New York Books

This book I could not put down. It was page turner. Just ask my friend Natalie. She has been trying to borrow it from me, I just won't let her. I suggest buying it.

My entire family enjoys reading Bill's columns, when we are together, someone will always read the newspaper aloud. The stories are so funny, and the same craziness that goes on in EVERYONE'S family. I purchased this book, used, as a gift for my Dad, but of course I had to read it FIRST. Hysterical (I actually read excerpts aloud to my Mom on the telephone) Thanks Bill, your outlook on life is SO appreciated!

This was a wonderful book. I could not put it down. What a page turner. Just ask my friend Natalie. She wanted to borowing so bad, and I would not part with it. I suggest buying it.

"Some Kind of Wiseguy" is about an Italian guy's life in the New York-New Jersey area. He grew up with sausage and peppers, overbearing parents, card games, and NOISE. Just like I did. I'm a third generation Italian American kid and I spent a lot of my childhood at my grandparents' house where I was taught Italian culture and how to brace yourself for a 10-type-of-fish Christmas Eve dinner feast. Zeppoles, homemade pizza, and salami bread are still eaten in my home today as well as my Mom's homemade meat gravy every Sunday afternoon. Bill touches upon all of these subjects as well as getting into the journalism field and how he decided to write all about his life. I made an autobiography myself about my life up until this point which I hope gets published one day. Ervolino remains my favorite modern writer. He is hilarious, insightful, and a very easy read. Check out his Sunday and Thursday columns in The Bergen Record of NJ. I also strongly reccommend "Wiseguy: My Life in a Mafia Family," by Nicholas Pileggi.

I am an avid reader of Bill's newspaper columns, and have always found him to be very funny! This book DOES make you laugh out loud. I'm from an Italian-American family, and relate to a lot of the topics in the book directed at those of Italian heritage, however, the book is just so very funny, that I think ANYONE would find it very enjoyable!

This is the news story that the public needs to hear about the Son of Hope(no longer Son of Sam) . It is clear to see that he is the "real deal." Having repented of his sins and experienced forgiveness in Christ 20 years ago, he is now the prison pastor of the Christian Church in his prison. His writing of his prison experiences and life in general, is vibrant and articulate. I would highly recommend this journal.
DAN

David's writing is a ray of sunshine emanating from a place where very little gets in or out. David's love for his prison brothers and their families is shown throughout. Son of Hope will make you cry and fill you with sadness for lives which have been so damaged by sin! But, as David's life has been turned around by his acceptance of Jesus, he shows that the Love of Lord is there for everyone (Isaiah 1:18--"Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow"). David is a humble man who is living an extraordinary life (James 4:10--"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up"). Thank you David for a work so filled with the Love of the Lord.

If you want to know what prison life is like, here is the book. But it's more than that; it is hope within the darkness behind the concrete walls and razor wire of prison--that it is possible to live a productive life, pleasing to God, while incarcerated. You may cry while reading this book, over the wasted lives of men who chose crime, but you may smile at the evidence of God's grace in the lives of other prisoners who have chosen the joy of following Jesus.

I have just finished reading David Berkowitz's book "Son of Hope". I remember the man he was when he was arrested, his face and piercing eyes. And I recently viewed on line the interviews with David aired on CBS in New York City. On May 10th, I saw the segment entitled "bonus footage behind the scenes look at the "Son of Sam" Interviews, which I don't believe was aired on TV. They showed the man who they arrested as Son of Sam and the face of the man who has been transformed, saved and set free in Christ Jesus; now the Son of Hope and they don't even look like the same man.

David's journal on December 21, 2004 said it all. He doesn't even feel as though he is in prison except for the place that it is. He is a minister, a witness, of how a loving Christ can reach a man lost in sin, with no hope and change him into a helper, a servant reaching out to fellow prisoners, giving him a ministry within the prison walls. I am so impressed upon reading that David receives no profit from the sale of his book, that anything received goes to the parents/victims of his past crimes. Thank you David for writing the book. I certainly plan to share mine with others. See you in Heaven.

David is like the "man out of the tombs" in Mark chapter 4, that only the Saviour could make him, "clothed and in his right mind."

I used to know everything about everything in New York. When I lived there. Now that I go back on extended visits, this book has helped to keep me in the know and introduced me to places, not just in the city, but when I go to the Hamptons on the weekend and need a good Yoga class.

