New York Books

Terrific photo essay on the people that make up good old Brooklyn NY.
This book is a must for all Brooklynites, current and past residents.
It really captures the essence of each individual highlighted, with a
interesting mix of subjects. Highly recommend-

I love this book! It embodies everything Brooklyn. I grew up in upstate New York, didn't visit Brooklyn until I was in my 30s, I fell in love immediately with the sights, sounds and people...there is nothing fake about Brooklyn, it's the real deal. This book not only puts it into words, but amazing portraits of the people that live and work there. It's worth a look.

The care with which these two have crafted this vision of our beloved Brooklyn is evident in every shot and sentence. I went to high school with both of the authors and am in the book. But even if I hadn't and weren't, from half way across the country this book would make me feel like I was back on the block.

Growing up in the nosebleed section of Queens, I always admired Brooklyn from afar. And this incredible book captures it all in verse and image--it's big and brash and bold and beautiful and unabashedly proud. You'll find all the big Brooklynite names profiled here (Spike Lee, Rosie Perez, Jonathan Lethem...) but I think what makes the book so touching is how the authors were able to capture the "real" people who call this place home. In these pages, you find a sense of pride and community that has all but evaporated in the rest of the city...and the country, for that matter. Deserves a spot on your bookshelf or coffee table.

As a native Brooklynite now living beyond the boundaries of Kings County I spend at least half of every day pining away for the comfort, culture and security of this beloved borough. Now I have found an artful and authentic way to bring Brooklyn back to my senses and into my life. Well done.

Has there ever been a more unlikely hero than Richard Gillies? I don't know one.

A socially awkward, somewhat introverted, Social Security claims analyst in Manhattans lower east side, our first glimpses into his inner landscape show a slightly creepy office savant whose most joyful moments arise during his innocent but fantasy tinged interactions with a married coworker. From these humble beginnings, however, he evolves into a highly principled and courageous bureaucratic knight in shining armor, risking all that he has and even endangering his dream girl, so that a wild collection of bizarre and unfortunate individuals can justly partake of society's benefits. Even when he is finally discovered and threatened with prosecution, he remains courageous and true to his ideals,and in so doing provides inspiration for others to display their better selves.

The strength of character which he comes to display was always there, it seems, but never reached the surface, mostly because it wasn't needed. Crucial to its emergence is the General, a father figure and martyred leader, who may be roughly and partially modeled after a real psychoanalytic business maven named Leonard Strahl. The conjunction of Richards own unique brilliance at the SSA bureaucratic process with his innate sense of justice and compassion, nudged on by the General, creates an underground superhero who we can all marvel at, however unhappily improbable he may be in real life.

Throughout the tale, there are numerous fascinating and lascivious subplots showing others besides Richard who develop and bring to the surface their own higher aspirations and potentials...or not....It's kinda like a snow ball effect when one person breaks free of the things which limit their own true expression, and in realizing their better self inspires others to do the same.

Plus the good guy gets the girl in the end !

Something for everybody !!! WooHoo!!!

Bureaucrat is a compelling read, which is surprising because the protagonist is one of the least sympathetic subspecies of homo sapiens: the Social Security Administration claims representative. The author makes one care about the claim rep Richard and his two beloveds, one a fellow worker, one a client. Just as notable an accomplishment is he also forces us to care about Richard's many other clients, memorable characters from New York's homeless population. Be carried along as the plot unfolds and as Richard acquires and avoids self-knowledge; it is an engaging journey.

Eric Rosenblatt mines the subterranean world of New York City--and the human heart--in this perplexing new novel. His protagonist, Richard Gillies, is Elckerlijc--Everyman--wrestling with moral ambiguity. Ultimately, Gillies understands that in the end, a person will only have his good deeds to accompany him beyond the grave. A significant work of staggering complexity from a promising young author.

The people in this novel are related to Chekhov's characters: they live submerged lives and they evolve in fascinating and surprising ways as the story turns. This is a great unknown work of art--and it's also accessible to people who like Pee Wee Herman.

This is a story of a middle-income guy risking it all to give the city's loonies a proper chance at life. This along with a romantic twist and a clever plot becomes an intriguing, page-turning, honest novel with wit and integrity. And the imagery of New York City is fascinating! I absolutely recommend this book - I couldn't put it down!

