{"product_id":"the-ask-9780312680633","title":"The Ask","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA searing, beautiful, and deeply comic novel by a young American master\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMilo Burke, a development officer at a third-tier university, has not been developing: after a run-in with a well-connected undergrad, he finds himself among the burgeoning class of the newly unemployed. Grasping after odd jobs to support his wife and child, Milo is offered one last chance by his former employer: he must reel in a potential donor--a major ask--who, mysteriously, has requested Milo's involvement. But it turns out that the ask is Milo's sinister college classmate Purdy Stuart. And the give won't come cheap. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eProbing many themes-- or, perhaps, anxieties--including work, war, sex, class, child rearing, romantic comedies, Benjamin Franklin, cooking shows on death row, and the eroticization of chicken wire, Sam Lipsyte's \u003ci\u003eThe Ask \u003c\/i\u003eis a burst of genius by an author who has already demonstrated that the truly provocative and important fictions are often the funniest ones. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA\u003ci\u003e New York Times Book Review \u003c\/i\u003eEditors' Choice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-2034121\"\u003eSam Lipsyte\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Picador USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/01\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.62lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.24h x 5.58w x 0.89d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780312680633\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0312680635\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC019000\"\u003eLiterary\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC016000\"\u003eHumorous | General\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-FIC\"\u003eFiction\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-FIC084040\"\u003eWorld Literature | American | 21st Century\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSam Lipsyte\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1968. He is the author of the story collection \u003ci\u003eVenus Drive\u003c\/i\u003e (named one of the top twenty-five books of its year by the Voice Literary Supplement) and the novels \u003ci\u003eThe Subject Steve\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHome Land\u003c\/i\u003e, which was a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book and received the first annual Believer Book Award. He is also the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship. He lives in New York City and teaches at Columbia University.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis title is not returnable\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Picador USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42668383863021,"sku":"9780312680633","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_4663fa35-e2e3-40e2-afd3-05e45fbcd7ce.jpg?v=1649454420","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/the-ask-9780312680633","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}