The reviews are written in a way I can relate to -- I feel like I can take the authors' word for it. Even if you're only going to spend a week in NY and don't want to miss out on your yoga class (or your wicca circle), this is a great resource.

This book is Great! I bought it because I
was looking for a good yoga studio in my neighborhood. The reviews were
right on and I found a place that I LOVE. Next stop, a meditation class...

I had just started a program of meditation at my local Buddhist center when I traveled to New York for a conference. Thanks to this book I did not miss a beat in my new regime and I made some new friends.

I'm not much of a freaky religous person, so this book was perfect for me. I enjoyed it as an opportunity to learn more about the very diverse and numerous ways in which people seek out and find their spiritual needs. If finding a place in NY that fits your personal needs is your goal, this book is definitely for you. If having an open mind and understanding the way others fulfill their inner-self, this is also a good read. Could have had more pictures, but I guess it helps to leave it up to your mind as to how to interpret the zillion locales in NY.

Finding anything, from the perfect bagel to the best socks, in NYC can be daunting, because there are always so many choices. Waage and Applestone help attenuate this difficulty by doing the hard work of culling through the thousands of offerings for alternative spiritual activites in NYC. The breadth of their analysis is striking, as is their insight into the range of activities and facilities available throughout New York. My friends from Europe were particularly happy to find a guide that was as thorough, clever and fun to read as this one.

Decades ago, Robert Benchley wrote that there are two ways to travel: first class and with children. Had Ms. Bates and Ms. Latempa written this book before Benchley made his remark, he might not have said it.

Storybook Travels is helpful in bringing parents and children into the same experiences -- reading together and traveling together -- with enjoyment. This book is a must for all readers and travelers. What better way to engage your children in your travel experience?

Our family gives this book and a few of the books referred to within it as gifts at birthday parties and baby showers. It is always a hit!

Thanks to authors Bates and Latempa for their delightful and intelligent approach to traveling with kids. We have used books such as Linnea in Monet's Garden, Eloise in Paris, and the Madeleine books in our travels to Paris, but what's impressive about this book is the way the authors have drawn on so many other children's classics as a backdrop for family travel. I write about family travel myself and highly recommend this book --it's a good read whether you are packing to go, or just happy as an armchair traveler.

This book is a great jumping-off point for family vacations in the US or abroad. It will inspire you to travel AND read with your family!

MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE JUST GETTING OLD ENOUGH TO TRAVEL, AND THIS BOOK GIVES ME A GUIDE TO MANY CHOICES OF WHERE WE CAN TAKE THEM (A FEW AT A TIME!) IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A PROJECT WHEN PLANNING A TRIP, AND IT WILL GIVE ME A SOURCE OF CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND A WAY OF DISCOVERING WHAT BOOKS THEY REALLY ENJOY. READING SOME OF THESE SUGGESTED BOOKS WITH THEM AND MAKING JOINT DECISIONS WILL ALSO BE FUN--THE BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN AND INFORMATIVE IT MAKES THE IDEA OF SEEKING OUT LOCATIONS OF BOOKS WHICH HAVE SET OUR IMAGINATIONS SOARING IN OUR CHILDHOODS, AND THEIRS, VERY SPECIAL. THE ITINERARIES ARE ALL THERE, AND TOURIST OFFICES,WEB SITES, RESERVATION NUMBERS---AND IT'S HONEST--NO FLOWERY DISCRIPTIONS OF EVERY LOCATION--I LOVED IT!!!!!!

Thirty international locales from books aimed at 3- to 13-year olds are described. Each descriptive chapter includes a few sentences summarizing the overarching experience (with location and age information); a one to two page summary of the book; several pages relating an actual visit by an adult(s) and child(ren); and, one to several pages detailing the specific location(s) involved, including names, addresses, phone numbers and web sites. Also included are a list of twenty-five other literary travel possibilities, including Call of the Wild and Peter Pan, and an index to titles.

