Book Description
This authoritative book dominates the market by offering the best coverage of basic graphics principles and an unmatched set of fully machine able working drawings. Its practical, well illustrated, step-by-step explanations of procedures have successfully trained users for 60 years, and continue to appeal to today's visually oriented learners. Specific chapter topics include graphic language and design, introduction to CAD geometric constructions, sketching and shape description, multiview projection, revolutions., manufacturing design and processes, dimensioning, tolerancing, reproduction and control of drawings, axonometric projection, oblique projection, parallelism and perpendicularity, intersections., developments, line and plane tangencies, and graphical vector analysis. For individuals interested in the fields of engineering graphics and technical drawing, drafting, and sketching.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for college drafting course........2000-06-23
This is an excellent college level text.I particularly like the detailed "real world" drafting problems for the students. Also it has a very good apppendix. It is comprehensive enough that we use it in three different courses here at Vincennes University.
EXTREMELY HELPFUL.......2000-05-07
I have had this book in my drafting library for some time now. I am always using it and recommending it. The book is laid out so that you can go from beginning drafting up through advanced. It not only says what the standards are, but walks you through drafting technology so that you understand why they are like they are. I believe that anyone that is going to be doing drafting should have this in their library.
Book Description
This book is the most consulted source among audit professionals. It helps auditors develop more efficient audit plans, greater control over audit risk, effective audit tests, and sound audit reports. It offers practice-tested guidance for every aspect of auditing, from standards and responsibilities, risk, and engagement strategy, through internal control, auditing specific cycles and accounts, and auditing reporting. In addition, detailed guidelines show the entire audit process and provide comprehensive auditing strategies and methods.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent resource for the audit professional!.......1999-07-11
This book is a classic "hands on" audit reference; written with the same "how to" style as "Operational Profitability". I highly recommend this book.
Customer Reviews:
superior spiritual reading.......2007-02-22
Christ in the Psalms is one of the rare books that one can consider a true "blessing" to have read. It gives the reader a lot of spiritual 'meat' to chew on, and yet it is entirely readable and accessable. Erudite without being academic. Spiritual without being maudlin. Entirely orthodox and filled with dry wit and wry observations. Sometimes a passage was like a hand on the shoulder whispering kindly advice in my ear; other passages sharp but much needed criticism. Simply outstanding. At a time when I had a very poor spiritual director and so much unhappiness in the seminary, Fr. Reardon provided sorely needed mercy and respite through his book.
I have read this book twice, and in two ways. First, cover to cover, but in two or three chapter bits as an aid to meditation in chapel. The other way was skipping from psalm to psalm as I progressed through the (Roman Catholic) Liturgy of the Hours...praying the Psalms of the hour and then reading Fr. Reardon's commentary on the Psalms just prayed.
As I write this review, I cannot help but to think of the words of the Disciples on the road to Emmaeus: "Did not our hearts burn within us he opened the Scriptures to us?"
Perhaps the best thing I can say about the book is that it showed me the love and friendship of Christ in ways I had not known before. Therefore, I am compelled to recommend it to you and hope that you will get as much out of it as I did.
A Devotional Look at Jesus Christ in the Book of Psalms.......2007-01-16
Though the writer is a Bible Scholar his writing style is both contemplative and devotional. He shows how each Psalm is a prophetic picture of Jesus Chirst. This is a great companion volume to read side by side with the Book of Psalms. I am a pastor of a non-denomination Christian church and have found this to be a great resource.
If you can buy only one devotional book this year..........2006-08-30
It's hard to believe that Reardon can pack so much depth into such brief and elegant essays on all 150 Psalms. If all you have is ten minutes you can read a Psalm and his essay and you will have both a heart-glow and a mind-challenge for the rest of the day. Filled with appropriate quotes from the church fathers and information about the formation of the liturgical life of the church---how a particular psalm is used in the church's liturgy.
The Heart of Christ.......2005-02-23
Patrick Reardon has done me a wonderful service. I serve in a church that loves to sing the Psalms in worship (rather than hymns or other songs). One of my weekly goals is to show God's people that the Psalms are not just old covenant songs, but at their heart are truly centered on our Savior. Reardon's book does this, devoting a couple pages to each Psalm with the express mission of showing Jesus in each.
