Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Anchor Canada
ISBN: 0307373622
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century. A book that delivers on the promise that it is “laugh-out-loud funny.” Some say that the first hints that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came from his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. Across the moth-holed chest was a golden thunderbolt. It may have looked like an old college football sweater, but young Bryson knew better. It was obviously the Sacred Jersey of Zap, and proved that he had been placed with this innocuous family in the middle of America to fly, become invisible, shoot guns out of people’s hands from a distance, and wear his underpants over his jeans in the manner of Superman. Bill Bryson’s first travel book opened with the immortal line, “I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.” In this hilarious new memoir, he travels back to explore the kid he once was and the weird and wonderful world of 1950s America. He modestly claims that this is a book about not very much: about being small and getting much larger slowly. But for the rest of us, it is a laugh-out-loud book that will speak volumes – especially to anyone who has ever been young.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Anchor Canada
ISBN: 0307373622
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century. A book that delivers on the promise that it is “laugh-out-loud funny.” Some say that the first hints that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came from his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. Across the moth-holed chest was a golden thunderbolt. It may have looked like an old college football sweater, but young Bryson knew better. It was obviously the Sacred Jersey of Zap, and proved that he had been placed with this innocuous family in the middle of America to fly, become invisible, shoot guns out of people’s hands from a distance, and wear his underpants over his jeans in the manner of Superman. Bill Bryson’s first travel book opened with the immortal line, “I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.” In this hilarious new memoir, he travels back to explore the kid he once was and the weird and wonderful world of 1950s America. He modestly claims that this is a book about not very much: about being small and getting much larger slowly. But for the rest of us, it is a laugh-out-loud book that will speak volumes – especially to anyone who has ever been young.
Publisher: Anchor Canada
ISBN: 0307373622
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the last century. A book that delivers on the promise that it is “laugh-out-loud funny.” Some say that the first hints that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came from his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. Across the moth-holed chest was a golden thunderbolt. It may have looked like an old college football sweater, but young Bryson knew better. It was obviously the Sacred Jersey of Zap, and proved that he had been placed with this innocuous family in the middle of America to fly, become invisible, shoot guns out of people’s hands from a distance, and wear his underpants over his jeans in the manner of Superman. Bill Bryson’s first travel book opened with the immortal line, “I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.” In this hilarious new memoir, he travels back to explore the kid he once was and the weird and wonderful world of 1950s America. He modestly claims that this is a book about not very much: about being small and getting much larger slowly. But for the rest of us, it is a laugh-out-loud book that will speak volumes – especially to anyone who has ever been young.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1784161810
Category : Travel writers
Languages : en
Pages : 388
Book Description
Bill Brysonâe(tm)s first travel book opened with the immortal line, âe~I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.âe(tm) In this deeply funny and personal memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was, in the curious world of 1950s Middle America. It was a happy time, when almost everything was good for you, including DDT, cigarettes and nuclear fallout. This is a book about one boyâe(tm)s growing up. But in Brysonâe(tm)s hands, it becomes everyoneâe(tm)s story, one that will speak volumes âe" especially to anyone who has ever been young.
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1784161810
Category : Travel writers
Languages : en
Pages : 388
Book Description
Bill Brysonâe(tm)s first travel book opened with the immortal line, âe~I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.âe(tm) In this deeply funny and personal memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was, in the curious world of 1950s Middle America. It was a happy time, when almost everything was good for you, including DDT, cigarettes and nuclear fallout. This is a book about one boyâe(tm)s growing up. But in Brysonâe(tm)s hands, it becomes everyoneâe(tm)s story, one that will speak volumes âe" especially to anyone who has ever been young.
Summary of Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Author: Everest Media
Publisher: Everest Media LLC
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 38
Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Isometrics is a form of exercise that involves using any unyielding object and pushing against it with all your might from different positions to tone and strengthen different groups of muscles. It was popular in the 1950s, but my father was a sportswriter for The Des Moines Register, and so he would do isometrics on airplanes to travel to Major League cities. #2 In the 1950s, America was the richest country in the world. The Czekalinski family of Cleveland, Ohio, was shown in a magazine two weeks before my birth, surrounded by the two and a half tons of food that a typical blue-collar family ate in a year. #3 People were happy because they could have things they had never dreamed of having. They looked forward to the future, and many were excited about the small enrichments available right now. #4 My father, who was a sports columnist for the Des Moines Register, would go to the World Series every year for nearly forty years, from 1945 until his retirement. It was the high point of his working year. He would witness many memorable moments of baseball history, and he always seemed to be there when something significant occurred.
Publisher: Everest Media LLC
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 38
Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Isometrics is a form of exercise that involves using any unyielding object and pushing against it with all your might from different positions to tone and strengthen different groups of muscles. It was popular in the 1950s, but my father was a sportswriter for The Des Moines Register, and so he would do isometrics on airplanes to travel to Major League cities. #2 In the 1950s, America was the richest country in the world. The Czekalinski family of Cleveland, Ohio, was shown in a magazine two weeks before my birth, surrounded by the two and a half tons of food that a typical blue-collar family ate in a year. #3 People were happy because they could have things they had never dreamed of having. They looked forward to the future, and many were excited about the small enrichments available right now. #4 My father, who was a sports columnist for the Des Moines Register, would go to the World Series every year for nearly forty years, from 1945 until his retirement. It was the high point of his working year. He would witness many memorable moments of baseball history, and he always seemed to be there when something significant occurred.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781846179563
Category : Authors, American
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
Some say that the first hint that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came when his mother sent him to school in lime-green Capri pants. Others think it all started with his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. In his funny memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781846179563
Category : Authors, American
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
Some say that the first hint that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came when his mother sent him to school in lime-green Capri pants. Others think it all started with his discovery, at the age of six, of a woollen jersey of rare fineness. In his funny memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was.
Quicklet on Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - A Memoir (CliffNotes-like Summary)
Author: Becki Chiasson
Publisher: Hyperink Inc
ISBN: 161464957X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 28
Book Description
ABOUT THE BOOK “Growing up was easy. It required no thought or effort on my part. It was going to happen anyway. So what follows isn’t terribly eventful, I’m afraid. And yet it was by a very large margin the most fearful, thrilling, interesting, instructive, eye-popping, lustful, eager, troubled, untroubled, confused, serene, and unnerving time of my life.” So begins “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,” which was published in 2006. It was a departure from Bill Bryson’s earlier books. His previous work, “A Short History of Nearly Everything,” a book about science written for the average Joe, had taken a lot out of him and he wanted to work on something easier. Bryson told the Guardian: “I promised my wife I would do a book I could stay at home to do ... and I promised my publisher that I would do something more amusing that would corral back the core of my readership, some of whom doubtless were slightly appalled and alienated by A Short History. And also, purely in a selfish way, I wanted to do a book that I wouldn't have to do a lot of hard thinking and research about. I did miss writing humorous things.” MEET THE AUTHOR Becki Chiasson is a Baltimore-based writer who received her BS in Mass Communications from Towson University. Although she spent some time in New York as a crossword puzzle editor, she returned to her hometown in Maryland in 2010 to focus on writing. Her favorite topics include video games and women's issues. When she's not busy writing up a storm, she crochets, plays video games, and bakes. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” centers on Bryson’s life as a young child in Des Moines, Iowa during the 1950s and follows Bryson through puberty. The plot is less of a structured narrative and more of a series of loosely related, humorous anecdotes about growing up during happier, simpler times. A central conceit to the book is the idea that Bryson was the Thunderbolt Kid, a superhero who could make his enemies (usually people Bryson deemed to be morons) disappear in a flash of light by casting a withering stare at them. This superpower is presented in all seriousness, although it is rather doubtful that it ever happened. The first time Bryson used his superpower, he was six years old. He was at a diner with his mother and discovered to his great chagrin that the ancient-looking man next to him had been drinking out of Bryson’s water glass. Worse still, the man had been eating poached eggs, which Bryson positively despised. Bryson freaked out, gagging, and the man only laughed, having no remorse at all. When he turned to leave, “as he reached out to open the door, bolts of electricity flew from my wildly dilated eyes and played over his body. He shimmered for an instant, contorted in a brief, silent rictus of agony, and was gone. It was the birth of ThunderVision. The world had just become a dangerous place for morons.” Buy a copy to keep reading!