The books and sites included are:

The Adventures of Pinocchio, Tuscany, Italy
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hannibal, Missouri and environs
And Now Miguel, Taos, New Mexico
Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada
A Bear Called Paddington, London, England
The Black Stallion, Belmont Park, Long Island, New York
Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Child of the Owl, San Francisco, California
Eloise, New York City, New York
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Haarlem Amsterdam and environs
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, London, Windsor and Durham, England
Heidi, Graubunden, Switzerland
Hill of Fire, Paracutin Volcano, Michoacan, Mexico
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California

Kidnapped, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Linnea in Monet's Garden, Paris and Giverny, France
Little House on the Prairie, De Smet, South Dakota
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, New York City
Little Women, Concord, Massachusetts
Madeline, Paris, France
Make Way for Ducklings, Boston, Massachusetts
Maybelle the Cable Car, San Francisco, California
Paddle-to-the-Sea, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Hamelin, Germany
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Portland, Oregon
Song of the Swallows, San Juan Capistrano, California
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Lake District, England
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963, Birmingham, Alabama
Yolonda's Genius, Chicago, Illinois

You can tell moms wrote this book. It's entertaining AND practical. The material is fascinating, well written, and tells you everything you could want to know (except maybe where the bathrooms are located). The contact information makes this an invaluable resource. I hope the authors will continue to write more of these wonderful family travel guides.

Highest recommendation.

One of the difficulties with having such a unified, unique and untouchably elevated God is in reconiciling Him with the nitty-gritty intimacy of life and creation.

Allah is way up there...yet He still dictates stuff way down here.

Allah is so transcendent..yet religious experience demands an intimate spiritual connection.

How do these things happen?


well you see, it's quite simple really :)

It's mostly to do with this concept called 'barzakh' - loosely translated as 'phased intermediation' such that the cosmological make-up of the world consists of several layers, each of which denotes an element of the divine attribute made manifest. This whole system culminates in describing the universe as a "Theatre of Manifestation" of God's attributes (illustrated through the 99 names of Allah). This means that the divine essence permeates through every atomistic fibre of matter in every infinitessimal stitch of time.

Similarly, the consciousness of man is a barzakh - bridging the gap between the terrestial base form of clay and the ultimate climax of spiritual experience, 'fana' - a cosmic consciousness of unity with the Divine.

This book, with neat chapters, concepts and illustrations explains each of the steps of the divine governance of the universe and the methods of Godly consciousness as espoused by the great master of Shaykhs - Ibn Al Arabi. The first few chapters very lucidly run through the groundwork of the concept of the 'divine names' and some basic ontological and metaphysical concepts. This sets the field for a stunning climax where Professor Chttick weaves together the epistemic nature of prayer and spiritual discipline - so that the consciousness of Man mirrors and chimes in a unified beat with the inner harmonies of the universe. Everything is ONE....Everything resides in the ONE.

I have to admit, things get a little spooky and hazy towards the end and I struggled to form a coherent sense of what the whole things was about - in total....but maybe that's something you can't learn from a book.

To cut things short, this is a stunningly awesome book. A little hard going and tedious to begin with but definitely well worth the effort.

Chittick allows Ibn Arabi to speak for himself without attemptiong to fit him within a philosophical paradigm like other authors (Nicholson, Affifi). This itself is a landmark step in oriental studies.

This is a great book for any one who is interested in true no nonsense spiritualism. Ibne Arabi as always proves himself a true master of this path. I would like to mention a couple of points which has left me confused as to the real position of this great master. He puts a great deal of emphasis on the fact that a true "traveler" is always mindful of the " Sacred Laws" of Islam and never for a moment undermines them. One might ask the question as to what is "Sacred Laws" and what are the sources of them. Quran rarely mentions anything about the Laws in a detailed fashion and those hadiths left from Prophet are uncertain , and more importantly there has never been much agreement about what the Sacred Laws are among the jurisprudence. Four canonical schools among the jurisprudence were established , at the expense of other schools, due to the fact that there was almost a chaos due to many schools of Law each with their own version of "Sacred Laws". So it seems that "Sacred Law" is more or less in the eye of the beholder and very much " relative". Moreover it is very confusing that Ibne Arabi should accept the very notion of " four cannonical" schools of law randomly picked by the ruler of the time. An indication that Ibne Arabi perhaps avoided any topic which would have brought him face to face with the political powers of his time. The second confusing aspect of Ibne Arabi is his almost total silence in regards to socio-political aspect of Islam and Islamic society. He never touches upon the early history of Islam and the shortcoming of the "Companions" of the Prophet as though he either sees no problem with that history at all or he is afraid of a backlash. It is unlikely that a man like Ibne Arabi would give a blank check and a money back guaranty entry to heaven to Mohammad's companions irrespective of their socio-political behavior. Why is it so important that we put the companions of the prophet under a microscope? It is because their behavior is particularly relevant to all moslems since according to a hadith attributed to Muhammad " my companion are like stars, any which one one follows is lead to truth". Does Ibne Arabi accept this hadith? How does he , or better yet Prophet Muhammad himself, justify the turmoil and killings and political injustice which was exercised by companions after Mohammed's death? Moslems rarely touch upon this aspect of their history and almost never discuss it and Ibne Arabi, unfortunatly, seems to fall under the same category.

