Cart
|
|
my account
|
wish list
|
help
|
800-878-7323
Hello, |
Login
MENU
Browse
New Arrivals
Bestsellers
Featured Preorders
Award Winners
Audio Books
See All Subjects
Used
Staff Picks
Staff Picks
Picks of the Month
Bookseller Displays
50 Books for 50 Years
25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
25 Books From the 21st Century
25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
25 Women to Read Before You Die
25 Books to Read Before You Die
Gifts
Gift Cards & eGift Cards
Powell's Souvenirs
Journals and Notebooks
socks
Games
Sell Books
Blog
Events
Find A Store
Don't Miss
Big Mood Sale
Teen Dream Sale
Portland Like a Pro Sale
Powell's Author Events
Oregon Battle of the Books
Audio Books
Get the Powell's newsletter
Visit Our Stores
Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
(0 comment)
Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
Read More
»
Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
(0 comment)
Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
(0 comment)
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
Customer Comments
Luigi has commented on (14) products
The Man Who Knew Coolidge
by
Sinclair Lewis
Luigi
, April 03, 2017
I needed to read this at different times in my life. When I read it as a college student, I saw it as Lewis making fun of the stereotypical midwesterner who appeared in Babbit and Main Street. I assumed that he knocked the book off in a weekend (he probably did). I was judgmental. But now that I am much older, I am more empathetic and have a better understanding of the character and how his culture shaped him. I can understand and accept his failings. If you want a quick dive into Sinclair Lewis without reading the more complex books, this book may be for you.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Breakfast At Sallys One Homeless Mans Inspirational Journey
by
Richard Lemieux
Luigi
, January 03, 2011
"Sally's" is the Salvation Army,which served breakfast to the author during his time as a homeless man. Once well-to-do, Richard LeMieuex had fallen on hard times. This book is his autobiographical story of his time on the streets of Bremerton, Washington, and the people he spent time with. Homelessness is very foreign to most of us. We make think of the homeless as below us and worthy of contempt. This book brings us closer to the realization that they are like the rest of us, with our good qualities and our shortcomings.For many, the only real difference is that for the time being at least, we still have a regular paycheck and maybe a bank account. This would be a good book for the "One Book" programs that many colleges and communities sponsor.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Miracle At Philadelphia The Story of the Constitutional Convention May September 1787
by
Catherine Drinker Bowen
Luigi
, November 19, 2009
If you want to know what the framers were thinking when they wrote the Constitution, this is the book. Although many books have covered this historic event, this is the best. It is historically accurate and easy to read. With so many commentators telling us what the original intent of the Framers was, it's nice to find out the real story as told by a knowledgeable author. Also available as an Mp3 CD.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Americanization Of Benjamin Franklin
by
Gordon S Wood
Luigi
, October 02, 2009
In this book, Gordon Wood, one of our best historians, gives us insights into Franklin's character and personal growth that you won't find elsewhere. In this very readable biography, we see Franklin starting out as a loyal Englishman, even after the Boston Tea Party, and slowly becoming an American. We also see him starting out life with very little and amassing wealth and gaining sophistication. There are several new biographies of Franklin available, but in my opinion, this is the one to read.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
How Green Was My Valley
by
Richard Llewellyn
Luigi
, June 06, 2009
This is a bitterweet story of life in a Welsh coal mining town as seen through the eyes of a boy--very popular when it was published and later made into a 1941 movie that won Best Picture, besting Citizen Kane. The story will grab your emotions,you will learn about the Welsh,and you will be enchanted by the writing style, which is simple, elegant, and enlivened by the poetic Welsh tongue.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Vanished Smile The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa
by
R A Scotti
Luigi
, May 02, 2009
Despite Mona Lisa's popularity today, how many of know that it was stolen in 1911, that it hung briefly in Florence's Uffizi Gallery, and that Picasso was once a suspect? Here's the whole story--or as much of it as we know.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Blink The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
by
Malcolm Gladwell
Luigi
, December 28, 2008
This popular book argues that often we should make decisions and evaluations on the basis of our gut reactions. The author supports his argument with many studies of the type that probably show up in psychology courses and MBA programs. I don't think he fully proves his argument. In many of the studies, the subjects seemingly make evaluations on gut reactions, but really make those evaluations on the basis of their past experiences and life lessons. However, the studies he cites are fascinating. The book enables us lay people to learn about them. This is the book's true value and why I recommend it.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(6 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Sense Of Structure Writing From The Re
by
George D. Gopen
Luigi
, December 28, 2008
Before I met George Gopen, I had taught writing at the law school level. Then George opened my eyes. He taught me to think about writing in an entirely different way. Now, years after my students graduate, the tell me how much my teaching changed their writing and contributed to their success. They really should be thanking George.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
by
Jeannette Walls
Luigi
, December 22, 2008
The remarkable autobiography of a girl who grew up in extreme poverty and survived. Her alcoholic father and free spirited (if not emotionally disturbed) mother managed to neglect her and her siblings while justifying their conduct with believable words of homely wisdom. Jeannette succeeded while her mother still lives on the streets of New York. You may find yourself dumbfounded by the life of this vagabond family, but you will be glad you read this book. For more, go on www.youtube.com and search for "Glass Castle." You will find a video of the author and her mother.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(10 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Classic Tradition of Haiku an Anthology
by
Faubion Bowers
Luigi
, December 01, 2008
One of the very best haiku books. Often, you can't fully understand classic Japanese haiku without knowing what certain things symbolize in Japanese culture or how the haiku relates to events in the poet's life. This little book provides that information. It also gives you alternative translations of many haikus.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(9 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Elizabeth & Essex A Tragic History
by
Lytton Strachey
Luigi
, March 03, 2008
If you are interested in the era of Elizabeth I, don't miss this book. In addition to some detailed history, you gain an understanding of the Queen much different than what the popular movies offer. You learn of a queen who can be passionate, fickle, and indecisive. But the best part is Lytton Strachey's writing style. If you are a writer, you will be envious of how he paints with words and delves into personalities of his characters.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
The Haiku Apprentice: Memoirs of Writing Poetry in Japan
by
Abigail Friedman
Luigi
, January 30, 2008
What a great way to learn about Japanese haiku poetry! Most books explain haiku in an analytical fashion that explains what haiku is and what the traditional rules are for writing it. This book takes a more inviting route by telling us the story of an American working in Japan who meets haiku poets and learns from them. This approach gives the reader a much better understanding of what haiku and Japanese culture are about.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Blood Done Sign My Name A True Story
by
Timothy B Tyson
Luigi
, December 19, 2006
This book chronicles the author's journey growing up the racially charged South as he lives through a racially motivated murder, a community's denial, and the repercussions. Despite the grim nature of the theme, it is a warm, personal book that explains the South of the 1970s and 1980s from a grassroots perspective. If you think the civil rights era concluded in the 60s, surprise!! The book has just won the prestigious Grawemeyer Award.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(9 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Way of a Pilgrim & the Pilgrim Continues His Way
by
R M French, Anonymous
Luigi
, November 06, 2006
For almost 40 years, Salinger's "Franny and Zooey" has been my favorite spiritual book. When I first read it and learned about "The Way of a Pilgrim," I found a copy and its sequel in the library of a Roman Catholic seminary and read it in one sitting. It offers a spiritual practice that probably does not work for most people. But, more importantly, it helps us to understand the essential simplicity at the heart of the spiritual life.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment