New York Books

I find that I agree with all of the positive reviews, but indeed what most haunts me about Mutis is his deeply introspective writing style. I read the book in Spanish (my native language, btw) and the language is enthralling and personal... If you took away the background, most of Macqroll's fears and feelings are rather universal, and as you read the book (especially that WONDERFUL! first chapter) the book becomes an introspective exercise, made bearable simply because Mutis takes you there with the gentleness of his writing, the magic of the geographical settings (and their descriptions) and the company of the most human and flawed characters (Ilona being my personal favorite).

Ah, this is a wonderful book for a sunny or rainy day. It is so perfect in all does. The stories are fascinating and amusing -- often poignant. You will never forget ANY of the characters, especially Maqroll. And Bashur. And the Mirror Breaker. And Jamil. If, since childhood, you have dreamed of tramp steamers and ports around the world, as I have, your ship truly has come in in this book. Well, I could go on just spitting out adoring adjectives, but, like all the other reviewers here, I enjoyed this book immensely. It won't be long till I pick it up and read it all over again. A book I'll always remember. A classic.

Alvaro Mutis wrote several superb short novels about the travels and trials of his creation, the wandering sailor Maqroll, gathered here in one volume in an excellent translation. Adventure, friendship, obsession, loyalty, bad judgment, and hilariously (sometimes tragically) desperate situations play out in obscure and exotic locations. "Maqroll" is an excellent companion for your own world travels.

It is densely written and discursive . . . relentlessly so, for 700 pages. Perhaps you will find this poetic, profound, or even titillating. Perhaps not. Perhaps, instead, you will think that Mutis is a brilliant, verbally gifted man in need of lithium and a good editor, or both. In all fairness, he gives plenty of warning up front. Page 17: "Our mistake is to think it's going somewhere, . . ." Page 19: "makes his sentences difficult to understand until we grow used to the rhythm of a language intended to conceal more than it communicates." Page 20: ". . . filled with long, rambling circumlocutions that made no sense." I think this award winning "emperor" is feeling a bit chilly, but laughing his chillies off.

Yes, I agree with the other reviewers who have asseverated that this is a great book. But they don't seem to want to spell out why exactly it is a great novel, or, rather, series of picaresque adventures. - Perhaps they're simply tired due to the 700 page literary trek. - But, come now, a great novel because of tramp steamers and the sea? While the sea is certainly the element in which Maqroll feels most at home, there are, literally, hundreds of novels about the sea and the love of it (In particular, there's one author who's made himself into a multi-millionaire by churning out these books like a sausage-machine).

No, what makes this book great is the underlying fatalism of the work sweepingly on display in Maqroll and the several other characters, and in the finely wrought passages on what this life offers us, picaresque vagabond or not. Many comparisons have been made to Don Quixote. - But not in the right way - Maqroll is Don Quixote's Twentieth Century doppelganger, or spectral double: Spectral, as is the case with many doppelgangers in fiction, in that he is the Knight's opposite. Where Don Quixote is chaste, Maqroll is licentious, where Don Quixote is naïve, Maqroll is instinctively wise to the ways of the fallen world etc. etc. --- In literary terms, Don Quixote is a Romantic. Maqroll is Tragic.

I wonder, reading the other reviews, if the other readers may have just possibly skimmed over the philosophical passages that glower at one on every other page or so. It is these passages, these lyrical, defiant, essentially dark reflections that make this much more than any mere sea novel or rollicking picaresque.

For Example, for starters:

"...it's not worry I feel but weariness as I watch the approach of one more episode in the old, tired story of the men who try to beat life, the smart ones who think they know it all and die with a look of surprise on their faces: at the final moment they always see the truth - they never really understood anything, never held anything in their hands. An old story, old and boring." P.24

And again:

"He thought that the real tragedy of aging lay in the fact that the eternal boy still lives inside us, unaware of the passage of time. A boy whose secrets had been revealed with notable clarity when Maqroll withdrew to Aracuriare Canyon, and who claimed the prerogative of not aging, since he carried that portion of broken dreams, stubborn hopes, and mad, illusory enterprises in which time not only does not count but is, in fact, inconceivable. One day the body sends a warning and, for a moment, we awake to the evidence of our own deterioration: someone has been living our life, consuming our strength. But we immediately return to the phantom of our spotless youth, and continue to do so until the final, inevitable awakening." P.261

And again, and again, and again...

Yes, there are mad illusory enterprises throughout the book- And jolly fun they are to read - But, like a requiem continually droning in the background, we are given, in Maqroll's reflections, that he is aware exactly how mad and illusory these enterprises are.

Fatalistic literature has never been popular, in America especially, which was founded on principles contrary to it, and where the recurrent mantra is, "You can be anything you want to be." This book shows, time and again, that you can't. It's no wonder Maqroll is enamoured of, among others, the Ancient Greeks.

