Book Description
DEVIL IN THE DETAILS announces Jennifer Traig as one of the most hilarious writers to emerge in recent yearsand one of the strangest! Recalling the agony of growing up obsessivecompulsive and a religious fanatic, Traig fearlessly confesses the most peculiar behaviorlike tirelessly scrubbing her hands for a full half hour before dinner, feeding her stuffed animals before herself, and washing everything she owned because she thought it was contaminated by pork fumes. The result is a book so relentlessly funny and frank, its totally refreshing.
Customer Reviews:
Good Read.......2007-05-07
I really liked this book. A good read about growing up, religion, family and OCD. I just saw that the author has another book, and I'm ordering that one right now! Good read!
Obsessing about everything!.......2007-01-04
Though this is probably a good review of living with an obsessive compulsive disorder, I found it a bit bizarre. Her family was certainly long-suffering, though it's hard to believe they couldn't have found more help for her.
Left me wanting more.......2006-10-13
Traig writes well and had only one literary tendency that annoyed me (her overuse of "Oh, sure ..."). She kept me laughing, but towards the end of the book I became restless, wanting more:
-Some of the themes become repetitive towards the end; her writing could have been "tighter" in the closing essays
- She treats her adolescent self as a carnival freak, something to be laughed at, and invites her readers to do the same. But she is not a freak; she is a person. As a reader, I wanted to love her and care about her. But she doesn't really let us feel her pain -- surely there was real hurt in those moments, yes? She doesn't dig deep enough; she is content to let those scabs merely become fodder for jokes. And in the end, because she seems to be dismissive and distant towards her former self, the reader has no choice but to do the same.
If I were her editor, I'd push her for a rewrite and ask for more of the raw feelings. Yes, her skin was chapped -- but what about her heart? Bring us your pain, Traig, and let us cry with you as you are trapped in your disability. Show us that you love yourself, so that we can love you too. Because we want to!
Interesting for more than one reason.......2006-07-04
As a Jew and a mild OCDer, I found this book interesting for more than one reason. Loved the insights into Judaism and its traditions, but when I loaned it to a Christian friend warned her that she might have trouble understanding some of the words, phrases and "Jewish-isms." I could relate to some of her OCD behaviors (not anywhere near to the same extreme), but felt she didn't get into the sheer seriousness of her compulsions until the end of the book. Up until then, it seemed sort of minor to me.
On the whole, it was an interesting book and a gave insight into a problen that plagues so many people. Fast reading-able to finish it a couple of days. Would definitely try some more of her books.
Both touching and hilarious. .......2006-06-30
Ms. Traig has a real talent for taking events that are quite tragic, and must have been agonizing to experience, and making them hilarious. You feel almost guilty laughing, as a young Jenny washes her hands dozens of times while wondering if water is really clean.
While her memoir is primarily one of a "closet OCD sufferer," her scrupulosity and other concerns give an interesting insight into Judaism, for those of us who had no idea which holidays were fasts and that Jewish-ness is passed down through the mother. Her light, witty handling of serious matters--Judaism, OCD, family relationships--is truly spectacular.
This book was of special interest to me because it made me aware of several symptoms of OCD that I had as a child. Discussing it with another, similarly surprised friend, we decided that no, rearranging objects in perfect right angles for fear of the Apocalypse wasn't exactly normal behavior. So this book is especially enjoyable if you see a bit of yourself in Jenny.
Book Description
Robert Batterman examines a form of scientific reasoning called asymptotic reasoning, arguing that it has important consequences for our understanding of the scientific process as a whole. He maintains that asymptotic reasoning is essential for explaining what physicists call universal
behavior. With clarity and rigor, he simplifies complex questions about universal behavior, demonstrating a profound understanding of the underlying structures that ground them. This book introduces a valuable new method that is certain to fill explanatory gaps across disciplines.
Average customer rating:
- My footnote to the 1-star review
- Trivial, oh so trivial
- book critic in love
- Superbly presented study on an important aspect of writing.
- A delightful read!