An example: Psalm 84 begins, "How lovely, Lord of hosts, are your tabernacles to me." Most of us could take a circuitous route to finding Christ in this phrase, but Reardon goes straight for the heart when he quotes Revelation 21:22, "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." Jesus is our tabernacle! Great stuff, great book - would be well-suited for personal and family worship.
As an evangelical protestant, I have significant theological differences with the author (and with parts of the book) and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that. But the substance of the book remains of a high enough quality for me to recommend it!
Is the Messiah in your Psalter?.......2004-12-06
Every so often I come across a book that has the ability to transform a life. This is one such book. Written in a beautiful style, with poise, keen insight and love for Christ, Father Patrick Reardon, has written a book that every Christian ought to read. We live in strange times, where the Old Testament is becoming ever more disconnected form the New; where `men of knowledge' sometimes think it their duty to shut the door on a Christian interpretation of the Old Testament, all in the name of modernity and ecumenicity. Reardon is like a gentle prophet, beckoning the Church to return to its roots, to its truly Catholic, Orthodox and Apostolic character, by rediscovering its own Saviour in the Psalms. Bound to become a classic.
Book Description
Classic, comprehensive, and up-to-date
Metal Fatigue in Engineering
Second Edition
For twenty years, Metal Fatigue in Engineering has served as an important textbook and reference for students and practicing engineers concerned with the design, development, and failure analysis of components, structures, and vehicles subjected to repeated loading.
Now this generously revised and expanded edition retains the best features of the original while bringing it up to date with the latest developments in the field.
As with the First Edition, this book focuses on applied engineering design, with a view to producing products that are safe, reliable, and economical. It offers in-depth coverage of today's most common analytical methods of fatigue design and fatigue life predictions/estimations for metals. Contents are arranged logically, moving from simple to more complex fatigue loading and conditions. Throughout the book, there is a full range of helpful learning aids, including worked examples and hundreds of problems, references, and figures as well as chapter summaries and "design do's and don'ts" sections to help speed and reinforce understanding of the material.
The Second Edition contains a vast amount of new information, including:
- Enhanced coverage of micro/macro fatigue mechanisms, notch strain analysis, fatigue crack growth at notches, residual stresses, digital prototyping, and fatigue design of weldments
- Nonproportional loading and critical plane approaches for multiaxial fatigue
- A new chapter on statistical aspects of fatigue
Customer Reviews:
Review for: Metal Fatigue in Engineering.......2007-09-14
Stephens tries to capture as much information in this book as needed for the practicing fatigue engineer. It's a great book to have on the shelf.
One of the main references for modern Fatigue Analysis.......2005-10-23
Very good book. It tackles all the main aspects of modern Fatigue Analysis. The atentive reader, following the text with a paper and pencil besdies, will extract valuable ideas for procedures. I am looking forward for books written in the same style.
Great overview with engineering data!.......2003-05-06
If there is a single book on *just* metal fatigue for your shelf, this is it. The treatment of material is rigorous without being too terse or long-winded. There's an enjoyable amount of real-world experience mixed in with the text: bits of highly relevant distilled information. Plus, there is data in the appendix that is difficult to find elsewhere (aluminum, etc).
An Overview Sort of Text.......2003-02-08
There are a number of texts in this field. This one is by authors whose professional reputations are top notch. However, this book's strengths lie in their qualitative approach. It is a very good book for a short course, and introduction or overview, but for a graduate text I feel it falls short in that it is lacking in mathematics and too qualitative. That said, the illustrations of specific
types of fatigue are terrific. The thought process they use to think through a fatigue problem is very appropriate and a great approach to most problems. If you do forensics of fatigue
problems you want to create for yourself a catalog of failure modes photos and this shows you how to start. With great examples of a number of different types of failures.
Alternative texts for a more quantitative approach that I would
recommend, are Bannantine's and Comer's books for undergraduate
engineering students, or Norman Dowling's book for graduate students.
Still, I own the book and am glad I do. So I give it 3.5 stars.
An Overview Sort of Text.......2003-02-08
There are a number of texts in this field. This one is by authors whose professional reputations are top notch. However, this book's strengths lie in their qualitative approach. It is a very good book for a short course, and introduction or overview, but for a graduate text I feel it falls short in that it is lacking in mathematics and too qualitative. That said, the illustrations of specific
types of fatigue are terrific. The thought process they use to think through a fatigue problem is very appropriate and a great approach to most problems. If you do forensics of fatigue
problems you want to create for yourself a catalog of failure modes photos and this shows you how to start. With great examples of a number of different types of failures.
