New York Books

"This book is intended for researchers, practicing engineers, and students who wish to understand and / or develop fingerprint-based recognition systems." So the introduction, and right they are. The authors have chosen a more informal style, but still give some of the Mathematics necessary. The references are extensive and ultimately the reader will have to go to them to make a contribution.

I would recommend buying this book with "Automatic Fingerprint Recognition Systems" by Ratha and Bolle (ed.) It would be hard for me to make a decision between these two books.

Lo recomiendo si desean implementar nuevos algoritmos para reconocimiento de huellas dactilares y/o una revision a profundidad de como funcionan los metodos existentes.

Imprescindible concimiento de gradientes y algoritmos digitales en el tratamiento de imagenes.. para comprender el contenido.

This book first describes the different biometric systems that exist. It describes different methods of acquiring the fingerprints and the advantages and drawbacks from each method. Then it handles the different analysis methods for fingerprints in depth. The matching algorithms that are known with their evaluation is handled throughly with their indexing and classification methods. It discusses methods for fingerprint evaluation with the databases of NIST on DVD and the software sfinge for artificially making the fingerprints.

The part that is really new is the multimodal biometric system and performance measures of these systems. It also handles the individuality of fingerprints themselves and finally it gives an overview of methods for attacking fingerprints systems (denial of service, fake fingers, trojan horses, replay but also the electronic storage systems behind them). If you are in biometrics and also in forensic science, you certainly should consider reading this book.

This book is a "must". Very useful for my research on Biometrics and Multibiometrics Systems. No wonder this book received the 2003 PSP Award (Computer Science) from the Association of American Publishers.

The applications of Biometrics technology range from federated identity management to digital rights management, time and attendance, background checking, and homeland security. None of the biometric characteristics has received more attention till date than fingerprints. Fingerprint recognition is the most cost effective and accurate biometrics, which is evident from its rapid deployment in the widest range of security applications.

This book contains a plethora of information on every aspect of fingerprint recognition technology - introduction to biometrics and fingerprints, fingerprint sensing devices, feature extraction, matching, classification, synthetic fingerprint generation, multimodal systems, secure design, fingerprint individuality - you name it. The DVD accompanying this book will save you a lot of money and trouble of collecting your own data to test your algorithms.

The authors of this book - Davide Maltoni, Dario Maio, Salil Prabhakar, and Anil K. Jain - are undoubtedly some of the most well known and respected experts in the world on the topic of fingerprint recognition. It is no surprise that such extraordinary researchers have produced such an exceptional masterpiece.

Whether you are an inventor, developer, practitioner, forensic specialist, or system manager in this field looking for an excellent reference or just a novice looking for basic information on biometrics and fingerprint recognition technology, you must read this outstanding book.

What an inspiration! Carol Cymbala does an outstanding job of sharing her passion, first for Christ and prayer, then for music. Her recipe has proven successful. A truly inspiratioal easy-read.

Carol Cymbala's book is a must read. It will encourage your spirit to sour and will lead you into a more trusting relationship with God. If you are a leader in your church, especially if you are the Minister of Music this book is a must read. Yes, He's Faithful!

I've read this book in a week after i bought it. Its very easy to read and interesting. I think its a must read for somebody in music ministry or any other ministry. Tihs book really doesn't tell you anything new but it does show the character of heart needed in ministry. This is a really good book.

This book is part of a multi-media project in that it contains a music CD bearing the same title. After reading the book, the music is even more meaningful because it covers the background of the person who wrote the lyrics. Carol Cymbala, a pastor's wife who leads the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, describes the challenges she faced and how they were overcome through faith in God. The focus of her book is not her as hero, but on God as deliverer. In fact, the lyrics to the title song, emphasize that theme, that in spite of the wavering of the individual, "He's been faithful." It's a song and book of gratitude to God for his faithfulness. She gives the history of the early days of the congregation. She talks about how God added to the church. This is a testimony that is encouraging to other Christians in that it shows how God worked in one context, New York City, and causes one to realize what He did for others, He is willing to do for them. There are various individual stories contained in this work, i.e., different members of the choir have their testimonies featured throughout the book.

This book has totally turned my life around as far as my involvement in the music ministry of our church. Carol Cymbala tells us the true secrets behind the success of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Those include prayer and dedication to the cause of ministering to people through music. This book will shake you to realize that music in the church is not for entertainment or self-gratification, but to help draw people to Jesus as we lift Him up in praise and worship. I will never step to our platform to minister through song and think differently. We are asking all of our choir members to read and discuss this book.

