This unique book gives an informal introduction into the non-Euclidean geometries through a series of dialogues between a somewhat grown-up Alice (of Looking Glass fame), her uncle Lewis Carroll, and a visitor from the twentieth century, Dr Whatif. In the story, Lewis Carroll's geometrical beliefs are cast into the Euclidean mould, Dr Whatif asks the penetrating and controversial questions, and Alice acts as a mediator and interested participant. The book is intentionally more mathematical than Lewis Carroll's books, but for those of us who enjoyed Alice's earlier adventures there are many interesting flashbacks to those inimitable characters: the Red Queen, Tweedle-Dum and his twin brother, the Mad Hatter ... The text is filled with humour, wit, and verses of poetry. Part 1 contains the story in six chapters, each of which concludes with a problem set; Part 2 is more mathematical, and looks at the axiom systems, and gives solutions to the problems. The presentation, with its old-time borders, script headings, and cartoon drawings evokes the spirit of the original Alice.

A father and son travel across North America in a pick-up truck--talking, laughing, fighting, and bonding. After years of thinking he'd never have kids, Lee Gutkind became a father at forty-seven and, following his divorce, soon found himself taking over more and more of the primary care responsibilities for his son, Sam. As one of a growing number of "old new dads" (recent studies have shown that one in ten children are born to fathers over forty), Gutkind realized that he faced challenges-both mental and physical-not faced by younger dads, not the least of which was how to bond with a son who was so much younger than himself. For the past five years, Gutkind's approach to this challenge has been to spend several weeks of every summer "truckin'" with Sam, a term they define as a metaphor for spontaneity, a lack of restriction: "Truckin' means that you can what you want to do sometimes; you don't always need to do what's expected." What began as long, cross-country journeys in a pick-up truck, including one memorable trip up the Alaska-Canadian Highway en route to a writer's conference in Homer, Alaska, have in more recent years ranged farther afield, to Europe, Australia, and Tibet. Whether listening to rock and roll music, entertaining themselves with their secret jokes and code words, fishing for halibut, or fighting over tuna fish sandwiches and how best to butter one's toast, Lee and Sam have learned to respect one another. In the process of their travels and their adventures, Lee has also come to grips with the downside of middle age and the embarassment of "senior moments," while Sam has inevitably begun to assert himself and shape his own life. Interspersed with Sam's own observations and journal entries, Truckin' with Sam is an honest, moving, and often hilarious account of one father's determination to bond with his son, a spontaneous travelogue that will appeal to old dads, new dads, and women who want to know more about how dads (and sons) think and behave.

Innocence rounds the bend to experience in these beautifully shaped stories of Moscow and Brooklyn, which take up the worldview of the young and overlooked. The stunning Second World War story that opens the book is a masterpiece of ambivalence—about the simultaneous generosity and hypocrisy of Galina, a gentile Russian woman who offers safe harbor to a Jewish friend and her daughter during the German occupation. In “Love Lessons—Mondays, 9 A.M.,” a young math teacher is assigned to teach a girls’ sex education class, even though she herself is still awaiting her first kiss. And in “Mistress,” a boy newly arrived in this country bears witness to the intimate details of his grandparents’ new and diverging lives: his grandmother’s doctors’ appointments, where he is charged with translating her myriad complaints into English, and his grandfather’s clandestine courtship of another woman. Adept at both snapshots and long exposures, Lara Vapnyar, herself a recent immigrant, writes of life’s adventures and possibilities, its disappointments and unexpected turns, with delicate humor, brilliant timing, and striking emotional honesty. She is a writer to relish and to watch.

First-ever new edition of The Water Wheel, the 1933 semi-autobiographical debut novel by Julian L. Shapiro, who later achieved cult status writing as John Sanford. From the original edition's dust jacket: "The Water Wheel recounts both the real and imagined-real adventures of one John B. Sanford in New York and London over a short period in 1927. The novel is completely dominated by Sanford, a self-assumed individualist--and self-styled 'lawclerk, sinner, ex-convict, adolescent, grandson and legatee of a Litvak matchvendor.' "The author has maintained a rigid objectivity, at no time intruding upon the narrative, or showing his hand by making Sanford a mouth-piece for the expression of ideas outside the scope of the novel. Notwithstanding the author's neutrality, only the most literal will overlook in Sanford a character definitely in our time. "In form, The Water Wheel has no counterpart in American letters. It deliberately avoids the traditional, but its objectives are always clarity and simplicity. The many technical and typographical innovations are designed to suit the subject matter, and are not fake-modern tricks."

