Book bits, Herzog homage, author events, creepshow coupon, and more

Almost every month, we present a Book of the Month, a brand-new book that we're so crazy about, we zealously guarantee it 100%.

The Green Appler who selected this month's pick went so far as to grow a moustache for our "commerical." See it here.

Then read Conquest of the Useless.

Here's Stephen's pitch:

The making of Werner Herzog's 1982 film "Fitzcarraldo," which tells the story of an opera lover obsessively intent on amassing a fortune in rubber in order to build an opera house in the Amazon jungle, has been documented in Les Blank's documentary "The Burden of Dreams". In that film, Fitzcarraldo's quest is conflated with Herzog's - that of hauling a 360-ton ship over a steep slope from one river to another using only primitive tools. After watching the documentary, the viewer is justified in wondering if the mad one is the fictional Fitzcarraldo or the implacable Herzog.

The shooting of "Fitzcarraldo" was plagued from its inception by a series of disasters - threats of war and rumors and allegations about Herzog's true intentions in the jungle nearly stopped production before it even began. Plane crashes (yes, plural); attacks by hostile tribes; severe illnesses; actors deserting the film; financial difficulties; a malevolent jungle that seemed intent on eradicating all human life; and death disrupted filming once underway. Through it all Herzog remained unshakable, certain that to abandon the project would be a "disgrace so great that sin itself wouldn't be able to find a name for it".

The Conquest of the Useless is composed of the journal Herzog kept during the making the film. He claims to have been unable to look at this journal for 25 years, such was the toll the process took. I don't need to proselytize to Herzog admirers, but for those with little knowledge or only casual interest in the film, I will make my pitch for why I believe this work should be read by more than film buffs (which I do not consider myself):

The Conquest of the Useless may not be a light read. It demands attention and possibly courage to read it. I will attest, however, that its riches are immeasurable. It lays bare the doubts, fears and psychological fortitude of one of the great artists and noble dreamers of our time. Herzog's vivid descriptions of the jungle, its indigenous inhabitants and a rapidly vanishing world rival that of the best travel writer or journalist. His prose is clear and often downright funny. (The absurdity of his situation was not lost on Herzog.) It is in many respects a classic adventure story, complete with something resembling a happy ending. . . .

Above all, it speaks to the conflicted dreamer in all of us that cries out for us to attempt our own impossible conquest, whatever the cost. It's not every day that a book comes along that promises that. Especially not a book that is guaranteed.

--Stephen Sparks

Click here to buy a copy (with free shipping!) or stop by the store soon.