Publisher: Hyperink Inc
ISBN: 161464957X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 28
Book Description
ABOUT THE BOOK “Growing up was easy. It required no thought or effort on my part. It was going to happen anyway. So what follows isn’t terribly eventful, I’m afraid. And yet it was by a very large margin the most fearful, thrilling, interesting, instructive, eye-popping, lustful, eager, troubled, untroubled, confused, serene, and unnerving time of my life.” So begins “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,” which was published in 2006. It was a departure from Bill Bryson’s earlier books. His previous work, “A Short History of Nearly Everything,” a book about science written for the average Joe, had taken a lot out of him and he wanted to work on something easier. Bryson told the Guardian: “I promised my wife I would do a book I could stay at home to do ... and I promised my publisher that I would do something more amusing that would corral back the core of my readership, some of whom doubtless were slightly appalled and alienated by A Short History. And also, purely in a selfish way, I wanted to do a book that I wouldn't have to do a lot of hard thinking and research about. I did miss writing humorous things.” MEET THE AUTHOR Becki Chiasson is a Baltimore-based writer who received her BS in Mass Communications from Towson University. Although she spent some time in New York as a crossword puzzle editor, she returned to her hometown in Maryland in 2010 to focus on writing. Her favorite topics include video games and women's issues. When she's not busy writing up a storm, she crochets, plays video games, and bakes. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid” centers on Bryson’s life as a young child in Des Moines, Iowa during the 1950s and follows Bryson through puberty. The plot is less of a structured narrative and more of a series of loosely related, humorous anecdotes about growing up during happier, simpler times. A central conceit to the book is the idea that Bryson was the Thunderbolt Kid, a superhero who could make his enemies (usually people Bryson deemed to be morons) disappear in a flash of light by casting a withering stare at them. This superpower is presented in all seriousness, although it is rather doubtful that it ever happened. The first time Bryson used his superpower, he was six years old. He was at a diner with his mother and discovered to his great chagrin that the ancient-looking man next to him had been drinking out of Bryson’s water glass. Worse still, the man had been eating poached eggs, which Bryson positively despised. Bryson freaked out, gagging, and the man only laughed, having no remorse at all. When he turned to leave, “as he reached out to open the door, bolts of electricity flew from my wildly dilated eyes and played over his body. He shimmered for an instant, contorted in a brief, silent rictus of agony, and was gone. It was the birth of ThunderVision. The world had just become a dangerous place for morons.” Buy a copy to keep reading!
The Legal Dimension in Cold-War Interactions
Author:
Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN: 9004203338
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
This volume offers readers a stimulating perspective on both struggles and cooperation on the Cold-War’s legal front and regard for its political context. It covers the era of Stalinism up to the post-Communist period of the 1990s and 2000s.
Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN: 9004203338
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
This volume offers readers a stimulating perspective on both struggles and cooperation on the Cold-War’s legal front and regard for its political context. It covers the era of Stalinism up to the post-Communist period of the 1990s and 2000s.
Artificial Intelligence with Python Cookbook
Author: Ben Auffarth
Publisher: Packt Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1789137969
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 459
Book Description
Work through practical recipes to learn how to solve complex machine learning and deep learning problems using Python Key FeaturesGet up and running with artificial intelligence in no time using hands-on problem-solving recipesExplore popular Python libraries and tools to build AI solutions for images, text, sounds, and imagesImplement NLP, reinforcement learning, deep learning, GANs, Monte-Carlo tree search, and much moreBook Description Artificial intelligence (AI) plays an integral role in automating problem-solving. This involves predicting and classifying data and training agents to execute tasks successfully. This book will teach you how to solve complex problems with the help of independent and insightful recipes ranging from the essentials to advanced methods that have just come out of research. Artificial Intelligence with Python Cookbook starts by showing you how to set up your Python environment and taking you through the fundamentals of data exploration. Moving ahead, you’ll be able to implement heuristic search techniques and genetic algorithms. In addition to this, you'll apply probabilistic models, constraint optimization, and reinforcement learning. As you advance through the book, you'll build deep learning models for text, images, video, and audio, and then delve into algorithmic bias, style transfer, music generation, and AI use cases in the healthcare and insurance industries. Throughout the book, you’ll learn about a variety of tools for problem-solving and gain the knowledge needed to effectively approach complex problems. By the end of this book on AI, you will have the skills you need to write AI and machine learning algorithms, test them, and deploy them for production. What you will learnImplement data preprocessing steps and optimize model hyperparametersDelve into representational learning with adversarial autoencodersUse active learning, recommenders, knowledge embedding, and SAT solversGet to grips with probabilistic modeling with TensorFlow probabilityRun object detection, text-to-speech conversion, and text and music generationApply swarm algorithms, multi-agent systems, and graph networksGo from proof of concept to production by deploying models as microservicesUnderstand how to use modern AI in practiceWho this book is for This AI machine learning book is for Python developers, data scientists, machine learning engineers, and deep learning practitioners who want to learn how to build artificial intelligence solutions with easy-to-follow recipes. You’ll also find this book useful if you’re looking for state-of-the-art solutions to perform different machine learning tasks in various use cases. Basic working knowledge of the Python programming language and machine learning concepts will help you to work with code effectively in this book.