This is yet another twist on the Dr. Faust legend, and it follows other similar stories such as "The Devil and Tom Walker" and "The Devil and Daniel Webster." Having not read the Faust legend in its entirety, but having read the other two, I note that whereas Tom Walker failed, both Daniel Webster and Joe Hardy, the hero of this book, overcame Satan. There is a difference, however, in the reasons. Daniel Webster overcame the devli through his goodness, whereas Joe Hardy overcame Satan through his determination. There is a similarity here, because Joe Hardy remained true to his wife's love in overcoming the wiles of the beautiful Lola. Having watched "Damn Yankee," the movie taken from this book, just after reading the book, I saw two different twists to the same story, both applicable to the genre in which they were produced. Overall, a recommended reading either for the sports buff or the casual reader.

man it would take the devil for the yankees to loose the series. This is a great book that isn't to long to read and it is a very good story

This is a wonderful story, and one that I enjoyed for personal reasons - the main character Joe Hardy was inspired by my grandfather Joe Judge, who played first base for the Washington Senators from 1915 to 1932. The story is told in my book Damn Senators.

The novel tells the story of Joe Boyd, a long-time fan of the Washington Senators who have the worst record in baseball. One night after an incredibly bad loss, Joe decides to take a walk around the neighborhood and runs into the mysterious Mr. Applegate. It turns out that Applegate has been keeping tabs on Joe and his Washington Senators and wants to offer Joe a proposition. How would he like to watch his beloved Senators to win the 1958 pennant? Not only watch, but even help the team by becoming their newest star player? Reluctantly, Joe agrees but has Applegate write an escape clause into the contract. Within a few days the old Joe Boyd is transfromed into the 21-year-old Joe Hardy and sets off on a whirlwind ride that moves the Senators up from 7th place to just within reach of the Yankees.

Along the way, Joe begins to realize just what he's given up and what the ramifications are of his joining the team. It's a heart-warming trip, both funny and sad, and delves into a passionate fan's view of the world of baseball. So many temptations to stick with the game, and even stronger feelings tying him to his old life. Until the gorgeous Lola steps into the picture to keep his mind off the old Joe. Author Douglass Wallop's story keeps you enrapt and rooting for Joe and the Senators until the very end, never quite sure just what the outcome is going to be. It's a unique, light-hearted twist on the tale of Faust with many great and wonderful characters.

I first read this as a kid, and loved it then. It's a happy thought that, 50 years ago, the greatest desire a man could aspire to was to have his underdog baseball team beat the undeafeated Yankees, and was willing to sell his sould to the Devil for it. Today he'd probably want at least one oil-producing country.

Well written, entertaining and with some great twists, it still remains one of my favourites for moralistic humour, right up there with the various Don Camillo books. Really gives the flavour of baseball in the 1950's when there were fewer teams, stronger loyalties and better sportsmen.

Stephen Hanan played Gus, Growltiger, and Bustopher Jones in the original Broadway production run of Cats. Fresh from the London stage there was only an inkling that the show would be a great success and no true idea that it would be the longest running show in Broadway history. During the time he auditioned and through the rehearsals and opening week Stephen Hanan kept a very detailed diary of his experience as part of the first Broadway cast of Cats. A Cats Diary details Hanan's thoughts and experiences as he auditioned and the rigorous work that went into rehearsal and the production. He details the changes the show underwent as the cast, choreographer, and director tried to find what would work best for all involved and give the best possible show. As a fan of the show (I saw a very well done production at a regional dinner theatre and then the national touring production, the dinner theatre was superior), I found the behind the scenes look at one actor's experience of Cats to be fascinating. Unlike what I would expect from most diaries, Stephen Hanan is very detailed and writes out complete events and complete thoughts and writes well that there is a narrative that forms over the course of the hundred pages of diary entries.

My only real quibble is that footnotes are printed in a cursive font, as if Hanan had handwritten the footnotes into the book to explain people and things that wouldn't be obvious to the casual reader. The footnotes were difficult to read.

Hanan's strength is in the descriptions and that his personality comes through in the text of the book. A Cats Diary is a wonderful resource to those who are seeking to learn more about what goes on to produce a Broadway show and what some of the actors go through.