Ibn Arabi is not easy reading. By far the best and most comprehensive book to date is this one -- perhaps Chittick's most important work yet. SPK is primarily a collection of translations from various sections of Ibn Arabi's greatest work, the Meccan Revelations, and is structured more as an anthology. Chittick puts in his own commentary here and there which helps decode the complexity of some of the passages. But for the most part, he allows Ibn Arabi to speak for himself.

Although the book is long, you don't have to read all of it. Chittick is not arguing a thesis, but presenting Ibn Arabi's view on a variety of subjects which are fundamentally rooted in a non-dualistic cosmology where only Allah 'is'. You can read just the introduction of the work (where Chittick gives a bare-bones sketch of the Shaikh's worldview) and then start plugging away from the various passages at your own convenience.

In my opinion, SPK is better than Chittick's more recent THE SELF DISCLOSURE OF GOD which is too technical and requires quite a bit of familiarity with Ibn Arabi in particular and sufism in general.

Ibn Al-Arabi, known affectionately as 'The Master' by many Muslims, is one of the leading mystics and philosophers the world of Islam has ever produced.

Ibn Arabi was an enigmatic, many-faceted genius. A visionary poet, philosopher, mystic, theologian, and great writer in one, he combined a great and penetrating intellect with a profound mystical insight into the mysteries of the Islamic faith.

Unfortunately as with many key Islamic philosophers, good English translations of this thinker's works were unavailable for Western scholarship until fairly recently. Chittick, an expert on Persian literature (and who lived in Iran until the revolution) translates many sections of Arabi's key texts and expounds his vision of God, the universe, and man.

Ibn Arabi's work is immense in scope and range. Essentially his philosophy is an attempt to work out how the divine One, changless, eternal, and perfect, relates metaphysically to the created universe. Essentially Arabi takes up the classic philosophical problem of the One and the Many, and offers a grand solution based on Islamic theology, mysticism, and philosophy.

Central to Arabi's system of Being is the idea of God having 99 names. In the Quran, God is said to have 99 'most beautiful names' which are his attributes. In Sufi thought, these attributes are also reflected in the universe and in all creatures, though only in human beings (the most complete of God's creations) are all the 99 names encompassed.

Also important in Ibn Arabi's thought is the human quest to find God. Using the hadith 'I was a hidden treasure, so I made the universe to be known', Arabi constructs an elaborate mysticism of love, based on the search for the human lover for his hidden beloved, which is God. Translated from poetic and mythical terms to philosophical terms, the meaning of human existence is to find God, the Absolute who underlies all, who is present in all but also entirely incomprehensible and hidden. Ibn Arabi's metaphysics also includes a comprehensive system of theophanies, manifestations of the hidden One in the universe (which include the cosmos itself as the highest theophany, along with man).

The other main aspect of Arabi's system is the detailed study of man, the microcosm. Because man is the perfect mirror of God (in the sense all 99 names are in man) the best path to understand God is to know the Self. In Arabi's system there is the realm of ordinary conciousness and the realms of the imagination, and of mystical conciousness, which are treated as being as ontologically 'real' as our experienced, sense world is.

While Chittick sometimes offers some odd conclusions, his explanation of Arabi's key ideas and his translations of his texts are very good. Unfortunately they only tend to whet the appetite, and they only represent a small fraction of Arabi's complete works, the majority of which is as yet untranslated into English.

Mm, this is a beautiful, wonderful little book! It is a collection of little stories of a very small girl and her small grandmother going adventures on their little island in Sweden. So full of green things and little bites of happiness. The grandmother is oh so clever and says so many poignants to the girl. The girl is wise too. So full of joy.

