Product Description

A comprehensive appreciation of the fiction written by this Pulitzer Prize author

This is the first book-length examination of the fiction written by Richard Ford, who gained critical acclaim for The Sportswriter, the story of suburbanite Frank Bascombe's struggle to survive loneliness and great loss. That novel, published in 1986, struck a chord with readers and reviewers alike, and Ford, a little-known writer who had for a time considered giving up the writing of fiction, was suddenly hailed in Newsweek as "one of the best writers of his generation."

The Sportswriter, along with its 1995 sequel Independence Day, which became the first novel to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award, made Ford's Frank Bascombe as much a part of the American literary landscape as John Updike's Rabbit Angstrom.

With three other novels, a well-received volume of short stories, and a trilogy of novellas to his credit, Ford is now firmly established as a major figure among writers of the post-World War II generation.

Perspectives on Richard Ford is the first collection of essays to study the body of Ford's fiction. The nine essays demonstrate that Ford, like few other writers of his time, powerfully depicts what it feels like to live in the secular late-twentieth-century world, a dangerous and uncertain place where human relationships are impoverished and where human existence is often characterized by emptiness, solipsism, and, above all, by a sense of alienation. The contributors tend to view Ford's narratives of alienation in a broad cultural context. His works dramatize the breakdown of the institutions of marriage, family, and community. His protagonists often typify the rootlessness and the nameless longing pervasive in a highly mobile, present-oriented society in which individuals, having lost a sense of the past, relentlessly pursue their own elusive identities in the here and now.

The collection, which concludes with a compelling conversation between Ford and the editor, will prove to be an essential companion to the work of one our most intriguing contemporary writers.

Huey Guagliardo is a professor of English at Louisiana State University at Eunice. ... Read more

Product Description
Richard Ford and the Fiction of Masculinities demonstrates how contemporary U.S. novelist Richard Ford, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for literature, rewrites gender, and in particular masculinity, from highly subversive and innovative perspectives. Josep M. Armengol analyzes the construction, as well as the de-construction, of masculinity in all of Fords major fictional texts to date, ranging from A Piece of My Heart to The Sportswriter to The Lay of the Land. Given its simultaneous critique of traditional masculinity and its depiction of alternative models of being a man, Fords fiction is shown to be particularly interesting from a mens studies perspective, which aims not only to undermine patriarchal masculinity but also to look for new, non-hierarchical, and more egalitarian models of being a man in contemporary U.S. culture and literature.

By framing Fords contemporary representations of masculinity within a more general context of American literature, this book reveals how his texts continue along a trajectory of earlier American fiction while they also re-examine masculinity in new, more complex ways. Richard Ford and the Fiction of Masculinities contributes to the much-needed revision of men and masculinities in U. S. literature, and especially Richard Fords fiction, where constructions of gender and masculinity remain, paradoxically enough, largely unexplored. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Superb!
Excellent book! It shows how to apply men's studies to literary criticism. It provides innovative reflection on Richard Ford and male writing. A must! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Totally fine
This book was a joy to read - and to begin the journey of Frank Bascombe as Ford travels through his life here and in the other two Frank Bascombe novels I will read next.Ford is an extraordinary author, because as he tell of the lives of his characters, he's also telling our own in a way that makes us understand ourselves better.Who can't use more of that?

This Book Sucks
This book sucks. [...] Ford has a formidable talent for using a lot of words to say little.I would have liked, at least, to learn a little bit about the world of sportswriting, and even in that I was disappointed.

I can't believe we carried it back too!
My wife and I agree... this book, how can we say it... has great and continuous vaccuum.We purchased it to take with us and read on a 16 hour flight to Australia.It was my turn first.To say the least, I'm certainly glad our pilot was not also reading it.Pointless, self indulgent, and boring.I made it 60 pages before I went back for a second read of the Airline's flight magazine.It is extremely rare that I don't finish a book, but in this case I can't imagine anything more torturous.

My wife took it as more of a challenge.A challenge to make it through the book... and that she did... reading it because "Surely, it must get better".It apparently never did.She WAS going to read Independence Day... not anymore.

What exactly *do* you do to get a Pulitzer anyway. He couldn't possibly have upgraded his style that much could he?? ... Read more

Product Description
An Epic Battle of Generations

It is commonly believed that Henry Ford was a dynamic, innovative visionary who ran his company with an iron hand and an eye to the future–while his son Edsel was a weak, if dutiful, heir and an uninspired manager, who followed his father’s orders.Henry and Edsel, the first biography to focus on both father and son, turns that common belief on its ear.