-Joe Sherry

This book is defenitely a must-read for any CATS lover. It answers questions such as "Why wasn't the Italian aria in the Original London show," as well as giving insights into the preparation, rehersal and immense effort that was put into the original Broadway production. Also wonderfully written are the relationships between the author and the rest of the cast and production team. This book is a CATS fan's dream!

This is a specialty item for the fans of the Broadway production Cats: A Cat's Diary follows the author's daily involvement with the popular production, from rehearsals to finished audience product. Especially involving for drama students, who will receive specific insights into the making of a Broadway production.

Thoroughly enjoyable. The pages flew by. You get a real appreciation of how close the company grew, and how grueling the rehersals were. It is amazing how much was done in a relatively short rehersal period. I saw the show and loved it. I do not know if that made difference, but I would think that for anyone interested in the theater, this would be a wonderful book.

    Seven Tony Awards. Box office receipts of more than a billion dollars. A Broadway run of nearly 8,000 performances. And yet, if I asked you to name the actors and actresses who became stars because of "Cats," you'd probably be stumped.
   Okay, Broadway buffs, so you recall Betty Buckley, for singing "Memory."
   Next?
  In fact, although this was the ultimate ensemble piece, there was one cat who outshone the others. His name is Stephen Mo Hanan, and in the original Broadway cast, he played Bustopher, Asparagus and Growltiger. "Hanan is fantastic," purred Clive Barnes in the New York Post. And the Times, Wall Street Journal and New Yorker agreed.
    Hanan's had to wait two decades for his next plum role --- this Spring, he stars as Al Jolson in an off-Broadway production --- but he's going to be immortal for a slim little book that he never intended to publish: "A Cat's Diary." Written during the rehearsal period, these nightly entries are l00 pages of delight and insight.
    DisneyWorld has spoiled us --- people disappear into animal costumes and goof around and we find them charming, in a sentimental, how-can-you-not-like-this way. But being a cat in a musical inspired by T.S. Eliot and directed by Trevor Nunn?  Not so easy. Hard physical work, in fact. And that's just the outside preparation --- as Hanan tells it, there's immense psychological inquiry and tons of improvisation.
     Although the diaries tell us a great deal about the technical challenges of mounting this musical, there's a strong human narrative (the march toward opening night) and one heroic figure (Trevor Nunn). Mostly, Nunn stands on the sidelines, watching. When he makes a comment, it's rarely what you'd expect --- before an actress does a song in rehearsal, he asks, "But are you having fun?" And, as it happens, that innocent query opens her up to deliver a terrific performance.
      Hanan, for his part, also serves up terrific little insights: "What is the acting approach? Everyone had an opinion, and I began to understand why it took so long to set up the protocols for the Vietnam peace talks." He doesn't shrink from self-deprecating anecdotes: "Trevor said, 'You've got to look like nothing anyone has ever seen before, which is easy if you're Steve Hanan, but for the rest of us....'" And, boy, does he ever show us how the griity, unglamorous work of acting takes its toll: "I come home so tired I can hardly find my way to bed."
      As the cast becomes an extraordinary performing unit, Hanan --- who is pre-disposed to a lovely hippie-esque spirituality --- doesn't fail to get the larger point. He's amazed at how far he's come, he's constantly on the verge of tears. Trevor Nunn makes the spiritual lesson less overtly. "You must remember what the greatest power in the theater is," he tells the company. "It has nothing to do with sets and special effects. It's what's going on in your minds, and how that affects the minds of the audience."
     Hanan's account of opening night is appropriately triumphant. And, because this actor is as emotional as he is analytical, you'll tear up when it's time for Nunn to leave New York and go on to his next production. Fifteen months later, with a Tony nomination on his resume, Hanan also left "Cats." To the indelible performance he gave during his stint can now be added this slim but potent book. "Cats" lovers will enjoy it. Actors, if they are smart, will turn it into gold.

This is a beautifully written book on the portrayal of New York City in the movies. The author is extremely knowledgeable about the architecture of NYC (in fact, he is a New York architect), about the geography and history of NYC, and about film, both in its historical and technical aspects. The writing is imaginative, lyrical, thoughtful, and intelligent--this is a labor of love that took 15 years to complete. If you have any interest at all in New York City or in film, do yourself a favor and buy this book. It made me want to go out and rent at least 60 of the films discussed in it, and it reminded me of many great films set in NYC that I've enjoyed in the past and will want to see again to note some of the characters, themes, landmarks, or stage sets that Sanders describes.