Publisher: Packt Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1789137969
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 459
Book Description
Work through practical recipes to learn how to solve complex machine learning and deep learning problems using Python Key FeaturesGet up and running with artificial intelligence in no time using hands-on problem-solving recipesExplore popular Python libraries and tools to build AI solutions for images, text, sounds, and imagesImplement NLP, reinforcement learning, deep learning, GANs, Monte-Carlo tree search, and much moreBook Description Artificial intelligence (AI) plays an integral role in automating problem-solving. This involves predicting and classifying data and training agents to execute tasks successfully. This book will teach you how to solve complex problems with the help of independent and insightful recipes ranging from the essentials to advanced methods that have just come out of research. Artificial Intelligence with Python Cookbook starts by showing you how to set up your Python environment and taking you through the fundamentals of data exploration. Moving ahead, you’ll be able to implement heuristic search techniques and genetic algorithms. In addition to this, you'll apply probabilistic models, constraint optimization, and reinforcement learning. As you advance through the book, you'll build deep learning models for text, images, video, and audio, and then delve into algorithmic bias, style transfer, music generation, and AI use cases in the healthcare and insurance industries. Throughout the book, you’ll learn about a variety of tools for problem-solving and gain the knowledge needed to effectively approach complex problems. By the end of this book on AI, you will have the skills you need to write AI and machine learning algorithms, test them, and deploy them for production. What you will learnImplement data preprocessing steps and optimize model hyperparametersDelve into representational learning with adversarial autoencodersUse active learning, recommenders, knowledge embedding, and SAT solversGet to grips with probabilistic modeling with TensorFlow probabilityRun object detection, text-to-speech conversion, and text and music generationApply swarm algorithms, multi-agent systems, and graph networksGo from proof of concept to production by deploying models as microservicesUnderstand how to use modern AI in practiceWho this book is for This AI machine learning book is for Python developers, data scientists, machine learning engineers, and deep learning practitioners who want to learn how to build artificial intelligence solutions with easy-to-follow recipes. You’ll also find this book useful if you’re looking for state-of-the-art solutions to perform different machine learning tasks in various use cases. Basic working knowledge of the Python programming language and machine learning concepts will help you to work with code effectively in this book.
The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson (Trivia-On-Books)
Author: Trivion Books
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 70
Book Description
Trivia-on-Book: The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson Take the challenge yourself and share it with friends and family for a time of fun! Having written the highest selling travelogue ever, author Bill Bryson undertakes to write its sequel by working his way along the longest straight line distance through the Island nation of Britain from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath. Although he pinballs much on his way through, he is able to capture the very soul of modernized Britain by his harrumphing prose. The Sunday Times national bestseller, The Road to Little Dribbling, is the latest of Bill Bryson’s travel memoirs. An honorary OBE recipient, Bill has over twenty books to his credit—more than half of which have made bestseller lists. You may have read the book, but not have liked it. You may have liked the book, but not be a fan. You may call yourself a fan, but few truly are. Are you a fan? Trivia-on-Books is an independently curated trivia quiz on the book for readers, students, and fans alike. Whether you're looking for new materials to the book or would like to take the challenge yourself and share it with your friends and family for a time of fun, Trivia-on-Books provides a unique approach to The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson that is bothinsightful and educational! Features You'll Find Inside: • 30 Multiple choice questions on the book, plots, characters and author • Insightful commentary to answer every question • Complementary quiz material for yourself or your reading group • Results provided with scores to determine "status" Promising quality and value, come play your trivia of a favorite book!!
