To save you all the problem of buying a book - here's a chapter from said book
A Fine and Pleasant Misery
and this, is by far and away, the most quoted chapter I use to illustrate a point in teaching Search Techniques
A Fine and Pleasant Misery
Well, I can certainly say that was enjoyable!!
Having read those two chapter/short stories, I think I recall reading some of his stuff... probably at the same community outhouse where I shopped thru the Sears & Roebuck catalog.
As a youth, I never had money for a magazine, but read a lot of Tom Swift, Alistair MacLean and Robert Ludlum... I could "request" books thru the Imperial County Library System... as I said earlier, Grandma started the Seeley town library, first in a room at the Baptist Church... when they kicked her out, she moved it to her shed. For those who don't know, 120* summer days were commonplace in the 50s and 60s... a 'bit' cooler now, with much higher humidity.
So, given the heat, camping wasn't "a fine and pleasant memory". We did, as a "family" set up camp at Marino Lake, in the mountains east of San Diego one weekend, when I was 7 or 8. When lunchtime came, I ws sent to find Daddy, who was fishing. I walked all the way around that lake and never found him. When I returned to the campsite, it was empty... Everyone assumed I was lost, so they broke camp, packed everything up and left no sign and no tracks to indicate they had ever been there... or, how to get back to Seeley.
I sat for a while and garnered my courage, then walked to an active campsite and said, "that fried chicken sure smells good"... and it was!!
After I had eaten a better lunch than I had ever had at home, I figured I could find my way home... it was only about 70 miles, half thru the mountains (3500' and cool) and half thru the desert (-100+' and miserably hot).
Fortunately, I didn't have to find my way home, Daddy came driving up, with my Mother and my 6 sisters and 1 brother (my youngest brother hadn't yet arrived). He was very concerned and so relieved to find me (about 50' from where they abandoned me)... I could tell by the way he swung his belt and the endearing words he shouted to me...
I crawled into the car and we headed home... sans air conditioning in those days... all 10 of us crowded into the car, with Daddy driving... with a Ham's (sp?) beer in his hand... one of many that day.
Not a "fine and pleasant memory"... but, it's mine nonetheless.
giving me a limited time for deep readings. 
" Wanted to hit everything at least three times before executing..From what I could tell, before a liberal dose of PB, everything was pretty rusted. Owing to no particular rush, a 6 day wait on the lift, and thirty years of rehearse, rehearse, rehearse..Execute, I'm just marking time now...