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The Devil's Details: A History of Footnotes
Chuck Zerby
Manufacturer: Touchstone
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The Footnote: A Curious History
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Marginalia: Readers Writing in Books
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The Footnote
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Bring Out Your Dead: The Past as Revelation
ASIN: 0743241754 |
Book Description
Footnotes have not had it easy. Their dominance of eighteenth- and nineteenth- century literature and scholarship was both hard-won -- following many years of struggle -- and doomed, as it led to belittlement in the twentieth century. In The Devil's Details, Chuck Zerby playfully explores footnotes' long and illustrious history and makes a clarion call to save them from the new world of the Internet and hypertext.
In a story that boasts a marvelous plot and a rogues' gallery of players, Zerby examines traditional footnotes and their less-buttoned-down incarnations, as when used by pornographers. Yes, The Devil's Details is full of surprises: Zerby hunts down the first bona fide fully functioning footnote; unearths a multivolume history of Northumberland County, England, that uses one volume for a single footnote; and uncovers a murder plot. He even explains why footnotes are like blind dates.
Carefully researched and highly opinionated, The Devil's Details affirms that delight in reading can come from unexpected places.
Customer Reviews:
My footnote to the 1-star review.......2003-02-26
Don't listen to the reviewer who purports to give Zerby 0 stars, that review isn't worth your while. Try this, instead: I'm trying to delve into the study of footnotes (non-scholarly). Grafton's work relies too heavily on scholarly use. Kevin Jackson's Invisible Forms only lends the footnote a chapter. So Zerby, as of now, is the happy medium. And yes, he rambles. Yes, the book weaves in and out of direction. But that's the point, and assuming you'd encounter otherwise is somewhat deluded. If you accept Zerby's offering for what it is, and roll with the punches the book provides, you might learn a thing or two about how the footnote has evolved (AND discover a few interesting original sources to peruse later)!
Trivial, oh so trivial.......2002-07-04
This is a zero star book. I read about half and then skimmed the rest because I couldn't take the torture and I read for enjoyment and education, not as a form of masochism. I picked this book up because I am an editor/writer and love the English language, including its more obscure aspects. This book, however, offers nothing of value. The basis for the book appears to be the author's one semi-bright idea: that there can be a kind of interplay between text and footnote, which some authors exploit to good effect. Unfortunately, Zerby does not fall into that category.
One needn't rack his or her brains for an appropriate and clever adjective to describe this book. It is simply stupid -- on every conceivable level. The scholarship on the beginnings of the footnote is suspect at best; the footnoting and comments on such are pompous and totally subjective; the ironic, "this is so trivial it must be amusing" tone is after a few pages damned irritating; and the author engages in an orgy of name dropping and jumps from one subject to another to make himself sound erudite, when it is clear he doesn't know what the hell he is talking about -- how does a book like this get published?
As for those people who report to have enjoyed this pointless mush, fyi: readig a book that makes reference to obscure texts and a handful of name authors does not make you clever. Try reading a few of the originals instead.
book critic in love.......2002-04-25
You will laugh, you will cry, you will beg for more from this mercurial clown of literary criticism and history! For those of you who are refreshed by sets of ten point text at the bottom of your current volume, or for those who are wondering just what good are they. Timely, appropriate, and altogether brilliant. Charles Zerby, we love you and your precious, precious footnotes.
Superbly presented study on an important aspect of writing........2002-03-29
The Devil's Details: A History Of Footnotes is a carefully researched and superbly presented study of the footnote -- an editorial convention most often seen in academic texts yet fast becoming more widespread than ever, particularly in the world of the Internet where a "footnote" can in fact be a hyperlinked note. Fascinating and informative with its close attention to minute matters, The Devil's Details is an enjoyable and even slightly whimsical study of an oft-overlooked aspect of writing and recommended reading for anyone wanting to improve the professionalism of their writings in print or on the Internet.
A delightful read!.......2002-03-01
What a joy this book is. Funny, insightful, daring. Who is Chuck Zerby? Where in the world did he come from, and how did he learn so much? He does what no traditional scholar has been able to do--capture what is so rich and, yes, silly about getting caught up in minutiae about books, and reminding us bibliophiles why we love to read so much. Get this gorgeous little book for everyone you know who still appreciates the beauty of the word on the page.
