as though it had been the work of someone else. This probably sounds narcissistic and excessively conceited, but I believe that it is not. There seems to me to be no reason in the world why a story written for one’s own enjoyment should not be read for one’s own enjoyment. [Walter de la Mare once wrote: \"Indeed every writer who is not\u003cem\u003emerely\u003c\/em\u003e writing books in order to sell them, or in order to teach, to instruct, to edify, or solely to pass the time away… every such writer is writing not only for, but even \u003cem\u003eto\u003c\/em\u003e himself.\"] Of course, reading what one has written years before is not unalloyed pleasure. Too often one finds oneself wincing at a word and thinking, \"That is wrong, it should be so-and-so,\" or pausing at a clumsy phrase and saying, \"I would know better than to put it that way now.\" Yet, in spite of all such self-criticism, I am able to enjoy reading my own books. If others also should have enjoyed them, this, as it were by-product, can only be for me a bonus, and I am truly glad of any little pleasure I may have given to anyone else. But I can honestly say that, in all my career, the words of this article which you are now reading are the very first which I have written, not for myself, but for others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Barbara Leonie Picard","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131122761,"sku":"","price":10.36,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/picard1_hires.jpg?v=1399138456"},{"product_id":"his-monkey-wife","title":"His Monkey Wife","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIntroduction by Eva Brann \/ 214-page paperback \/ 5.38\" x 8.5\" \/ ISBN 978-0-9664913-3-3 \/ Publication Date: May 2000\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the author's own words: \"This is a strange book…an emotional melodrama, complete with a Medusa villainess, an honest simpleton of a hero, and an angelic if only anthropoid heroine, all functioning in the two dimensional world of the old Lyceum poster or the primitive fresco…where an angel may outsize a church, and where a man may marry a monkey on a foggy day.\" —from John Collier's \"A Looking Glass\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Alfred Fatigay returns to his native London, he brings along his trustworthy pet chimpanzee Emily who, unbeknownst to Fatigay, has become civilized: literate, literary—and in love with Fatigay himself. After Emily meets Alfred's fiancée Amy Flint, a 1920's \"modern woman,\" she sets out to save her beloved from Amy's cold grip. \"Emily is the perfect outside observer,\" writes Eva Brann in her introduction, \"because she is an African in Europe, a female in a man's world, a servant to liberated sophisticates, and above all an old-fashioned creature in a modern world.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eJohn Collier\u003c\/strong\u003e (1901-1980) was born in Britain, but spent much of his life in the U.S., where he wrote screenplays for Hollywood (\u003cem\u003eThe African Queen\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSylvia Scarlet\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eI Am a Camera\u003c\/em\u003e among them) and short stories for the \u003cem\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e and other magazines. He was also a poet, editor, and reviewer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=4224217\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eListen\u003c\/a\u003e to Nancy Pearl tout the book on NPR\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A work of genius\" —\u003cem\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"From the first sentence of the novel the reader is aware that he is in the presence of a magician…[Collier] casts a spell and he does so always with a smile.\" —Paul Theroux\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A wayward masterpiece…Whatever this volume has cost you, it is, believe me, a great bargain.\" —Anthony Burgess\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It is impossible to convey the subtle wit which makes you laugh out loud, the beauty and penetrating satire which blend so perfectly into its brilliance.\" —\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The whole is written with sly humor throughout and is illuminated by splendid similes and metaphors which mark the author as a true humorist.\" —\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGood for the Season…But too good to be left on the beach\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBy Katherine A. Powers, The Boston Globe:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery other summer or so I reread \u003cem\u003eHis Monkey Wife\u003c\/em\u003e by John Collier and urge others to do so, too. The stumbling block has been that the book has been out of print for years. I, of course, am far too wise in the ways of the world to lend anyone my own copy. ('Never lend books,' advised Anatole France, 'for no one ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are those that other people have lent me.') So, I am happy to report that Collier's work has just returned to print thanks to Paul Dry Books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe novel is one of the great idiosyncratic comedies in English — a designation, incidentally, that is a literary category in my mind. To it belong other such noble curiosities as Stella Gibbons's \u003cem\u003eCold Comfort Farm\u003c\/em\u003e, Flann O'Brien's \u003cem\u003eAt Swim Two Birds\u003c\/em\u003e, G. V. Desani's \u003cem\u003eAll About H. Hatter\u003c\/em\u003e, J. R. Ackerley's \u003cem\u003eHindoo Holiday\u003c\/em\u003e, L. Rust Hill's \u003cem\u003eHow to Retire at Forty-one\u003c\/em\u003e, and — well, we'll leave the full list for another day. Suffice it to say that what distinguishes the books in this category is not only that each is so idiosyncratic as to be \u003cem\u003esui generis\u003c\/em\u003e, but also that the fulcrum of their comedy is cultural piety and the Western literary tradition. (It may be, alas, that in this day of enlightenment, the works can be enjoyed only by readers of 'a certain age.')