In this collection, ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need? And Other Stories, ‘ Russian born Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) demonstrates his varied subject matter and style in his shorter fiction. In the title piece, ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need?, ‘ Tolstoy explores this very question through the story of a peasant with an increasing appetite for land. In ‘What Men Live By, ‘ the humble shoemaker Simon sets out to collect money to pay for new coats for the family. ‘A Spark Neglected Burns the House’ is a parable examining the process of reconciliation. Also included are ‘Two Hussars, ‘ ‘Where Love is, ‘ ‘God Is, ‘ ‘Two Old Men, ‘ and ‘A Prisoner in the Caucasus, ‘ some of Tolstoy’s finest early work. Though Tolstoy is widely known for ‘War and Peace’ and ‘Anna Karenina, ‘ considered two of the greatest novels in world literature, his short stories remain valuable classics in their own regards.