Alternative texts for a more quantitative approach that I would
recommend, are Bannantine's and Comer's books for undergraduate
engineering students, or Norman Dowling's book for graduate students.
Still, I own the book and am glad I do. So I give it 3.5 stars.
Average customer rating:
- A gorgeous book, from presentation to content.
- too esoteric to feed my apocalypse-hungry soul
- These Zombies Are Not A Metaphor
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The Apocalypse Reader
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ASIN: 1560259590 |
Book Description
These are the ways the world ends.
Thirty-four new and selected Doomsday scenarios: an enthralling collection of work by canonical literary figures, contemporary masters, and a few rising stars, all of whom have looked into the future and found it missing. Across boundaries of place and time, these writers celebrate the variety and vitality of the short story as a form by writing their own conclusions to the story of the world. Obliteration has never hurt so good.
Contributors include Grace Aguilar, Steve Aylett, Robert Bradley, Dennis Cooper, Lucy Corin, Elliott David, Matthew Derby, Carol Emshwiller, Brian Evenson, Neil Gaiman, Jeff Goldberg, Theodora Goss, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jared Hohl, Shelley Jackson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Stacey Levine, Tao Lin, Kelly Link, H.P. Lovecraft, Gary Lutz, Rick Moody, Michael Moorcock, Adam Nemett, Josip Novakovich, Joyce Carol Oates, Colette Phair, Edgar Allan Poe, Terese Svoboda, Justin Taylor, Lynne Tillman, Deb Olin, Unferth, H.G. Wells, Allison Whittenberg, and Diane Williams.
Customer Reviews:
A gorgeous book, from presentation to content........2007-09-19
"THESE ARE THE WAYS THE WORLD ENDS--THIRTY-FOUR NEW AND SELECTED DOOMSDAY SCENARIOS"
This is a gorgeous book, from presentation to content. The selections are humorous, serious, simple, complex, and much more--thirty-four stories, some short, some long, make for a wide spectrum of apocalypses. Taylor, in the foreword, expounds on his conception of an apocalypse:
"It's worth pointing out that the word Apocalypse comes from the Greek, and literally means "a revelation" or "an unveiling." It can be used to describe cataclysmic changes of any sort. Revolution, for example, or social upheaval. [...] There are micro-Apocalypses that mark moments in our lives: childhood's end, a relationship's sudden implosion, Death."
The selections do span the gamut--some were written so long ago as to be in the public domain, and some were freshly minted in the late 2000's; some focus on religious upheavals, some macro, some micro; there are personal upheavals, student rantings, surreal recountings of madmen; and of course many take the reader through more conventional "end of the world" scenarios. And even with all that diversity, perhaps guided by the introduction, the theme of the anthology runs strong.
If there were a criticism I could make of this volume, that, ironically, would be it. I consider myself a bit of an Apocalypse afficionado--I particularly enjoy reading such stories, along with dystopias--and I would have thought that I could never grow tired of reading well-wrought incarnations of such--and these stories were all well-wrought and well-edited, there is no doubt about that--but this volume overwhelmed me. I was tired, even weary, by the time I had wended my way through the collection (and that in the course of several "sittings")..
The lead story, a piece of flash fiction by H. P. Lovecraft, starts the anthology out elegantly, and slowly. It warns you, implicitly, that you're in for some heavy reading, even if you're a fan of Mr. Lovecraft's writing (and not just his mythos, which more people are familiar with, and is much easier to get into third hand). On that end of the scale, there's also a piece from Edgar Allan Poe that is ponderous but worth an examination, entitled "The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion".
Some of my favorites included:
"The Apocalypse Commentery of Bob Paisner" by Rick Moody -- This is an essay detailing the allegorical depths of the Book of Revelation with regard to Bob Paisner's life. The tone is both erudite and a bit delirious, and the piece as a whole is both informative and immersive--I found myself eagerly wondering where Moody was going to take us next, what dark or clinical humor would next be presented.
"Fraise, Menthe, et Poivre 1978" by Jared Hohl -- Another piece of meta-fiction, this follows a group of people through the more traditional trope of being the last survivors in a ruined post-apocalyptic city. What makes this piece stand out is the manic bent of the narrator and the push for the show to go on--the story weaves the primary narrative with a small handful of abbreviated stageplays that emphasize much about human nature, hope, and despair, while retaining a very human humor.