Offering a daring new perspective on the human drama that changed the shape of Ford Motor company, author Richard Bak explores the ongoing friction between Henry and Edsel over adapting to a changing competitive environment and lays bare the stark contrasts between the two men.Henry emerges as a complex and self-contradictory man who was not entirely comfortable in the new world that he had done so much to create, while Edsel is revealed as a gifted, levelheaded, and imaginative businessman with a keen sense of where the market was headed.Among the many issues examined in this fascinating history are:

• The years-long conflict over modifying the Model T
• Edsel’s successful development of the Lincoln Continental
• Henry’s hatred of labor unions and the rise of Henry Bennett
• Edsel’s relentless struggle to modernize and transform the company
• The climactic struggle between Henry, Edsel, and Henry Bennett for control of the Ford empire

Customer Reviews (3)

A Good Read!
Richard Bak is a long-time resident of Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan, and doubtless absorbed much of the Ford legacy simply by growing up in a place that Ford formed. This book is not exactly a corporate history, not exactly a biography and not exactly a tell-all celebrity book, but it has elements of each. The most interesting pieces include the extended reminiscences by people who lived and worked closely with the Fords, and especially with Edsel's family. He has long lingered in the shadow of his famous father and it is somewhat surprising to discover that he had some fine qualities. These reminiscences have poignant moments that establish the veracity of any number of proverbs on money, happiness and the foibles of the great. The book is reasonably well written and fairly concise. It recapitulates the essentials of the Ford story, though it glances over the evolution of management and organization at the company. We assure you that you'll get the full Ford saga here, though you may have to extrapolate the business lessons it teaches for yourself.

A Good Read!
Richard Bak is a long-time resident of Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan, and doubtless absorbed much of the Ford legacy simply by growing up in a place that Ford formed. This book is not exactly a corporate history, not exactly a biography and not exactly a tell-all celebrity book, but it has elements of each. The most interesting pieces include the extended reminiscences by people who lived and worked closely with the Fords, and especially with Edsel's family. He has long lingered in the shadow of his famous father and it is somewhat surprising to discover that he had some fine qualities. These reminiscences have poignant moments that establish the veracity of any number of proverbs on money, happiness and the foibles of the great. The book is reasonably well written and fairly concise. It recapitulates the essentials of the Ford story, though it glances over the evolution of management and organization at the company. We assure you that you'll get the full Ford saga here, though you may have to extrapolate the business lessons it teaches for yourself.

Well documented.
HENRY AND EDSEL offers insight into the characters of Henry and Edsel Ford and what it was that compelled them. The book presents a strong sense of time and the Fords' presence in and contribution to the events around them. The book is filled with interesting anecdotes. The best part for me were the several chapters called "rearview mirror" -- accounts written by eyewitnesseswho recorded their version of important events: Edsel's death, the riots, etc. The author also introduced us to some of the hard workers and bright people Henry surrounded himself with in order to get to the top. One person CAN change the world -- but almost never alone. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Too harsh against President Ford
The book deals with the first months of the Ford Presidency and almost everybody should know that those were his hardest days : to complete the passage form former to the new administration, the Nixon pardon, the mid-term elections.
These were all tasks difficult to handle and happened in a very strict period of time so that to judge President Ford one should have had - ar least - a stretch of one year. Instead Reeves, who narrates the first 6 months more or less, does not spare his most harsh judgement towards a person that all of a sudden found himself Vice-President and then President.
Almost inhuman.

A Tragic Comedy Almost
Few people have the time or interest to read a book about the Ford administration and I am not necessarily proud to be one of them. To be fair to myself I read the book more because of the author then the subject.I must say that I was very pleased.Again what I liked was really not much about President Ford, but the humor and insight of the author.Let's face it, most of us have a rather negative view of good old Jerry, and this book pushes that perception even further.Page after page the author details out one dim witted move after another.It just seamed as though Ford was moving in a world with about 60% of the required IQ points to succeed. All the detail about the blunders and misstep's is done with almost comedic like timing and surprise. If I did not know better you would think this was a Moore or Franklin book. The author used the subject to the fullest in the comedy writings.