The book, Hear My Sorrow, is 100 percent awesome! I read it in one day I was so needing to find out what would happen! It is about a girl named Angela Denoto from Sicily, which is in Italy, and starts in late 1909 and ends in mid 1911. She is sent to work with her sister in a shirtwaist factory. It takes place during the shirtwaist workers and cloak makers strikes and ends with a horrific tragedy. I hope you read this to find out what happens.

Another wonderful addition to the Dear America Series. Angela must leave school to go to work to support her family since her father is no longer able to. Angela goes to work at a shirtwaist factory where she's surprised by the horrible working conditions and becomes involved in the unions. She also records the fire at the infamous shirtwaist factory fire.

Hear My Sorrow is the best book in the series. It was given to me by my tudor, and I read it and loved it. It is about the sorrow of Angela, who was conmanded by her father to work ina factory. She writes about how her locker and needles come out of her pay, and how her friend, Sarah, goes on strike, this all leads up tothe fire of 1911. It's a must read.

This book was very good. The book lite up with hope at every little, page but is a heartbreaking plot. Please read this book!! It's very good!!

This is the fourth Dear America book I've read with a story and characters set in turn-of-the-century or early twentieth century New York City. In what I believe is Deborah Hopkinson's first attempt at fiction, she has wonderfully captured the people and events, the trials and triumphs, the tragedies and hopes of a most fascinating period and place. Other reviews have summarized the story throughly, so I won't go into that here. I wish rather to say that as a lover of both historical fiction and an aspiring novelist, I admire and appreciate Ms. Hopkinson's work. Scholastic Inc., should consider expanding its Dear America line. I had heard that the company only accepts agented manuscripts for consideration for the Dear America series, but further inquiry revealed that even those are not being considered. It seems that at the present, only a handful of previously published children's authors are being allowed to write new additions to the series. I hope that will change soon. Again, I congratulate Ms. Hopkinson on her excellent and meticulously researched book. That and "The Journal of Finn Reardon" should be part of every public library in America.

if it's Jews you be a wantin..In Punk nonetheless..This stuff's for you.First of all,Marky Ramone rocks.He met me or rather vice versa.Steve does research into the sacred and shows that Punk music in It's New York Beginnings incorporated a lot of the Jewish Upstarters who could be credited for being Punk Pioneers. You like the Paranormal? Well Jews die too..and so:Labyrinth13: True Tales of the Occult, Crime & ConspiracyBut:Other good books about Music and the Jewish experieNce:Spiritual Bathing: Healing Rituals and Traditions from Around the World,Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish,Jews Who Rock,Stars of David: Rock 'n' Roll's Jewish Storiesand one more Paranormal plug:Questions from Earth, Answers from Heaven.

Punk was an assault on traditional western culture and society. No surprise here, that jews would be at the core of the punk movement. It chipped at the moral fabric of nations, embraced communism, and made them a boatload of money from gentile dupes. What's a jew not to like? And in the end, was as hypocritical as the people themselves. Nothing astounding here.

In this brilliant exploration of outsider identity, Beeber uncovers the links between Jewishness and punk rock rebellion. The book includes in-depth interviews with such punk rock luminaries as Tommy Ramone, Chris Stein of Blondie, and former Sex Pistols' manager Malcolm McLaren. Beeber also explores the inherent contradictions within the punk movement, including the use of Nazi imagery by bands whose family members may have barely escaped the Holocaust. The book includes fascinating anecdotes about punk rock legends, including a chapter that describes Lou Reed's attempts to bring his dog to a seder, and Richard Hell's defensive responses to Beeber's simple question: Are you a Jew? Beeber is an insightful writer and cultural historian who makes heretofore unseen connections between origins of punk in the aggressive outsider comedy of Lenny Bruce and the work of graphic novel pioneer Will Eisner.

Beeber's book is an interesting recount of the formation of the punk rock scene in New York City. However, his attempt to correalate punk rock to the experience of being jewish stretches thin pretty quickly.

First off, Beeber utilizes Lou Reed and especially the Velvet Underground as forebearers of punk. While certainly influential, the Velvets were more of an avante garde pop band than punks. They were as much a result of the overall New York art scene and streets, as well as John Cale's british ideology and muscianship as Reed being jewish.

Next Beeber cites Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. The Modern Lovers, despite the Sex Pistols covering Road Runner, were sort of pre-new wave folk band, they never really released an album when they were together and Richman was from Boston. How this qualifies them as a proto punk band representing the New York Jewish voice is too much for me to comprehend.

