Books published by publisher Bantam Books, Inc., New York

One of the most important and influential books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better. Here is the book that transformed a generation: an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest, undertaken by a father and his young son. A story of love and fear -- of growth, discovery, and acceptance -- that becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions, this uniquely exhilarating modern classic is both touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence . . . and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.

On a sultry summer night in 1915, Jay Follet leaves his house in Knoxville, Tennessee, to tend to his father, who he believes is dying. The summons turns out to be a false alarm, but on his way back to his family, Jay has a car accident and is killed instantly. Dancing back and forth in time and braiding the viewpoints of Jay's wife, brother, and young son, Rufus, Agee creates an overwhelming powerful novel of innocence, tenderness, and loss that should be read for the sheer music of its prose.

Agatha Christie: A Tommy and Tuppence Beresford murder mystery. Hardcover Book, with a jacket cover, 1968. From the Jacket cover: Because a sweet old lady disappeared, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, that shrewd and engaging detective team, came out of retirement to take on their most baffling case. They had gone to visit Tommy's Aunt Ada at Sunny Ridge, a well-run home for elderly ladies. On the surface, Sunny Ridge appeared to be a model of its kind. Or was it? Soon after Aunt Ada died peacefully in her bed, her friend Mrs. Lancaster left very suddenly in the care of somewhat mysterious relatives. Tuppence had misgivings-Tommy started by pooh-poohing them. But Tuppence made up her mind that she would discover what had really happened to old Mrs. Lancaster. Her only clue was an oil painting of a house by a canal. It was to lead Tuppence to a peaceful village "where nothing ever happens," to a character whom she christened "the friendly witch," and to hunt through ancient tombstones in a churchyard. Then Tommy returned from a hush-hush conference and found that Tuppence had failed to return from ther quest! Brilliantly sustained mystery is always to be found in a novel by Agatha Christie, but her latest story contains an extra element, and might equally well have been titled "By the Chilling of Your Spine". Jacket Design by Salem Tamer. Book Club Edition.