How to Have Sex in the Woods

Book Description

Sex in the woods is not as simple as it sounds. Sure, you know the basics (after all, if you don't, you probably shouldn't try it in the wilderness), but what about all the little details that should be considered before embarking on an alfresco rendezvous that can make the difference between love under the moon and stars and love on the cold, hard ground? For example, what sex essentials should be part of your first-aid kit? What kind of camping equipment provides particular comfort for two? What are the effects of the elements on condoms, spermicides, and other contraceptives? How do you find that perfect spot for your love den? And how about foreplay, personal hygiene, and protection from pesky plants or adverse weather conditions while you're exposed?

How to Have Sex in the Woods answers these and other questions for the millions of hikers, backpackers, and campers who know that there's more than one way to commune with nature and that a campfire is good for more than just roasting marshmallows.

How to Have Sex in the Woods is full of useful, factual information, covering all the practical how-tos that every amorous camper should know but may have been afraid to ask. It is a must for anyone looking forward to his or her next outing á deux.

Customer Reviews:

Not that funny and I don't need a manual........2007-07-30

I thought this book would be a funny read for my die hard outdoor friends. It was not. While slitley amusing it is far to serious and not in a good (adult) way. Some how they have managed to almost take the fun out of the title.

Fun, but probably won't utilize.......2006-09-21

Since the two of us our avid wilderness campers I thought this would be an important book for us. It caught our eye at the bookstore and we new we had to have it.

For the most part the book contained little that we had not already known. There is no doubt some good practical ideas are brought up. For the die hard "rough it" camper the book is more for entertainment. It is a fun book. For the occasional Jellystone camper one should find it more pertinent. Although the book is meant for the outdoorsmen miles from home, we find that time restraints would forgo its use.

Not an informational book.......2006-07-31

This book was so unfortunately lacking in honest information that I just had to write a review on it.

Sex, sex, sex, we all love it and we know it sells. So what do you do if you need to make some money? Sell it. This book capitalizes on that in so many ways. If you remove the quick stories about people's encounters you find half a page of information per page.

For example:
The paragraph on "Games for One" goes on and on but simply amounts to "sure... go for it!"

Pages 164 - 168 simply list odd laws in US State which the author admits "may or may not" be true. If reads like some lame e-mail your Uncle Alvin sent you right after his forwarded chain letter and before his "joke of the day."

The cover itself doesn't even take the book's advice!

Page 35, "The Love Palace" - "In the store it might not seem to matter. But consider the color that will be reflected through your tent in the morning light. Choose a warm color like red, beige, yellow, or amber for at least the top half of your tent. As the morning sun penetrates the tent, you and your loved one will be bathed in warm, dreamy skin tones, as opposed to HARSH COLD BLUE LIGHT." What does the cover have? A blue tent. One would think if the book were read and not just pieced together with clipart and kinky stories they would have caught that.

Further, Page 79 - "Lighting Effects" "Be forewarned: Lanterns create great shadows that can entertain passerby or onlookers for miles around." Again, our cover has a nice lantern within.

In summary, while this book DOES have a few key points here and there it was really lacking in content. It needed more imaginative group activities, more options for sex with another and oneself, etc. The stories were fun but only minorly referenced the section they were in. In all, combine the high-school level book reading style and irrelevant text and cover and you find yourself with about 45 (of 180) pages of actual content.

Pass on it.

SO THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON.........2004-05-25

I can't be quite sure what to make of receiving this book as a gift, not being much of a person to be roughing it in places where the sun don't shine. But a quick skim had me smiling. Imagine instructions to make out a hammock (delicately of course), to keep your sleeping bag dry, and some erogenous games to play in the "woods", even if that means your own backyard. Guess it makes for a pretty fun gift for "back to nature" friends and as such it's a good laugh. Don't expect to end up becoming Fabio.

Interesting.......2002-05-17

No real information here. I guess that says a lot about my lifestyle and love for nature. A good read to just give opportunity for reflection upon current practices and maybe even some ideas.