Beeber does make a good case that Tommy Ramone was the architect of Ramones. However, he only lasted a couple of albums, Dee Dee was the main songwriter and Johnny's buzzsaw guitar and militaristic leadership (he seemed like a real tool)were as essential as anything. Further, Joey might have been obviously jewish to the New York punk scene, but to most he was just the senstive outcast. Tommy's influence is obvious, but it seemed to me he was as influenced by being an immigrant and growing up in the wrong neighborhood as solely by virtue of being jewish.

While New York obviously was a huge influence on the punk scene, the industrial and menancing Detroit rockers like the MC5, Iggy and Alice Cooper had just as much influence as the New York bands. This is especially true prior to all the great New York bands getting started. Also, the true New York punk influence, The NY Dolls, who really blended the street, with artistic ambitions and the phoniness of Manhatten dont have the jewish connection and therefor dont really lend to the author's theory.

The somewhat later day punkers like Richard Hell, Lenny Kaye and Chris Stein make a good points of converstation, but all seem as influenced by academics as ethnithcity. Hell in fact wouldnt be interviewed and dismissed the premise completely. It also somewhat dismisses how much influence this groups partners in punk, Debbie Harry, Tom Verlaine and Patti Smith, had.

Some of the more interesting jewish punks, including the ladies, Genya Raven and Helen Wheels, and less well known acts like the Dictators (hilarious name) and Suicide just werent well known enough outside of the city to be all that influential.

I dont want to take anything away from the city or culture that reinvented music, but punk was about all that were alienated, suspected and unwanted. It was about anger, pointing out hypocrisy, doing it yourself and the desire to succeed. Didnt Bowie once say all the Brit punks "wanted to be stars."

So, Beeber's point is again lost when punk became so much the property of the anglo british (other than Malcom McClaren managing the Pistols)who apparantly lacking jewish guilt and the somewhat limiting factor of being the property of New Yawk, increased its exposure tremendously. (Hey lets face it Johnny Rotten cussing and spitting in a British accent is gonna play in Cleveland, whereas Joey Ramones obvious jewishness... well... its a joke, one I think Lenny Bruce might have gotten). Fact is, punk was never gonna play to the mainstream, the populus cant all be disnefranchised.

Overall and interesting read, with a thought provoking premise that is well explored, but ultimatly a bit overwritten to prove its point. Still worthwhile if you have any interest in those magical formative musical days in the Big Apple and some of its reaching influences.

Like most music freaks, if you ask me where punk rock originated, I wouldn't hesitate to tell you that it happened in England. After all, the Brits lay claim to pogo dancing, safety pins as a fashion statement, and the Sex Pistols. The whole concept of punk rock is, essentially, very Clockwork Orange.

Steven Lee Beeber's The Heebie Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk challenges that notion by showing us that punk began in New York -- and was heavily influenced and shaped by a variety of Jews from a variety of backgrounds. Beginning with the cutting-edge comedy of Lenny Bruce and the musical innovations that were Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, Beeber shows us how the music evolved. It is clear that without the involvement of Jews, there would have been no punk movement.

Chapter by chapter, Beeber traces the bands and the people, focusing on the Jewish players who coalesced around the Jewish-owned punk mecca, CBGB. This is dense reading, best taken slowly so that all of the facts and details -- not to mention the personalities -- can sink in.

One theme that Beeber refers to often is the link between the Holocaust and punk. His claims make perfect sense: the emotions invested in the children of survivors provided the fuel for punk's trademark anger. Yes, there is anger that so many people were eradicated, but one of the more surprising revelations is that some of the anger comes from and is fueled by the fact that the Jews allowed themselves to be victims. At the same time, though, there is an awareness that the word allowed is inaccurate. That anyone, faced with such a circumstance, would have done exactly the same thing. Ultimately, this isn't an emotion of victimization, but of helplessness and futility -- two strong emotions that run through the undercurrent of punk, both in its lyrics and its attitudes.

Beeber takes us across the ocean for a visit with the start of British punk -- the Sex Pistols -- but focuses on the Jews involved in creating that scene. From Sex Pistols creator Malcolm MacLaren to the ill-fated Nancy Spungeon, lover of Pistols frontman Sid Vicious, it is obvious that here, too, punk music and the Jewish tradition are linked so closely that removal of the Jew removes the music.

Many would argue that punk died out with the Sex Pistols, to be replaced by music from cities like LA and San Francisco, peopled with musicians and fans who shocked New York ex-pats with virulent anti-Semitic themes, attitudes, and lyrics.

Beeber returns to New York to show us what punk evolved into: John Zorn's dissonant art and even, perhaps unbelievably, the Beastie Boys, perhaps the most punk of all the bands in the book.

Even more than the Ramones, those poster boys for American punk?