Average customer rating:
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The Devil's Details
Nathan, James
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1847280218 |
Book Description
Nathan James takes you on an erotic, sizzling journey into the supernatural with the story of Josh Dolan, a young, gay college student. Josh meets the Devil himself, and embarks on an odyssey of discovery in which he experiences the darkness of hatred, and learns the meaning of faith. Along the way, he has some of the hottest sexual encounters of his life. "The Devil's Details" is a sexy, compassionate look at good and evil, and the challenges young Joshua faces as a gay man are taken from today's headlines. Angels soar and the Devil beckons...because he really is in the "Details"!
Book Description
It's Labor Day, Camille's favorite weekend of the year. She's planning to relax and ponder what's happening in her relationship with policeman Sgt. Ray Deveau. She's emphatically not planning to get involved in anything that means trouble. No wonder the news that an old acquaintance has had an accident comes as a surprise. There must be some mistake. By the time Camille unearths Laura's connection to a violent revolutionary group active two decades earlier, she's had several blows to the head and discovered the people she's been talking to keep ending up dead. Someone will do anything to keep Laura's connections secret. Getting arrested is the least of Camille's problems.
Customer Reviews:
The Devil's in the Details.......2007-09-03
I received this book in a timely manner and in good condition. Thank you
An Entertaining Book.......2006-06-01
I am glad I ordered The Devil's in the Details by Mary Jane Maffini. Camilla MacFee's edges have softened, and she's more likable than ever. The very beginning of Chapter 29 had me in tears from laughing so hard.
Because Camilla cares so much about people who need her help, she winds up on the wrong end of the law. Alvin and Mrs. Parnell cheer her on from the sidelines, so they are involved just enough to make it fun, but not so much that we get tired of them.
Wonderful Mix of Mystery, Action and Comedy.......2005-03-30
The 4th book in Maffini's series that features Camilla MacPhee, an Ottawa lawyer who works with crime victims, finds Camilla ready to relax over the Labour Day weekend. Unfortunately she learns that an old school friend has died, and she is listed as next of kin, even though they've never been good friends and haven't seen each other in quite a while. Camilla decides to look into the matter, hoping to at least find a more appropriate next of kin. Like with all good mysteries, nothing is ever as it seems.
The plot was interesting and fast-moving. Keeping things light were the funny dialogue and situations, as well as the quirky cast of characters. Camilla's perfect and nitpicking sisters, a unique assistant who never really does any work, a colorful old lady/neighbour who is always ready to jump into action, and a variety of other interesting friends and acquaintances make this book a fun ride.
The only problem with reading the book so quickly is that I'm already anxious for the next one!
Average customer rating:
- Religious fiction.
- very intriguing premise
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The Devil in the Details
Julia Eaton
Manufacturer: BooneDog Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0970510632 |
Book Description
What if The Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible is a literal prophecy but those who preach it don't have the interpretation right? Take a bizarre journey through an Apocalypse that doesn't go quite as planned.
Customer Reviews:
Religious fiction........2006-07-24
The Devil in the Details
by Julia Eaton
Quoting from the back cover:
"What if the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible is a literal prophecy but those who preach it don't have the interpretation right? Take a bizarre journey through an Apocalypse that doesn't go as planned in Julia Eaton's novel The Devil in the Details."
If you enjoy fictional stories about religious themes, you may enjoy this book. The author is an accomplished writer and the book is well-written and edited.
Julia Eaton has been writing most of her life. Her first novel Annabelle's Shoes was published in 2002. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband, daughter and their dogs.
Reviewed by Kaye Trout - July 23, 2006 - Copyright
very intriguing premise.......2006-07-19
I enjoyed reading "The Devil in the Details" quite a bit. Not knowing much about the the book of Revelations, it was fascinating to gain insight into that event. The interpretations of different plagues were innovative and at times darkly humorous. I also appreciated the author's non-denominational point of view of what being a "good person" requires. Her book made me think about my own judgemental ways.