\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHis Monkey Wife\u003c\/em\u003e is written in high-flown, often urgent, prose. It is a love story and concerns Mr. Fatigay, a schoolmaster, and his 'petite, dark and vivacious' disciple, Emily: the toast of the British Museum Reading Room and a chimpanzee. As in most love stories there are moments of passionate jealousy, longing, and fierce romantic intrigue, all conveyed with such a fine and delicate sensibility that one should, perhaps, be ashamed of oneself for laughing. But then, as P. G. Wodehouse observed, comedy is 'the kindly contemplation of the incongruous.'\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John Collier","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29131026121,"sku":"","price":13.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/collier_hires.jpg?v=1399151460"},{"product_id":"the-tables-of-the-law","title":"The Tables of the Law","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the German by Marion Faber and Stephen Lehmann \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAfterword by Michael Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e287-page paperback \/ 4.75\" x 7.38\" \/ ISBN 9781589880573 \u003cbr\u003ePublication Date: May 2010\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Beautiful . . . one of the best short novels he has written.” \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Can rank with the best of Mann's writing.” \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"His senses were hot, and so he yearned for spirituality, purity, and holiness—the invisible, which seemed to him spiritual, holy, and pure.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThus Thomas Mann introduces Moses in \u003cem\u003eThe Tables of the Law\u003c\/em\u003e, the Nobel Prize winner's retelling of the prophet's life. Invited in 1943 to write this story as a defense of the Decalogue, Mann reveals how strange and forbidding Moses' task was. As \"the Lawgiver\"—endowed with the wrists and hands of a stonemason—engraves the tablets, so he hews the souls of his people:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Into the stone of the mountain I carved the ABC of human behavior, but it shall also be carved into your flesh and blood, Israel…\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMann's tale of the ethical founding and molding of a people sharply rebukes the Nazis for their intended destruction of the moral code set down in the Ten Commandments. But does his famous irony and authorial license mock or enhance the Biblical account of the shaping of the Jewish people? You know the Bible story. Now read Mann's version—it will grip you anew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Thomas Mann wrote this engaging novella in a few weeks in 1943. (The new translation by Marion Faber and Stephen Lehmann, which is brisk and direct, is a welcome replacement of the fussier and less accurate English version done by Helen Lowe-Porter for the original publication.)…What is especially noteworthy about \u003cem\u003eThe Tables of the Law\u003c\/em\u003e among Mann's fictions is its playfulness.\" —R\u003cstrong\u003eobert Alter, \u003cem\u003eLondon Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Brilliant…a little masterpiece.\" —\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eChicago Sun Book Week\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Magnificent…one of the greatest bits of writing which one of the world's greatest writers has ever given us.\" —\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eChicago Herald-American\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Brilliant…one of those splendid novelettes which in this reviewer's opinion represent the very essence of Mr. Mann's literary art.\" —\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSaturday Review of Literature\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"To present the foundation of law for half the world is no simple task. \u003cem\u003eThe Tables of the Law\u003c\/em\u003e is a historical title following Moses as he is tasked by God to present the ten commandments, providing a human and much different insight on the role of Moses as the Prophet of God. Expertly translated, \u003cem\u003eThe Tables of the Law\u003c\/em\u003e is a solid addition to any literary fiction collection.\"—\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMidwest Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/Pc1HEs\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/the-tables-of-the-law\/id939307970\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/tables-of-the-law-thomas-mann\/1101060991?ean=2940015366426\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Thomas_Mann_The_Tables_of_the_Law?id=jhTGt5Je1UsC\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/ebook\/the-tables-of-the-law\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eThomas Mann's\u003c\/strong\u003e many works include \u003cem\u003eBuddenbrooks\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Magic Mountain\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDeath in Venice\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eJoseph and His Brothers\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eConfessions of Felix Krull\u003c\/em\u003e. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eMarion Faber\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eStephen Lehmann\u003c\/strong\u003e co-authored a biography of the pianist Rudolf Serkin and have together translated Nietzsche's \u003cem\u003eHuman, All Too Human\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eMichael Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e is the Charles Barnwell Straut Class of 1923 Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Princeton University.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thomas Mann","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29047712201,"sku":"","price":11.