Book Description

The only book of its kind, Crystalline Bacterial Cell Surface Proteins assembles present-day understanding of the occurrence, structure, chemistry, genetics, assembly, function, and application potential of S-layers. The chapters are designed to stand independent of each other and provide a complete survey of the different topics in S-layer research. This book is intended to stimulate further development in basic and applied S-layer research.

Key Features
* Assembles present-day understanding of S-layers
* Provides a detailed survey of the entire field of basic and applied S-layer research
* Potential for broad application in biotechnology, vaccine development, diagnostics, molecular nanotechnology, and biomimetics

Advances In Bacterial Paracrystalline Surface Layers (NATO ASI SERIES)

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Advances In Bacterial Paracrystalline Surface Layers (NATO ASI SERIES)
TERRY, ED. BEVERIDGE
Manufacturer: Plenum Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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General | Reference | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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The Bacterial Cell Surface
Stephen M. Hammond , Peter A. Lambert , and Andrew N. Rycroft
Manufacturer: Kapitan Szabo Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Microbiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0916845028

Bacterial Cell Surface Techniques (Modern Microbiological Methods)

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Bacterial Cell Surface Techniques (Modern Microbiological Methods)
Ian Hancock , and Ian Poxton
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Crystalline Bacterial Cell Surface Layers

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Crystalline Bacterial Cell Surface Layers
U.B. Sleytr , P. Messner , and D. Pum
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Microbiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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Microbial Cell Surface Hydrophobicity
R. J. Doyle
Manufacturer: Amer Society for Microbiology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biotechnology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Microbiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Microbial Surface Components And Toxins In Relation To Pathogenesis (FEMS SYMPOSIUM)

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Microbial Surface Components And Toxins In Relation To Pathogenesis (FEMS SYMPOSIUM)
ELIORA, ED. RON
Manufacturer: Plenum Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Nanoscale Structure and Properties of Microbial Cell Surfaces

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Nanoscale Structure and Properties of Microbial Cell Surfaces

Manufacturer: Nova Science Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Surface Structures of Microorganisms and Their Interaction With the Mammalian Host: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Workshop Conference Hoechst, Schloss ... 1987 (Workshop Conferences Hoechst, Vol 18)

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Surface Structures of Microorganisms and Their Interaction With the Mammalian Host: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Workshop Conference Hoechst, Schloss ... 1987 (Workshop Conferences Hoechst, Vol 18)
Workshop Conference Hoechst (18th : 1987 : Schloss Ringberg) , Margie Hayes Richmond , G. Seibert , and E. Schrinner
Manufacturer: Vch Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0895738244

Enhanced adsorption of zinc is associated with aging and lysis of bacterial cells in batch incubations [An article from: Chemosphere]

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Enhanced adsorption of zinc is associated with aging and lysis of bacterial cells in batch incubations [An article from: Chemosphere]
B.T. Ngwenya
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000PDU4P8

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Chemosphere, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Bacteria can immobilise significant quantities of trace metals through surface complexation reactions. However, bacterial cell lysis is an integral part of the development process, and the extent to which this process affects adsorbed metals has not been properly investigated. In order to evaluate the effects of cell lysis on metal fixation, bacterial suspensions containing ~10ppm Zn in 0.01M NaNO"3 were monitored over an one-month period for adsorbed Zn, pH, cell concentration, dissolved organic carbon, NH"3 and dissolved amino acids. Cell concentration decreased with time, in parallel with an increase in dissolved organic carbon. Zn adsorption decreased with time for suspensions with near-neutral (5.5-7.0) initial pH values, consistent with the reduction in cell concentration and/or formation of metal-ligand complexes in solution, with lysis products acting as ligands. However, Zn adsorption increased with time for suspensions with initially low pH (= <5), and was accompanied by an upward shift in suspension pH. Surface complexation modelling suggests that enhanced adsorption of Zn is predominantly due to the increase in pH, with ternary surface complexation at pH values below the pK"a of the carboxyl surface sites. The increase in pH is due to production of ammonia, and/or proton buffering by the amphoteric cytoplasmic compounds. The observed changes may have implications for understanding metal sequestration during remineralisation of organic matter in nature.

