In Kishons spannenden Kurzgeschichten, in denen Kinder die Hauptrolle spielen, passieren die seltsamsten und erstaunlichsten Dinge! Doch seine beliebten Geschichten sind nicht nur lustig, sondern regen auch ein wenig zum Nachdenken an ... Über den Autor Ephraim Kishon, geb. als Ferenc Hoffmann 1924 in Budapest, überlebte während des 2. Weltkriegs ein slowakisches Arbeitslager, weil sein Talent für Schach einem Hauptmann auffiel. 1949 verließ Hoffmann das kommunistische Ungarn, kam in Israel in einen Kibbuz und lernte ein Jahr lang gründlich Hebräisch. Schon 1952 wurde er Kolumnist der Tageszeitung Ma'ariv, eine Tätigkeit, die er 30 Jahre lang beibehielt. 1959 heiratete er die Pianistin Sara Lipovitz. Im selben Jahr wurde der Band 'Drehen Sie sich um, Frau Lot!' von der New York Times ausgezeichnet. Kishon wurde für das deutschsprachige Publikum zum wichtigsten Zeugen des Lebens im Staat Israel. Die kleine Form, die er zeitlebens pflegte, war dieser Rezeption sehr zuträglich. Sein Altersdomizil hatte Kishon in der Nähe von Appenzell in der Schweiz gefunden, an einem Ort der Sicherheit nach einer bewegten Biografie. Dort verstarb Ephraim Kishon Anfang 2005

Kezdetben vala az Ige. Az Ige pediglen ez vala: — Hé, te! Mert Tesveer, a noícius a Választott Próféta. Aki békét akar és igazságot és felebaráti szeretetet. Valamint azt is szeretné, hogy az Inkvizíció hagyja abba a kínzást, most rögtön, kérem szépen… Egész biztosan a legjobb regény, amit Terry Pratchett valaha is írt, és a legjobb komédia

Ed McBain's astonishing 87th-Precinct series continues with a hard look at what passes for love in a city grown used to crimes of passion. When a beautiful blonde tells Detective Steve Carella that her husband's former chauffeur has made two attempts on her life, Carella immediately begins tracking her assailant -- only to find him far uptown, hanging from a basement pipe, a bullet in his head. Who killed the chauffeur? And why, now that her would-be murderer is dead, does the blonde's wealthy husband insist on retaining the services of the private eye from Chicago? "He loves me, " she insists, but Carella has his doubts. It appears the husband is involved with another blonde, also from Chicago. Can Carella prevent another murder-before someone else is betrayed with a kiss?

He found her in a quiet bar — a sulky-mouthed, awkward, green-eyed kid trying desperately to pick up a man. He taught her how to dress, to walk, to laugh, turned her into the kind of woman who makes every man reach into his pocket for hundred-dollar bills. Looking at her now, Sam was proud of himself. He had done a good job on her. Yeah, it was too bad she had to go... the same way as the others

Brotherly love? Oh hell no... A Sexy Shifter story. On the surface, court reporter Lark Manning looks like the luckiest girl in the world, blessed with great friends and a wonderful family. Underneath, she harbors a hopelessly unrequited love for the sexy werewolf everyone thinks of as her cousin. Taran rarely notices her except to condescend or lecture. He's treated her the same way since she was eight years old, and there's no reason to think he'll ever change. Taran Lloyd, a detective in the Houston Police Department's Shifters Investigations Unit (SHIU), lives for those rare moments he gets to spend around Lark, torturing himself with what he can't have. Kin only by marriage, she thinks of him as her big brother. He couldn't bear her pity--or her disgust--if she learned he wants her for his mate. When weres from a rival pack attack her, Lark screams out the first name that comes to mind--Taran. Only this sexy alpha can keep her safe until they find out who wants her dead, and why. But keeping her safe means keeping her close. And the closer they get, the harder it gets for these not-really-cousins to honor their commitment to keep their paws off

Boxers or briefs? Willow is having a bad day. To get her sister to stop harassing her, she agrees to play a silly game—but only once. When a muscular hunk walks past her, Willow’s mouth waters and she knows she’s found the perfect man to ask her embarrassing question. Seth is shocked when a beautiful woman sits on his lap. He’s amused when she begins asking him questions. But he’s aroused when she kisses him. Taking her back to his home, he sinks his teeth into her—and is addicted. Imagine his surprise when he finds out she holds his life in the palm of her hands. What’s a vampire to do when the woman he needs for his survival runs screaming from him?

