New York Books

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...

This is a book I will take with me whenever I visit our grandson. It has everything! I can read to him, do activities with him, cook with him, and as a result of this book, I'm sure he will look forward to our visits. Thanks you, Lena Tabori and Alice Wong, for putting this book together.

This book along with a companion book were purchased as a gift for my wife. She was very pleased with them, so naturally was I. These were not to be found locally. Thank you for your operations and we hope to use your services again soon.
N. Sharp

Beautiful illustrations! This book will be used a lot with the upcoming birth of my grandson. Wonderful stories...full of great ideas.

After buying the Little Big Book for Moms for my daughter in law, I discovered the Grandmothers version. I treated myself and I just love it. I've tried several of the recipes- home made bread and honey glazed chicken wings to name two. They were delicious! There are also bunches of crafts, nursery stories, some with Grandmother theme, songs and games. I have a seven month old as well as 18 year old granddaughters. There are good things to share with both.

I gave this book to a friend who is a first time grandmother. It is a unique and different gift that she and her grandson will enjoy for years to come. She was excited about the songs and stories included in the book that she remembered as a child and can now share with her new family member.

This is really a well-written novel, a satire of sorts. Its a fun read and delivers powerful messages if you look beneath the surface. Its at its core a powerful representation of the human condition through the eyes of a naive narrator in New York city. Jeremy, the narrator, is on a quest for fame and glory, to become a recognized hero. A search that results from the feelings of insignificance that we all face.

I definately recommend this book and its message. I actually read this book while taking Scott Stein's course in Drexel University. He is a great teacher and a very creative writer. Also, if you enjoy this book, or would prefer to read essays and short stories, I recommend the compilation "When Falls the Coliseum". Its a compilation of modern short works (many of which are by Scott Stein) on the problems society faces. It is also available here on amazon and is worth the time and money!

Scott Stein successfully brought the absurd intricacies of the city to the page. In Jeremy Keller, he explores the American dreamer, but one that does not lose himself in the wave of numbing habit, but instead finds the strength to be content with the difficult reality of relative nonexistence. The elements of a man's life that shake and mold him are all woven into Jeremy's story. They are given a subtle humorous twist at each step, and make this one of the funniest books that I have read on the level of "Catch 22". However, beyond the exciting style and the unique insight, "Lost" has a message that must be extracted and not forgotten. It is a serious novel on man's absurdity first, and a fast-flowing satire about the lost city residents second. I enjoyed Scott Stein's work immensely, and recommend it to everyone.

Quite simply, I loved this book. Scott Stein has an amazing talent and I look forward to reading his next novel.

Unlike most writers, Scott Stein takes the time to develop his characters. He does not use stereotypes and other cliches. Instead Mr. Stein uses unique details and his command of the written word to bring a sense of realism to Jeremy Keller and the other characters in "Lost."

Mr Stein respects his audience. Instead of force-fed, over-the-top comedy, he use his subtle sense of humor to tell us this story. It is very easy for a young writer to fall into the trap of going overboard. Writers who do this lose their identity and become machines producing drivel for the masses. Scott Stein is truly an artist. He takes the time to create a work of art and not just a novel.

If you do not read this book, you are missing out on an experience that will not only entertain you but will teach you how a good writer writes. Mr. Stein should be proud of his art and his ability.

I have been a fan of Mr. Stein's work from his essays, humor, and commentary on his website... Although his book is advertised on the site, I was reluctant to buy it without reading any reviews beforehand. Intrigued by the advance praise it has received, I decided to buy it anyway. The book blew me away on all counts. First, this book is damned funny. I laughed out loud in many places, and drew stares from people riding on the bus with me as I went to work. His wit is sharp and truthful. Second, his prose is muscular, swift, the narrative pushing the story forward without calling attention to itself. But what blew me away the most was the story itself. Despite some hilarious scenes, there's a palpable menace lurking just below the surface in Mr Stein's tale. He manages to excavate and reveal the subterranean underpinnings of life in the late twentieth century without anger, self-righteousness, sentimentality, or cynicism. LOST provided me, a voracious reader, a splash of cold reality that sets him apart from most of the books I've read in a long time. This book is hysterical, unsettling, and, in an odd way, comforting. It will write itself into you. Buy this book. You won't regret it.

