Hooking Up is an odd collection of pieces: an essay about sexual activity amongst teens in the 90's, the story of Robert Noyce who helped found Silicon Valley, a fictional piece about TV reporters investigating a murder at Ft. Bragg. I never did pick up on the concept that was supposed to tie all of these together, if there was one. There were two redeeming sections. One gives the story of gifted sculptor Frederick Hart, and why he was never recognized by the Art community. The work you are most likely to encounter is the Three Soldiers statue at the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. Wolfe is a little hard on Mia Lyn but in the context of recognizing true artistic skill, he is justified. The other redeeming section discusses what makes an enduring piece of fiction. Wolfe argues that books of ideas where characters exist in a theoretical world are destined for obscurity and are bringing about the death of the American Novel. Lasting fiction should describe people living in the America of right now. What made books like The Grapes of Wrath or The Great Gatsby classics is that they were "real" stories of their day. BTW, if you haven't, you must read Bonfire of the Vanities (the book, don't go anywhere near the movie).