From Wall Street to Main Street, John Brooks, longtime contributor to the New Yorker, brings to life in vivid fashion twelve classic and timeless tales of corporate and financial life in AmericaWhat do the $350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened.Stories about Wall Street are infused with drama and adventure and reveal the machinations and volatile nature of the world of finance. John Brooks's insightful reportage is so full of personality and critical detail that whether he is looking at the astounding market crash of 1962, the collapse of a well-known... Views: 17
'And how shall I whip you?' she teased. 'On the wooden cross, on tiptoe with your arms stretched, or across the horse with your backside bare? Or shall I merely chain you to the bars of your cell?' Views: 17
Bramt Hex was weary of student life. Although an inframagus of no small standing—or girth—he couldn’t face a future dining on the slender means of a scholar.
A hastily contracted alliance with the widow of ruthless homunculus magnate Orgle Poon soon fell through when he bungled the sale of her brothel to an irritable demon.
His body sold to the skin-farms, Bramt had little to hope for. The hills were full of vampires and he had no money to bribe the giant Karbies who guarded him.
But when a passing wizard freed him, Hex resolved-by hook or by crook—to make his way to Yana. There he would receive the touch of Undying—and could begin to map the world…
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"Simply the best writer we have." (The New York Times Book Review)Viking's publication of Saul Bellow's most recent novel, Ravelstein, was an event that garnered unanimous critical acclaim and placed its author back in the spotlight as one of America's literary treasures. Now, for the first time ever, here is a collection of shorter works chosen by Bellow himself: favorite stories that follow the arc of his distinguished career. Collected Fiction gathers together stories from Mosby's Memoirs, Him with His Foot in His Mouth, and Something to Remember Me By, as well as an early story that to date has appeared only in Esquire magazine. This volume contains a preface by Bellow's wife, Janis, and an introduction by James Wood and includes celebrated stories such as "Leaving the Yellow House" and "What Kind of Day Did You Have?" and the novella The Bellarosa Connection. Throughout, Bellow's trademark theme of self-awakening, his stunning ability to re-create a bygone Chicago, and his unique comic wisdom are magnificently illustrated. This collection is both a handsome anthology Bellow's avid readers will treasure and a superb introduction to those unacquainted with his genius.Amazon.com ReviewSaul Bellow's Collected Stories, handpicked by the author, display the depth of character and acumen of the Nobel laureate's narrative powers. While he has garnered acclaim as a novelist, Bellow's shorter works prove equally strong. Primarily set in a sepia-toned Chicago, characters (mostly men) deal with family issues, desires, memories, and failings--often arriving at humorous if not comic situations. In the process, these quirky and wholly real characters examine human nature.The narrative is straightforward, with deftly handled shifts in time, and the prose is concise, sometimes pithy, with equal parts humor and grace. In "Looking for Mr. Green," Bellow describes a relief worker sized up by tenants: "They must have realized that he was not a college boy employed afternoons by a bill collector, trying foxily to pass for a relief clerk, recognized that he was an older man who knew himself what need was, who had more than an average seasoning in hardship. It was evident enough if you looked at the marks under his eyes and at the sides of his mouth." This collection should appeal both to those familiar with Bellow's work and to those seeking an introduction. --Michael FerchFrom Publishers WeeklyThis collection of 13 of Bellow's (long) short stories, many of them classics, demonstrates the Nobel Prize winner's formidable literary presence. His characters have prospered in the American century, and now, in their old age, are beginning to doubt its endurance. Bellow likes to take a man at "the top of his field" and, from that perspective, survey the discontents of civilization. Some - like Victor Wulpy in "What Kind of Day Did You Have?" - refuse to retire and take mistresses in their mid-70s. Others, like Willis Mosby, the foreign relations guru writing his mandarin's memoirs in Oaxaca, consider retirement another chance to score points. Bellow's women still rise to the top as they did in the 1950s - by association with men. In "A Theft," Clara Velde, who has successfully formed her own journalism agency, still defines herself in terms of her husbands. Generally, these interior dramas are saturated with the realistic and metaphorical atmosphere of Chicago. Yet the crowning jewel here is "The Bellarosa Connection," in which the unnamed narrator is a retired Philadelphia memory expert who reflects on his friendship with a man still obsessed with his escape from WWII Europe and the legendary showbiz promoter who helped him. Bellow's stories spread rather than march in straight lines, like memory itself, giving a kinesthetic sense of a stained, bamboozled and fundamentally comic culture. A preface by the writer's wife, Janis, an introduction by essayist James Woods and an afterword by Bellow himself, in which he makes a prescient case for short fiction in this time of "noisy frantic monstrous agglomeration," add to the collection's appeal. (Nov. 1). Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 17
Jo O'Malley might have been hell-bent to avenge her husband's murder, but U.S. Marshal Fletcher Collins swore she wouldn't be allowed to take the law into her own hands. Though there was something about her that made him want to take her into his arms....Dressed as a man to do murder, Jo O'Malley met her destiny in the magnetic form of Fletcher Collins, who stopped her from killing—and saved her from the gallows. But love between them was impossible, for the letter-of-the-law marshal seemed to have a badge where his heart should be! Views: 17
Infidelity and deceit threaten a Christian family when they are forced to face the lies that are creating mistrust, disorder, and tension in their lives. Views: 17
Product DescriptionIt was love at first sight. When Wolf Hayward and Molly Donivan gazed into each other’s eyes in a crowded train station during the Civil War, they knew they were meant to be—and sealed their commitment with a passionate kiss. He promised to find her after the war—until he realized she was the daughter of a Union General when he was a Southern spy behind enemy lines. But he’ll never forget her and Molly will pledge to wait for the man she only knows as “Benjamin.”Eight years later, Wolf—now a Texas ranger—is chasing down some outlaws when he is struck down by a falling signpost—and wakes up to see the beautiful woman he has never forgotten. Molly doesn’t recognize him as the handsome soldier who swept her away so long ago, but she can’t help being intrigued by his kindness and charm. And she can’t help imagining what it’s like to be in his arms after the sun goes down… Views: 17
The beautiful Catharsians harbor a terrible secret. The thing is, they have to share the planet with another race, which they call the Uglies. Being ugly is considered a disease and the Uglies are herded into a reservation, where they live out their drudgery behind an electric fence - until the ultimate disaster strikes. Includes excerpt from the highly anticipated YA fantasy, THE EARTH SHIFTER. Views: 17
Two teens discover the true danger of love in this gripping novel from Printz Honor–winning author Chris Lynch.Oliver loves Junie Blue. That's true. Pretty much everything else is a lie. Both known for their deceit, Junie and O's relationship was the only honest thing they had. But now that's over. Oliver's been dumped, and he's miserable. Junie says they're done. Unless she's lying? Junie's father works for One Who Knows, the head of an organized crime family. He won't tell O where Junie is, not even after O hears a rumor that Junie's won the lottery—and that One Who Knows expects to be given her ticket. O fears Junie's in danger, and he's determined to come to her rescue. But is there honestly anything he can do? Views: 17
