A compelling story of two outsiders striving to find their place in an unforgiving world, John Steinbeck's ''Of Mice and Men'' includes an introduction by Susan Shillinglaw in ''Penguin Classics''. Drifters in search of work, George and his childlike friend Lennie, have nothing in the world except the clothes on their back - and a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch in California's Salinas Valley, but their hopes are dashed as Lennie - struggling against extreme cruelty, misunderstanding and feelings of jealousy - becomes a victim of his own strength. Tackling universal themes of friendship and shared vision, and giving a voice to America's lonely and dispossessed, ''Of Mice and Men'' remains Steinbeck's most popular work, achieving success as a novel, Broadway play and three acclaimed films. John Steinbeck (1902-68), winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature, is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century.During the Second World War Steinbeck served as a war correspondent, his journalism later collected in ''Once There Was a War'' (1958), and he was awarded the Norwegian Cross of Freedom for his portrayal in ''The Moon is Down'' (1942) of Resistance efforts in northern Europe. His best-known works include the epics ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (1939) and ''East of Eden'' (1952), and his tragic novella ''Of Mice and Men'' (1937). John Steinbeck's complete works are published in ''Penguin Modern Classics''. If you enjoyed ''Of Mice and Men'', you might like Steinbeck's ''Cannery Row'', also available in ''Penguin Modern Classics''. ''A thriller, a gripping tale that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick''. (''The New York Times'').