"An Accounting" by Brian Evenson -- An "honest" accounting of how one explorer fell into becoming a reborn Jesus and how he helps his flock survive. I don't want to say too much about this, but the voice is clear, the narrative is well woven and unrolls at a compelling pace, and other than, perhaps, the initial fanaticism he encounters, it is all quite believable.
"Some Approaches to the Problem of the Shortage of Time" by Ursula K. Le Guin -- This is a clever set of abstracts that are ever timely and consider a novel scenario for the end of the modern-day universe. The shortage of time is pervasive, and this story is brief to give you a maximum pleasure for what it takes.
"Think Warm Thoughts" by Allison Whittenberg -- A bite-sized slice of apocalypse that is poetically poignant; every word counts.
"When We Went to See the End of the World by Dawnie Morningside, age 11 1/4" by Neil Gaiman -- This is the end of the world, everyone and everything together, through the playful, somewhat naiive eyes of an eleven year old. It's told in the vein of "What I did over Summer vacation", and is very evocative, sweet, and strange.
"The Escape--a Tale of 1755" by Grace Aguilar -- This is an elegant tale of a woman's love for her husband, religious persecution, and a prison escape. It is written with a very modern feel despite its age (originally published in 1844).
That's not to say I disliked the other stories; and on another day I would have different favorites, though there were some pieces that didn't work for me. But I hope this selection will help give you a feel for the collection as a whole, beyond my simple regard for it. In all, it's a beautiful collection, and I recommend it strongly, with the caveat that you may want to take it in small doses.
too esoteric to feed my apocalypse-hungry soul.......2007-09-12
I was initially excited to discover the collection and didn't see how such a broad-based compilation could go wrong. I'm an avid reader of post-apocalyptic fiction, science fiction and futurism, so I'm no slouch, but this turned out to be quite different from what I was hoping for.
While a few of the pieces are good reads, so many of them are abstract, esoteric, or even reminiscent of the scribblings from slightly disturbed angst-ridden teenage diaries. There's no good "meat" here, no concrete scenarios, suspense or drama to drive fear into your heart and make your mind race. The circumstances under which "apocalypse" occurs are rarely even revealed. Even the subject matter is open to interpretation - "apocalypse" is made to mean many things, not simply the end of the world. Which it does, of course, but that's not what I was hungry for when I picked up this book. The book description should have done a better job of managing those expectations.
Perhaps if you are looking for a broad literary "treatment" of the subject, that kind of interpretation will appeal to you (or if you enjoy the just plain bizarre) then this collection is for you. It was not for me.
These Zombies Are Not A Metaphor.......2007-05-16
This is a fun collection of stories from some well known and serious talent (Gaiman, Lovecraft, Poe) and some newly minted authors. I found myself particularly amused by "These Zombies Are Not A Metaphor," the work of one of the new authors named Jeff Goldberg. I'll be keeping an eye peeled for future work from him.
Book Description
Established early in the last century as a memorial to O. Henry, throughout its history this annual collection has consistently offered a remarkable sampling of contemporary short stories. Each year, stories are chosen from large and small literary magazines, and a panel of distinguished writers is enlisted to award top prizes. The result is a superb collection of seventeen inventive, full-bodied stories representing the very best in American and Canadian fiction. And in celebration of this distinguished literary form,
Prize Stories 2001 a Special Award for Continuing Achievement is presented to Alice Munro.
FIRST PRIZE
MARY SWAN
The Deep
SECOND PRIZE
DAN CHAON
Big Me
THIRD PRIZE
ALICE MUNRO
Floating Bridge
FRED G. LEEBRON
That Winter
T.CORAGHESSAN BOYLE
The Love of My Life
JOYCE CAROL OATES
The Girl with the Blackened Eye
DAVID SCHICKLER
The Smoker
ANTONYA NELSON
Female Trouble
ELIZABETH GRAVER
The Mourning Door
PICKNEY BENEDICT
Zog-19: A Scientific Romance
RON CARLSON
At the Jim Bridger
LOUISE EDRICH
Revival Road
WILLIAM GAY
The Paperhanger
DALE PECK
Bliss
MURAD KALAM
Bow Down
GEORGE SAUNDERS
Pastoralia
ANDREA BARRETT
Servants of the Map
Download Description
Established early in the last century as a memorial to O. Henry, throughout its history this annual collection has consistently offered a remarkable sampling of contemporary short stories.