Based very much upon the late (and yes, great) Tove Jansson`s own family experiences on an island in the Finnish archipelago, this magical, elegiac, very funny, yet - despite its title - autumnal book, subtly draws the reader into the seemingly mundane lives of six-year old Sophia, whose mother has recently died, and `Grandmother` (who could almost be a humanised character from one of Jansson`s immortal Moomin books), as they potter and squabble around their small, idyllic island summer home.
Sophia`s `Papa` never speaks (never? Hm...) but is a silent, prosaic presence throughout, while Sophia is (as her name implies) wise, as well as temperamental, and Grandmother dispenses brief, ironic snippets of wisdom and can be just as prickly. They are a double-act; and, like all the best double-acts, rely on each other - at least for the grateful reader - to each `complete` the other. One feels Grandmother learns from her granddaughter as well as vice versa.
This is a beautiful, thoughtful, unsentimental, deceptively straightforward meander through the summer months with three generations of a grieving family each determined to hang on to their individuality. There are also the occasional - and rarely welcome - visitors.
If I make The Summer Book sound more than simply a light read, it is because even Tove Jansson`s children`s books (of which this can hardly be said to be one) have a tough melancholy strain to them, and a `message` of independence and personal integrity as the sanest way to be.
In its modest, breezy way, this is a great little book. One to treasure.

This book was given to me by an uncommon friend and I enjoyed it very much. It is about the friendship between a grandmother and her young grandaughter who live on a bit of an island in Finland (?). The beauty and treasures discovered in the quiet lives they lead, finding joy in simple things and loving each other besides those petty annoyances of personality (they are very much alike). There are many "huggable" humorous moments. I think of one in which they trade cats--their cat is indifferent to the grandaughter's overtures and the one traded was much more warm and cuddly, but then (and I quote from the book).

"Hunt! Do something! Be like a cat!" And then she started to cry and ran to the guest room and banged on the door.
"What's wrong now?" Grandmother said.
"I want Moppy back!" Sophia screamed.
"But you know how it will be," Grandmother said.
"It'll be awful," said Sophia gravely. "But it's Moppy I love."

As a child, Tove Jansson lived in summer on islands in the Gulf of Finland, and later she and her partner Tuulikki Pietilä lived on a small island called Klovharu. Jansson wrote many children books, including the Moomin series, and ten books for adults.

The plot of the most famous of her adult novels is very simple; an elderly artist and her six-year-old granddaughter Sophia spend the summer on a tiny island exploring and talking about everything but Sophia's mother's death and their love for each other. They wander, pick flowers, watch storms, take an occasional trip in a rowboat. The 22 short episodes make a remarkable whole; "On an island," thinks the grandmother, "everything is complete."

Sophia has a nightmare of luggage floating away in moonlight, "all the suitcases were open and full of darkness and moss". The loss of Sophia's mother haunts them both. Their comments make the book come alive.

"'When are you going to die? ... will they dig a hole?' the child asked amiably."

"Sometimes people never saw things clearly until it was too late and they no longer had the strength to start again."

"No well-bred person goes ashore on someone else's island when there's no one home. But if they put up a [No Trespassing] sign, then you do it anyway, because it's a slap in the face."

"Only farmers and summer guests walk on the moss ... The second time it doesn't rise back up. And the third time you step on moss, it dies."

Sophia wants to go swimming. "She waited for opposition, but none came. So she took off her clothes, slowly and nervously. She glanced at her grandmother - you can't depend on people who just let things happen. It's deep, Sophia thought. She forgets I've never swum in deep water unless someone was with me. And she climbed out again and sat down on the rock." Her grandmother notes that Sophia is afraid of deep water.

The interaction between Sophia and her grandmother is a clash of wills, Sophia stubborn, impetuous and supportive; her grandmother wise, unsentimental, on the edge of exhaustion, dizzy, fearful of losing her balance "the balance between survival and extinction was so delicate that even the smallest change was unthinkable".

Nonetheless, "It was just the same long summer always, and everything lived and grew at its own pace."

The book has been a major best seller in Scandinavia since it was first published in 1972. Thomas Teal has produced a wonderful English translation. This new edition from NYRB Classics is beautifully printed and bound. This novel captures a summer growing "at its own pace."

Robert C. Ross 2008

I rejoice that this short work has come into print again, though it's rather sad that it took the author's recent death to prompt the publishers into action. I'd read an extract in a guide to the top 100 books of the twentieth century and was surprised and disappointed not to be able to get my hands on the full edition.

Jansson has an inate understanding of the wisdom and skewed world-view of children, and manages to capture the fragile - and ephemeral - friendship which can exist between the very old and the very young. There is a freshness about her style which never teeters into whimsy. A rare achievement indeed.

