diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index 6d12fc17..a9129ade 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
+	"strconv"
 )
 
 type conn struct {
@@ -122,6 +123,90 @@ func (c *conn) Query(sql string) (rows []map[string]string, err error) {
 	panic("Unreachable")
 }
 
+func (c *conn) selectOne(sql string) (s string, err error) {
+	if err = c.sendSimpleQuery(sql); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	for {
+		var t byte
+		var r *messageReader
+		if t, r, err = c.rxMsg(); err == nil {
+			switch t {
+			case readyForQuery:
+				return
+			case rowDescription:
+			case dataRow:
+				s = c.rxDataRowFirstValue(r)
+			case commandComplete:
+			default:
+				if err = c.processContextFreeMsg(t, r); err != nil {
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	panic("Unreachable")
+}
+
+func (c *conn) SelectString(sql string) (s string, err error) {
+	return c.selectOne(sql)
+}
+
+func (c *conn) selectInt(sql string, size int) (i int64, err error) {
+	var s string
+	s, err = c.selectOne(sql)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	i, err = strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, size)
+	return
+}
+
+func (c *conn) SelectInt64(sql string) (i int64, err error) {
+	return c.selectInt(sql, 64)
+}
+
+func (c *conn) SelectInt32(sql string) (i int32, err error) {
+	var i64 int64
+	i64, err = c.selectInt(sql, 32)
+	i = int32(i64)
+	return
+}
+
+func (c *conn) SelectInt16(sql string) (i int16, err error) {
+	var i64 int64
+	i64, err = c.selectInt(sql, 16)
+	i = int16(i64)
+	return
+}
+
+func (c *conn) selectFloat(sql string, size int) (f float64, err error) {
+	var s string
+	s, err = c.selectOne(sql)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	f, err = strconv.ParseFloat(s, size)
+	return
+}
+
+func (c *conn) SelectFloat64(sql string) (f float64, err error) {
+	return c.selectFloat(sql, 64)
+}
+
+func (c *conn) SelectFloat32(sql string) (f float32, err error) {
+	var f64 float64
+	f64, err = c.selectFloat(sql, 32)
+	f = float32(f64)
+	return
+}
+
 func (c *conn) sendSimpleQuery(sql string) (err error) {
 	bufSize := 5 + len(sql) + 1 // message identifier (1), message size (4), null string terminator (1)
 	buf := c.getBuf(bufSize)
@@ -270,6 +355,15 @@ func (c *conn) rxDataRow(r *messageReader, fields []fieldDescription) (row map[s
 	return
 }
 
+func (c *conn) rxDataRowFirstValue(r *messageReader) (s string) {
+	r.readInt16() // ignore field count
+
+	// TODO - handle nulls
+	size := r.readInt32()
+	s = r.readByteString(size)
+	return s
+}
+
 func (c *conn) rxCommandComplete(r *messageReader) string {
 	return r.readString()
 }
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index f20dc145..884c6990 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package pgx
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -96,3 +97,135 @@ func TestQuery(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Unable to close connection")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSelectString(t *testing.T) {
+	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
+	}
+
+	var s string
+	s, err = conn.SelectString("select 'foo'")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to select string: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if s != "foo" {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect string")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSelectInt64(t *testing.T) {
+	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
+	}
+
+	var i int64
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt64("select 1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to select int64: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if i != 1 {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect int64")
+	}
+
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt64("select power(2,65)::numeric")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
+		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number greater than max int64")
+	}
+
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt64("select -power(2,65)::numeric")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
+		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int64")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSelectInt32(t *testing.T) {
+	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
+	}
+
+	var i int32
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt32("select 1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to select int32: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if i != 1 {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect int32")
+	}
+
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt32("select power(2,33)::numeric")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
+		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number greater than max int32")
+	}
+
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt32("select -power(2,33)::numeric")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
+		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int32")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSelectInt16(t *testing.T) {
+	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
+	}
+
+	var i int16
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt16("select 1")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to select int16: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if i != 1 {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect int16")
+	}
+
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt16("select power(2,17)::numeric")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
+		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number greater than max int16")
+	}
+
+	i, err = conn.SelectInt16("select -power(2,17)::numeric")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "value out of range") {
+		t.Error("Expected value out of range error when selecting number less than min int16")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSelectFloat64(t *testing.T) {
+	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
+	}
+
+	var f float64
+	f, err = conn.SelectFloat64("select 1.23")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to select float64: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if f != 1.23 {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect float64")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSelectFloat32(t *testing.T) {
+	conn, err := Connect(map[string]string{"socket": "/private/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432", "user": "pgx_none", "database": "pgx_test"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to establish connection")
+	}
+
+	var f float32
+	f, err = conn.SelectFloat32("select 1.23")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Unable to select float32: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if f != 1.23 {
+		t.Error("Received incorrect float32")
+	}
+}