You be the judge. For any music fan, this is essential reading. It's not just that this is a clear evolution of the music scene over the span of forty-some years, from the late 1960s to the present. This book traces the shifts in our culture during this time period, and the shifts in attitude that allowed punk to be as vibrant as it was.

Beeber's prose is smooth and charming, always focused on the topic at hand and never getting sidetracked like so many Jewish storytellers of old. He's also a master craftsman, showing his writer's roots in the construction of each chapter, bringing back points made in opening paragraphs, tying it all together with a neat black leather jacket and peppy beat.

For the music lover, the historian interested in Jewish history, or for anyone intrigued by how someone as tall, skinny, and scary as Joey Ramone could become a pop icon, The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk is one of those books you won't want to miss. Certainly, my copy now occupies a space between Deena Weinstein's seminal Heavy Metal and Joe Berlinger's Metallica: This Monster Lives.

To bring up one last point Beeber makes: Jews are people of the book. Heebie Jeebies is just one in a long line that proves this.

This light romance brings to mind the haunting realization that time always catches up with you no matter how far you try to run. Ellie returns home to secrets she left behind and secrets she took with her. Gentle read with relationships entertwined to make a delightful story.

I love Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul Evans and I believe Jules Bennett is just as good as they are. She hooks you right at the beginning with characters you care about and places you would love to visit. She is definitely an "up & coming" new artist and I look forward to her next book.

"Home Again" has all the qualities of Grandma's apple pie - heart warming, delicious, comforting. A true taste-of-home romance! -DeLyn Fisher, Romance Author

Jules Bennet has written a wonderful story, full of rich and vibrant carachters. A story that focuses on Ellie and Gavin, and what their choices years ago has made them sacrifice, and how their love overcomes those losses. It has a wonderful ending that proves that its never to late to put your heart on the line. A must by in my book!

Home Again is a great story that leaves you anxious to see what happens next. Ellie and Gavin are characters you can relate to and really learn to care about. Jules Bennett is definitely an up and coming author. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

This new biography focuses greatly on the political career of TR from his early days as a New York State Assemblyman, through his career as a Washington bureaucrat, back to New York City as a Police Commissioner, back to Albany and the New York Governor's mansion, then skillfully bobbing his way to the Vice Presidency, and his fateful ascension to the top office after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. This book has asides on his youth and his non-political life, but the book stops right upon his ascension to the Presidency, for this is all-too familiar territory. What is amazing to contemplate, though, is that TR was only 42 upon becoming President, yet he had nearly two decades of politicking behind him. How so many biographies have glossed over his pre-Presidential political life is beyond me. For it was in these earlier incarnations that the man who became a pro-business, pro-middle class Progressive was born. From his earliest pugnacious encounters with senior politicians ready to literally sandbag him (quoth TR, in response: `I'll kick you, I'll bite you, I'll kick you in the balls. I'll do anything to you- you'd better leave me alone.'), to his strained but admiring relationship with reform-minded Democratic New York Governor and later President Grover Cleveland- including such tidbits as TR's role in shepherding New York's first civil service law, which reduced the power of political patronage brokers, to Cleveland's desk- the book allows insights into TR, the politician and man, from his overt, risk-addicted personality to his covert, subtler manipulations.

The book also sketches a personal side of TR not oft-explored, at least in its relation to his politics, such as his first marriage and widowerhood, and his numerous writing commitments to serial magazines of the day, on a whole assortment of topics. It also details how the man's principles often hampered his overall rise, which was less rocket-like, and more bulldozer-like, especially in his resuscitation of the office of assistant Navy Secretary. Of course, his style of politicking earned numerous enemies, who conspired to defeat his bid for the mayoralty of New York City, stymied many police reforms, and then even tried to deny him renomination after a successful governorship, instead conspiring with him to get him the Vice Presidential nod just to get him out of the state. This was because, despite being a wealthy scion of a centuries old New York Dutch clan, TR had a social conscience- displayed when he championed Jacob Riis's seminal tracts on urban poverty, or when hr took up union leader Samuel Gompers' challenge to visit the vile tenements of the city he was born in. Yes, many of these exploits were media manipulations, but what set TR apart from such latter-day phonies as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, is that his care for the oppressed was not dependent upon the media glare. He also was pro-business while being pro-corporate responsibility- shrewdly building public support of the state's first tax on corporations. He knew wealth must first be created before it can be distributed. He also gave state employees an eight-hour workday, one of the first such laws in the country.

In short, this book is well worth the read, and has less of the calculated polish of a historian's attempt at hagiography, with none of the self-important puffery, and more of a down and dirty muckraker's attempt to tell a reader about a man who stood up for himself. Ontogeny recapitulates biography, or something like that. Bravo!