This book just takes me back to the Woodstock Days....I was 19 and never went as I had a 3 month old baby at the time..lived in Brooklyn..reading Elliot Tibbers book about the White Lake area brings back such funny memories as my parents used to take my brother and I to the bungalow colonies in Monicello NY and Woodridge area each summer.
I was just cracking up at his accurate discriptions of the area and reading this book reminded me so much of my own Jewish parents and paternal grandmother from Minsk, Russia.
Wonderful book!

wow. a great book to collectors of woodstock trivia and the awful
stuff during that time of vietnam to one of peace and music! the
author shows a great ability to tell a story that kept me glued to the
pages. read it overnight!!! someone ought to make a movie of this
unusual tale.

Being just a bit too young to have lived the Woodstock experience, I have been left to rely on the tales of others, mainly from an audience point of view. Having read Tiber's accounts of the experience from conception to fruition, brings a new appreciation for the era, the event and the effect on those who were a part of it.

The above would be an appropriate subtitle for this heartfelt but energetic and witty coming-of-age autobiography/memoir by Elliot Tiber, whose main claim to fame is that he fought the petty politics and narrow-mindedness of his small town of Bethel, NY, in order to make possible the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

The author (born Eliyahu Teichberg) grew up in the richly ethnic neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in an emotionally-starved but hardworking family with his Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. His father worked as a roofer, while his mother ran a housewares store in which they all helped out. Elliot finished college and began a moderately successful career in art design, primarily starting out dressing store windows and painting murals for rich Manhattanites. A trip to the Catskills resulted in the family buying a run-down motel right off Highway 17B at White Lake, in the town of Bethel NY, and Elliot found himself splitting his time, working weekdays in NYC and spending weekends doing whatever had to be done to keep the motel operational and barely financially afloat.

At the same time, Elliot came to the realization that he was gay, and - for whatever reason - favored the underground S&M flavored scene that existed in NYC in the mid 1960's. He met and partied with Robert Mapplethorpe, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and even encountered Rock Hudson at one point. Of course, coming out to his conservative parents wasn't an option for him at the time, but his "secret life" during the week somewhat served to make bearable the weekends at the motel, scrubbing toilets and dealing with customer complaints (The Teichbergs cut a few corners in customer service. For example, they had phones in each room, but they weren't connected to anything. The TV was an empty box, as was the air conditioner sleeve below the window. Need soap and a towel? It'll cost ya extra, but you're lucky you made it in today, since Dad has hosed off your sheets - the only cleaning they ever got - just yesterday.)

In early 1969, Elliot read with interest the news accounts that the promoters of the planned Woodstock Music and Art Festival had been denied a permit by the town of Walkill, their planned location. As president (nobody else wanted the job) of Bethel's Chamber of Commerce, he had the authority to issue festival permits, and contacted the promoters about the possibility of moving the festival to Bethel, and offered the meadow of a friend, dairy farmer Max Yasgur, as the perfect venue. Much of the book details the whirlwind events that followed, as the festival took on a life of its own, eventually attracting around 500,000 people to the small town, resulting in threats by locals, payoffs to those who opposed it, nudity, drugs, gangsters, people bathing in the lake, shortages of food and water, but - despite it all - the most historic event in music and counterculture history, after which nothing would ever be the same again for Elliot and his family.

The author has a gift in telling a story, even one as obviously self-centered as this one is, for the most part. Witty and engaging, sure to bring back memories of that era. Loved the reversible (regular/psychodelic) dust jacket! 5 stars out of 5.

Born Eliyahu Teichberg, poor Elli struggles to break what he calls the "Teichberg Curse" and changes his name to Elliot Tiber--hoping that would break the curse. Always on the brink of financial ruin and trying to hide his deepest secret, he dreams of the miracle that would change his life.

In 1969, he got that miracle. Manager of his Jewish parents' failing resort hotel El Monaco in White Lake, New York on the weekends, Elliot runs during the week to Greenwich Village where he can live the life he chooses as an interior designer and meeting the likes of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams and Robert Mapplethorpe--all the while keeping his gay life a secret from his family. That is, until June 28, 1969, when he finds himself at the Stonewall Inn and the famous "Stonewall Riot" that would revolutionize the gay culture breaks out. With a newfound boldness, he finds out in July that the town of Wallkill has revoked the permit for the Woodstock festival. So he contacts Mike Lang, the concert's promoter, to offer his 15 acres for the concert. While Elliot hopes this is the miracle he has been waiting for, Mike Lang and his entourage arrive by helicopter but they end up feeling that the swampland of his resort hotel won't work for the concert. Tiber assures Lang and company that, since he has been the president of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce and has held a concert and art show for the past few years, he can get the necessary concert permit. Quickly, he calls his good friend Max Yasgur--who supports everything Elli does and only lives four miles up the road--and asks him to hold the concert. Elli explains to Mike that Max has a dairy farm on a hundred acres--more than enough to hold a concert. Arrangements are made and, before he knows it, Elli is caught up in the magic that will change his life forever. He is introduced to the hippie scene where everyone is accepted no matter who or what you are and learns he can love himself.

