David Bruce: 329 books

This free download describes a composition assignment that I have used successfully during my years of teaching at Ohio University. Other teachers are welcome to download and read this pdf file and decide whether this assignment will work in their classes. Of course, other teachers may modify...

When Cammi Granato, a gold-medal winner as a member of the United States women’s hockey team at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games, was growing up, she was the only girl player on a boys’ team. During one game, her coach learned that the opposing players had been ordered to “get number twenty-one”—Cammi’s...

This book contains 250 stories about good deeds, including this one: Gary Paulsen, author of "Hatchet," loves dogs. Occasionally, he makes a dog lucky. He goes to the dog pound and says, “Give me the next one you’re going to whack.” He doesn’t even ask about the dog’s age, breed, sex, size, etc. He simply saves the next dog that is scheduled to die.

This book contains 250 anecdotes, including these: 1) George Jessel was known as the Toastmaster of the United States because he spoke at so many dinners and gave so many elegies at funerals. He once observed a number of veterans at a dining room in a hotel. They had fought together, and some had...

This book contains 250 stories about heroic rescues, good deeds, and kindness, including these: 1) Harry Roesch, aka Harry the Hammer, was the fix-it man of his neighborhood: Friendship Heights in Washington D.C. He helped lots of elderly widows stay in their homes by doing such things as installing...

Some samples: 1) Andrew Buckingham was 13 years old when he started to write comedian Kenneth Williams, co-star of many British "Carry On" movie comedies. The correspondence lasted almost three years, ending only with Mr. Williams’ death. Mr. Buckingham says today, “He replied to all...

Some samples: 1) Susie Essman plays the foul-mouthed Susie Greene on the HBO comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Her tirades, which are many, are filled with profanity delivered in many original and colorful ways—she rivals the foul-mouthed Jay of Jay and Silent Bob fame in her talent...

Some samples: 1) Brian Garfield is the author of “Death Wish,” a novel about a man who becomes a vigilante after hoodlums rape his daughter and murder his wife. It became a very popular film starring Charles Bronson, who also starred in four sequels. Mr. Garfield got the idea for the novel after...

Some samples: 1) Entertainer Eddie Cantor put his knowledge of human nature to use while raising money for charity in what was reputed to be a tough town for fundraising. He did it by appearing to get sicker and sicker just before the fundraiser, even calling to see if someone could host the event...

Some Samples: 1) Despite his obvious high intelligence, Isaac Asimov could be absent-minded. When he was married to his first wife, he once took a bill to the gas company and complained about how much it was. He said, “We have never used enough gas to bring us up to the minimum. We have no children....

Some samples: 1) During a long-distance telephone call, choreographer Agnes de Mille told her soldier husband, Walter Prude, that she was pregnant: “We’re having a baby!” He managed to say, “Good God, are you sure!” before they were disconnected—telephone service during World War II was...

This book contains 250 stories of good deeds, including this one: Actor/writer/director Paul Bern often gave money to the poor. One day, an impoverished woman waited in his office to see him. Because he was busy, he sent her some money and a note of apology for being unable to see her. He also told a friend about the money: “It’s mine no more than hers.”

This book contains 250 anecdotes, including this one: Russell Johnson, who played the Professor on Gilligan’s Island, had the hardest lines to learn because so much of what he said was explaining how he was able to use science to do such things as recharge batteries with nothing more than seawater...

Some samples: 1) In 2008 in San Francisco, a group known as the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco wanted to change the name of the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant. Because of President George W. Bush’s record as overseer of the country’s welfare, they wanted the sewage...