If there was ever a book that really needed to be written, and was then executed nearly flawlessly, this is it. Documenting the multi-threaded releationship of New York City and Hollywood (the movie biz began in NYC, and the studios' financial offices remained there; much of the writing/directing/acting talent came to Hollywood from NYC; Hollywood's backlot NYC was the setting of thousands of films; the ideas of the Hollywood versions eventually changed the real thing; etc.), this is a heckuva fun and interesting read.

Among its most fascinating parts are information on the techniques used to create believable NYC settings by the studios (e.g., the most detail I've ever seen on Hitchcock's enormous Rear Window set), examples of the vast amount of architectural and local-color detail contained in the studio's art department photographic files (more than in some of NYC's museums!), and its general architectural analysis of NYC's major iconic structures: skyscrapers, rowhouses, tenements, train stations, nightclubs, etc.

But of even greater interest are the detailed treatments of how NYC was SHOWN in films (both well-known classics and obscure titles) of different genres and eras, and how the IDEA of NYC affected the world audience, and eventually changed the city itself as new generations flocked to their city of dreams... A flip through the photographs alone is a total pleasure.

This is a great book for film buffs, fans of NYC, architecture students, and those interested in 20th century social history. (I'm all of those things, and I LOVED it!)

How New York is seen (figuratively and literally) by the rest of the world has been influenced more by Hollywood than anything else. James Sanders brilliant "Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies" explores the relationship among Gotham, Hollywood, and the rest of the planet. There's a lot here, and a lot of material that has never been presented before.

Each section offers specific insights into the cinematic image of New York: its icons, its myths, its realities. What is also intriguing is how Hollywood's directors manipulated actual city locations to make it look "more like New York". One of my favorite essays has to do with the "domestic" look of New York: its mansions, row houses, and tenements. Also fascinating is the section called "Nighttown"--Hollywood loves the dangerous flavor of New York's streetlife.

This is a marvelous book with a marvelous look. Take one of the other reviewers' advice, however, and get the hardcover. The size makes a big difference.

If you have an interest in films, architecture or New York City then the purchase of this film is a no-brainer. The book is packed with photographs of movies and film sets that feature the buildings of New York. Another reviewer mentioned the Alfred Hitchcock set shot from the film Rope. I would add the shots from Fountainhead and Week-end at the Waldorf as being special and stunning.

James Sanders said that he spent 15 years writing and researching this book and it shows. His points are well written and quite informative.

I would strongly suggest the hardcover edition for its slightly larger size and the quality of the Knopf binding.

First editions can be purchased used at a very attractive price. Like I said, no-brainer.

This fascinating exploration of the interrelationship between the city of New York as an urban center and its portrayal throughout the history of moviemaking is filled with perceptive insight and thoughtful analysis. Highly recommended.

as we experience life we get pieces of the puzzle. Some times we are luck enough to get the edges so we have an outline and can begin to fill in the real informational and exeriential middle. With Jenny Wade you get the whole puzzle. A gift

In "Changes of Mind", Jenny Wade provides the reader with an excellent survey of research regarding stages of consciousness, from prenatal to after-death. Perhaps because she is working principally with academic research, her writing style is likewise very academic. Those not accustomed to the jargon of the field intially may find the writing style somewhat dry and less accessible; however, the content is very directly and lucidly presented. Wade presents differing opinions developed from research done in the field and carefully brings together her theory regarding the evolution of consciousness. I found the chapter regarding pre- and perinatal consciousness to be particularly fascinating. Also very useful are the charts that Wade developed listing the characteristics of each level of consciousness. For anyone who wishes to understand research regarding transpersonal psychology and holonomic theories, this book is invaluable.

This work brings together advances in the new sciences with studies in psychology, philosophy, and the history of mysticism, to challenge readers beyond linear and dualistic thinking. It outlines a new field for developmental psychology which would include the study of consciousness prior to birth and after death, as well as the transpersonal nature of consciousness. This development would have to be understood not so much as a progress toward something, but rather an access to our whole consciousness. The implications are profound for understanding psychic pain, the self, and our connections with each other, among other topics. The book is suprisingly modest in its claims, and thorough in its research. I cannot think of consciousness in the same way as I did before reading Changes of Mind.