Each year, stories are chosen from large and small literary magazines, and a panel of distinguished writers is enlisted to award top prizes. The result is a superb collection of seventeen inventive, full-bodied stories representing the very best in American and Canadian fiction.
In celebration of this distinguished literary form, the Prize Stories 2001 Special Award for Continuing Achievement was presented to Alice Munro.
FIRST PRIZE: MARY SWAN, The Deep
SECOND PRIZE: DAN CHAON, Big Me
THIRD PRIZE: ALICE MUNRO, Floating Bridge
FRED G. LEEBRON, That Winter
T.CORAGHESSAN BOYLE, The Love of My Life
JOYCE CAROL OATES, The Girl with the Blackened Eye
DAVID SCHICKLER, The Smoker
ANTONYA NELSON, Female Trouble
ELIZABETH GRAVER, The Mourning Door
PICKNEY BENEDICT, Zog-19: A Scientific Romance
RON CARLSON, At the Jim Bridger
LOUISE EDRICH, Revival Road
WILLIAM GAY, The Paperhanger
DALE PECK, Bliss
MURAD KALAM, Bow Down
GEORGE SAUNDERS, Pastoralia
ANDREA BARRETT, Servants of the Map
"The prestigious O. Henry Awards collection proves that the American short story remains a vigorous and relevant genre in the hands of talented writers."
THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
"There are things here to please everyone's appetite."
THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
Customer Reviews:
A Terrific Collection.......2002-05-16
The seventeen stories in this collection evidence that good writing in North America has not been forgotten. The story that I most enjoyed was David Schickler's enchanting "The Smoker" with its character evolvement and startling twist. The first prize winner, Mary Swan's "The Deep" holds magnificent writing that presents images that will remain with you for days. Stories of humor and fantasy are represented by Pinckney Benedict's "Zog-19: A Scientific Romance" and George Saunders's "Pastoralia". Alice Munro, T.C. Boyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Antonya Nelson, and Ron Carlson maintain their renown with their short fiction in this collection.
This is what prize winning stories are supposed to be.......2002-03-13
Unlike many volumes claiming to have the best short stories of the year, this one may actually be able to claim it. Of the 17 stories here, only three weren't very good (unfortunately the first prize my Mary Swan is one of those three). The rest were good, and there were three that stood out as phenomenal: T. Coraghessan Boyle's story of a young couple throwing their child away; Joyce Carol Oates's story of abduction, rape, and abuse; and David Schickler's story "The Smoker" which is so bizarre and so good that I will pick up his first collection of stories, which this one is included in. Most of the stories in this anthology are of a darker nature, but they are also very well written.
engaging read.......2001-11-12
Since I live in NYC and most of my read time is on the subway, i prefer to read anthologies. This is the first in a long time that i have enjoyed all the stories for various reasons. Especially David Schickler's "the Smoker." (I was so engaged in this story, i ordered his current book). The stories in this book are well written with likeable characters. And there are also some surprises in store.
Great collection of short stories.......2001-10-31
Outstanding collection. Best collection of its type I've read in recent months.
Short Stories Redifined.......2001-10-24
As usual, "Prize Stories" is full of gems and surprises. The use of a panel of judges helps to ensure variety, unlike other yearly short story anthologies. I found this year's edition disconscerting, however, as three of the stories were anything but short. They were novellas. Not that there is anything wrong with longer works of fiction, but it is a different style of writing and not what I was looking for when I forked over the money for this book. Granted, these three stories are excellent and deserving of notice, but not between the covers of a "short story" anthology.
In all fairness, I must admit that in the books introduction, the series editor, Larry Dark, discussess the inclusion of these stories. He claims that he has (I am paraphrasing) grown weary of short stories, having seen so many. My suggestion is that he find something else to do, then.
OK. That wasn't nice. Sorry, Mr. Dark. The truth is, ultimately, that he has once again managed to compile a collection of some of the greatest writing printed in North America in the past year. Most noteworthy, I thought, was Alice Munro's "Floating Bridge," which took third place. Ms. Munro was also given a well deserved special citation award for her work over the years. She has been included in "Prize Stories" on several occasions and usually places second or third.