Book Description

You don't have to hate children to want a vacation, weekend or elegant dinner...without the patter of little feet. Jennifer Lawler, author and curmudgeon extraordinaire, will give you some good laughs as she shares her years of experience shunning kids while traveling. She shows exactly how to plan and where to go to enjoy time away, child-free. Lawler covers the full range of adults-only vacation possibilities including sections on trips that highlight: romance, adventure, learning, culture, special events, senior interests, locations off the beaten track, alternative vacations ... even 'do- good' vacations. Each segment is arranged geographically with detailed descriptions including price range and best time to travel. CHILD-FREE TRAVEL, in addition to being a lot of fun, is the first comprehensive Guide to places to go and sights to see ... without encountering anyone who still thinks Mickey Mouse is their best friend.

Customer Reviews:

Very good intro for those new to the concept.......2000-05-05

Child-free doesn't mean child-hating, and I applaud the author for pointing this out. Her sense of humor helps the wary reader feel more comfortable about the choice of a child-free vacation. As the author notes, there are many times when a child-free vacation is most appropriate (on a honeymoon, for instance!) Even parents need a break away from children to get re-acquainted with each other. In my mind, that's much better done away from crowds of children, who would probably only make them feel guilty and remind them of child-related things. Having a break from parental duties can enable the parent to return to parenting refreshed and better able to handle stresses.

This book may seem elementary to those with lots of experience in child-free travel, but it included tips and resources I hadn't encountered before, including web links and links for educational travel for adults and tips for seniors, who, though they love their grandchildren, also treasure quiet time.

Not as good as I'd hoped.......1999-07-22

First, I was astonished to learn that Jennifer Lawler has a child. However, if she keeps her child out of places where children don't belong, then she's ok!

I read this book because I thought there would be a wealth of information about where to go and how to avoid crowds of children. The book didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know as far as eating at later hours, avoiding theme parks, etc.

I did enjoy her candor. Children, although sometimes pleasant, are just not welcome everywhere. Some people, parents and childfree folks alike, just want to have a relaxing vacation without hearing screaming children, tripping over children, etc. Ms. Lawler seems to have some common sense, which seems to be lacking in people who drag their children absolutely everywhere they go, whether the kids like it or not.

I'd recommend checking it out at a library to decide whether or not you like it first, and if you do, then by all means order it!

Book Description

This candid narrative by Nobel laureate, Arthur Kornberg, chronicles the saga of a small biotech start-up, the key players, the painstaking development of the perfect product, and the forces affecting its resulting success or failure. Kornberg's razor-sharp wit and provocative opinions make this book a compelling page turner, whether he is decrying the current fashion in scientific funding or delving into the hotly contested PCR patent trial.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing if you are seeking business insights.......2000-07-18

A good book if you want resumes of biotech industry pioneers, but written from a strongly US-centric and scientific rather than commercial point of view. I had hoped to gather insights into what it's like being part of a new start-up venture, but instead found little more than generous (if uncritical) praise of the scientific workers involved in the story.

Biotech industry in a nutshell.......2000-04-18

Arthur Kornberg starts by describing how, as an academic, he was opposed to the commercialization of biotechnology. He describeshis role on the advisorial board at DNAX and identifies the key elements for success in any biotech company. Kornberg details the risks in biotechnology and discusses the pros and cons of commercial biotechnology, and his take on patents - "Secrecy is corrosive; it makes even less sense in industry than in academia." In the end, he concludes that industry, not academia, is where the most productive science takes place.

reality check for academicians considering industry.......1999-07-21

an autobiographical journey through the minds and hearts of the scientist/ buisnessman. A must for scientists trying to understand how people can do science AND make money!