What struck me most about this book, beyond its deadpan and sharp wit, is that upon having finished it, I realized how much was said "between the lines", as the saying goes - brilliant omissions, implied strongly and otherwise, serve to produce some of the funniest undertones I have ever read, or, more accurately, not read. This is to say that Scott Stein, while never making it obvious, serves up a wicked economy of words which keeps this fast-paced novel twisting, turning, and intelligent. The reader's intelligence is never insulted.

At the same time, this economy of words (as well as to-the-point, unembellished narrative) makes the experience of travelling with the protagonist, Jeremy Keller, through his strange and ridiculous adventure, surprisingly deep and rewarding.

One of the other reviews here said you'll never put the book down. I have to disagree, since I did actually put it down when I finished it. However, I picked it up again later to go back and reread a few favorite parts.

Read it and be prepared to laugh out loud. Unless you don't like that kind of thing.

Whether you live in New York City and want to understand how to synchronize your life with the city's rhythm, or you are just a visitor eager to taste both the past and the present of one of America's most vibrant neigborhoods-the Lower East Side-this book is an excellent companion.

Joyce Mendelsohn gives an excellent walking tour of the Lower East Side pointing out landmarks with interesting facts and accurate accounts of the rich history here. Anyone who lives on the Lower East Side or whose relatives came from the Lower East Side should read this book complete with period and modern photographs. I loved it.

Even if you can't visit the bakeries and restaurants of the Lower East Side (and you should) you can enjoy the ethnic flavors by reading Joyce Mendelsohn's book. Like the best historians, she tells stories of the past from a present-day perspective. New York is a city of remakes, architectural and cultural--Mendelsohn combines both. As a former History teacher, I recommend it for a good read.

I found this book to be an incredible resource for me, in my wanderings around the City. From the history of the African burial grounds to finding the best doughnuts, this is a great book. I read most of it from my couch, but then took it with me when I went looking for Napoleon Le Brun firehouses. The details of the history are among the best I've seen published.

This is an essential book for anyone who lives in or plans to visit New York City. The first 22 pages give a succinct but by no means shallow history of immigration to New York, beginning with the earliest slaves arriving in New Amsterdam in 1626 to the latest arrivals of Hispanics and Asians in the later years of the 20th century. The remainder of the book consists of four self-guided walking tours, each approximately 2 hours long, through 4 different neighborhoods of the Lower East Side. The description of each tour begins with directions for arriving at the starting point by public transportation--a helpful bit of information. Among the various sites on the tour are the birthplace of Eddie Cantor, the first municipal-built playground in the U.S., the place where Arthur Murry took his first dance steps, the library that Leon Trostsky used when he lived in NY in 1917, and the Wah Mei Bird Garden, where caged Asian song thrushes fill the morning air with song. The book is small enough to carry around easily. The index is especially good. The photographs, new and old, give a sense of the city both today and yesterday. This is a friendly book.

This author has written many TV top-notched scripts for Emmy award shows.
This was a true story on his life growing up and it was insightful and entertaining. If you like to read, you will like this one!!

Excellent. Easy reading with obvious research and facts that made the book even more entertaining.

This book is a non-stop read for those who think they know New York City but have a lot to learn about the reality of life for kids on the wrong side of the tracks. Vincent writes from the perspective of being there, with a fondness for detail and language that is so vivid you really think you are hanging out with one of them. Not to be missed by the serious student of the urban scene.

Vincent does a nice job of tying his characters in with gangsters that really existed. The story is an unlikely one where Vinny the leader of his local gang also befriends a Jewish boy next store and starts going to the library with him. One never gets the sense of a real friendship, or that Sidney is really a member of his crew. Their relationship doesn't really need to exist for the story Vincent is telling. How many mobsters are in to reading? Vincent a few times tries to keep the suspense by telling the reader that an event would change the rest of my life, or the summer, or whatever. Then he never gets there on the subject. The treachery is typical Mafia stuff, and the violence is restrained for these type of people. Vinny and his father are just pawns in the power struggle between Costello and Genovese as this story is set in that era. A decent read for ganster story fans.