Vampire Lord Sebastian Arsov is everything Katja has ever wanted. Unfortunately, after ten years of servitude as his blood slave, she’s being returned to mortal society. In order to experience a night in his bed she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice. Disguised by a hint of magic, Katja enters Sebastian’s chambers to immerse herself in pleasures she’s been long denied. Before the sun rises, she’ll discover what it’s like to be loved by the man who’s weaved his way into her heart, mind, body and soul—even as she succumbs to the bite that will end her life

Do two improbables make a possible?

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances

When readers last saw renovator Tish Amble she was running for her life, her boyfriend Brad left wounded and at the mercy of drug lords in northern Michigan. On Brad's advice, Tish heads for Del Gloria, California, to hide out with an old friend of his-professor Denton Braddock. Tish tries to start a normal life, enrolling in college and working on restoring a block of homes, but her past is catching up with her. Someone is sabotaging her work, and Brad hasn't called in months. Should she return to Michigan to find out what has happened? Or would a homecoming be more painful-and deadly-than she's ready for? Full of the fast-paced action and nail-biting suspense readers have come to expect from author Nicole Young, Kiss Me If You Dare is the thrilling conclusion to the Patricia Amble Mysteries

Efficient, professional, and without apology, Lily Mansfield is a hired assassin, working as a contract agent for the CIA. Her targets are the powerful and corrupt, those who can't be touched by the law. Now, after 18 years of service, Lily has been drawn into a dangerous game that hasn't been sanctioned, seeking vengeance for her own reasons. Each move bolder than the next, she is compromising her superiors, endangering her very life. Though stress and shock have made her feel somewhat invincible and a little cocky, Lily knows that she too can be taken out in an instant. And if it's her time, so be it. She intends to go down fighting. A CIA agent himself, Lucas Swain recognizes the signs of trauma in the line of fire. His orders are to either bring her in or bring her down. Yet he too is drawn into the game with Lily Mansfield, dancing on a tightrope as he tries to avoid a major international incident while still battling a tenacious foe who is dogging their every step. Keeping laser focus on her task at hand while vigilantly watching her back, Mansfield never sees the lethal peril that lies directly in her path . . . and how loyalty has a price

A beautiful woman's cold-blooded murder has the mark of the Mafia. Although warned to stay away, Hammer won't stop until he gets revenge

An omnibus of novels Kiss Me, Katie! All Katie Wilkins wanted for Christmas was to get Santa Claus under the mistletoe, because beneath that Santa suit was her ideal man – or so she thought. But it wasn't nice, safe Mr. Perfect who kissed her senseless. Horrors! It as Bryan Morgan – wild man, stunt pilot, and all-around daredevil. And, heaven help her, she'd really liked that kiss. Which just proved what she'd known all along – she was Christmas cursed! Hug Me, Holly! Sheriff Riley McMann couldn't believe his ears when Holly Stone announced that she'd be taking over the only café in Little Paradise. She looked as if she hadn't worked a day in her life, and besides, he had to eat there! But he was soon working up quite an appetite for "Calamity Holly" when he discovered there was more to her than designer clothes and an attitude. Maybe his Christmas wishes were going to come true after all…

HIS OBSESSION... Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart. HER DOWNFALL... Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs. THEY WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT EACH OTHER THIS MUCH... With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?

Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big-time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs—which means Michael will have to enter the human world. For this, he's been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael's all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell

In the secluded guesthouse of a lavish California estate, Whitney Marshall has finally found a refuge…a place to heal after the painful end of her marriage. Until her newfound peace is shattered by the arrival of the property's distractingly handsome heir, Adam Hunter--and she finds herself drawn into a deadly game of danger and desire. Adam Hunter needs Whitney's help to prove that his uncle--Hunter needs Whitney's help to prove that his uncle--the the estate's original owner--was murdered. But as the two estate's original owner--was murdered. But as the two begin begin to unearth the truth about Cal Hunter's shadowy past, to unearth the truth about Cal Hunter's shadowy past, it's it's Whitney's own life that is suddenly on the line. Because Whitney's own life that is suddenly on the line. Because someone someone nearby thinks she knows too much…

"Logan Quinn was trying to kill me.My Spartan classmate relentlessly pursued me, swinging his sword at me over and over again, the shining silver blade inching closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes practially glowed with the thrill of battle…" I'm Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I'm going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I'm getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart-the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I'm afraid if I don't learn how to live by the sword-with Logan's help-I just might die by the sword…

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.  Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf. Then Sienna changes the rules—and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight... A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home—and the alpha who is its heartbeat

What do you get when you have one immortal Viking warrior no one can remember five minutes after he leaves their presence, a princess on the run for her life, and one seriously annoyed demigod? Basically, you get my life. It started out simple enough. One night I went to save a woman in trouble. The next thing I knew, the doorway to hell had opened and out stepped Daimons--vampires the likes of which I'd never seen before. Led by the son of Apollo, they are out to end the curse that has banished them all to darkness. The only problem with that is they have to kill Cassandra Peters to do it and if she dies, so dies the sun, the earth and all who dwell here. Life's just a bowl full of cherries, ain't it? Brought together by fate, it's now my job to protect a daughter of the very race I have been hunting for centuries. Neither of us dares to trust the other. But she is the only one who remembers me... More than that, with her courage and strength, she is the only one who has ever touched a heart that I thought had died centuries ago. The only way for a Dark-Hunter to regain his soul is through the love of a woman. But what happens when that woman isn't exactly human?

A New York Times Notable Book: A lethal accident turns life into a waking nightmare for a mother and her son in this gripping novel of secrecy and dread. Abandoned by her husband, Joanie Mucherino and her eleven-year-old son, Todd, struggle to cope while dealing with their comically tactless and intrusive Italian family. Further complicating things, Joanie now seems available to Bruno Minea, an old family friend whose two-decade passion for her has been unwavering and faintly frightening. When Joanie and Todd kill an acquaintance in a hit-and-run accident, they soon discover — to their horror — that they’re keeping it a secret. But as the weight of their lies becomes more than they can can bear, their crime connects them to something even more sinister, as the victim had powerful, dangerous friends who will go to great lengths to avenge his death. Part family drama, part thriller, Kiss of the Wolf exemplifies the talents of National Book Award finalist Jim Shepard, author of 2015 favorite The Book of Aron, who crafts hilarious, spot-on dialogue with the same mastery he lends to the ingenious, page-turning plot, in which a loving mother is forced to confront her role as the architect of her son’s anguished guilt

Between caring for her grandmother and financing her gourmet catering business, vivacious Melanie Gibson is too busy for love especially with Christopher Bishop, the gorgeous financial advisor who is evaluating her business and who is determined to win her heart

When a fifteen-year-old girl is abducted by vampires, it's up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to find her. And when she does, she's faced with something she's never seen before: a terrifyingly ordinary group of people-kids, grandparents, soccer moms-all recently turned and willing to die to avoid serving a master. And where there's one martyr, there will be more. But even vampires have monsters that they're afraid of. And Anita is one of them…