Book Description

This important book provides an up-to-date comprehensive and down-to-earth survey of the theory and practice of extreme value distributions - one of the most prominent success stories of modern applied probability and statistics. Originated by E J Gumbel in the early forties as a tool for predicting floods, extreme value distributions evolved during the last 50 years into a coherent theory with applications in practically all fields of human endeavor where maximal or minimal values (the so-called extremes) are of relevance. The book is of usefulness both for a beginner with a limited probabilistic background and to expert in the field.

Customer Reviews:

Too many errors and omissions.......2002-05-06

This book is a broad survey of both univariate and multivariate extreme value distributions. The target reader is someone who wants quick access to results so the book has no proofs, although there are motivating theoretical discussions in the first chapter. This book has considerable overlap with a chapter in Kotz's book: Continuous Univariate Distributions, Vol. 2. The book is thin (too thin for such a vast subject) with only three chapters. There are no worked problems or sample data sets, so the person wanting a tutorial work should look elsewhere. This book is primarily a reference work, not a text, or a monograph. Unfortunately, there are a number of annoying errors and omissions. For example, on page 23 (section 1.7.1 Moment Estimation) the moment equations for sigma and mu reversed. In chapter 2, which covers generalized extreme value distributions, the authors reference Castillo and Hadi (1997), but this reference is missing from the bibliography. Too bad, as this is an essential reference for the chapter because as it gives a good method for estimating the parameters of a generalized extreme value distribution. Although there is a section on Bayesian inference, try looking up "Bayes" or "Bayesian" in the index-- nothing. The index is entirely inadequate, especially for a reference work. If I had paid for this book with my own money, I would have returned it.

The statistics of extremes has a variety of applications including: civil engineering, reliability, meteorology, seismology, hydrology, insurance, and finance, to name but a few. The classic reference has been the book by Gumbel-- a tour-de-force of the subject. However, that book predates modern developments in numerical methods so it is dated. Castillo (1988) updates Gumbel with a number of results that don't even appear in the Kotz book.

I wish I could recommend "Extreme Value Distributions" because of the many fine other books authored by Kotz, but I can't. Unfortunately, it looks like it was put together in a hurry, the reader deserves better.

great overview of theory and historical development.......2001-05-10

The theory of extremes and related topics of outlier detection are near and dear to me. My Ph.D. thesis dealt with special stationary sequences and how Gnedenko's three type theorem extended from the i.i.d. case to stationary sequences. Also after getting my Ph.D. I went to Oak Ridge National Laboratory where I continued to do research on extremes and focused on the problem of outlier detection and its relation to data validation.

There have been a number of theoretical books on the theory of extremes. Gumbel's was the first and it was also considered very practical. Galambos and Leadbetter,Lindgren and Rootzen are the landmark theoretical books that extend the theory. Castillo wrote a book for engineers and in recent years there have been additional books of a theoretical nature but with applications to finance or hydrology etc.

This book is a reference for engineers and others that may want to use the distributions and apply the methods. It is also useful to the extreme value theorists like myself.

Kotz has always been known for his ability to characterize and provide historical accounts for probability distributions. His volumes with Norman Johnson are famous. This book is up to his high standards. Chapter 1 provides a thorough and accurate historical account of the development of the theory of univariate extremes. Chapter 2 provides information on the family of generalized extreme value distributions. Finally Chapter 3 covers the theory and distributions for multivariate extremes along with applications. This is followed by a large and extensive bibliography. Although my own work is not mentioned directly in this book it can be found in some of the references including Castillo (1988) and Leadbetter, Lindgren and Rootzen (1983).