Chances are that if you've turned on a television set during prime time in the last three decades you have encountered the work of E. Duke Vincent. Vincent has been involved in the creation and/or production of television series ranging from "Dynasty" and "Vegas" to "Melrose Place" and "Charmed," among others. MAFIA SUMMER is his first attempt at a novel, but he brings to it the same assured and steady hand that has made so many television shows with which he has been involved compulsory and compulsive viewing.

While ostensibly a work of historical fiction, there is so much that rings true to life here that it has more of a biographical feel to it than a work of the imagination. Indeed, Vincent notes in his acknowledgments that this is a story that he has been turning over in his mind for some 40 years. If Vincent was not a participant to at least some of the events in MAFIA SUMMER, he was no doubt a close observer; the narrative's main strength is that it puts the reader in that position as well.

The events in MAFIA SUMMER take place over the course of a week at the end of August 1950. New York City is caught in a heat wave, which serves as a metaphorical backdrop for the Five Families of the New York City underworld, the members of which are the subject of Federal scrutiny that came to be known as the Kefauver hearings. 18-year-old Vinny Vesta, the son of Mangano family caporegime Dino Vesta, himself has a street gang that is on the bottom tier of the gangland hierarchy. The Vesta family maintains a low profile, living in a modest Hell's Kitchen apartment during the week as a front while spending their weekends at a luxurious farm outside the city. Vinny's gang, known as the Icemen, is an interesting set of individuals, each with their own particular and peculiar talents that are applied to legitimate purposes and otherwise. Their specialty involves heists to order, if you will, and they are quite good at spotting and evaluating situations that present merchandise ripe for the taking, either on their own or on a referral basis.

Two occurrences, however, are to provide a catalyst that will change Vinny's life forever. The first is his meeting with, and befriending of, Sidney Butcher, a sickly but booksmart Jewish boy whose family has just moved into an apartment across the hall from Vinny. Vinny introduces Sidney to life on the streets, providing Sidney with an excitement and friendship that previously had been denied to him. But the introductions aren't all one-way. Too ill to attend school regularly, Sidney has been teaching himself at the New York City library. While Vinny is at first dragged reluctantly into the stacks, he quickly becomes enchanted with the works of the Renaissance painters, as well as the world of John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Vinny slowly comes to realize that there is a better place, perhaps a better way, beyond the crime-ridden streets that have become the locus of his life.

Meanwhile, a second event is brewing that will have an effect on Vinny and will resonate far beyond its conclusion. Gee-gee Petrone, an ambitious capo in the Luciano crime family, hires Vinny to steal 40 cases of sable pelts from a storage depot. The police though are seemingly tipped off to the job in advance, and almost catch the Icemen in the act. When Petrone insists that the order nonetheless be filled, Vinny and his father come to realize that Petrone is setting them up in an ambitious power-grabbing scheme that will advance Petrone and his mentor, a wily underboss named Vito Genovese. When a rival gang begins gunning not only for Vinny but also for Sidney, the level of danger reaches a new high for both Vinny and his father, who is interjecting himself into the action. Vincent builds his story slowly but deliberately to an apocalyptic ending that will leave everyone involved changed forever.

Vincent possesses that rare ability to make his characters come alive; indeed, each of the individuals involved in MAFIA SUMMER is memorable in his own way. And while much of the action is grim, Vincent nicely balances the action with some humor and even a few touching moments of friendship. Combining the best elements of "The Sopranos" and CATCHER IN THE RYE, MAFIA SUMMER may well be the surprise book of this summer.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

the first
a visual street photography book of new york city
my winnogrand's work set the standard
this is a great coffee table book

I recently took a class in street photography at New York's ICP and Winogrand's work is something I could never even hope to approach. Some of his images are startling, you feel like the crowd is STILL headed right at you and that you must somehow get out of the way. He was fearless in the street and this collection proves it.