25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION Nadine Pagan's dyke sister Jane wants to find her. Her lover Rose wants to marry her. And her mother Fay wants to forget her. All Nadine wants is to stop the buzzing in her head. Running Fiercely Toward a High Thin Sound follows Nadine's (née Morningstar) adventures as she escapes from her incendiary Jewish family into the lesbian town of New Chelm--and far beyond. This is the novel Isaac Bashevis Singer might have written if he'd been a lesbian with a keen eye for contemporary middle-class assimilation. It's Jewish magical lesbian realism, a good story, and a dynamic piece of writing. Includes an all new introduction by the author Judith Katz is the author of two published novels, The Escape Artist and Running Fiercely Toward a High Thin Sound , which won the 1992 Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Fiction. She teaches cultural studies and literature courses for the University of Minnesota's Center for Jewish Studies.

Wildly original novelist, essayist, and performance artist Jonathan Ames delivers a hilarious, risqué, and loveable selection of articles, essays, and fiction, including several previously unpublished pieces. In The Double Life Is Twice as Good , fans will be treated to a deft and charming compilation of Ames’s journalism, personal essays, and short fiction. Featuring illuminating profiles of Marilyn Manson and Lenny Kravitz, his adventures at a goth festival in the Midwest, a story written for Esquire on a napkin, as well as a comic strip collaboration with graphic artist Nick Bertozzi, Ames’s unique style and personality-driven humor shines throughout this wickedly funny collection. Also included is the short story, “Bored to Death,” a Raymond Chandler–esque tale about a struggling writer-turned-detective who becomes quickly embroiled in the search for a missing college co-ed, which inspired the HBO series of the same name. Described by The Portland Oregonian as “an edgier David Sedaris,” Ames will have you hooked with this brilliant collection.

Available for the first time... the complete saga of Thunder Jim Wade! Written by fantasy legend Henry Kuttner, this collection reprints all five adventures of Thunder Jim Wade from 1941. Long discounted as a Doc Savage clone, THUNDER JIM WADE: THE COMPLETE SERIES brings to life this classic pulp hero and shows him to be much more than a knock-off! Includes an all-new introduction by pulp historian Will Murray!

"Blackthorne reprints the 1970s sci-fi comic strip from comics legends Ron Goulart and Gil Kane. A police drama in space, featuring the futuristic adventures of Interplanetary Law officers (or star hawks) Rex Jaxan, Chavez, and Alice K. Jaxan and Chavez have to find a missing girl before a killer finds her first; they uncover a plot to assassinate Emperor Rian; they pursue a robot who holds secrets of a dangerous new weapon and get caught up in a rebellion against a corrupt general." -- MyComicShop.com

"When Juliet Abraham, who is Jewish, has a runaway marriage with Rahul Abhiram, a Hindu, their families are initially furious but soon relent. They buy the couple an apartment in Shalom India Housing Society, Ahmedabad. However, once the couple leaves for Israel, they rent out the apartment to a series of tenants from the Bene Israel community, for each of whom it becomes the venue of an unfolding love story. Myra comes to India from America to teach the Torah to Indian Jews. WOoed assiduously by Ezra, she instead escapes into a new life with a Hindu guru. Ruby rekindles an old flame, only to find out too late that men betray. Ilana, a strict and uptight police officer, is forced to meet potential grooms by her parents and realizes that it's good to let loose sometimes. And Bollywood-crazy Sangita has many adventures in India as she tries to trace her grandmother's grave. The mischievous Prophet Elijah, benevolently presiding over the small community, occasionally creates havoc but finally makes sure that peace prevails. This book is about home, heritage, rites, rituals, and roots."--Back cover.

At the age of fourteen, Sappho is seduced by the beautiful poet Alcaeus and plots with him to overthrow the dictator of their island. When they are caught, she is married off to a repellent older man in hopes that matrimony will keep her out of trouble. Instead, it starts her off on a series of amorous adventures with both men and women, taking her from Delphi to Egypt, and even to the Land of the Amazons and the shadowy realm of Hades. Complemented by Erica Jong's new translations of Sappho's fragments, as well as nine of the author's own poems about the epic poet who shaped all our understandings of poetic verse, Sappho's Leap is not to be missed. Jong's Sappho is one of her most unforgettable and exuberant heroines.

Relates the fictional adventures of Nesthäkchen, German girl, during the social and economic upheavals in Weimar Germany just after World War I. This volume describes Annemarie's college days, courtship and marriage.

In 1946, Elizabeth Taylor -- then fourteen and a major star at MGM -- published a book about her pet chipmunk, Nibbles. With wit, charm, and remarkable skill, she related the adventures and mishaps of her high-spirited friend. She and Nibbles were virtually inseparable during the shooting of National Velvet and other films; in fact the chipmunk almost got to appear in Courage of Lassie -- but he was so well behaved that he didn't look real, and his scene was cut! Recounted here are such stories as the happiest birthday of her life, when she was given King Charles, the horse who was called The Pi in National Velvet, because only Elizabeth could ride him. Long out of print, this enchanting memoir is available once again with Miss Taylor's original illustrations (including previously unpublished drawings from her private collection), photos of Elizabeth Taylor and Nibbles on and off the set, and a new introduction by the legendary actress. Children will love the story of a girl and her pet; older readers will appreciate the insight into young Elizabeth Taylor's life that this book provides.