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Application of the extreme value statistical distribution to annual precipitation and crop yields (ARS)
D. L Brakensiek
Manufacturer: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Meteorology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007HO9N0

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Approximative extreme value distributions and first passage time probabilities in stationary and related stochastic processes, with applications on geophysics, ... Bygningsafdelingen. Matematik)
Ove Ditlevsen
Manufacturer: Danmarks ingeniørakademi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
Probability & Statistics | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007JXVGE

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Embedding sequences of successive maxima in extremal processes, with applications extreme-value distribution (Technical report / Dept. of Statistics, Colorado State University)
Rocco Ballerini
Manufacturer: Dept. of Statistics, Colorado State University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00072P8R6

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Estimation of the location and scale parameters of the extreme value distribution based on multily type-II censored samples (Statistical analysis for stochastic ... with applications to manufacturing)
N Balakrishnan
Manufacturer: Pritsker & Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Probability & Statistics | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006P78W2

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The Extreme Value Distribution: Theory, Methodsand Applications
N. Balakrishnan
Manufacturer: Gordon and Breach
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 9056996193

Book Description

Originally published in 1934, Seven Gothic Tales, the first book by "one of the finest and most singular artists of our time" (The Atlantic), is a modern classic. Here are seven exquisite tales combining the keen psychological insight characteristic of the modern short story with the haunting mystery of the nineteenth-century Gothic tale, in the tradition of writers such as Goethe, Hoffmann, and Poe.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Scheherazade-orama.......2007-08-08

dinesen/blixen was a true, living Scheherazade. this is an astounding collection of stories within stories within stories within stories. beautifully, elegantly written and set in various european locales, starring wonderfully alive characters straight out of fairytales, dreams and myth. these are strange, magical narratives (novellas, to be a stickler) with a modern sensibility. brimming with metaphors that will make you pause. kind of a cross between e.t.a. hoffman and a.s. byatt. definitely going to read more of her stuff.

"Like an Echo in the Engulfing Darkness".......2006-01-31

These are strangely compelling stories, all of which evoke a sense of mystery and poetry. Floods and monkeys, skulls and puppet shows, vie with each other and figure here in short works that are too realistic for fables but too bizarre to be mistaken for reality.

Gothic surrealism might be the best way to describe the tone achieved by the author, whose real name was Karen Blixen (made familiar to modern audiences by the film "Out of Africa"). This is a reissue of a volume that first appeared in 1934.

Borrowing the author's phrase, each story is "like an echo in the engulfing darkness." Atmospheric and brooding, these tales are part Poe and part Brothers Grimm. Exotic in characterization as well as setting, we are introduced to a polyglot collection of virgin nuns and wandering n'er do wells, who cling to rooftops and journey on rhino-horn laden dhows.

Escape from the ordinary world is promised and delivered, but somehow, the people in these stories also remind us of people we know and situations that might not be as straightforward as we have assumed. A scarf may not be a scarf. The wind may be more than the wind. A scarf blown in the wind recalls to one character the memory of a little white snake -- madness is hinted at, at every turn.

They are seven distinctive tales. Yet, the evocation of place, the depiction of eccentricity, the precariousness of life, suffuse them all. They are magnetic and memorable. Even so, some readers may find the tales a bit too weird for their tastes.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

Fired out of the canon?.......2005-03-21

Why isn't I. Dinesen's work more widely known and accepted in the modernist pantheon? Her reputation seems to have settled into that of oddball literary personality and vehicle for Meryl Streep, however the work itself would have eluded me, despite a decent education in high school and university (for example, I was given Hesse and Camus to read in 10th grade, why not Isak?)had I not been attracted to this title in a dusty library. The work is about as anti-Hollywood as I could possibly imagine. Perhaps the answer is, she is not really a modernist but some sort of high baroque romanticist belonging more in the 19th century world of German prose; the "layering of stories" effect, especially in "Roads to Pisa", reads like she is channeling the world of Jan Potocki, enigmatic author of "The Saragossa Manuscript," who like Casanova moved in that incredible world of the international bohemian intellectual elite that Rexroth describes so well somewhere in one of his essays; that world of post-chaises and midnight rendezvous and military officers with seemingly endless resources of money, brains, education and cunning ... in fact "Saragossa" and Casanova's "Memoirs" were the books that came to my mind as I read her...reading this stuff is like eating a chocolate eclair with a brain more powerful than yours will ever be...why aren't there writers like this anymore? Was it all only a dream?

Many layered tales.......2004-03-17

This is a demanding work of seven multilayered and esoteric stories in this, Dinesen's first book.