Jenny Wade has made a most valuable contribution to the literature on human psychospiritual development with this substantive, well-researched work. She begins by placing overall consciousness research in the context of the new physics, specifically the post-Newtonian paradigm of physicist David Bohm, describing how the implications of such paradigms change not only earlier undestandings of human development but our understanding of what it fundamentally means to be a human being. Then she has opened up "stage theory" of development to explore research on the pre- and peri-natal stages of consciousness and the research on near-death experiences. She highlights a quality of "transcendent" consciouness revealed in this research that is similar in both the pre-birth and after-death "stages" of life, and explores the implications of this in understanding both the other stages between birth and death and the nature of human existence itself. She then draws on Eastern and Western mystical writings, showing how her conclusions correlate with the experiences of practicing mystics through the ages.

My only quarrel with Ms. Wade is that as she explores mystical literature she tends to privilege Eastern over Western mysticism. This reflects the general pattern in Transpersonal writings, and points to what I feel is a need in the Judeo-Christian world to affirm and bring forward more vigorously its own particular and very valuable strain of mystical literature.

I welcome this work for opening up regions not yet covered by other Transpersonalists, Wilber, Washburn, et al, and feel the perspective Ms. Wade offers will add invaluable depth and breadth to the developmental and Transpersonal dialogue.

To say this monumental book changed my life would be to use the most overused term in today's New Age pop-psychological world (I know because I've used it myself a few times describing other books!). But there is no other way to describe the power of what Dr. Jenny Wade has to say and the intellectual argument she makes- with the erudition of a scientist, and the humility of a mystic.

CHANGES OF MIND is the thinking man and woman's CELESTINE PROPHECY. She not only avoids backing down from the challenge of embracing previously accepted conventional psychoanalytical theory, religious philosophy and the scientific method. She embraces and redeems them all, as well as the myth and mysticism of practically every age and religion, by puttting them in what can only seem to be their proper intellectual/spiritual perspective. The model for charting and understanding the levels of consciousness of the human being- animal and spirit/mind- that she proposes becomes so immediately all encompassing that it can be considered a unified field theory for the human experience unlike anything that has been rendered before in Western Society.

Many writers, with their amazing intellect and insight, can give honor to their disciplines as they encompass enough of human endeavor and history into their perspective to make you become a intellectual roomate in the apartment of their minds whenever you look at the world afterwards. Camille Paglia and Nancy Friday, with their Freudian/Nietzschean, Anthropological/Psychological perspectives; Giorgio de Santillana (HAMLET'S MILL), with his profound and innovative (though not new) look at ancient myth in the context of astronomical science, immediately come to mind. Some, like the genius astrophyiscist Stephen Hawking, open you up to a world you otherwise would not have ever known.

CHANGES OF MIND has managed, for me, to create a paradigm of thought that encompasses every other, as if the intellectual house of every other thinker over the past three or four millenia around the world has been layed out to be easily visited and understood in the Urban Planning City-structure of Dr. Jenny Wade's mind. Gnostic Christianity, Freud, Piaget, Tibetan Mysticism, Sociology, Possibility thinkers, Success-oriented philosophies, New-age Spiritualism, Newtonian Physics, Quantum mechanics, psychic powers, dysfunctional families and codependency, Jung, history, the nature of time and space, reincarnation, pre-natal memories, English literature, sex, Buddhism, Christian Fundamentalism, Jesus Christ... there is little if anything in the human world that cannot be better understood and completely encapsulized by her vision of Transpersonal Psychology and the actual full stages of human development she clearly, lucidly and powerfully describes.

There are an extraordinarily few number of books that I have read that have touched me so profoundly, creating a paradigm shift in my view of people, myself and the world,while simultaneously reaffirming my most treasured pre-verbal intuitions- with science, not poetry. She does, however, make the poetry of all the world, from John Donne ("Death too, shall die") to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, to the New Testament, come alive in ways I never expected, and never would have guessed.

I cannot recommend this book to the fascinated and the skeptical alike enough.