Every day, Johnny listened to his favorite radio program, "Don Winslow of the Navy." Someday, he would travel the world and have adventures, just like Don Winslow. But then the radio, which had been growing fainter, went dead altogether -- and Johnny's parents couldn't afford to buy a new one. Johnny refused to give up hope. Maybe Mr. Zaga, who lived in the basement apartment and was supposed to be an inventor, could help. Mr. Zaga's apartment was full of weird machinery. He was interested in time travel, not in repairing radios, and he believed that with powerful electrostatic magnetism he could project himself into the future. But perhaps an electric charge from his machinery could fix the radio. Sure enough, the radio played again, but before long Johnny and Mr. Zaga discovered that the radio was giving tomorrow's news. It was a day ahead in time! The adventures Johnny has then -- at a nearby bank robbery, a local fire, and with Mr. Zaga at the racetrack -- fill this funny and exciting book and will delight young readers. Full-color pictures rendered by a distinguished author/illustrator capture the big-city scene and a small boy's dreams of glory to perfection.

This vivid and colorful memoir recounts the experience of a Jewish-American man growing up during the turmoil of the Bush and Obama eras and dealing with the 2008 recession, crazy relatives, depression, failed romances, political and law careers, and foreign adventures in Israel, South Korea, and China. It contains richly detailed portraits of 2000's American life and the various fascinating cities of America, from New York to Chicago to New Orleans. It also has outrageous sexual comedy, Jewish shtick, and provides a serious look at the social issues facing the modern United States, from welfare to homelessness to the expense of college and over-competitiveness in the workforce. A must-read for people of what Newsweek has dubbed "Generation Screwed." If you enjoyed "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", you'll love this. Its a heartfelt and at times hilarious commentary on our American life.

David Amram-composer, jazz artist, conductor, and world music pioneer-has been described by the Boston Globe as "the Renaissance man of American music." From early collaborations with Kerouac and Sinatra, chosen by Leonard Bernstein as the New York Philharmonic's first composer in residence, Amram's artistry has taken him from concerts with Willie Nelson to jamming with the Massai tribe of Kenya. In Upbeat: Nine Lives of a Musical Cat, Amram recounts his extraordinary adventures in the many worlds of music he calls home, all told in a rollicking anecdotal style that makes you feel that you are at home around the world. He writes, "Everywhere I have been in the world, music transcends politics. As musicians, we were able to go beyond all that and just be fellow human beings." Threading through Amram's tale of music, hard work, respect, and friendship are unforgettable stories of fellow great artists-Dizzie Gillespie, Hunter S. Thompson, Janet Gaynor, George Plimpton, Lyle Lovett, Zoe Caldwell, Willie Nelson, and many more.

These are the tales of Eternal Voyager. Tales from a distant future in which all life is virtual. Everyone in the Metaverse takes for granted the ability to teleport; to change shape; to create entire planets for their playgrounds and to make backup copies of themselves, so they cannot permanently die. And what do these people who live beyond the conventional universe do with their powers? Mostly they play RPGs. ***** "I loved Conor Kostick's Epic and these six short novels (more like long, self-contained chapters) are sort of related. They are set in a universe (called the Metaverse) where virtual characters have come alive and have fun and adventures." Reader Review ***** "From a plague of vampyrism to silver orb aliens, to talking to dragons and battling orcs, Eternal Voyager [party animal] tackles them all with sharp humour and several quick avatar changes. Have you ever solved your own murder? Join a romp through metaversal adventures which just about cover every possible realm and involves a broad spectrum of characters. Parallels between the avatar world and our own are unmistakable - sometimes amusing, sometime deadly serious. Highly recommended." Reader Review

Seven powerful refugees from another world are stranded on Earth, where they immediately run headlong into new challenges and adventures. This volume collects seven stories from the hit series, in which the team tries to make a new life for themselves on our world while defending their new home against such villains as Darkseid, the Female Furies, Maitresse, Nike and SkinDance. Graphic novel format.

The adventures of a little boy named Marvin. He visits a farm, plays with a friend, goes to school, interacts with various friends and family members.

sweet life adventures on the way to paradise by barry manilow

This book was written at a time when little of nothing was known of Central Asia. Tibet was still a forbidden land and the conditions in other parts so harsh as to discourage all but the hardiest of travellers and explorers. The author Aurel Stein originated in Hungary and completed his studies in Oxford U. from where he took up the post of principal in Lahore's Oriental College. He later joined the Archaeological Survey of India which allowed him to travel distant lands in some of the most obscure and inaccessible parts of North India and beyond. His descriptions of his travels lead us across almost the same terrain as was followed by Marco Polo on his adventures to China and the Great Kublai Khan. This was the ancient Silk Road, which once joined the civilizations of antiquity and was a main artery of commerce for the ancient world. This most revealing book allows us to see through the eyes of the Author the great expanses of dried up prehistoric oceans now converted into deserts which travellers faced on their long journeys across central Asia.