Aside from the quality of her work, Ms. Munro caught my attention simply because she is so regular. However, it would take me all day to discuss each story because every story in this anthology is simply fantastic. Deciding which ones were best must have been an extremely frustrating experience. I highly recommend this book if you are a lover of short stories. Because of the length of some of these stories, the number of stories included in this volume has been reduced from 20 to 17. These are 17 of the best examples of short story (and novella) writing I have seen yet. Enjoy!
Amazon.com
An elegant salvo in the ongoing debate about the state of the American short story, this collection, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the famous O. Henry Awards, raises some questions about the uses of fiction. Where, as one of the prize jurors, Michael Cunningham, remarks, are the icy, intellectual stories of 30 and 40 years ago? Are we less cynical? Or so cynical that we crave an injection of feelings? Short fiction is getting longer and richer, stuffed with anti-Modern sensory detail and the complicated inner lives of its characters--more Henry James than Hemingway. (Only one New Yorker story made the cut for these awards.) Emotion is back in vogue, and with it the realistic, "well-made" story. In subject matter, death is in; sex is out.
Granted, some of this reflects the taste of the series editor, Larry Dark, who selects the 20 award stories from 3,000 or so contenders each year. First-, second-, and third-place winners are decided on by a panel of prize jurors--for 2000, Pam Houston, George Saunders, and Cunningham. Whether it confirms your suspicions about American publishing or seems more or less inevitable, many of these O. Henry stories are by well-known writers, among them Russell Banks, Mary Gordon, Andrea Barrett, and John Edgar Wideman. (Wideman wins first prize here for "Weight," which Cunningham describes as a combination of autobiography and fiction that "spill over into each other because the story's messy, deeply personal emotions require it.") Nathan Englander, an exceptionally well-placed newcomer, is represented with "The Gilgul of Park Avenue." There is a minor, posthumously published Raymond Carver story as well ("Kindling"), a fictional treatment of material that he had also addressed in a poem called "To Begin With."
Among the newer writers, Judy Budnitz ("Flush") and Kevin Brockmeier stand out for their unexpected observations and their devotion to the word. In Brockmeier's luminous love story, "These Hands," a male nanny forms a helpless, permanent attachment to his 18-month-old charge. Leaving her bedroom one night after putting her in the crib, he lifts a red plastic See 'n Say from the toyshelf and points its dial at the picture of a lion:
This, said the machine, is a robin, and it whittered a little aria. When he turned the dial to a picture of a lamb on a tussock of grass, it said the same thing. Dog and pony, monkey and elephant: robin--twit twit whistle. Lewis set the toy against a wall, listening to the cough of a receding car. He passed through the dining room and climbed the back stairway, wandered the deep and inviolate landscape of the house--solemn with the thought of faulty lessons, and of how often we are shaped in this way.
Although the O. Henry winners provide a generally representative sample of the best of recent American short fiction, this collection makes no acknowledgment of the tremendous boom in erotica in the last three years, or the persistence of literary experimentation by a few dark and wayward souls. --Regina Marler
Book Description
An Anchor Original
The 80th anniversary edition of "the nation's most prestigious awards for the short story."--The Atlantic Monthly
Established early in the last century as a memorial to O. Henry, throughout its history this annual collection has consistently offered a remarkable sampling of contemporary short stories. Each year stories are chosen from large and small literary magazines and a panel of distinguished writers is enlisted to award the top prizes. The result is a superb collection of twenty inventive, full-bodied stories representing the very best in American and Canadian fiction.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Selection and Variety!.......2007-05-18
The O. Henry Awards is for short stories. The stories are quite varied and selective. Also, this book is quite detailed with useful information for us inspiring writers like short story magazines, journals, and periodicals where they accept short story submissions.
The First Prize went to John Edgar Wideman's story entitled "Weight" introduced by Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours. It's a story about a writer who writes about his mother and the weight she must carry on her shoulders.
The Second Prize went to Beth Lordan's short story entitled "The Man With the Lapdog" introduced by Pam Houston about a retired couple in Ireland where the American husband befriends an American wife whose husband is dying.
The Third Prize went ot Mary Gordon's short story entitled "The Deacon" which is my personal favorite of the three top stories. It's about a nun and her relationship with a deacon who may have realized that she knew what his weaknesses and strengths were rather than telling him the truth while others just shyed away. She became probably the best friend that he had on his silver anniversary as deacon.
The other stories included Russell Banks, author of The Sweet Hereafter and Affliction, The Plains of Abraham about a man dealing with his former wife's loss.
