Books
All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House
All the Way Home follows David Giffels's funny, poignant, and confounding journey as he and his wife and a colorful collection of helpers turn a money pit into a house that will complete their family. Nothing could prepare them for a home restoration epic that includes evicting squatters (both four- and two-legged), battling an invading wisteria vine, hunting a ghost, and discovering thousands of dollars in hidden Depression-era cash. But the story's heart lies deeper, in an unexpected series of personal hardships that call into question what "home" really means, and what it means to grow up.
William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2008
Paperback, June 2009
Are We Not Men? We Are Devo!Are We Not Men? We Are Devo! With flowerpots on their heads, distinctive post-Kraftwerk imagery, and staggeringly catchy electro-pop riffs, Devo carved an '80s niche setting them apart from the mish-mash of punk, new wave and rock surrounding them. David Giffels and Jade Dellinger interviewed band members and associates, ransacked their archives to provide illustrations, memorabilia and rare photographs documenting Devo's entire career, and re-evaluated their complete works to provide a compelling biography of one of rock’s most enigmatic bands.
SAF Publishing, 2003
Wheels of Fortune: The Story of Rubber in Akron
Wheels of Fortune is a tale of two cities -- both of them Akron. One city, built on rubber, turned itself into a model for Middle America industrial success. The other city has had to learn to live on in rubber's wake, to remake itself, to come to terms with its remade self. To tell this tale of two cities is to tell the tale of America's rubber industry. The people rubber left behind discovered they had not only their memories but also the ability to remake Akron into a center for polymer knowledge, a remnant of rubber research and a bridge between the two cities. Wheels of Fortune is their story.
University of Akron Press, 1998
***Some essays and journalism***
“The Strange Familiar” -- First Place, Memoirs, Ink personal Essay Contest, 2009
“Home Invasion (PDF)” -- This Old House Magazine, April 2009
“Shirt-Worthy” -- New York Times Magazine, October 2007
Foreword to the West Point Market Cookbook (PDF) -- University of Akron Press, 2008
“… the most literate, engaging, and entertaining cookbook opener I’ve ever read.”
— Laura Taxel, Cleveland Magazine
Excerpts from the American Dream series, Akron Beacon Journal, 2008
- "Middle class hanging by thread as rich get richer, poor get poorer"
- "Career today, gone tomorrow"
- "Retiring old ideas about retirement"
Praise for the American Dream series:
- Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, 2009
- First Place, David Giffels, Best News Writer in Ohio, Associated Press Society of Ohio, 2009
- First Place, Community Service, Associated Press Society of Ohio, 2009
- Second place, National Headliner Award, Journalistic Innovation, 2009
- Society of American Business Editors and Writers: Best in Business Award, 2009
- Finalist, Scripps Howard National Journalism Award, Public Service Reporting, 2009
And here’s a sneak preview from my next book, still very much in progress:
(coming soon)