Gary Winogrand was the type of photographer who had a very itchy camera trigger finger. When he died he left behind around 10,000 rolls of undeveloped film. If it moved he photographed it. Did he shoot so many good pictures simply because he took such an unbelievably large number of them, i.e. if you take a million shots aren't you bound statistically to get at least a thousand good ones? Good question, yet GW is one of my favorite people. If you like street photography with insight and humor he is almost unbeatable. These are candid portraits that catch people gawking, staring, laughing, having fun, showing pain, and often being oblivious to everything around them. Gary was not shy; he thrust his camera right into people's faces, and caught them in off guard moments. A man crawls along a sidewalk unnoticed by a group of American Legionnaires. Another man walks nude through a crowd without attracting much attention at all. Another man walks through a crowd carrying an immense poster of the Beatles. Why is he doing this; where is he going? A man with a bandaged nose stares strangely at his female passenger as he drives along. Is he angry with her or is he perhaps lusting after her. You decide.

It takes you forever to get through this book as you sit and look at each picture for a long, long time. How revealing are the faces, the postures, and the gestures; each shot prompts you to weave a story around the captured event. Winogrand seems to be made up of equal portions of Elliott Erwitt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, and Andre Kertesz (if you are unfamiliar with any of these folks, and you like Winogrand, you had better check them out). The saddest thing is that almost all of Winogrand's books are out of print. This is a breathtaking collection of his work.

As far as I know, this is the only in-print book of Winogrand's photography available. For me, relatively young and new to photography, I am thankful for the opportunity to see some of his photos. They are a revelation. Even a cursory first glance through the book, I was struck at the complexity of the scenes photographed. These photos speak volumes, though I'm not sure what it is they say. In fact, the attraction of these photos lie in their mystery. Repeat viewings will reveal more nuances...so many layers emerge that interpretations will get lost in themselves. Well, that is TRUTH.

Regretfully, the printing quality of this book stinks. The duotone curve they used for this book is all messed up. Many photos end up looking like sepia prints rather than a black and white print. There are few pure, deep, dark blacks in the book. Instead you get this black-brown color which is really ugly and does a disservice to GW's work. True, Winogrand himself said "anyone who can print a photo can print my work" downplaying the importance of the printing process. And while the poor reproductions in this book does not take away from the strength of the photos, I still find it annoying and most of all...UGLY. All I can hope for is another book of Winogrand's work to be published. With all his millions of negatives, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

This book is worth reading by every person loving cities, not just photograph-lovers. A book so real, you feel you are walking through a cith while flipping the pages!

This is one of these rare books that just gets better with every reading Vividly described as only Dana can, reading this book in it of itself makes you feel like your actually sitting in the ballpark surrounded with all the intangibles that come together with a trip to Shea Stadium. And now with the Stadium all but gone this book is the closest you can get to bringing back your favorite Shea Stadium memories.

I love this book! Dana Brand illustrates what it's like to be a Mets fan because he is one himself. I thought this was a nice piece of reflective Mets history. I plan on giving it as a gift to a few friends. This is aust read for any Mets fan! I also noticed a few people complaining about the price. I don't think it's over priced. I don't mind supporting independent artists who offer quality work. If you like this you'll like the Mets fan documentary. Very cool. Mathematically Alive: A Story of Fandom DVD

A terrific book for die-hard Mets fans that enjoy a quality read. Literate and smart, but also accessible and real. In writing about his own experience as a true fan of this team, the author touches on things that are universal to most of us fans. Highly recommended.

This amazin' collection of essays, was thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read. Dana Brand masterfully weaves his personal stories, season recaps, the highs, the lows, and plenty of sentimentality together in perfect form. This book truly sums up everything it is to be a Mets fan, or a sports fan in general.

I have read plenty of books covering the Mets: books that take the reader inside the locker room, books that give an A-Z statistical history of the ballclub, trivia books, and and all of the downright goofy ones. Mets Fan is similar to none of these. This book is really one of a kind. Dana Brand shares his personal memories of this team, and if you too are a fan, you will definitely see so much of yourself in them.

I was born in 1978 and I have been a fan of the Mets since 1985. It is fantastic to finally read about 1962-1984 from a pure fan's point of view. The point of this book is not to look up Jerry Koosman's ERA for the 1973 season, it is to see what a fan went through during the 1973 season. This makes for fantastic reading.