With all the biographies of Theodore Roosevelt available, it might seem superfluous to add this one to your reading list. But this valiant endeavor by journalist and author Paul Grondahl has several aspects that recommend it in addition to, or even instead of, its competitors.

First, "I Rose Like a Rocket," as its title implies, focuses on the rapid political ascendancy of the young Roosevelt, especially on his early careers in Manhattan and Albany. And his was a meteoric rise, from Assemblyman (two years) to civil service commissioner (six years--"the longest he remained in any job" before his presidency) to police commissioner (two years) to assistant secretary of the navy (one year) to New York State governor (two years) to Vice President (six months). The book closes with Roosevelt boarding the train that will take him to the presidency after McKinley's assassination. This account is greatly enriched by the author's meticulous research into Albany's public archives and private collections.

In each position, Roosevelt pursued his persistent, if uneven, battles against corruption and cronyism, and his adversarial style ranged from an early petulance and arrogance to the maturity of an operator who balanced "seduction and flattery" with "intense anger and grudges." Only the office of the Vice President, a "trifling position as McKinley's understudy," seemed a "political dead end."

In addition, the author blends in a masterful account of Roosevelt's personal life: his intensely devoted relationship with his sister Bamie, his short-lived first marriage, the dual tragedy that nearly ended his career, his subsequent life as a family man, and the occasional strains his ambitions brought to his second marriage. Making full use of the hundreds of letters Roosevelt sent to his sister, Grondahl shows there's more depth to the future President than the caricature of the weakling-turned-strongman that Roosevelt himself was so eager to present in his public writings. This is no hagiography: Roosevelt's aims could be as self-serving as they were honorable.

And, finally, the almost-novelistic prose of "I Rose Like a Rocket" is compulsively readable. In spite of its academic vigor and scrupulous research, it's one of the quickest 400-page biographies you're ever likely to read.

In today's world, Teddy Roosevelt would be classified as a sickly geek. As a boy, he had severe bouts of asthma, wore thick glasses and even at age 23 only weighed 130 pounds. This book reveals the people and events that shaped his life. He lost a substantial portion of his inherited wealth when the cattle market collapsed in the 1890's.

Teddy really had multiple concurrent careers, he wrote lots of letters on a daily basis, and he also wrote lots of books and magazine articles, which became the backbone of how he supported his family. The salaries for the various political positions that he held were meagar but he had a terrific work ethic and almost unlimited amounts of energy.

This book is also a ray of sunshine and hope. The 1880's and 1890's were full of corrupt political hacks and yet Teddy found a way to succeed without sacrificing his integrity.

This is a great read and it is my pleasure to recommend it to one and all.

I so enjoyed this book that I wish the author would write a follow-up book on his presidency and the remainder of his life.

Linda Moore
Dallas

TR has always been one of my two favorite Presidents (the other being JFK), and this book is more than just your typical biography on him. It takes the unique angle of writing only about TR's life and political career before he became President, starting with his childhood and going through his political development, service in government, personal triumphs and tragedies, stint as a Rough Rider, time as Vice President, and finally having the last chapter be about his famous late-night ride to take the Oath of Office after President McKinley finally succumbed to his gunshot wound. We learn about how his experiences during this part of his life formed his political philosophy and development, making this incredible human being into the astute incredible President and politician he became over time. Mr. Grondahl really knows how to do his research and how to make it interesting and relevant instead of just some dry recounting of facts, names, and dates. It was also an added bonus how the author lives in the same area as I do.

This book was an interesting look at the early life of Theodore Roosevelt, but the true masterpiece here is the index. Perfectly alphabetical and full of surnames followed by given names, the index deserves a Pulitzer all its own!

this is the best book i've ever read. amazing primer on the movie business. BUY IT!

I just finished this book, and Cliff Robertson is actually a very minor character. In fact, the subject of him being "blackballed" is barely mentioned. (It receives one paragraph in the Epilogue.) Robertson was the first person to suspect something was amiss at Columbia, but the book is actually about the power struggle between the President of Columbia, Alan Hirschfield, and the controlling interests of the shareholders, led primarily by Herbert Allen Jr. This is a long book, but it was so riveting that I found it difficult to put down. It is really well written, even if it does not paint any of the characters in a terribly sympathetic light. I can't help but think that if Hirschfield had shown more backbone in the beginning and stuck by his decision to fire the check-forger Begelman instead of caving in to Allen's demands, none of this epic battle would have happened.