Sometimes the past not only haunts, but destroys… One hundred years ago, Michael Kelly hunted down and killed the sorcerer responsible for murdering his lover. Now the brother of that man is out for revenge, and he intends to destroy all that Michael holds dear in the process. Nikki James wants nothing more than to pass the Circle’s strict entry exams so she can get on with the business of planning her wedding to Michael. But when one of the testers attempts to kill her, she realises buying a wedding dress is the least of her worries. Especially when Michael is shot and kidnapped. The trail leads her to the ghost town where Michael had once killed a madman. She’s not surprised to discover that Weylin Dunleavy, the brother of that long ago murderer, has set in place events that will mirror the past in order to raise his brother’s spirit from hell. Nor is she truly surprised to discover that a barrier of magic surrounds the old town, leaving her to battle Weylin with only her wits, strength and the one psychic gift she cannot fully control. The one thing that does surprise, the one thing she cannot accept, is the fact that Michael no longer remembers who she is…

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared. Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy. After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way. Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity. This New Adult Standalone Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only

Основатель одной из самых известных рок-групп в мире рассказывает ее историю — с неожиданным юмором и человеческой теплотой, которую трудно предположить в огнедышащем Демоне

Хорошо известный благодаря своему сценическому образу Звёздного Мальчика, Пол Стэнли написал мемуары, которые пленяют своей захватывающей смесью личных откровений, историй взлётов и падений, а также отношений и раздоров — и в группе KISS и вне её. Родившись с патологией «микротия», из-за которой он глух на правое ухо, Стэнли пережил нелегкое детство, но именно оно подвигло его искать успеха в наименее вероятной для него сфере деятельности: музыке. Содержит нецензурную лексику

"Engrossing… [with] meticulous characterizations." – People "Like the atmosphere of casual malevolence in Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' or the contagious suspicion that fuels Rod Serling's 'The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,' creepiness spreads like kudzu in Slaughter's small-town setting." – Washington Post Book World "Karin Slaughter deserves all the praise she gets for her razor-sharp plotting and forensic detail. But for me the hook is in her characters and relationships. They are right on the mark." – Michael Connelly "The undertone of violence is pervasive, even at quiet moments, amplifying Slaughter's equation of intimacy with menace and placing her squarely in the ranks of Cornwell and Reichs." – Publishers Weekly "A fast-paced thriller for those not faint of heart." – Library Journal "It's not easy to transcend a model like Patricia Cornwell, but Slaughter does so in a thriller whose breakneck plotting and not-for-the-squeamish forensics provide grim manifestations of a deeper evil her mystery trumpets without ever quite containing." – Kirkus Reviews "With Blindsighted, Karin Slaughter left a great many thriller writers looking anxiously over their shoulders. With Kisscut, she leaves most of them behind… It succeeds brilliantly." – John Connolly "A tension-filled narrative with plenty of plot twists… This is just the ticket for readers who like their crime fiction on the dark side." – Booklist "Impossible to put down… Slaughter hits all the buttons, providing an original and well-plotted story that doesn't let up until the final sentence." – Orlando Sentinel "Karin Slaughter is an impressive new landmark on the thriller map." – Val McDermid "Slaughter delivers a noir thriller complete with a brooding atmosphere that veers into Southern gothic tradition… [She] gives us an understanding about victims that only a well-constructed hard-boiled novel can. This is a novel that has staying power, because she makes us care so much about the characters." – Florida Sun-Sentinel "Though her forensics and investigative writing place her in a league with Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, Slaughter's tweaking of the human condition is key to making her a uniquely original voice in the world of mystery and suspense." – Mississippi Clarion Ledger "Karin Slaughter is a fearless writer. She takes us to the deep, dark places other novelists don't dare to go. Kisscut will cement her reputation as one of the boldest thriller writers working today." – Tess Gerritsen *** Amazon.com Review When police chief Jeffrey Tolliver responds to a disturbance at a local skating rink, the last thing he expects is to have to shoot a 13-year-old girl who's holding a gun on a fellow student. Then Jenny Deaver's autopsy reveals two stunning facts: she did not bear the murdered newborn discovered in the rink's restroom, and she had recently been genitally mutilated. With his ex-wife, pediatrician Sara Linton, Jeffrey uncovers a child sex and pornography ring involving Jenny, her classmates, and their mothers-a horrific enterprise that culminated in the killing that Tolliver will never be able to forget. This taut, chilling thriller showcases Karin Slaughter's skill at plotting, pace, and narrative, and will linger in the reader's mind long after the stunning denouement. This is a terrific sequel to her debut, Blindsighted, with two protagonists whose complex relationship will no doubt be a featured subplot in her next offering. From Publishers Weekly Aptly named novelist Slaughter (Blindsighted) brings back her horribly scarred cast of Grant County, Ga., cops and coroners for more murder, mayhem and horrific sexual violence. Pathologist Sara Linton, who has been dating her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, is witness to Tolliver's fatal shooting of a teenage girl when the girl threatens to shoot a 16-year-old boy in a standoff outside the local skating rink. A search of the rink turns up a dismembered fetus in a toilet; Sara's postmortem reveals the girl had a long history of abuse most gruesomely, her vagina is sewn shut. Working the case alongside Jeffrey is Det. Lena Adams, herself the victim of a recent abduction and rape, who is also trying, with difficulty, to come to terms with the death of her gay sister. Questioning Mark, the boy who was almost shot, Lena gradually uncovers a true horror show of pedophilia, incest and kiddie porn, an inverted world where parents rape their children before peddling them to strangers for money and blackmail. Slaughter adheres to the traditional mystery format, but turns up the shock factor tenfold, demonstrating that the deepest depravity can be business as usual in small towns as well as big cities. The undertone of violence is pervasive, even at quiet moments (" Lena was able to pull her hand away, but not before she felt Grace's thumb brush across the scar… The touch was tender, almost sexual, and Lena could see the charge Grace got out of it"), amplifying Slaughter's equation of intimacy with menace and placing her squarely in the ranks of Cornwell and Reichs. (Sept.) Forecast: Slaughter's much-praised first novel, Blindsighted, put her on the thriller map. Kisscut, a featured alternate selection of the Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club, Mystery Guild and BOMC, could make her a bestseller. 10-city author tour