From now on, if anyone asks me why I care so much about this team, why I get upset when they lose, why I jump up and down when they win, why it is necessary for me the check the score, I will simply tell them to read this book. Mets Fan explains why were are fans in the first place. It expresses how we Mets Fans feel when we see orange and blue and why we feel that way, it goes deeper into the soul of fans than any book that I have ever read before.

"Mets Fan" is the ideal book for people who can relate to the unconditional love you feel for a particular sports team. It goes beyond the diehard, irrational loyalty that allows one to persevere through the good times and bad; never giving up no matter how dismal things get.

The essays in "Mets Fan" illustrate how that unconditional love manages to permeate every aspect of life and shape us from the time we are children, and for the rest of our lives. The specific events Dana Brand writes about have such powerful emotional significance, that you sometimes forget he is writing about baseball. Regardless of what is omitted, what is included is relatable to fans (and non-fans)on so many levels. This is life with a side order of baseball, and we should be grateful for the opportunity to get a brief glimpse of how meaningful baseball can be, not just in the ballpark, but outside it as well.

I bought this book because someone here reviewed it as "Better then the movie" Well it is exactly the same except for an extra line once every 20 pages or so.But is is a great book.

Wow! I love this book... and even now as 18 I still read this book to get me into that "Christmas spirit" I so desperately want to be in... I read this book every year it's one of my regulars on my holiday reading list.

Valentine Davies weaves such an impressive story that it will make the most skeptical child believe and it will make us that no longer can- wish we could. This is simply the perfect holiday story- one a parent could read to a child before they go to sleep or a story that a moderate second grade reader could read on their own without any difficulty...

I love reading this more than I do watching the classic version of the movie for Valentine Davies makes this book more magical than the movie could ever hope to be. All in all if you want to buy a book for the holidays- for someone on your shopping list this is definately one to buy! Or even own for yourself!

I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Daviesý. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anythingýs possible-you just have to believe.
Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macyýs Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesnýt believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
This book didnýt really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susanýs Christmas was magical!

I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Davies'. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anything's possible-you just have to believe.
Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macy's Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesn't believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
This book didn't really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susan's Christmas was magical!

Doris Walker works at Macy's. She's in charge of choosing people to be in the parade, but when her Santa Claus shows up drunk she fires him and hires Kris Kringle on the spot. Kris believes he's Santa Claus, and Doris not believing in anything ignores his insistent opinion.

Of course, Doris has her 6 year old daughter Susan thinking there's no Santa Claus either, and Kris makes sure he changes the little girls mind. But trouble begins when he is admitted to Bellevue, a mental institution, and now with the help of his friend Fred, he must try to get out or Christmas will be ruined for everyone. Especially little Susan.

This book is truly wonderful, and it shows that if you just believe anything is possible.

I bought this book after reading the Kindle sample and could not put it down. Being a 24 year Military Veteran, I related to a large portion of the book however, the Author has skillfully ensured that even a layman with no history of law enforcement can identify with the stories and events. Very well written Mr. Wagner! Hope to see more from you in the future.

A terrific memoir of life as a cop on the streets of New York's tough Alphabet City neighborhood. Wags' book is loaded with fascinating, well told stories. Especially moving is the author's recollections of his dad, also a police officer, and how they would sit side by side listening to "Dragnet" on the radio. The experience apparently fueled Wags' dreams of becoming a New York City cop. My Life In The NYPD is much more enjoyable than Wags' earlier book about his catastrophic "career" as a PI/bodyguard which ended in a felony conviction. Aside from a nasty, totally unneccessary intro by racist, homophobic shock jock Don Imus, this is a unqualified five star read. Assuming he must have at least a dozen more great tales of his life as one of New York's Finest, I hope Wags finds time to write a sequel.

I don't read much. I found this book on this site, read the reviews, decided to order it and give it a chance. Of all the books i have read, this is the most interesting and funniest books.

After showing a few funny parts to my friends, they all said i have a sick humour. One part reading about a guy who tried to kill him self by jumping off a building but fails. The way it was written was soo funny. Anyway, there are many many more interesting/funny parts.