Average customer rating:
- Mystery and Thriller Fans Are Going to Love This Book
- Frighteningly suspenseful -- Very highly recommened
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The Devil Is in the Details
Ariana Overton
Manufacturer: Mundania Press LLC
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ASIN: 159426015X |
Download Description
Jake Daniels is a man haunted by nightmares and events that won't seem to leave him in peace. His job with the FBI is hanging by a thread and now he has another serial killer on his hands, something he thought he had escaped from when he left the 'big city'. In a small northern California town, someone is killing women in a bizarre fashion. Holidays are suppose to be a special time of year, but the holidays in this town are turning into nightmares. Jake gathers his team: a high-brow psychiatrist from San Francisco, an Aussie cop on loan, an ex-cop who did time for murder and an ex-pro football player who has something to prove. This team is determined to find the killer, in spite of the local sheriff and the coroner, who view the FBI's intrusion as a challenge.
Customer Reviews:
Mystery and Thriller Fans Are Going to Love This Book.......2001-06-14
Nothing is ever what it appears to be when the Devil is in the details.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS is the first novel in a new series of mysteries by Ariana Overton. Overton's previous credits include the paranormal Glass House trilogy (GLASS HOUSE, A GLASS DARKLY, LOOKING GLASS) and time-travel novel TAPESTRY. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS introduces FBI agent Jake Daniels and his "dream team" of scruffy but savvy investigators: psychologist and Daniel's childhood friend Dr. Martine "Marti" Joyner, former San Francisco policeman M.M. "Sam" Quigley, and strip club owner and computer whiz "Tigger" Tiggs.
When we meet Daniels he is well on his way to drinking himself out of a pension, the agent haunted by the murders of his wife and partner, both victims of serial killers during the past two years. His career in a nosedive, the FBI assign Daniels to the northern California community of Santa Rosa to stop a maniac who has butchered five women since Valentine's Day. The FBI claim apprehending "The Holiday Killer" is Daniels' last chance to rescue his career...or so it appears. Daniels knows one agent has already been dismissed in disgrace from the case for failing to stop the Santa Rosa murders; he is not too blitzed to realize the FBI expect him to fail to justify their finally firing him.
What neither Daniels or the FBI could have counted on was his uncovering evidence suggesting The Holiday Killer may have had a hand in his wife's murder.
Daniels' efforts to discover the truth are complicated by Santa Rosa Police Chief Hartigan and the local coroner, Dr. Russell, who resent the FBI agent...or so it appears. Neither will help him any more than is necessary, and Daniels suspects they may even be trying to sabotage his investigation. If it weren't for his own team of investigators and two token Santa Rosa policemen assigned to help them, Brian Denton and Cameron Parker, Daniels' task would be hopeless. Meanwhile an aggressive television journalist, Connie Braxton, is determined to get the scoop on The Holiday Killer's identity...or so it appears. Her commitment sometimes seems to border on the pathological. She will do anything to uncover The Holiday Killer's identity, including jeopardizing the career of one of Daniels' team by seducing him.
Overton has created an intriguing cast of characters for THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, as well as weaves an intricate plot in a fashion that is entertaining and easy to follow. She will not lose you or bore you, though the book does start off slowly, much in the manner of Tom Clancy novel. Like Clancy, though, once Overton's characters and situations have all been properly introduced and set in motion, her novel will carry you away.
Be warned, this is a rough book that deals with sexual perversion and mutilation. To her credit Overton does not dwell on every seamy or gory detail, as other authors are wont to do; however, she does not shy away from them. Daniels' team is pursuing a clever and elusive homicidal maniac, after all. But Overton, a mature authoress, makes certain that her novel's suspense and tragedy are as real as its blood. She is to be complimented for that, as well as her gift for juggling suspects and plot twists with the adroitness of a street busker. At one point or another almost every character in THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS falls under suspicion of being The Holiday Killer. Even Daniels! That is one neat trick, as is Overton's ability to create reader sympathy for Daniels in her novel's early pages. It is not easy to feel sorry for a drunken protagonist who has lost confidence in himself, but Overton succeeds. What's more, when Daniels does defeat the demons that haunt him, awakes from his melancholy, and dedicates himself to stopping the maniac, he establishes himself as a hero worthy of challenging the devilish and daring Holiday Killer.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS is a thrilling launch to a new series of mysteries. Ariana Overton is going to win over a lot of new fans and please a lot of old ones with this novel.