This is not really a tale of embezzlement and disgrace - it is the store of power struggles between the Board of Directors for Columbia Studios, who were clearly had personal loyalty in their underlings as their top priority, and the CEO, Alan Hirschfield, trying to do what he needed to do to save the studio.

I don't have access to people at this level, so I appreciate the peeping-Tom aspect of viewing the thought processes and actions of people who normally hide behind lawyers, secretaries, and call-screeners.

The author obviously interviewed many many people to put this book together, and I appreciate how he reported on the media coverage, as well. I never really thought of how people manipulate the news as part of the story, but course it is.

The book is like a newspaper story in that it is filled with information, but the narrative reads like a novel - very easy to read. The author does a good job of developing story-lines, so we have a sense of completeness, and a sense of an overview, while also sprinkling the famous names and the glamour that makes Hollywood so compelling to people.

I've never understood why Hollywood turns out bad movies month after month, year after year, when it is so easy to tell from the beginning that a movie is going to be awful. Why make awful movies?

This book doesn't directly address that issue, but it shows how irresponsible and irrational the leading powers that control Hollywood on both coasts are, and how corrupt the whole system is. It's obvious that normal things like making a good product become irrelevent to their attention span.

I guess it's not really corruption, if everyone knows it's happening, and it's just a way of getting things done.

My only complaint is that I wish I had more of a reality on the Board Directors. Their actions seem so irrational, but I'm sure it's because they were not forthcoming in their interviews, and did not take the opportunity to express their points of view. People at that level are notorious for avoiding the press, so it is not surprising.

I bought this book when it first came out and have reread it every year or so. Tends to be a bit long and sometimes slow, but it's great. Buy a used copy, or check at the library.

Being from the Washington D.C. area I kept constantly asking why someone didn't leak this to the press and blow the whole compiristy.

The only comparable book is "The Great Salad Oil Swindle"

David Begelman, powerful head of a studio thinks he is above the law, until an actor by the name of Cliff Robertson exposes him. This book is a well written tale of immorality in a town known for it's lack of scruples. Hollywood insiders should not be surprised at this tale, but I was. The check Begelman forged was for a small amount. The man made more than that in a month. The book exposes the reasons why a man who had it all, would choose to commit such a crime and fall from grace. I was quite disappointed by Robertson's treatment by Hollywood's hierarchy when he was the victim, not Begelman. But it proves just how far studios will go to protect the bottom line. I read this book when it was first published years ago and I'm reading it again. The list of books I will read more than once is a short one. I highly recommend it.

Sparse language in a surreal world. This book will make you ponder about what is real, what is perceived and what is in-between.

I discovered this book in the library. I read the first few pages and was captivated. Christopher Priest will introduce you to an impossible world - and make you believe it.

Years later, the book was out of print. I searched the internet to find a copy. When I got it, the book did not let me down, though I already knew its secrets.

Probably the finest sci-fi book I have ever read.

Hey you guys that loved Ringworld, Dragon's Egg or A Mission of Gravity, you will be HOOKED by this one! A REALLY original alternative world, VERY nicely hidden under a bulk of myth and a secretive guild system. Sociology - B+; Mathematics - A; Physics - B. The ending is the only minor flaw, but after all the real thinking starts after reading...

I was looking for The Glamour and noticed unfortunately that most of Priest's books are out of print...how sad, as most are truly original. I then noted that The Inverted World had only been reviewed 4 times and wanted to add my thoughts. READ IT. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

Imagine an encapsulated city trying to survive in a strange world where mysterious "optimum" is moving and the city has to keep moving on it's tracks trying to reach it. Every natural obstacle in this unfriendly environment has to be solved and the city has to keep moving or else... People in the city refer to the landscapes ahead as "the future" and to the landscapes behind as "the past." Everybody is working hard, for the optimum must be followed at any price... Is the ending of the book (which is one of the best endings in SF) going to reveal the real truth? What is the real truth anyway? The one you perceive? Or the other one, the one you can't see...

I bought this for my daughter's birthday. We are having a Jenny Linsky party with everything from a JL cake to invites to party favors. This book will be one of her presents, along with a knitted red scarf with six pom poms of course.

It is a delightful story about Jenny's friends giving her a birthday party in the park. It is a tad steep for a 32 page book, but it does have adorable illustrations. Most of the other books are packed with more story, but this one has lots of full color illustrations (not all are color though) rather then black and white. Great for your cat loving kid.

Don't miss the other books in the series either. Boys will enjoy the book "Pickles the Firecat" about a boy cat who wants to do "big things." Classic story, classic drawings, and to a boys delight, FIRETRUCKS.

My daughter loves cats so I got this to give her for her 6th birthday. The characters in it are a hoot.