Whoa! Totally awesome and even far out and groovy! This book is absolutely amazing! This reviewer couldn't put it down--in fact, read it twice before writing this review. If you've ever dreamed of being at Woodstock or even if you were there, the author Elliot Tiber will take you back. The Sixties will come alive and you won't want the trip to end! But that is only part of the story, as Elliot takes you through the time of his troubled past and describes in perfect word pictures the struggles of his secret life, his childhood, the insanity of running the hotel resort, and dealing with bigoted locals who persecute him because of his Jewish heritage. In the end, you'll feel you know everyone and that you were there, too.

See Woodstock through the eyes of someone who lived it, who helped bring it to life - you'll never look at this period of history the same again. Don't pass this one by, as this autobiography guarantees to be one of the best reads of 2007 and is to be released just in time for the media's annual August remembrance of that great music festival. Also an awesome unique feature that this reviewer really likes is the reversible dust jacket--one side conservative, the other psychedelic. This feature, according to Square One's publisher Rudy Shur in Publishers Weekly, represents "The notion of duality [that] has been a central theme throughout Elliot's life, and we wanted the book to represent that notion of difference in a very direct and colorful way." So whichever trip you decide to take, this is one you'll never forget.

Cheri Clay
Reviewer's Bookwatch

I ordered late for a Holiday present and was worried about getting it on time. The package arrived well before I ever expected it in the promised condition. I would look to this site for future orders.

I picked up this book purely by chance and, in doing so, I did myself a great favor. I have not been as captivated by a book since "The Godfather." Author Leo Gutman has crafted a tale of boxing and the Mafia that ought to make a movie just as good as the Godfather saga. The plot is intricate, the characters are fascinating, the boxing bouts are riveting. I am fervently wishing there could be a sequel. Thank you, Leo Rutman, for a terrific read!!

I picked up this book purely by chance and, in doing so, I did myself a great favor. I have not been as captivated by a book since "The Godfather." Author Leo Rutman has crafted a tale of boxing and the Mafia that ought to make a movie just as good as the Godfather saga. The plot is intricate, the characters are fascinating, the boxing bouts are riveting. I am fervently wishing there could be a sequel. Thank you, Leo Rutman, for a terrific read!!

WHAT A GREAT FIND. NEVER THOUGH I'D LIKE A BOOK ABOUT BOXING AND THE MOB BUT I JUST COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I WAS UP UNTIL 2 AM. THE SUSPENSE WAS RIVETING. I RECOMMEND HIGHLY AND CANNOT WAIT FOR HIS NEXT RELEASE. PLEASE , WRITE AGAIN SOON RUTMAN!!

This impressive new novel is a well crafted blend of gritty NY gangster life, the sport of boxing, and an intriging, albeit semi-believable, love story. I felt that I was truly taken back to a time uncomplicated by 21st century technology. A great escape. This book is easy and fun to read, but has layers of complexity.

So often, lesbian books are filled with adolescent cravings and sexual lust. This is a wonderful book that integrates lesbian sexuality with the reality of a specific time period. I loved the mystery and the history. I trusted the author in her research and I loved her ability to weave a tale. I think it has much to do with the author's research as well as her wonderful ability to write. We need more authors like this. Great talent is found here. Thank you for an interesting and informative read.

Rarely do I find a book so engaging that I just can't it down. But that's exactly what happened with Under the Mink--I barely even paused to eat! The descriptions were incredibly vivid, the characters were extremely interesting, and the story was suspenseful and highly entertaining. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-told tale, especially one so evocative of a time and scene that aren't exactly overexposed. I also agree with another reviewer--Under the Mink would make an incredible movie.

What's a drag kig to do when she finds a dead body in the bathroom? Torn between the mob, the cops, and deliciously different women, Blackie has a lot on her hands in this novel. The settings are impressively depicted, but the characters a bit stock. Overall, this one was worth waiting for, and I'm ready for another offering from this writer.