The good humor aside, you really do get a negative view of the Ford administration.Not necessarily because of what he did, but more because of what remarkably little he did do.The author stretched to detail out much of anything that Ford did except campaign trips and blanket approvals of Nixon policies that still seemed to be generated within the administration. The one nice consistent with this book and about every other book I have read about the Nixon administration is that this author disliked Al Haig.How this guy has rubbed every single person he has met the wrong way I will never know, but he is the poster child for "does not get along with others". Overall the book was full of humor and some interesting facts.It is a quick read and if for some reason you are looking for something on Ford this book will at least give you a smile if nothing else.

A Quick Read, And Well Worth It!
Reeves is a veteran political reporter whose excellent insights and smooth prose are guaranteed to provide a pleasant, educational read. Although Reeves portrays Ford as a dummy, he presents him as a well-meaning dummy. Thus his take can hardly be considered critical. Indeed, Reeves assigns Ford's every success to the latter's naivete combined with his unquestioning loyalty to party. Ford's rise to Minority Leader and eventually Vice President are based on the actions of others, and the estimates of elites that Ford will be inoffensive and controllable. Indeed, he portrays the President as a captive of his own administration, controlled by the Nixon holdovers and their strong ideas, from the ubiquitous Kissinger to the reluctantly deposed Haig. Reeves explains the Nixon pardon strictly in this context, as the innocent action of true party loyalist, not as a cynical payoff for services rendered, or even a cynical partisan f-k you to the country. For those interested in politics and Presidents, Reeves should be classed with Witcover and Germond, as a must read. For those who have a passing interest he should be taken as an excellent readable primer, if it's not all you need to know, it's most of it. A bargain at any price. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
It’s 1901 and Henry Ford wants to build a car that everyone can own. But first he needs the money to produce it. How will he get it? He enters a car race, of course! Readers will love this fast-paced, fact-based story! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Loved it!
My seven year old son really enjoyed this book.It was the perfect reading level.He had fun and learned some things too.

One of the best readers around!
I must admit, my kindergartener and I are great fans of the Step Into Reading series of books. Since my daughter had completed the Step 2 books in the Step Into Reading series of books, I decided to go ahead and purchase the Step 3 books. I was a bit hesitant because I noticed there is quite a big leap between the Step 2 and Step 3 books, especially in terms of vocabulary and sentence structure. The vocabulary is more advanced with higher order words, and the sentences are longer. I was also concerned that my daughter might not like the topics which seemed to be more 'academic' with history-based stories. My worries were unfounded. She loves the books and is reading them with very little help from me (and I enjoy listening to the stories!)

These books are excellent for building children's reading skills as well as increasing their confidence in reading. Once you've completed the Step 1 and Step 2 books (I would advise proceeding level by level), the Step 3 books are not as daunting as they might first appear. In "Eat My Dust!", children are introduced to Henry Ford and learn about his contributions. The illustrations enhance the story and add a fun element which will appeal to young children.

I can't recommend these books highly enough - they are great for building reading skills, and also educational. This book is a great introduction to history, and I also came up with a series of short comprehension questions based on the story in this book so as to hone my daughter's comprehension skills (e.g. "What sort of vehicle did Henry Ford drive?", "What event did Henry Ford participate in?", etc. ). These books are not only great intermediate readers but might also inculcate in children a great love of history.

Great book!
This is such a fascinating book!I sure learned a lot while reading it to a child.It's obviously the story of Henry Food, written in a comic style book.Very seriously funny in parts, but the way it is presented, kids never forget how he actually successfully invented the car for everyone to afford.Great actual photos of the first car race of Henry too.Great, great book, highly recommend!

Basically informative book
My six-year-old asked about how cars were invented, and we purchased this "easy reader" as an introduction. My six-year-old and four-year-old sons like the story. At the conclusion of the (abbreviated and simplified) account of Henry Ford and the Model T, there is an historic photo of Henry Ford which is pretty neat.

History for kids!
Keeping interesting reading for a beginning reader is always a challenge. Henry Ford's First Race was a winner, especially with our six year old son. The cover is now curled from repeated reading. ... Read more

Product Description
An indispensable guide to the special challenges faced by parents of learning-disabled children as they enter adulthood, by the author of Laughing Allegra, a leading activist and parent of an adult child with LD.