Another sweet story involving that shy, black kitty named Jenny Linsky. I can't imagine a little kid not loving this story and wanting to read it again and again.

I was delighted to find these books again. For years I have been searching for the books about the little black cat, Jenny.

Recently, I was at Books of Wonder and was jokingly testing the salesperson's knowledge. She knew! I couldn't believe it.

These books were a pleasure to me as a child and spurred my love of reading. I intend to buy all of them for my daughter.

Well Oct. Is not only my Fav. month.
Buuut also my friend Jenny J.J.I.'s
Birthday! For those of you who know
Mrs. Fab. She is really GREAT! She is
a New Yawker and a loving wife/mother.
She gives WONDERFUL reviews on all
sorts of books and film with her
own,own....pizazz! So Jenny girl
from the bottom of my heart hope
you and your family are enjoying Friday!
Stay who you are and never change!
Your friend Clint!
By the way Jennys Birthday book
is a fantastic read for youngsters!
Thank you.
p.s. Oct. 5th what a SPECIAL day. I remember when
I turned 23 yrs.old Take care J.J.I.

Early '80s new York (specifically Queens) is the setting for this loose novel following a 12-year-old Korean-American over the course of two days as he roams the 'hood with his little brother, and two friends. It seems someone broke into his apartment and stole his Atari 2600 and 40+ cartridges, and he aims to find out who. Well, sort of... he actually seems rather resigned to his loss until his friend's continual irritating prodding provokes him into finding someone to blame. All of which makes the book sound a lot more plotted than it is.

The framework is basically picaresque, as Peter, his introverted little brother Steven, the incredibly obnoxious Fatty, and quiet Africa, rove the neighborhood getting in fights, shoplifting, pranking their super, and generally being kids. Along the way, their home lives flicker into view -- and the general sense is of outsiders trying to find their own identity. Steeped in the New York streets, these kids are all about stickball, b-boying, and proving how tough they are. But as busy as they are assimilating the culture of others (for example their little clique is called "The Warriors", after the seminal film), they are perfectly happy to spew racial slurs about blacks, Hispanics, and other Asians. Paradoxically, Peter is utterly contemptuous of his own Korean community, and this self-loathing is reminiscent of much immigrant fiction.

Over the course of the book Peter's anger at himself, his parents, and the world grows less and less interesting, even as it escalates. Peter and Fatty rat-a-tat insults in authentic early-'80s lingo for 180 pages, and yes, it can get pretty funny, but the shtick also gets repetitive. The book does a good job of capturing the foolishness of youth and the heightened sense of frustration adolescence can generate, but it never leads anywhere interesting or unexpected.

Park has done it again. Las Cucarachas is a modern urban masterpiece. From the very first line, his reader is blown away by highly stylized writing and is transported into the mind and world of a 12-year-old boy from Queens. It is amazing that in a book where almost nothing happens it seems that everything happens. Park's voice is incredible and uncomparable to any other writer. This is a wonderful read that has the ablility to pull you in and make you remember what it felt like to be a kid.

LAS CUCARACHAS BROUGHT BACK WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF BEING A KID IN NEW YORK CITY. I REMEMBER BEING YOUNG AND HAVING A SUMMER HOUSE ON LONG ISLAND. THE KID'S IN THAT AREA WOULD WHISPER ABOUT HOW MY FAMILY AND MYSELF WERE FROM "THE CITY." THEY'D ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, "DO YOU RIDE THE SUBWAY?" "DO YOU GET MUGGED FOR YOUR JEWELRY?" "ARE YOUR FRIENDS BLACK PEOPLE? LAS CUCARACHAS TOUCHES ON WONDERFUL IDEAS ABOUT A PLACE THAT USED TO BE HOME. ALSO IT RECALLS THOSE ADOLESCENT ISSUES THAT MADE US WHO WE ARE TODAY. THAT FIRST BEST FRIEND WHO BECAME YOUR FIRST ENEMY JUST SIX MONTHS LATER. OR WHEN THE STREET GETS HOLD OF YOUR FAMILY PROBLEMS AND COLDLY AND INSENSITIVELY THROWS THE CONVERSATION AROUND LIKE YOU'RE NOT IN THE ROOM.
CHARACTERS LIKE FATTY ARE TO NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND PETER WHO WE HAVE ALL BEEN AND STILL ARE INSIDE. IT IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LAUGH, RELATE AND REMEMBER.

Although I probably read more than the average person, I've never written a review before and in fact I avoid reading them in general, particularly before picking up the book or seeing the movie upon which a review is based. I just finished 2 of this author's books, "Las Cucarachas" and "Boy Genius," and out of curiosity I decided to read what others had to say. Interestingly, many of the reviewers take time comparing this book to other books. I'm going to frankly describe what I myself thought rather than make these comparisons.