Summing up, this is a great book because Mutis does the seemingly impossible here, giving us the pleasurable, lilting melodies of the sea yarn and adventure story, all the while beating the steady drumbeat of mortal doom.

An Angel for Solomon Singer was a great book! In the book, this man named Solomon Singer does not like where he lives. It has a great ending because in the end he ends up liking where he lives. Solomon had dreams, and one of his dreams came true because he sneaked a cat into his hotel room. The illustrations are great, and the artist was very creative. The artist make the buildings fade into stars, and the streets fade into fields, and that is very creative. It helped us to understand his dreams and the author's metaphors. I think you would like this book, and I think you should buy it.

This is one of those works that will stick with you. It is rather difficult to discribe. I do note, after talking to several people, and reading several reviews on this site and others, that each person who reads this one finds something a bit different. Myself, I was haunted, in a good way, and yet disturbed at the same time. The wonderful prose pulls you into this unknown mans life. The wonderful art work keeps you there. I personally love the work. I do recommend though, that it would probably be best to read this one with the young reader rather than let them try it by themselves for the first time. I find it difficult to think that a very young person would be able to identify with the lonely man in this story nor understand just what is happening (as a matter of fact, after several readings, I'm not all that sure myself, and I am as old as dirt). Be that as it may, this is certainly one worth giving a read, several reads as a matter of fact!

I bought this book thinking it would be a good one for my nieces and nephew; it really is. While the book is slightly sad, I feel it is appropriate to share with children as it profiles how one can find happiness in their own cirumstances through different vehicles. The vehicle in this main character's life is his "wishes" and his association with a common activity and the people who make the activity meaningful.
Read it, read it again, share it and share it again.

I like this book because it's very creative. It shows a lot of thought. Solomon learns a lesson to use his imagination more. He knows he cannot have balconies, change his walls a different color. And that is why he did not like his hotel at all. The author doesn't use simple words. For example, he doesn't say "a quiet voice said..." He says "a quiet voice like Indiana pines in November said..."
I recommend this book for all people.

I think it is one of the most perfect books ever. Since my mom bought it, well,I'm encouraged. Because I'm a student, I could have it for my schoolbook. If I could give it ten billion stars, I'd yell out, "Hey, Solomon Singer!" (Giggle!)

I ordered this book after seeing it on Food TV. I have baked 3 cookie recipes and made one pasta sauce from this book and they are all superb. As somebody else said, the "real deal". I grew up next door to a lovely Sicilian woman and the pignoli cookies in the book are exactly as she made them. If you have one Italian cookbook, this should be the one.

Great memories, great recipes. Fun book to look through. A must have if you love true Italian cooking.

It's permanently on the counter right next to my WEEKEND BAKER cookbook.

PS: I have to add a negative. In my opinion, a few of the recipes leave out *just a little bit*. I noticed in the pignoli cookies, for example, I believe the instruction should say "beat the egg whites", it does not tell you to do that. I have found the same in another recipe. Just my opinion, but I think there is a little secret keeping. I still recommend this book, there are truly marvelous recipes to be enjoyed.

The recipes were excellent but the story of the "Real Liitle Italy" was fantastic. I grew up in this neighborhood as a child and was encouraged to find out that many of the merchants and the character of the area are still in place. Great recipies and even better story. I have not been back for many years , but I will now make an effort to visit when I go back East.

If you have ever lived near, or on A street in NYC like Arthur Ave.and Little Italy, the pictures and recipes will bring you there again, you can even hear the conversations, and the smell of the neighborhood are so vivid, you want to try to repeat the recipes and be there. They did,nt have super markets, it was a neighborhood ,and shopping for the foods needed for the day ment talking to the veg. man and the sausage maker and then the cheese store. It ment asking how the family in Itly was, and getting the news or a different story from every market. Fresh bread OH How I Miss it. This book is a master of REAL ITALIAN FOODS, and from the REAL ITALIANS

This is a wonderful book with great recipes and stories. For anyone who had an Italian immigrant arrive in this country through Ellis Island, and especially if their family settled originally in the Bronx, this is a must-have book.

The Arthur Avenue Cookbook is beautifully put together in every way. The recipes, the photographs, the storyline and the quality of the book itself are absolutely first-rate. The people in this book are completely genuine - there is an honesty about their lives and their livelihoods that jumps from the pages. There are no pretenses here: the recipes do not require a lot of complex sauces or fancy ingredients and there isn't a lot of impressive talk about the celebrities who may have visited these businesses, rather it is a book about ordinary people with extraordinary attitudes about what tastes good. It is all as you would want it - cooking that is straight from the heart, straight from the soul. Bellisimo!!