In 2003 Anne Ford (great-granddaughter of Henry Ford) published Laughing Allegra, about the struggles of raising her learning-disabled daughter, and received a flood of letters from parents of children with LD, ADD, and ADHD, many expressing concerns about what to do as their children age.

On Their Own is an invaluable road map to ease these parents' fears and answer their questions, especially the one that haunts them daily: Will or can their child be on their own, and how? In a candid, sympathetic style, laced with real-life stories, the book covers such topics as:
• Social skills and dating
• Staying healthy
• Sibling relationships
• Interaction with employers and co-workers
• Job hunting
• Finding the right college or trade school
• Estate planning

Also included are a comprehensive resource guide and exclusive interviews with prominent professionals who have surmounted their learning disabilities: CEO's Sir Richard Branson, John Chambers, David Neeleman, and Charles Schwab, and former governor Gaston Caperton. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Highly recommended read for LD parents
I can't say enough about how informative this book is for parents of LD kids who are just about to turn 18. A great source of info that is hard to find. Her other book, "Laughing Allegra", is also an incredible read for those with younger kids, especially those who live in New York.

The best
Such a crucial, scary time..."on their own."You wonder if it can ever happen successfully.Very knowledgeable, ungarnished yet helpful and hopeful.

Not just another self help book.
I was worried that I would be bored by all the language specific jargon so commonly used by professionals in books like these, but the insight and personal account of dealing with learning disabled adults kept me totally engrossed for the entire book. I wish more books about dealing with disabilities were written with such a human voice.

On Their Own by Anne Ford
This is the book every parent of an adult child with LD should read, especially in those times when you feel so hopeless and that no one truly knows what you are going through.As the parent of an adult son with learning disabilities I can honestly say that On Their Own has changed the way I think about my son and his future.Most of all it has given me hope that he has a future at all!The book helped us see the whole person with all their strengths and weaknesses.Nothing is sugar-coated here, and parents of adults with LD will find many points where'll they'll nod in agreement and realize that yes, after all someone truly does understand what we are going through.I absolutely loved Anne Ford's previous book Laughing Allegra.In that book, I felt she spoke to me personally as we followed her step by step while raising a child with LD.On Their Own continues the story, but it is a much more hands-on approach and with a great deal of practical information.Even so, I found it as readable as Laughing Allegra, with many insights and anecdotes that separate it from so many other dry academic books in this field.Parents of adult children with any disability will benefit greatly from On Their Own ... Read more

Product Description
Whether exploring the reclusive communities of the Amish and Hutterites, probing the gritty existence of the American cowboy, or revealing the quiet beauty of the Minnesota lakes, William Albert Allard has helped define America in all its diversity. From rodeos to blues singers, from William Faulkner’s Mississippi to minor league baseball, Allard has turned his camera toward parts of our heritage that are often overlooked. His other award-winning books include The Vanishing Breed and A Time We Knew.

Portraits of America features 165 of Allard’s finest photographs. Presented in chronological order, with incisive introductions to each section written by Allard himself, these photographs show the creative development of a remarkably gifted artist.

Pulitzer Prize­winning author Richard Ford contributes a foreword that places Allard’s photography within the context of the American experience. Art aficionados and lovers of Americana alike delight in this beautifully designed and thoughtful collection from a man who has become a legend in the world photographic community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Truly one of the greats.
I find it sad that National Geographic photographers are sometimes left out when people talk about the 20th Century great photographers.If you have ever read a National Geographic in bed when you were a kid, you will remember seeing almost ALL of these images.This guy really IS the "National Geographic Look" if there is one.Amazing stuff.Shame then, that the reproductions are not the best I have seen of these images.Some have weird color casts most likely due to the cheaper printing process.Still, more than worth the money!

An intimate look at America
Bill Allard's vision of America is that of intimacy and affection, it is evident that Bill has connected himself with his subjects, showing the warmth and joys as well as the pain and sorrow of his subject, Bill's strength is his ability to earn the trust of his subject from The Amish to baseball players.
His work with the Blues musicians are a powerful testiment to Bill's ideals of being near his subject, treating them as both godlike and human at the same time.I am priviledge to have attended a slide show of Bill's work on the Blues musician in Havana one fine winter's evening, not so long ago, and those images blew me away.A magnificent work by a master photographer, well done Bill!!