I haven't read a book I liked this much in a long time. At 80 pages, it's hard not to want to analyze more into it than was actually intended, but the dichotomies of black-and-white chess pieces, and the clearly opposed characters of the traumatized intelligent Dr. B and his boot-clad half-imbecile opponent Czentovic, seem to invite nationalism and allegory.

Peter Gay's introduction claims that critics often fault Zweig for holding his cards to close to his chest. His characters, who Freud lo...more I haven't read a book I liked this much in a long time. At 80 pages, it's hard not to want to analyze more into it than was actually intended, but the dichotomies of black-and-white chess pieces, and the clearly opposed characters of the traumatized intelligent Dr. B and his boot-clad half-imbecile opponent Czentovic, seem to invite nationalism and allegory.

Peter Gay's introduction claims that critics often fault Zweig for holding his cards to close to his chest. His characters, who Freud loved, are broad-stroked mysteries, impeccably flawed. They may be consistent, but there are details that may be expected in literature that Zweig chooses to leave out.

It's not enough to hamper my enjoyment of this book. After reading so much dense material this year, this book was such a treat. However, it reminded me of "No Country For Old Men" in that the simplicity of the story hid the fact that the characters are powerhouses, twisted and real.

As summarized by another reviewer, the story takes place on a cruise ship en route from New York to Buenos Aires in 1941. The world chess champion, Mirko Czentovic, is on board. Czentovic is a chess prodigy who is singularly ungifted in other areas of the intellect and social graces. Also on board is Dr. B, a former solicitor for the Austrian imperial family who is traveling to South America as a refugee from the Nazi regime.
At the outset, considering Czentovic's isolated and emotionally deprived childhood, I was prepared to allow him his arrogance and conceit. Acknowledged, he was a master at chess and his boorish behavior could be excused. When Dr. B becomes peripherally involved in the chess match and exhibits a mastery of moves, it becomes clear that this man has somehow or other been absorbed into the exalted realm of chess. As his story unfolds, the reader enters the world of isolation and solitary that Dr. B endured at the hands of his Nazi tormenters. Zweig is so masterful at the depiction of the incarceration and the man's mental salvation through the game of chess that we as readers are carried along so forcibly that we leave the confines of our homes for the world of Dr. B. Every emotion he experienced, every racing of his pulse, every fearful moment, his ultimate dissociation of his personality and his breakdown are experienced by the reader. The descriptions are powerful and cause a visceral reaction that is astonishing. As I was reading, I started to note a racing pulse and sweating and a sense of uncontrollable foreboding. As the story raced to its conclusion, I had the urge to shout, "Halt! Don't play again!" I wept when I set the book down. The tears were for Dr. B, all of the victims of the Nazi carnage and perhaps also a reaction to what came to pass, the suicide of the author. This gem of a small book explores and disturbs the human psyche like no other.

This is truly a must read. Important historically, emotionally and I couldn't put it down. Be warned - I was so disturbed by this book I couln't fall asleep the night I read it.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I just finished reading the original German version for the second time and came here to see if it is available in English for all of my non-German speaking friends.

This book is basically a psychological thriller that takes you inside the divided mind of one Dr. B and locks you there just as securely as his Nazi tormentors ever could through the final endgame. I cannot vouch for the quality of this specific translation, but the original work is a masterpiece.

"Chess Story" (Original "Schachnovelle", previously published in English as "The Royal Game"), was Stefan Zweig's final work prior to his tragic death. It is a poignant, finely tuned psychological drama that will long linger in the reader's mind.

Chess Story centres around two extraordinary chess players. One is the world champion, Mirko Czentovic, who travels across the world for tournaments. The other is the enigmatic Dr. B., who claims not to have seen a chessboard in more than twenty years. The two are opposites in terms of personality, background and in their paths bringing them to a chance meeting on an ocean liner en route from New York to Buenos Aires. The narrator, who exhibits traits of an aspiring psychologist "passionately interested in monomaniacs", finds his first subject in the twenty-one year old chess prodigy, who otherwise exhibits poor education, intellect, and crude social behaviour. To satisfy his curiosity he instigates a game of chess between Czentovic and a group of "amateur chess lovers". Dr. B. watching the game in passing, is suddenly drawn into it, advising the hapless amateurs so that they reach a draw. His manifest expertise at the game as well as his strange conduct intrigues the narrator as much as the reader.

