Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
His future is disastrous, his present indecent, his past divine. He Is Darcy Dancer, youthful squire of Andromeda Park, the great gray stone mansion inhabited by Crooks, the cross-eyed butler, and the sexy, aristocratic Miss Von B.
Greg Proops is an internationally renowned comedian, best known for starring on the hit improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? and for his popular award-winning podcast, "The Smartest Man in the World," which Rolling Stone magazine called "some of the boldest comedy on the podcasting frontier right now." But Proops is also a fountain of historical knowledge, a wealth of pop culture trivia, and a generally charming know-it-all.The Smartest Book in the World is based on Proops's sensational, iTunes Top 10 podcast. The book is a rollicking reference guide to the most essential areas of knowledge in Proops's universe, from the noteworthy names of the ancient world and baseball to the movies you must see and the albums you must hear.Complete with history's juiciest tales and curious back-stories, Proops expounds on the merits of poetry and proper punctuation, delivering this wealth of information with his signature style and Proopsian panache. An off-beat and exuberant guide to everything, The Smartest Book in the World gives you everything you need to know to always be the smartest person in the room.Show book
Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Ina Coolbrith, and Charles Stoddard are the four San Francisco Bohemian writers of the 1860s who set the course for American literature. This Mark Twain Valentine audiobook tells the story of their love triangle. Mark Twain made sure that his full true-life story would not be told for 100 years after his death, so this story has never been heard publicly before! Make a date with your sweetheart to listen in! Mark Twain became a credited author for the first time while in San Francisco, a hundred years before the Summer of Love, with the publication of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Twain and the other San Francisco Bohemian writers were in their twenties at the time. The de Young brothers were in their teens when they started the San Francisco Chronicle with Mark Twain as a reporter! Bret Harte was the leader and mentor of San Francisco’s Bohemian writers, and Mark Twain competed with Bret for the attention of the enchanting poet Ina Coolbrith. This is the story of how that turned out... details kept from the public for over 160 years. Ina held salons in her home on Russian Hill for her Bohemian friends and their patrons, which became the foundation for the Bohemian Club. Ina later became Oakland’s first librarian (where she mentored Jack London) and became the first poet laureate of any state. But the love triangle occurred during an earlier, more tumultuous time as the American Civil War was being brought to a close and San Francisco grew in sophistication. This two-hour audiobook is important California history told with the droll sarcasm unique to Mark Twain. It should not be missed!Show book
Hailed as a “tour de force” by the New York Times, this irresistible novel captures John Lahr’s madcap genius Meet Benny Walsh: busboy at the Homestead restaurant in New York City by day, compulsive autograph hunter by night. Known for going to extraordinary lengths for a much-coveted signature, Benny is also tangled up with an actress and fellow autograph hound named Gloria, and drawn into an embittered battle with his archenemy, a headwaiter with a grudge. Lahr’s acclaimed debut novel captures one wild week in Benny’s life. It is an introduction to a brilliantly drawn and determined character who will stay with you long after the final page.Show book
W.J. Bear writes his own story of things that have happened in his young life. He is a normal young bear cub, ready to go at a moment's notice. He is almost human but still a bear. He experiences things like the great outdoors, swings, slides and recycle, where his nose and smells get the better of him. Come along and see what life is like for a little mischievous bear cub named W.J. Bear.Show book
Your prep guide to this test called life—from outdoor skills to taming the urban wild, car care to cooking, handy manning to managing a hangover. Armed with the proper set of skills, there is no beast a man cannot tame, no problem he cannot solve, no wine he cannot appraise, no meat he cannot grill, and no woman he cannot amaze. All that lies between you (or your man) and becoming uber-evolved is mastering the wisdom contained in this humble book called Manskills. But you must learn these lessons well. When that angry she-bear lunges, you won’t have time to Google “surviving animal attacks.” When your boss’s wife offers you a morsel of cave-aged Gorgonzola she’s not expecting you to wolf down that hunk of blue mold and say “Cheesy!” With instructive illustrations, the skills are organized by categories such as:Shelter Savvy—remove a stripped screw, handle a jackhammer, stop a toilet from running . . .Wild Ways—Build an igloo, stitch your own wound, catch a fish without a rod and reel . . .Social Graces—sew on a button, order wine like you know what you’re doing, ease a hangover . . .Emergency!—save someone from drowning, use a fire extinguisher, bust down a door . . .Romantic Prowess—plan the perfect romantic dinner, meet her parents, pick a diamond . . . to name just a few By developing your manskills, you’ll avoid life’s pitfalls and become a complex, sophisticated person of confidence, competence, and vigor. Good for you!Show book
Improve your vulgar vocabulary with this guide to Hungarian slang, swear words, and more! Next time you’re in Hungary, or just chatting in Hungarian with your friends, drop the textbook formality and bust out with expressions they never teach you in school, including: • cool slang • funny insults • explicit sex terms • raw swear wordsDirty Hungarian teaches the casual expressions heard every day on the streets of Hungary: Mi a helyzet? (What’s up?) Állat jó pasi a barátod. (Your boyfriend is hot shit.) Öcsém, ugy betintáztam. (Dude, I’m so wasted.) Mennem kell szarni. (I gotta take a dump.) Menj a halál faszára! (Go fuck yourself!) Lecidázol? (Can I get a blowey?) Szeretném megdöngölni. (I’d love to hit that.) And much more!Show book