Frighteningly suspenseful -- Very highly recommened.......2001-04-18
Buried in the myriad pile of details lies the answer to Sonoma County's serial killer. But when those sworn to uphold the law impeded its enforcement, even FBI agents find their path blocked. As each holiday brings another gristly murder, the citizens clamor for an arrest. Yet the Bureau doesn't believe that they have serial killer, despite three victims, with the same signature on the kills, in the past three months.
The Holiday killer almost ruined a good field agent's career because he couldn't solve the case. The Behavioral Science Unit profiler says he can't help any more without new information. Yet the FBI is no closer to solver these gristly crimes than a year ago when the case came to their attention. Now agent Jake Daniels, whose career is already spiraling downward, has been assigned to the case.
Jake also carries the baggage of his past. His partner was killed by a serial killer. His wife was tortured and murdered while he watched, unable to come to her assistance. Now the FBI has taken him from a desk job to the field, assigning him to a difficult case just to keep the investigation going, not because they faith that it will be solved.
Author Ariana Overton presents a gristly, brutal serial killer with the clarity and insight that has become a trademark in her work. With eerie attention to detail, Overton creates the clues and the red herrings that keep the pages turning. Even as the surprise conclusion seems to leap out from the novel, the reader will be on the edge of the seat. Further, her meticulous attention to detail also creates vividly realized characters. Very highly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Advocating the law of nature's God.......2000-01-24
Rarely does one read a book where the author lays out a litany of problems and then goes on to offer reasonable solutions to thwart those problems. In The Devil is in the Detail, brother Ellis Washington does just that. Ellis begins with the problem of the lower case "b" in black when speaking of a designated racial group in legal scholarship. His solution: get it right next time. It takes little or no effort to follow the correct procedure and capatilize "b" (which is the rule). That African-Americans are referred to in the lower case is a slap in the face and another hurdle to leap in the realm of 21st century race relations. Ellis also expounds on more traditional ideas and problems many which are unique to American society. His handling of the issues of evolution, positive law and the separation of church and state were particularly significant in this book. The way he approaches each of these issues evokes the quesition which Glen Tinder eloquently raised: Can we be good without God? Ellis' strong Christian background and faith urges me to realize that the answer to that question is an emphatic NO. These are all ideas that were forced upon the populace and were not a part of the Framers' original intent. They emphasized natural law. Positive law is the death knell of liberty. Ellis warns us that we will be victims of a Leviathan government if we don't rethink the way that we make, interpret and enforce the law. This was a very riveting book and would be an excellent tool in the classroom as a supplement to the standard texts.
Average customer rating:
- A Must for Fans of Powers and Blaylock
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The Devils in the Details
James P. Blaylock , and
Tim Powers
Manufacturer: Subterranean Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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Blaylock, James P.
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Powers, Tim
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Similar Items:
-
Three Days to Never: A Novel
-
Powers of Two
-
Homunculus
ASIN: 1931081891 |
Customer Reviews:
A Must for Fans of Powers and Blaylock.......2004-01-12
Blaylock and Powers have been collaborating for thirty years, often implicitly influencing each other and sometimes, like here, collaborating on stories with both their names on them. Fans of either should appreciate the brief account of that collaboration in this book's afterward and introduction and, specifically, the comments on the volume's three stories.
As is typical for his shorter work, Powers abandons his characteristic secret histories. In "Through and Through", a weary, lukewarm priest confronts a ghost in the confessional and rethinks the power and significance of Catholic ritual. But, if we don't get an epic combining of magic and history, Powers still works in some interesting thoughts on the Garden of Eden.
The modern obsession with inclusivity on college campuses is satirized in Blaylock's "The Devil in the Details". A college president's attempt to build a Christian chapel is thwarted by forces both silly and sinister.
I must admit that I appreciated and understood Powers' and Blaylock's collaboration "Fifty Cents" more after reading Blaylock's afterward. But, even on the first reading, the protagonist's quest -- searching in used bookstores for a book once given to him by his dead wife -- and the odd characters he meets in his drive through the desert Southwest, kept me interested.
Each story gets its own introductory illustration, and Blaylock's afterword is in the form of an inserted pamphlet.
Collectors or fans of either of these authors will want this book not only for the stories but the accounts of a longstanding literary friendship.
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