This thriller set in 1949's New York City stars a wild assortment of characters (heroes and lowlifes), and is a real page-turner. It centers mostly on Blackie Cole, a butch nightclub singer employed by the mafia, who discovers a dead man in the club. When the dead man's sister shows up, Blackie is torn between her growing desire for the uptown woman and her duty to her mob boss. And Blackie's ex-girlfriend isn't quite through with Blackie either. Through a series of mishaps, Blackie's mob boss thinks she's ratted him out, and targets her for elimination. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and found it rather intoxicating at times. I felt the story as a whole was diluted by the tidal wave of characters populating the novel, some of whom were throwaways lasting a page or so. Some of these details became distracting to me because they seemed unnecessary by the book's end. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend "Under the Mink" not only to lesbians in search of a new romantic thriller, but also to anyone searching for a well-written and involving historical novel. Lisa Davis is certainly a writer worth reading.

This fast-paced book is a fabulous and fun blend of noirish action, riveting romance, and detailed and colorful descriptions of Greenwich Village in the 1940s. With each page of this hard-boiled thriller I was pulled along by the well-drawn, likeable characters: glamorous chorus girls (who are really boys), handsome emcees (who are really women), madames, ... mob kingpins, wealthy socialites, corrupt businessmen, and crooked politicians. Think L.A. CONFIDENTIAL but with a lesbian/gay twist and set in the seedy but sexy world of 1940s NY nightclub life. Can't wait for the sequel!

I stumbled across Helene Hanff in a place no devout reader should ever be--a video store. After watching '84 Charing Cross Road' I was enchanted with Miss Hanff's wit and humor, and needed more. After an arduous search, I found a used copy of 'Underfoot...' and read it in less than 2 days. I even found myself laughing aloud at parts, which greatly disturbed the people sitting next to me. Hanff's ability to laugh at herself and to extract the humor from any situation is addictive. The book begins with a note to the reader: 'Each year, hundreds of stagestruck kids arrive in New York determined to crash the theatre, firmly convinced they're destined to be famous Broadway stars or playwrights. One in a thousand turns out to be Noel Coward. This book is about life among the other 999. By one of them.' From there, Miss Hanff takes the reader on a tour of her adventures and experiences as a struggling playwright in an honest and spirited manner. I was left wishing that my life was as unpredictable and ironic as Miss Hanff's struggle to live her dreams.

This witty, touching memoir tells the story of Helene Hanff's attempt to "crash the theater". It is as entertaining and charming as her great book, 84 Charing Cross Road

I first heard of this book 20 years ago, in a letter to the editor in Seventeen Magazine. The letterwriter was distantly related to Helene Hanff and was recommending the book. At the time, I was deeply involved in my high school drama program and the title of the book appealed to me. I tried for years to find the book, but it was out of print for a time. When I did finally find it, it was worth the wait. It is laugh-out-loud funny and touching to anyone who has ever been bitten by the drama bug. I was sold on the book the minute I read the preface, which reads in part, "Each year hundreds of of stage-struck kids arrive in New York determined to crash the theatre...one in a thousand turns out to be Noel Coward. This book is about life among the other 999, by one of them." This book turned me on to all of Helene Hanff's other books, each of which is worthwhile in its own right. However, the best of the bunch is right here. This book should be on every booklover's must have list!

I once had to read a bit of this book out to some strangers on a plane who wanted to know why I was laughing out loud and then we had champagne and it was a great flight and Miss Hanff had even more fans. The tears were running down our faces. [ For those of you who have read it already it was the bit about the funeral parlour].

This book, like all of Miss Hanff's works, makes you feel great to be alive.

I've come to love my native city more and more by seeing it through Miss Hanff's eyes.

Helene Hanff published this, her first book, in 1961. She shares stories from her years as a struggling playwright in New York City; her good friend Maxine was a struggling actress. Practically penniless, they still managed to see first-run shows and movies regularly. How they did it is one of many memorable and funny tales.

I couldn't help laughing at the merry-go-round of a Broadway agent shopping a play all over town. Ms. Hanff tells how 'Oklahoma!' was named (she was there). One of her many jobs involved speed-reading long novels; her take on Tolkein is slightly different than Peter Jackson's.

I echo a previous reviewer's thought: this book would make a terrific film. 'Underfoot in Show Business' is a gem, a memoir full of magic and wit. Highly recommended.