Judy Budnitz's short story, Flush, about mothers and daughters and their relationship.
The other stories include
Kevin Brockmeier-These Hands
Melissa Pritchard-Salve Regina
Keith Banner-The Smallest People Alive
Kiana Davenport-Bones of the Inner East
J. Robert Lennon-The Fool's Proxy
Allan Gurganus-He's at the Office
Nathan Englander-The Gilgul of Park Avenue
Andrea Barrett-Theories of Rain
Jeannette Bertles-Whileaway
John Biguenot-Rose
Kate Walbert-The Gardens of Kyoto
Tim Gautreaux-Easy Pickings
Michael Byers-THe Beautiful Days
Alice Elliott Dark-Watch the Animals
and Raymond Carver's Kindling.
The Carver Contrast.......2001-01-15
In the 2000 O'Henry Prize Stories, 11 of the 20 winners (55%) either hold MFA's, Ph.D.'s or teach at universities. Most interesting, however, is the experience of reading 19 highly polished, academically clean stories and at the end of the series, run headlong into Raymond Carver, a bold non-academe, and author of story 20. The contrast is striking, particularly coming at the end of the book. I am left wondering--are we missing or losing some literary giants because academic credentials have become as critical to the practice of creative writing as they are to law or medicine--or journalism?
Of the twenty stories, Michael Byers's "The Beautiful Days" was my top pick. From the literary journal Ploughshares, it's the story of Aldo, a young man we've seen before, who tries to find but ends up losing himself.
Stories such as these are entertainment far superior to most of what entertains us today. If only good literature were also more popular, and less reliant on the good will of universities and academic institutions. The popular mags publish so little fiction anymore, and the literary journals have budgets that don't permit much promotion. "Best Of" publications such as the O'Henry Awards are not only good collections, but probably the top promotional vehicles for good writing today.
wonderful selection.......2000-12-12
The second prize winner here, "The Man With the Lapdog," is probably one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. It's absolutely brilliant. Beth Lordan easily deserves first place for this piece, though the winner ("Weight," by John Edgar Wideman) is a wonderful piece of writing. Judging this must have been something else.
My other favorite was Judy Budnitz's "Flush." It's wonderful in that the ending is O'Henryish--a fitting award-winner indeed.
There's not a bad story in the bunch, really. This is a great buy--I plan to give many copies as gifts.
A wonderful read!.......2000-11-29
I almost didn't buy this book in the series because when I read the 1998 version I felt pretty much unmoved by what I read there. This one, however, is a beautiful collection of stories--each one often more stunning than the last. The stories are beautifully written, exciting, conventional and unconventional, and utterly surprising. What a read! I love it and am eagerly awaiting the 2001 edition. If anyone feels today's short story is stagnant--or that magazines are filled with ordinary work--read this book. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Excellent, diverse sampling of the American short story.......2000-10-30
This anthology of prize winning short stories is an excellent example of the diversity in American writing today. Each story is unique in its perception and description of life- from voice, to view. I did not like all the stories by any means, but within this collection, I found stories that will stay with me forever-- "The Deacon" is a perfect example. I have always believed that a short story is one that answers all my questions, yet leaves me wanting to know even more about the characters-- these stories all accomplish this goal.
I highly recommend this book for book clubs and classes. The exposure to the different writing styles can easily spark disussions as to why readers prefer a particular style over another. In addition, many of the stories are enjoyable and thought provoking.
Book Description
The more than 600 stories written by O. Henry provided an embarrassment of riches for the compilers of this volume. The final selection of the thirty-eight stories in this collection offers for the reader's delight those tales honored almost unanimously by anthologists and those that represent, in variety and balance, the best work of America's favorite storyteller. They are tales in his most mellow, humorous, and ironic moods. They give the full range and flavor of the man born William Sydney Porter but known throughout the world as O. Henry, one of the great masters of the short story.
Customer Reviews:
The best short story writer in American history.......2007-08-18
O. Henry wrote delightful short stories, always with surprising and often humorous endings. He is a great American literary treasure.