Using language that is sparse yet precise in detail, the first-person observer, although commenting on the game, is more fascinated by his subjects' personality and psyche. The narrator's inquisitiveness, heightened by Dr. B.'s unusual behaviour, leads him to follow his subject as he hurriedly flees the game room. Out on deck, Dr. B. eventually shares his personal story and recounts the recent harrowing events that forced him abruptly into exile from his native Austria. The narrator becomes at the same time listener and astute analyst. Dr. B.'s account reveals why chess for him has been both a salvation and a danger to his survival: his "involvement" with chess had gone beyond what a person can endure without dangerous consequences for the rest of his life.

Zweig's ability to build emotional tension and drama while keeping his choice of words neutral and objective is superb. The fluidity of language is maintained in the English translation. The story's impact is deepened by Zweig giving the narrator the dual role of audience and commentator. The intensity of the author's fascination with diametrically opposed characters and the clash of cultures they represent is evident throughout the novel. Certain parallels between Dr. B. and Zweig himself come easily to mind. Chess Story conveys a premonition of events occurring in the author's own life. Zweig, a well known and widely read Austrian author of biographies, essays and fiction in the first half of the twentieth century, left behind a remarkable opus of work. He fled Austria in 1935 anticipating the political upheaval in his country resulting from the rise of Nazism in Germany. Shortly after completing the novella in 1942, written during the previous three years, the author and his wife committed suicide while in exile in Brazil. Even after more than sixty years Chess Story remains pertinent today, both in its historical context and its primary subject matter. Peter Gay's informative introduction adds to the understanding of the story's context. [Friederike Knabe]

Dr. Choy's journey from Shanghai to America, is a life filled with a series of exciting episodes, along with his drive for getting a medical degree and becoming not only an adventurous New York doctor, but one with genius talent for implementing new medical procedures. A must read for an audience looking for inspiration.

CHOY'S LUCK: Shanghai to New York, a Life of Inventions, Medicine, and Adventure.
An autobiography should keep you fascinated from the beginning to the end. This does just that. This book provides insight into China prior to WWII, Dr. Choy's struggles to be a doctor in the United States, his adventures as an accomplished sailor and skier, and more. It really takes you on a whirl wind tour. I highly recommend this for its historic elements and its entertaining stories. A true slice of life from a very accomplished individual.

Dr. Choy's book is filled with many adventures in medicine. He has been a successful physician and lead an interesting life. A very interesting read.

Dr. Choy has written a blockbuster autobiographical novel detailing his life as a young boy of privileged parenthood in Shanghai, and his subsequent immigration to the United States, where he found success as a physician as well as an innovator in medical experimental research. His story, as told, is chock full of adventures in medicine, in his multi-faceted hobbies, and in his positive and boisterous approach to life. This is a must read.

fascinating autobiography of a very interesting guy. highly reommend it. spans interesting times and cultures.

My grandkids have an architect for a dad in Seattle, WA so after I first met the author years ago while he was visiting upstate NY, I knew this book was a keeper and bought it for our own library. As adults we enjoy the photo/artist view of the city by looking beyond what is first visible to the ordinary eye. It is a great way to get the young viewer to see detail after learning numbers. We purchsed both books...City by Numbers and its' partner, Alphabet City. THey are great for anyone interested in photography too.

This book has received 5 stars on all of it's reviews on Amazon, and it is easy to see why! Stephen T. Johnson has done it again!
*
"City by Numbers" reflects Mr. Johsnon's continued attraction to cities for their wealth of visual possibilities. Mr. Johnson's idea for this number book evolved naturally as he was looking for letters for his (Caldecott Honor!) book, "Alphabet City."
*
Mr. Johnson includes a very interesting "Author's Note" inside this book. I think it is an extra blessing to get to know the author behind the book, so I am especially thankful that he includes these personal notes in his books. These notes have allowed us to get to know him better and therefore, we appreciate him and his work even more!
*
This treasure of a book is dedicated to the memory of Stephen T. Johnson's grandfather, John Theodore Johnson....whom he knew only through his beautiful drawings and paintings, which in turn nurtured his passion for art.
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Add this one to your home library along with it's companion, "Alphabet City." You'll never out grow them!

I first got this book at a local library and had to purchase it because my kids liked it so much.

