Up Close and Personal with David Hsiung!

In the midst of Hsiung's busy life, there are also mellow times when he sits down and enjoys his favorite movies, reads a book or two, and surfs the net!

Director's Take on Movies

On the Shelf

Hsiung has a broad taste in books, including adventure, history, mystery, and children's stories.

The list goes on..

Great history books that set a standard to shoot for :

• James Merrell, Into the American Woods: Negotiators on the Pennsylvania Frontier.
• Edmund Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia.
• Barbara Tuchman, The Guns of August.
• Richard White, The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires, and Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650-1815.

Wonderful novels that tell Hsiung, in his words, "I will never be a novelist, so I should stick to teaching":

• Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose.
• Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale.
• Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
• Philip Pullman's trilogy, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.
• Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels.
• Connie Willis, The Doomsday Book.

Books Dave loved as a kid and can't wait to read to his children:

• Wilfred S. Bronson, Coyotes.
• Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth.
• Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time.
• Robert O'Brien, Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH.
• Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince.
  

Mystery writers he turns to when he needs to take his mind off of things: John Dunning, Dick Francis, Tony Hillerman, Robert B. Parker, Ellis Peters.

The first book Hsiung had in college that he would go and read ahead of what was assigned because it was so great: Elizabeth Fernea, Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village.

Semi-trashy novels that Dave admits he loves so much that he would scour all of England to find original first edition copies: the "Modesty Blaise" adventure thrillers by Peter O'Donnell.

John McPhee has written 25 books so far, won the Pulitzer Prize, and is still cranking away, and Dave will read whatever he comes out with next: his favorite non-fictions by John McPhee

• Coming Into the Country
• Encounters with the Archdruid
• Irons in the Fire
• Pieces of the Frame
• Table of Contents

A book that almost no one knows about, but is an absolute treasure. An all-time favorite: Edmund Love, The Situation in Flushing.

Let's Take a Look at Hsiung's Favorite Websites

http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/

A site devoted to humanities and social sciences! It a great source for reviews of essays and books related to history. You can participate in online discussions, view announcements, and it even includes a job guide.

http://www.dohistory.org/

This is a site that offers information for you to learn the basic skills for interpreting fragments of history that survive from any period. Visit this site to see a real case study to learn and do history on your own!

http://memory.loc.gov/

Are you interested in American history? This is a great site to explore the history and culture of the United States. Find written materials, sheet music, maps, photos, sound recordings, and motion pictures. This site can provide you with information not only on the history, but geography, political science, the performing arts and much more.

http://www.common-place.org/

This site offers an insightful analysis of early American History. If you are a scholar, teacher, hobbyist, or you are just interested in American history before 1900, this site is the place to explore history and exchange ideas about American history and culture with other visitors who enjoy what this website has to offer.

http://www.si.umich.edu/spies/

An interesting site! Explore the gallery of spy letters and stories of spies and history. It also includes other links and information about people of the revolution, a timeline, and routes of the letters. Links are provided for each letter in the gallery.