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 70
Book Description
Trivia-on-Book: The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson Take the challenge yourself and share it with friends and family for a time of fun! Having written the highest selling travelogue ever, author Bill Bryson undertakes to write its sequel by working his way along the longest straight line distance through the Island nation of Britain from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath. Although he pinballs much on his way through, he is able to capture the very soul of modernized Britain by his harrumphing prose. The Sunday Times national bestseller, The Road to Little Dribbling, is the latest of Bill Bryson’s travel memoirs. An honorary OBE recipient, Bill has over twenty books to his credit—more than half of which have made bestseller lists. You may have read the book, but not have liked it. You may have liked the book, but not be a fan. You may call yourself a fan, but few truly are. Are you a fan? Trivia-on-Books is an independently curated trivia quiz on the book for readers, students, and fans alike. Whether you're looking for new materials to the book or would like to take the challenge yourself and share it with your friends and family for a time of fun, Trivia-on-Books provides a unique approach to The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson that is bothinsightful and educational! Features You'll Find Inside: • 30 Multiple choice questions on the book, plots, characters and author • Insightful commentary to answer every question • Complementary quiz material for yourself or your reading group • Results provided with scores to determine "status" Promising quality and value, come play your trivia of a favorite book!!
My Revision Notes: Edexcel AS/A-level History: The USA, c1920–55: boom, bust and recovery
Author: Peter Clements
Publisher: Hodder Education
ISBN: 1471876470
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 131
Book Description
Exam Board: Edexcel Level: AS/A-level Subject: History First Teaching: September 2015 First Exam: June 2016 Target success in Edexcel AS/A-level History with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam preparation activities and exam-style questions to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge. - Enables students to plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner - Consolidates knowledge with clear and focused content coverage, organised into easy-to-revise chunks - Encourages active revision by closely combining historical content with related activities - Helps students build, practise and enhance their exam skills as they progress through activities set at three different levels - Improves exam technique through exam-style questions with sample answers and commentary from expert authors and teachers - Boosts historical knowledge with a useful glossary and timeline
Publisher: Hodder Education
ISBN: 1471876470
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 131
Book Description
Exam Board: Edexcel Level: AS/A-level Subject: History First Teaching: September 2015 First Exam: June 2016 Target success in Edexcel AS/A-level History with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam preparation activities and exam-style questions to create a revision guide that students can rely on to review, strengthen and test their knowledge. - Enables students to plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner - Consolidates knowledge with clear and focused content coverage, organised into easy-to-revise chunks - Encourages active revision by closely combining historical content with related activities - Helps students build, practise and enhance their exam skills as they progress through activities set at three different levels - Improves exam technique through exam-style questions with sample answers and commentary from expert authors and teachers - Boosts historical knowledge with a useful glossary and timeline
Books and Beyond [4 volumes]
Author: Kenneth Womack
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313071578
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 1333
Book Description
There's a strong interest in reading for pleasure or self-improvement in America, as shown by the popularity of Harry Potter, and book clubs, including Oprah Winfrey's. Although recent government reports show a decline in recreational reading, the same reports show a strong correlation between interest in reading and academic acheivement. This set provides a snapshot of the current state of popular American literature, including various types and genres. The volume presents alphabetically arranged entries on more than 70 diverse literary categories, such as cyberpunk, fantasy literature, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, graphic novels, manga and anime, and zines. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Reading in America for pleasure and knowledge continues to be popular, even while other media compete for attention. While students continue to read many of the standard classics, new genres have emerged. These have captured the attention of general readers and are also playing a critical role in the language arts classroom. This book maps the state of popular literature and reading in America today, including the growth of new genres, such as cyberpunk, zines, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, and other topics. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's critical reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Students will find this book a valuable guide to what they're reading today and will appreciate its illumination of popular culture and contemporary social issues.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313071578
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 1333
Book Description
There's a strong interest in reading for pleasure or self-improvement in America, as shown by the popularity of Harry Potter, and book clubs, including Oprah Winfrey's. Although recent government reports show a decline in recreational reading, the same reports show a strong correlation between interest in reading and academic acheivement. This set provides a snapshot of the current state of popular American literature, including various types and genres. The volume presents alphabetically arranged entries on more than 70 diverse literary categories, such as cyberpunk, fantasy literature, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, graphic novels, manga and anime, and zines. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Reading in America for pleasure and knowledge continues to be popular, even while other media compete for attention. While students continue to read many of the standard classics, new genres have emerged. These have captured the attention of general readers and are also playing a critical role in the language arts classroom. This book maps the state of popular literature and reading in America today, including the growth of new genres, such as cyberpunk, zines, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, and other topics. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's critical reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Students will find this book a valuable guide to what they're reading today and will appreciate its illumination of popular culture and contemporary social issues.