Build great abstract thinking abilities.

Stephen Johnson is by far the most creative artist/illustrator of educational children's books alive. He not only makes learning fun in Alphabet City and City by Numbers, but shows his remarkable talent as an artist. His illustrations, for lack of a better word, are flawless as can be seen clearly in the originals. He does not bring the book down to a child's level, but teaches them to appreciate art and learning at his level. He is completely remarkable and shows that it is rewarding to major in fine arts in college even if you wish to be an illustrator. No illustrator could produce the quality work that he has produced. Definitely buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

This book should be a delight to both children and adults. The artwork is sohpisticated, beautifully rendered and subtle. The numbers are hidden in the reality of each scene. He could have manipulated these images so that the numbers would be more obvious but he lets the viewer see them in their own time. Excellent book for teaching children about numbers, art and the poetry of combining the two.

As a writer and compensation consultant myself, I highly recommend this newly revised edition for HR and compensation professionals seeking a solid overview reference guide to all aspects of compensation. The book provides coverage of a wide variety of relevant topics written by highly-regarded professionals.

Mind you, there are more comprehensive treatments available for specialty or "single-topic" compensation areas, such as executive or sales compensation, but none that provide the overall breadth of The Compensation Handbook as resource guide on many key areas of compensation management.

I found this book to be an invaluable reference for my research in the area of compensation. It covers all of the main topics in compensation management with articles from the best minds in the field. The trend summary and chapter introductions provide an overview that is interesting and insightful. That kind of analysis is hard to find. The information is surprisingly up to date, since change is slow in this field.

The book is essential for compensation professionals.

Received with thanks the Compensation Handbook in a very good condition. It is exactly the product I was looking for. I believe that it would be a very important reference to my business.

As a compensation consultant, I sought a comprehensive guide for all aspects of the field. The 4th edition of The Compensation Handbook provides simple and direct answers for every compensation problem. It is a virtual "who's who" of compensation professionals providing well-constructed, concise information on their area of expertise. No matter what information I seek -- from base compensation, variable compensation, executive compensation, performance and compensation, compensation and corporate culture, or international compensation -- I can find pertinent, practical guidance in this one book. Compensation issues that are currently challenging every company - regardless of size, age, or industry -- are especially well developed in The Compensation Handbook. The section on Corporate Culture containing chapters on "Culture and Compensation" and "Connecting Compensation, Behaviors, Culture, and Strategy to Win" by William M. Mercer consultants, "Rewarding Scarce Talent" by Patricia Zingheim, "Gaining a Competitive Edge by Improving the Return on Human Capital" by Peter LeBlanc, and "The Role of Work-Life Benefits in the Total Pay Strategy" covers issues that every compensation practitioner or human resources professional will grapple with in the forseeable future. Even the effect of technology and computers on compensation administration are handled in The Compensation Handbook. Information on global compensation strategies is relevant not only to practitioners but to anyone seeking employment on foreign soil or working for a foreign company. The Compensation Handbook is a winner.

As a compensation consultant, I sought a comprehensive guide for all aspects of the field. The 4th edition of The Compensation Handbook provides simple and direct answers for every compensation problem. It is a virtual "who's who" of compensation professionals providing well-constructed, concise information on area of expertise. No matter what information I seek -- from base compensation, variable compensation, executive compensation, performance and compensation, compensation and corporate culture, or international compensation -- I can find pertinent, practical guidance in this one book. Compensation issues that are currently challenging every company - regardless of size, age, industry -- are especially well developed in The Compensation Handbook. The section on Corporate Culture containing chapters on "Culture and Compensation" and "Connecting Compensation, Behaviors, Culture, and Strategy to Win" by William M. Mercer consultants, "Rewarding Scarce Talent" by Patricia Zingheim, "Gaining a Competitive Edge by Improving the Return on Human Capital" by Peter LeBlanc, and "The Role of Work-Life Benefit in the Total Pay Strategy" covers issues that every compensation practitioner or human resources professional will grapple with in the forseeable future. Even the effect of technology and computers on compensation administration are handled in The Compensation Handbook. Information on global compensation strategies is relevant not only to practitioners by to anyone seeking employment on foreign soil or working for a foreign company. The Compensation Handbook is a winner.