“Mr. Shields again demonstrates his ability to conjure up the past by using lyrical, rhythmic language to relate ordinary events. He possesses a gift for taking a seemingly mundane moment and investing it with layers of psychological resonance.” -- Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
“A Handbook for Drowning painfully, accurately chronicles the endemic disease of our time: the difficulty of feeling.” -- Rhoda Koenig, New York Magazine
“David Shields's tautly constructed, tartly observant stories present Walt as a survivor of family drowning, now free to grow up; their cumulative effect is powerful.” -- Dan Cryer, Newsday
“David Shields brings fresh insights to an old theme, the shame and tenderness of an American coming of age--rendered with an engaging honesty, the hallmark of Shields's style.” -- Robert Taylor, Boston Globe
“With a certain dexterity, Shields continues to live up to his designation as a writer capable of the 'best prose about youth since Salinger.” -- Booklist