Ivy and Tristan have the love of a lifetime-until Tristan dies in a car accident. Now Tristan returns as an angel, but Ivy is unable to feel his presence

Stone Barrington is back in New York, and after a rather harrowing sojourn in Key West, he's looking to stay closer to home and work on some simple divorce and custody cases for Woodman Weld. But when he crosses paths with a fetching Broadway actress-and sometime lip model- Stone gets a little more deeply involved with business than he'd expected. When his new lady love turns out to be a lady with a shady past, Stone and downtown cop Dino Bacchetti realize that her beauty may have an unusually high price…

Truly, Madly, Undead-ly This irresistible collection features stories of love amid vampires by five of today's hottest authors — Kristin Cast (Tempted), Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy), Alyson Noël (Evermore), Kelley Armstrong (The Summoning), and Francesca Lia Block (Pretty Dead). From a fugitive vampire forced to trust a boy who might work for the group bent on destroying her to the legendary romance of two immortals whose love compels them to risk everything, this heart-pounding collection brings new meaning to the words "love you forever." Whether you're into romances that are dark and moody or light and fun, these stories will quench that insatiable thirst for enchanting tales of the beautiful undead

Kisses of Death contains the previous unpublished title novella, in which Heller becomes Marilyn Monroe’s bodyguard and solves the famous Bodenheim murders

Goth girl Raven is back in this funny sequel to VAMPIRE KISSES. She is still trying to connect with her mysterious true love Alexander Sterling, who has disappeared from his mansion in Raven's small town, which she calls "Dullsville." Raven would like to know, among other things, if he wants to make her a vampire so she can be with him. She learns that Jameson, Alexander's butler, placed an order for flowers from a nearby town that Raven labels "Hipsterville." Luckily her aunt lives there and she heads over for a visit during her spring break. Hipsterville offers stores specializing in Goth clothes, a Coffin Club night hotspot, and a historical society with clues about local mansions. As Raven tracks down her elusive boyfriend, she draws the attention of another vampire, one who also wants to find Alexander, but for dark reasons of his own. While she is enjoying fitting in with the Goth folks in Hipsterville, Raven does not want to draw Alexander into danger. But danger does follow her back to Dullsville

