Books with author William H. Gass

Thirty years in the making, William Gass's second novel first appeared on the literary scene in 1995, at which time it was promptly hailed as an indisputable masterpiece. The story of a middle aged professor who, upon completion of his massive historical study, "Guilt and Innocence in Hitler's Germany," finds himself writing a novel about his own life instead of the introduction to his magnum opus. "The Tunnel" meditates on history, hatred, unhappiness, and, above all, language.

The narrator of The Tunnel is a distinguished man in his fifties, William Frederick Kohler, a professor at a Midwestern university. His principal subject, the Third Reich. He has just completed his massive magnum opus, Guilt and Innocence in Hitler's Germany.All that remains to write is an introduction. Kohler sits down to write a self-congratulatory text and finds himself unaccountably blocked. He begins instead to write an entirely other book, another history - that of the historian himself. What he writes is the complete opposite of his clearly argued, causally determined history of the Reich. It is as subjective and private as history is objective and public, as apparently shapeless and stagnant as history is ordered and directive. It is chaotic, obscure, full of lies and disguises, gaps and repetitions.Indeed, his Introduction is so personal that he fears his wife will find it, and he slides the manuscript between pages of his book, where he knows it will not be found. At the same time, Kohler begins digging a tunnel out from the basement of his house.The tunnel comes to mirror Kohler's digging into his life - his feelings, his past, his own few loves and many hatreds. The writing, the digging, the reader's reading, continue together, creating a hole driven into both language and the past, getting closer to and fleeing from the secrets of the novel's fundamental theme - the fascism of the heart.

Thirty years in the making, William Gass's second novel first appeared on the literary scene in 1995, at which time it was promptly hailed as an indisputable masterpiece. The story of a middle aged professor who, upon completion of his massive historical study, "Guilt and Innocence in Hitler's Germany," finds himself writing a novel about his own life instead of the introduction to his magnum opus. "The Tunnel" meditates on history, hatred, unhappiness, and, above all, language.

"Points, questions, stories, and occasional rants introduce the 24 chapters of this engaging volume. With a focus on mathematics and peppered with a scattering of computer science settings, the entries range from lightly humorous to curiously thought-provoking. Each chapter includes sections and sub-sections that illustrate and supplement the point at hand. Most topics are self-contained within each chapter, and a solid high school mathematics background is all that is needed to enjoy the discussions. There certainly is much to enjoy here." CHOICE Ever notice how people sometimes use math words inaccurately? Or how sometimes you instinctively know a math statement is false (or not known)? Each chapter of this book makes a point like those above and then illustrates the point by doing some real mathematics through step-by-step mathematical techniques. This book gives readers valuable information about how mathematics and theoretical computer science work, while teaching them some actual mathematics and computer science through examples and exercises. Much of the mathematics could be understood by a bright high school student. The points made can be understood by anyone with an interest in math, from the bright high school student to a Field's medal winner.

An evil, black cloaked figure dominates the dreams of sixteen-year old Kuelo Reed. After discovering a severed head in his toilet, a strange old man named Geed, appears in his living room. He convinces Kuelo that he must learn the skills of the earth's elements: fire, wind and water, in order to save his world from the tyranny of Aquarius, slowly transforming Kuelo into a sorcerer.Once Kuelo collects three precious stones, he can then enter into the realm of Aquarius and stop his evil from spreading. Through the knowledge of Kuelo's new fairy friend, Nava, he is guided through this new world. The situation becomes more dire when his best friends, Cal and Kristi, are kidnapped by Aquarius."The Zephrus" is a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. It shows the power of believing in one's self and caring for others as Kuelo fights for his friends and for what is right...before it's too late!

Sixteen-year-old Kuelo Reed experiences strange happenings. An evil, black-cloaked figure dominates his dreams. A hand reaches out from his television and chokes him. He discovers a severed head in his toilet. Kuelo doesn't know what's going on until Geed, a strange old man, appears in his living room. Geed explains that Kuelo, whose name means "spirited," must save the world from the evil one, Aquarius, who is ruining many lives and creating his own tyrannical rule.Geed trains Kuelo with the skills of the earth's elements-fire, wind, and water-and Kuelo becomes a young sorcerer. Once Kuelo collects three precious stones, he can enter Aquarius's realm and stop his evil deeds. With the help of his new fairy friend, Nava, Kuelo is guided through this new world by her knowledge. The situation becomes even more serious when Aquarius kidnaps Kuelo's good friends, Cal and Kristi. Kuelo must use all of his resources to save his friends and humanity.A fantasy for teenage readers, The Zephrus is a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. It shows the power of believing in one's self and caring for others as Kuelo fights for his friends and for what is right.

Sixteen-year-old Kuelo Reed experiences strange happenings. An evil, black-cloaked figure dominates his dreams. A hand reaches out from his television and chokes him. He discovers a severed head in his toilet. Kuelo doesn't know what's going on until Geed, a strange old man, appears in his living room. Geed explains that Kuelo, whose name means "spirited", must save the world from the evil one, Aquarius, who is ruining many lives and creating his own tyrannical rule. Geed trains Kuelo with the skills of the earth's elements-fire, wind, and water-and Kuelo becomes a young sorcerer. Once Kuelo collects three precious stones, he can enter Aquarius's realm and stop his evil deeds. With the help of his new fairy friend, Nava, Kuelo is guided through this new world by her knowledge. The situation becomes even more serious when Aquarius kidnaps Kuelo's good friends, Cal and Kristi. Kuelo must use all of his resources to save his friends and humanity. A fantasy for teenage readers, The Zephrus is a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. It shows the power of believing in one's self and caring for others as Kuelo fights for his friends and for what is right.