We know of Dinesen more commonly by way of Meryl Streep, who played Dinesen, or the Baroness Karen Blixen, in "Out of Africa." But the woman we find here as the author of these stories is no easily-understood, Hollywood character. Her stories within stories are rich in symbolism, imagination, and a "long ago and far away" feeling that is carefully, carefully, controlled by the author. Dinesen wrote some of these tales in Africa, and finished others along with ordering the book back home in Denmark, after her farm had failed. She wrote, interestingly, in English (and did her own translations back into Danish later on). Many books follow this one, including LAST TALES and, of course, OUT OF AFRICA. Dinesen, while the heroic, strong, individualist of Streep's portrayal, is also kind of strange, introspective, and fabulously bizarre. She uses her stories' plot lines as a means, one feels, to work out her life philosophies, reshape and recast ideas and symbolic imagery, and impart creative insights. After getting to about the fourth or fifth story, one can see that she uses the same imagery repeatedly and even the same turns of phrase.

I have read this volume at least once before, and wanted to go through it again knowing just that much more literature and biblical references. (It helps to be well read in the classics when reading Dinesen.) Anything is up for her use, and if you don't see it, something will be lost to you as you interpret the stories and what they meant, or even, what happened. She loves Shakespeare (OUT OF AFRICA was written in five sections, after the five-act structure of Shakespearian drama), and Don Giovanni, she has interesting ideas about femininity and independent women, and symbolizes these issues with women who are doll-like, women who seem as if they can fly, women who are witches in some way or another, etc. She likes to toy with the mind of God, as well, having characters pronounce his proclivities, likes and dislikes, etc., quite often. I found these to be some of the most interesting passages, after some of the gender-defining ones, that is. (She chose her pseudonym, "Isak," as it is Hebrew for "He who laughs" and she definitely plays with many ideas here, many humorously.)

Of the seven tales (The Old Chevalier, The Roads Round Pisa, The Monkey, The Supper at Elsinore, The Dreamers, The Poet, and The Deluge at Norderney), The Roads Round Pisa is my favorite, and I have studied it for a graduate class. In the book, a mistake is the central event, and we learn of it only at the end. Our main character, Count Augustus Von Schimmelmann, is writing a letter to a friend, when a carriage accident occurs in front of him. An old woman, who seemed at first to him to be a man, is injured and asks that he go and seek out her granddaughter so that she may forgive her for an estrangement before she dies, as she believes she will do shortly. Augustus sets out for Pisa and in an inn meets a young man, with whom he engages in an interesting conversation. Soon, however, he finds out that this man is a woman, and whereas before he had been asking "him" for help in finding his way into the city, now he offers her his assistance as a gentleman. Their subsequent conversation holds a particularly compelling passage I have never forgotten. In it, Dinesen explicates a concept of women's differences, physically, psychologically and societally, from men through the artful use of the host and guest metaphor.

This passage is a key to the story's mood when toward the end the mistake around which the characters swirl is revealed. But the passage is also an interesting philosophical and societal analogy that provokes thought and discussion. This is, then, quintessential Dinesen.

The other stories deal with identity and loss (The Dreamers), a ghost who is allowed to rise up from hell whenever the sound between Denmark and Sweden freezes over (Supper at Elsinore), the mirage of lost love (The Old Chevalier), poetry and power (The Poet), the societal roles of women (The Monkey), and identity (The Deluge at Norderney), but these are very brief and basic categorizations. One could safely say that all the stories deal with many of the others' main themes. The book as a whole is an excellent study of the power of fiction to suggest and manipulate, with beautiful, evocative writing and deep and stirring underlying meanings. I recommend it.

Best 19th Century Stories written in the 20th Century.......2003-05-16

Years ago, I wrote a review on Amazon for Karen Blixen's _Winter's Tales_, where I observed that it was the equal of this book. I have no reason to revise that estimate, but feel I should point out that this book is extremely fine, and should not be ignored by people who like good writing and aren't scared off by a bit of melodrama.