From Melbourne's gleaming skyscrapers to its throbbing nightclubs, Riley Jenson's world is raging with danger and desire. A drop-dead-gorgeous werewolf — with a touch of vamp coursing in her blood — Riley works for an organization created to police the supernatural races. But when she wakes up naked and bruised in a barren alley, she knows only that she must run for her life. Within moments Riley collides with the sexiest man she's ever seen: steely, seductive Kade, who is fighting a life-and-death battle of his own. With old lovers and enemies gathering around her, Riley knows she is being pursued by a new kind of criminal. Because in Riley's blood is a secret that could create the ultimate warrior — if only she can survive her own dangerous desires…

From the National Book Award-winning author of Europe Central comes a charming, evocative and piercing examination of an ancient Japanese tradition and the keys it holds to our modern understanding of beauty…. What is a woman? To what extent is femininity a performance? Writing with the extraordinary awareness and endless curiosity that have defined his entire oeuvre, William T. Vollmann takes an in-depth look into the Japanese craft of Noh theater, using the medium as a prism to reveal the conception of beauty itself. Sweeping readers from the dressing room of one of Japan's most famous Noh actors to a transvestite bar in the red-light district of Kabukicho, Kissing the Mask explores the enigma surrounding Noh theater and the traditions that have made it intrinsic to Japanese culture for centuries. Vollmann then widens his scope to encompass such modern artists of attraction and loss as Mishima, Kawabata and even Andrew Wyeth. From old Norse poetry to Greek cult statues, from Japan's most elite geisha dancers to American makeup artists, from Serbia to India, Vollmann works to extract the secrets of staged femininity and the mystery of perceived and expressed beauty, including explorations of gender at a transgendered community in Los Angeles and with Kabuki female impersonators. Kissing the Mask is illustrated with many evocative sketches and photographs by the author

Claudia Fletcher has her MBA and a stellar resume, so when the bar she manages burns down, she could easily move on to bigger and better things. But something about the bar owner, Anthony Cross makes it impossible to leave. Anthony has never let on to the general public that he's a vampire, and most of his staff members have no idea Boston Uncommon was a safe gathering place for supernaturals of all kinds. Now that it's nothing but ash, the tentative peace among warring factions is starting to crumble. The last thing he wants to do is put Claudia in danger, but he also knows there's no way he can let her go…

****The definitive biography of Henry Kissinger, based on unprecedented access to his private papers**** No American statesman has been as revered or as reviled as Henry Kissinger. Once hailed as "Super K"-the "indispensable man" whose advice has been sought by every president from Kennedy to Obama-he has also been hounded by conspiracy theorists, scouring his every "telcon" for evidence of Machiavellian malfeasance. Yet as Niall Ferguson shows in this magisterial two-volume biography, drawing not only on Kissinger's hitherto closed private papers but also on documents from more than a hundred archives around the world, the idea of Kissinger as the ruthless arch-realist is based on a profound misunderstanding. The first half of Kissinger's life is usually skimmed over as a quintessential tale of American ascent: the Jewish refugee from Hitler's Germany who made it to the White House. But in this first of two volumes, Ferguson shows that what Kissinger…

This collection — derived from many impulses but unified through one distinctive sensibility — contains passionate subversive acts of language, oblique takes on American life, outbursts of comic genius, long meditations on the cruelty of contemporary customs, and funny, disturbing glimpses of daily life. Reality is rendered pitilessly real, and fantasy bares its teeth. At once playful and devastatingly serious, the works in this collection employ a variety of forms — genres, anti-genres, fantasies, games — while highlighting the dangers and delights of contemporary life: Hollywood, tsunamis, war, the art world, AIDS, ambition, weapons of mass destruction, family values, perverse sexualities, urban violence, small change and big bucks, are all used to chum the waters of imagination and truth

The autobiographical story about author’s time in Switzerland; published in the fenzine Flurb (http://www.flurb.net/4/4robinson.htm)