Great American Photographer
Though there have been many great photographers that have come through National Geographic, William Allard has likely influenced more photographers in the last 40 years of his career than any of his compatriots. His command of color, light and composition is extraordinary. His ability to shoot under difficult light condition and still produce a beautiful and stunning image is envied and respected. Though his unyielding committment to his work led him to an on again off again relationship with NG, the images that he has produced are a testament to his passion and vision. The book is a wonderful glimpse of the man and his work. ... Read more

Product Description
This is one of the most solidly based works availabledetailing the effects of modifications and aftermarket bolt-ons on theperformance of Ford's famous 5.0 liter engine. Holdener, a regularcontributor to several Ford magazines, has dyno tested virtually everymodification and component available, from synthetic lubricants andiced intake manifolds and throttle bodies to cams, cylinder heads, andblowers. Actual dyno test figures are provided, as well as details ontest engine specifications used in each run. Ford 5.0 literperformance enthusiasts will benefit from the tens of thousands ofdollars worth of dyno test results in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great collection of dyno tests in one place
Ever wonder what simple changes add for hp? The specific impact runner length has on tq & hp? Like to see dyno tests while only changing to the various size TB or MAF? If so, this is the book. I was referred to this book and came away feeling I learned a lot. It does away with many of the myths. Has also become a great reference tool when considering certain changes.

p.s. After reading the book I doubt the author is trying to decieve the reader with the claim of 2000 dyno runs as mentioned in one of the other reviews of this book. I'll bet it was the real number of pulls it took to gather the data. I'm sure it involved multiple pulls per setup, per test not just one.

5.0L Ford Dyno Tests
I am a Mustang enthusiast who was sorely disappointed with this book. While this book provides dyno evidence for most enthusiasts¡¯ anecdotalknowledge, it misses important tests of the standard equipment andcombinations that most gear heads want to know about.

For instance, inthe section which compares cams on a typical street/strip 5.0 setup w/extrude honed Dart Iron heads, ported Cobra intake, and long tube headers,the dyno results purport to compare 8 different cams. However, in reality,the cams tested were only from three different companies: Ford Motorsport,Lunati and Crane. Additionally, the cams were not really selected foroptimal use with that particular combination. A more valid test would havecompared similar cam grinds among 8 different companies.

The intakesection has similar shortcomings as well. The dyno results of many teststhat most reasonably knowledgeable mustangers don't really care for arereported in great detail. Many comparisons are made between OEM andslightly modified OEM components vs. FRPP/SVO components. There isabsolutely no comparison among the different aftermarket intakemanufacturers represented here. Although there are comparisons of portedvs. unported cobra/GT40 style intakes and extrude hones OEM intakesreported here, this information is only useful to the novice who is lookingto get his/her feet wet.

The supercharger and exhaust modificationsections are better, but lack key dyno comparisons as well. I give creditto Richard Holdener for compiling such a comprehensive array of cheapand/or free modifications for the novice to try, but most enthusiasts wouldhave tried these modifications already. The layout of the book is very easyto read, well organized and very well written. But, in my estimation, it isa book most suited for the novice seeking optimization of stock or SVO/FRPPcomponents. This book is not for the gear head that knows which combo theywant to run, but is seeking hard evidence from the dyno to make aparticular component or brand choice.

Peace

2000 Dyno Runs?Am I missing 1200 pages?
While I think this book has some good information, I think anyone whoregularly reads Muscle Mustang and Fast Fords will have read most of thisalready. It states there are 2000 dyno runs, I counted, and came up witharound 180. While this is a lot, most of this was already in MM & FFmagazine. They didn't even test a vortech/paxton centrifugal superchargeron a stock engine. They did this test for a Kenne Bell, but it would be agreat comparison to test the KB against a centrifugal supercharger.Overall, I am dissapointed, I think most of this is regurgitated material.

2000 Dyno runs?Am I missing 1200 pages?
While I think this book has some good information, I think anyone whoregularly reads Muscle Mustang and Fast Fords will have read most of thisalready.It states there are 2000 dyno runs, I counted, and came up witharound 180.While this is a lot, most of this was already in MM & FFmagazine.They didn't even test a vortech/paxton centrifugal superchargeron a stock engine.They did this test for a Kenne Bell, but it would be agreat comparison to test the KB against a centrifugal supercharger. Overall, I am dissapointed, I think most of this is regurgitated material. ... Read more