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/tables_hires.jpg?v=1399227394"},{"product_id":"zift","title":"Zift","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTranslated from the Bulgarian by Joseph Benatov\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e185-page paperback \/ 4.75\" x 7.38\" \/ ISBN 9781589880597 \u003cbr\u003ePublication Date: August 2010\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A compelling thriller.\"\u003cspan\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e is like a flaming shot of rotgut smuggled in from the old country…Vladislav Todorov adroitly uses the American genre of noir to excoriate the political villains of his homeland's past…\u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e is gritty and brisk.\"—\u003cstrong\u003eMatt Jakubowski, \u003cem\u003eCity Paper\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Todorov's raw, hard-boiled parody takes dead aim at noir and leaves it gasping for breath.\"—\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Pinker, \u003cem\u003eReview of Contemporary Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDecember 21, 1963: Having served 20 years for a murder he didn't commit, \"Moth\" exits Central Sofia Prison anticipating his first night of freedom. Instead he steps into a new and alien world—the nightmarish totalitarianism of Communist Bulgaria. In his first hours of freedom he traverses the map of a diabolical city, full of decaying neighborhoods, gloomy streets, and a bizarre parade of characters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA novel of grave wit, \u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e unfolds in the course of a single, frenetic night, offering a fast-paced, ghoulish, even grotesque—but also enchanting—tour of shadowy, socialist Sofia. To achieve his depiction of totalitarian absurdity, Vladislav Todorov combines the methods of hardboiled American crime fiction and film noir with socialist symbols and communist ideological clichés.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso available as an ebook:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/JPbS2o\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmazon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/zift\/id526162499?mt=11\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eApple iTunes Bookstore\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/zift-vladislav-todorov\/1101061035?ean=2940014240147\u0026amp;format=nook-book\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Vladislav_Todorov_Zift?id=lXbjJvzbzRMC\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle Play\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/store.kobobooks.com\/en-us\/ebook\/zift-1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKobo\u003c\/a\u003e (See IndieBound's \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/ebooks\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elist of independent booksellers selling e-books\u003c\/a\u003e.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Pulp fiction by a historian of ideas.\"—\u003cem\u003eLiterary Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Tongue flambé.\"—\u003cem\u003eKultura\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Todorov was obviously raised on a steady diet of American noir, and it shows in the pacing, the language, and the shadowy depths of every alleyway, every street corner. It's not just the witty 'Moth,' but the city of Sofia, that, despite 20 years of oppression, endures.\" —Jessa Crispin on PBS's Need to Know [\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/need-to-know\/voices\/antidotes-to-political-alienation\/6277\/\"\u003elink\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The novel interweaves the key tropes of Soviet socialist realism and American hard-boiled detective fiction to produce a richly intertextual portrayal of a nightmarish—yet comical—Bulgarian communist society in late 1963.\"—\u003cem\u003eThree Percent \u003c\/em\u003e[\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/College\/translation\/threepercent\/index.php?id=3140\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"…stalking its genre with the meticulousness of an assassin, while simultaneously parodying it. A novel that unfolds over a single night, in a single breath—and also reads that way…a black-and-white cinematographic vision of early-1960s Sofia by Night.\"—Georgi Gospodinov, author of \u003cem\u003eNatural Novel\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e is a play on the pulp noir genre, in book and film, and Todorov has fun playing it to the hilt.\"—\u003cem\u003eThe Complete Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e is part noir, part crime story, part social satire, part black comedy (extremely black), part absurdist fairy tale\"—\u003cem\u003eBiblioBuffet\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eVladislav Todorov's\u003c\/strong\u003e debut novel, was a finalist for the 2007 Vick Prize as Bulgarian Novel of the Year and a nominee for the Elias Canetti National Literary Prize. Todorov also wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film version of \u003cem\u003eZift\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eVariety\u003c\/em\u003e hailed the movie as \"an instant midnight fest fave.\" Todorov teaches film and literature at the University of Pennsylvania.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"author\"\u003eJoseph Benatov\u003c\/strong\u003e holds a BA and an MA from Sofia University and a PhD in comparative literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where he currently teaches.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vladislav Todorov","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29130765065,"sku":"","price":11.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0446\/9005\/products\/zift_hires.jpg?v=1399238023"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.pauldrybooks.com\/en-au\/collections\/for-fiction-fans.oembed","provider":"Paul Dry Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}