The title of this review tries to make a small point: Blixen didn't write her stories with notions of the prevailing literary fashions in mind. She wrote them as she felt them, and she used a style and technique that harken back to earlier writers. In her introduction to the book, Dorothy Canfield, attempting to characterise this style, made reference to an array of writers from E.T.A. Hoffmann to Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Mann. Although I think the reference to Mann has merit, the truth is Blixen was genuinely unique. She doesn't really have any real imitators, either, although I've seen a number of writers allude to being influenced by her.

Back to this book: it was her first volume of short stories. Not many writers hit gold on their first book, but Blixen managed it. There was no 'prentice work as prelude, just a stream of mature works of art from this book onward.

And, goodness, she could *write*. The prose is eloquent, forceful, and full of striking phrases and observations. The stories are all set in the 19th Century, and many contains elements of the gothic (hence the title) and sometimes the gruesome, as well as modernist irony and psychological insight. When it comes to characters, plots, and situations, virtually everything in the book seems beyond the ordinary. Clearly, the writer wasn't afraid to take chances. The amazing thing is that she wins most of her fictional gambles.

The first story in the book is "The Deluge at Norderney," where we have a cast of characters that seem out of Hoffmann by way of Byron, put into an extreme situation, and forced to come to terms with questions of illusion and reality in life. This story is my absolute favorite; it may not be the "best." It certainly sets the tone.

Besides "The Deluge...", the stories I'd single out for special praise are "The Monkey," "The Poet," "The Supper at Elsinore," and "The Roads Round Pisa." The remaining 2 stories in the book are a pleasure to read, although I don't feel that "The Dreamers" entirely comes off; Blixen reused the heroine of this story later in ways that lead me to think she was invested with some sort of personal significance for the author; perhaps that's why it seems less well controlled. The shortest story, "The Old Chevalier," is pleasant but feels slighter both in size and content than its companions.

Blixen's other books of stories are interesting-to-fascinating. Each book has its attractions. Admirers of this book might find _Winter's Tales_ worth their time. _Anecdotes of Destiny_, which contains "Babette's Feast" and "Tempests," is fine collection, too, and has grown on me with the years. It isn't quite at the level of achievement of _Seven Gothic Tales_ or _Winter's Tales_, but then, how many books of stories are?

Seven Gothic Tales, By Isak Dinesen with an Introduction By Dorothy Canfield

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Seven Gothic Tales, By Isak Dinesen with an Introduction By Dorothy Canfield
Isak Dinesen
Manufacturer: Modern Library, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000GK6R5Q

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Seven Gothic Tales

Manufacturer: Vintage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HX36F6

An introduction by Dorothy Canfield for Seven gothic tales by Isak Dinesen

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An introduction by Dorothy Canfield for Seven gothic tales by Isak Dinesen
Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Manufacturer: Smith and Haas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00089GCIW

An introduction by Dorthy Canfield for Seven Gothic tales by Isek Dinesen

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An introduction by Dorthy Canfield for Seven Gothic tales by Isek Dinesen
Dorothea Frances (Canfield) Fisher
Manufacturer: H. Smith and R. Haas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008D0BLW

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SEVEN GOTHIC TALES
ISAK DINESEN
Manufacturer: PUTNAM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SF8ERS

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SEVEN GOTHIC TALES
Isak Dinesen
Manufacturer: MLB.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V7TXM8

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Seven Gothic Tales
Isak Dinesen
Manufacturer: New York: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NRA5UA

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Seven Gothic Tales
Dinesen Isak
Manufacturer: Harrison Smith Robert Haas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QYJ7WC

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Seven Gothic Tales
Isak Dinesen
Manufacturer: Random House Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BTHGM0

Product Description

Seven gothic tales from Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa. The felicity of writing, the charm and dramatic power of these tales, their dignity and beauty, create a spell for readers of every shade of interest. The Deluge at Norderney, The Old Chevalier, The Monkey, The Roads Round Pisa, The Supper at Elsinore, The Dreamers, and The Poet.

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