First of all, both of this author's books are worth reading, and they should be read as a pair. I would recommend reading "Las Cucarachas" and then "Boy Genius," in that order. I was born and raised in New York City, and I'm from approximately the same generation as the main character in "Las Cucarachas;" to me it's incredible how well the author brings to life what my own childhood was like, growing up and hanging out in the streets of New York- not desperately poor, but poor enough so that the kids from what was called the "middle class" seemed rich by comparison, and were luckier than any of them ever seemed able to see. It's as though the author lived this NYC childhood, with all its obstacles, frustrations and pains, freeze dried it, moved on in his own life, and then went back to it and set it down exactly, precisely, missing nothing, not a single thought, feeling, experience or idea. You read "Las Cucarachas" and you experience the raw, real life of a tough, smart street kid in a big city where money is everything- absolutely, totally everything- and where the kid knows that it's not that society wants him to fail; rather, society is so completely and profoundly indifferent that it can't even be bothered to have an interest in his success or failure either way. Nobody from any middle or upper class background can ever truly know the alienation this situation creates, but by reading "Las Cucarachas" they can sure get a good goddamn taste of it. "Las Cucarachas" is the story of a boy that's forced to gear everything around slickness and toughness, and who's trying to make something happen against impossible odds and what seems like an endless stream of jerks and idiots holding him back and getting in his way. When I finished reading "Las Cucarachas" I felt a strange urge to contact the author, congratulate him for making it through, and thank him for creating such an honest, vivid, and truly touching testimonial to youth.

"Boy Genius" should be read after "Las Cucarachas;" in fact it's remarkable to me that "Boy Genius" was actually written by the same author. "Boy Genius" is so completely different, and not just the subject matter, but the whole style of the book as well. "Las Cucarachas" is raw and gritty; "Boy Genius" begins right off the bat with fantastic events that continue unfolding throughout. The narrator in "Boy Genius" gets you to suspend your disbelief so completely that I myself often looked up from the book while reading and felt an embarrassed smile on my face, as though realizing once again that I was the victim of this author's ongoing, intelligent, playful mischief. Bringing this together- the surreal storyline, the narrator's ever present, eccentric, hilarious and intelligent take on things- and you've got a book, "Boy Genius," that once again is not only wonderful, honest and real, but that's also simply enjoyable to read... and that's something that's important to me for any book that I pick up! I'm still a New Yorker, and I know I've got a book I love when I can take that book onto a crowded train during rush hour on my way to work- and lose myself in it totally and completely, in spite of the fact that I'm being jostled and crushed by stressed and impatient New Yorkers who'd prefer I put the book away, hold onto the handrail and stare at the ceilings and walls like everyone else. Both of the books written by this author passed my test, and I enjoyed both of them enough to not only recommend them and pass them on (I've lent out both of my copies) but also, to look forward to reading the author's next book too.

Very rarely can an author capture the range of emotions and epiphanies a normal human being can go through, let alone a child, without becoming verbose and oversentimental. Peter Kim and his gang, the Warriors, live in a tough part of Queens and are bound to each other not by some heart-warming tie of friendship but simply as a means of survival. Does Peter like Fatty, the crass and selfish pathological liar of the bunch? Does he even like his own weakling of a brother Steven?
Ask yourself the same questions about your gang, your family, and your identity and you'll start to scratch the surface of what Mr. Park is able to accomplish in his delightfully brief but infinitely insightful second novel. Especially for those of us who grew up in America as sons and daughters of the lesser represented immigrant community (i.e. Asian, South-Asians, or Arab), the author is able to take the cliche, 'on the outside looking in' and chapter by chapter, peel off the coexisting, but conflicting emotions of community pride versus the self-loathing one feels for being identified with that community; the emotional attachment of family that is continually tested by the faults and shortcomings of those providing for it. Peter's Dad is useless, he lost his store and he is increasingly slothful in Peter's eyes. Yet amidst this pathos, Peter and his buddies accept their respective harsh realites, even embrace them at times, ultimately giving all those who stand responsible for their plight the proverbial finger. Is it fair? No. But does it feel good? Yes. And who doesn't like feeling good? Las Cucarachas reminds us that no matter who's responsible for our misfortunes, whoever stole Peter Kim's Atari, whoever smashed up my bumper in that parking lot and didn't leave thier info, whoever..well you get the point. Yongsoo, thank you for telling it like it is. People, hear this man. Long live the Warriors.
Kesav