05-21-12 : Walter Mosley Offers 'The Gift of Fire' Destroy the World Walter Mosley is best known for his Easy Rawlins mysteries, but he's a versatile talent who also writes mainstream literary novels, science fiction, even non-fiction — whatever form best suits the story he intends to tell. His latest book is 'The Gift of Fire and On the Head of a Pin,' two short novels packaged in a hardcover version of the old Ace double paperback format; Mosley calls them "flip books." When you finish one short novel, you can flip the book over and read the other, which is printed upside-down and backwards to the first. That slightly disorienting format is not a bad indication of what you're going to find when you start reading. Recent Commentary • Mark Sundeen Pays Out 'The Man Who Quit Money' : Over the Edges • Marika Blossfeldt Serves Up 'Essential Nutrition' : Recipe for Life • David Vann Digs Up 'Dirt' : Tragedy, Terror and Laughter • Commentary Archive

The Man Who Quit Money Mark Sundeen Engaging biography of Daniel Suelo, who lives off=the-grid without currency. Reviewed by Rick Kleffel Review Archive Essential Nutrition Marika Blossfeldt Reviewed by Rick Kleffel Dirt David Vann Reviewed by Rick Kleffel Sacré Bleu Christopher Moore Reviewed by Rick Kleffel

What is The Agony Column?

"He took down the great book in which, day by day, he filed the agony columns of the various London journals. "Dear me!" said he, turning over the pages, "what a chorus of groans, cries, and bleatings! What a rag-bag of singular happenings! But surely the most valuable hunting-ground that ever was given to a student of the unusual!"

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Red Circle