After i read it i came online to buy Wags first book, but because it is no where to be found, i haven't been able to get it yet. However i have bought 2 other books similar this 'My Life in the NYPD."

Very enjoyable read.

This is a book that all cop buffs will love. It is a series of war stories and observations garnered from the author's twenty-two year career with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Told in a voice that rings true, this no-holds barred, straightforward account of life in the NYPD from 1968 to 1990, a time of turbulence and changing policing philosophies, will grip the reader. The author lays it all out for the reader in an engaging manner-the good, the bad, and the ugly-keeping the reader turning the pages until the very last.

Jimmy does it again! This book deals with his years in the NYPD, and goes right up to the start of his PI career (the first book). As before he delivers the goods retelling his most amazing and dazzling stories of life and crime in New York in a personal and well written way. The book also deals with the person behind the badge, the associates, the friends, the family, and not the least the importance of not letting the job get to you. Starting out in the 60's to the early 90's the way cops work has changed tremendously and Wags takes you on that ride!!! Recommended read.

Ever wondered how Hell's Kitchen got it's name or why Bowling Green is called that? Well, finally there is a book that can answer these and many other place name questions. "Naming New York: Manhattan Places and How They Got Their Names" by Sanna Feirstein, and published by the respectable folks at New York University Press is a great, well organized book that discusses how most places in the borough of Manhattan got their names.

Chapters, which are divided by areas on the island such as Upper East Side, Inwood, and Harlem, discusses the origin of many street, park, and neighborhood names. The author, who briefly gives the origin of the place name in a simple sentence or two, apparently has done some deep research at a local library or archive in order to amass such an extensive list of information. With a great cover design and feel, the book captured my attention at a local bookstore. Overall, the book is a must for anyone who loves the City that Never Sleeps. It's a great book for a great price, which today can be a rarity.

I'm hoping that by the time you read this review, you will be able to take a look inside (right now, you can't). If you could, you would be able to see the exquisite layout and illustrations of Sanna Feirstein's "Naming New York: Manhattan Places and How They Got Their Names". It's a gloriously good-looking book.

But more important, Sanna Feirstein has gotten her facts right. When people think of the place names of Manhattan, they probably think of the grid and its numbered roads. Or that Manhattan is so modern, that all its place names begin with the Rockefeller era. WRONG! The island of Manhattan reaches further back in the history of American cities than any other one: the Wall Street area itself existed while Shakespeare's plays were first being produces. Manhattan, especially the older neighborhoods from Houston Street south to the Battery, are filled with twisting little streets whose names resonate with Manhattan's history. This book is where you'll find out why Houston Street is pronounced "HOW-ston". Where did Maiden Lane get its name from? Who was Barclay? This book will tell all.

This is a very informative book. If only it can tell me why New Yorkers pronounce Avenue of the Americas as "Sixth Avenue".

This book is great for everyone - from history experts to casual street walkers. I highly recommend it!!!

Even non-New Yorkers will enjoy the sweeping history that is brought alive when you peek behind street signs. From Broadway to Shinbone Alley, there's something fascinating about how New Yorkers have chosen to name their byways. Each section of town is presented with an introduction which outlines its place in the history of the city. Then each street is listed with an explanation of its name derivation. The mysteries of SoHo, NoHo, NoMad, and NoCa are explained. There are scores of beautiful illustrations. East side, west side, all around the town, Ms. Feirstein puts a human face on every corner of the Big Apple.

This book explains the origin of every named street in Manhattan, New York. A native of Topeka, Kansas may rightly be inclined to say "So what?" but, to anyone interested in NYC, this book will provide plenty of raised eyebrows of new found insight about "Gotham". The book is broken down into sections on Lower Manhattan, Mid-Lower Manhattan, The Villages, Midtown South, Midtown, East Side, West Side, and Upper Manhattan with additional sectional breakdowns in each group. A page and a half of historical background for each area is given along with a very basic map of the area. The story of the name for each street in the area is then explained in a couple well written lines. Many pictures are included of the persons or places named. The only detracting points are the paucity of effective maps detailing where some of the more obscure places are.

Highly recommended if you are into New York City history.