Stories with a Twist.......2006-11-15
My father recently sent me some of his books after my parents moved to a smaller home in Oregon. Included in the mostly newer books were a few old ones from his college days. Among them was the original 1945 version of "Best Stories of O. Henry". Anyone familiar with American Literature knows of William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry. He is famous for his short stories that lead you down a path which swerves, at the end, in a direction you hadn't anticipated. Along the way are many colorful characters out of American life around the Turn of the Century (That's the Turn of the Century BEFORE this latest one). Not only are his characters a worthwhile part of every story, his settings often give another interesting view of life 100 years ago. All this evolves in stories that often are no more than 4-5 pages in length. These snapshots almost always conclude with an ironic and/or surprise ending. His best known story, which is the opening selection in this collection, is "The Gift of the Magi". The other story of his that I always recalled, "The Ransom of Red Chief", is also in this book. It's one of the handful of longer stories and runs a whole 12 pages. Among my favorites "discoveries" in this collection are "The Cop and the Anthem", "A Blackjack Bargainer", "Squaring the Circle", "The Pendulum", "The Last Leaf", and "The Count and the Wedding Guest". There are 30 other stories in addition to the ones I've cited. Some went a bit long which sounds strange to say about a short story. However, one gets used to the rhythim of O. Henry and certain stories take you out of that rhythim. Some stories may not conclude in as surprising a manner as others but they are still worth a look at life and customs a century ago.
According to the Editorial Review shown above, O. Henry wrote over 600 stories in his life. I'm not interested in reading that much of his work. However, I'm glad I read these 38.
A wonderfully funny group of stories.......2006-03-22
I couldn't find the edition that I read, so will review here. I read O'Henry's "heart of the West", his group of stories about Texas. O. Henry (or William Porter) actually lived in Texas just before the turn of the century, and these stories therefore reflect what life was actually like for the rough and ready cowboys and their women. His characters are real, and his stories are true little gems. O. Henry's love for this place (Texas) at this time comes through over and over. O. Henry wrote for the common people, and because of that they loved him. They could see themselves in each one of these stories. These stories are all wonderful, but my personal favourite was "The Handbook of Hymen". It is so wryly funny, that I laugh about it still when I think of Sanderson Pratt and his little book of facts and how that book helped him successfully court a rich widow lady. Idaho Green's little book of poetry written by "Homer K.M." did not stand him in good stead with the good widow lady. Hilarious!
Life's ups and downs.......2006-03-15
These are clever stories that don't skip over the blue side of life.
Good Collection.......2003-12-31
This is a very good collection of my favorite short story author.
It's hard to imagine anyone who hasn't read and loved O. Henry, but if for some reason you have discovered this work yet, this collection is a great place to begin.
Average customer rating:
- A must-have volume!
- Awesome book! Highly recommended!
- Wonderful book for grandparents to give to grandchildren!
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Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children: Selections from Shakespeare, Twain, Dickens, O.Henry, London, Longfellow, Irving Aesop, Homer, Cervantes, Hawthorne, and More
William F. Russell
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0517587157
Release Date: 1992-01-28 |
Book Description
A perennially popular collection of short stories, poems, legends, and myths from great works of literature that are especially appropriate for parents to read aloud to their children aged five to twelve.
Line drawings.
Customer Reviews:
A must-have volume!.......2005-01-25
It's been years since I've read aloud from this wonderful anthology to my twin sons who are now 16. But they still remember vibrant, lively selections like "Half a league, half a league, half a league onward ... " (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and "The Ransom of Red Chief" (which they loved but didn't really "get" until they were about 13). I credit this wonderful book with providing truly excellent literature to feed their hungry young brains. This book is part of their current success in school and life! BUY IT for your child or grandchild - or donate it to your local school library!
Awesome book! Highly recommended!.......2002-05-24
This is a keeper! Your kids will love to have you read aloud from this book. It is a compilation of stories arranged according to age-appropriate listening levels. All are well-known stories from well-known authors. Many stories, particularly the longer ones, are only excerpts; the editor has deliberately done this to whet the listeners' appetite.
If you like this book, you will like its companions: More Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children, and Classic Myths to Read Aloud.
Wonderful book for grandparents to give to grandchildren!.......1998-01-29
My father gave this book to me to read aloud while we traveled in the car. I have 4 children -with different attention spans -from teenagers to a Kindergartener- they all listened!! I loved that at the beginning of the books it would give us words thay might not understand and definitions. I loved the idea of knowing how long it would take to read a particular story. Classics that I have not read in years and classics that I have never read were included. If you are going on a car trip this book is a must! Great idea for grandparents to give or have around to read when grandchildren come to visit.
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