This is a wonderful collection of treasures from B.B. King's lengthy career. Besides telling the man's life story, this book provides the reader with ticket stubs to B.B. concerts from fifty years ago, all sorts of crystal-clear photographs of B.B. and other Bluesmen, and other amazing treasures. I picked this up for ten dollars at a local mall, and I can't recommend it enough. It's truly moving and captivating to see how a young black man from Mississippi has become the international ambassador of the Blues and has won all sorts of awards from prestigious universities and institutions. This man is living the American Dream.

B.B.KING IS CALLED "THE KING OF THE BLUES" BUT THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT THE BLUES THIS IS ABOUT THE MAN HIMSELF FROM HIS HUMBLE BEGINNING AS A SHARECROPPER TO THE LEGEND HE IS TODAY. THIS BOOK DIGS DEEP INTO THE HEART AND SPIRIT OF "THE MAN" THE PHOTOS AND THE MEMORIES ALONG IS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK. IF YOU LOVED THE BLUES AND YOU KNOW OR LOVED B.B.KING THEN THIS IS THE ULTIMATE BOOK TO HAVE. AFTER READING THIS BOOK I KNOW MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF B.B.KING THEN I EVER KNEW. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS MAN WHO IS A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME CAN BE SO HUMBLE TO THE MANY PEOPLE BOTH FAMOUS AND ORDINARY

Hello all! I am from India, residing in Singapore. I enjoy listening to blues. Being a big fan of BB, i couldn't resist this treasure when i came across it at the Borders bookstore.The book is great, with replicas of tickets etc. 1 hour cd with BB's interviews and 2 songs is a great treat. BB is an inspiration, having moved from cottonfields to become world's greatest blues singer. Just wait for the clouds, and read this with a cup of coffee when it starts to rain. When you finish with the accompanying cd, put in your own BB collection and read the book along. Lucille won't let you down. The thrill isn't gone afterall! 5 stars indeed.

Though possibly a bit unlike adults my age, I am a bonafide blues lover and THE B. B. KING TREASURES: Photos, Mementos & Music from B. B. King's Collection is a remarkable look into the background and life of legendary blues singer B. B. King. In it he details his early childhood and growing up on a farm, to his young adult days, touring various parts of the country and his candid views on segregation and the Civil Rights era.

While the book itself is a wonderful collector's item and can be displayed proudly as a coffee table book, the best parts to me were: the included CD which has a collection of interviews with the singer, as well as two unreleased songs, the numerous pull-outs of old letters, photos, programs and posters, and the respect he shared with and bestowed upon others. THE B. B. KING TREASURES succinctly depicts the life and times of B. B. King, his thoughts on many issues, including race relations, and especially music. It is perfect for the blues lover in your life and a great tribute for B.B. King's 80th birthday celebration.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Those looking for a present for a blues lover (or themselves) could do far worse than purchasing an absolutely wonderful new coffee table book plus more devoted to the King of the blues. The B. B. King Treasures : Photos, Mementos & Music from B. B. King's Collection is by King, Dick Waterman and Charles Sawyer. Sawyer, who wrote the first book-length biography of King, The Arrival of B.B. King, contributes a concise biography from King's days growing up in Mississippi to his days as an ambassador for the music. The remainder of the book is filled with King's recollections as given to Dick Waterman who supplements these recollections of growing up, working on the farm, moving to memphis, touring and crossing over. There are not only some terrific photographs (many are very rare), but also some reproductions of memorabilia including his sharecropping account from 1940, mostly tickets, programs and posters for his shows, along with sheets shoqwing how much he was earning prior to Sid Seidenberg taking over King's management in the late sixties. You can see him from his WDIA days to receiving the musical equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Sweden with the King of Sweden handing the award to him. In addition there is a cd with King's verbal recollections and some unissued tracks. This is a multi-media feast for fans of one of the true legends of world music. Compiled in part to celebrate his 80th birthday, The B.B. King Treasures, is a treasure.

I enjoyed this book. It is a good light hearted chick lit novel. Lindsey Miller was a great character. She started out without a direction in her career and love life. Her boss Liz was demanding and very direct. Liz did give Lindsey a great opportunity to start in a new career and excel. What a dream! Lindsey always had a great network of friends that helped her get a job and navigate her relationships with men. Carmen was a great friend but, I wonder what happened with her and the baseball cap guy. Lindsey's relationship with Victor in NY was similar to Carrie and Mr. Big(sex in the city). Victor was rich, elusive and fun. Danny in CA was the vast opposite(Adian from sex in the city). He was laid back, sincere and loving. The ending left you wondering and I liked the idea of not knowing. Maybe there will be a sequel!!!

I never thought I would ever find myself reading a chick-lit book. I even gave up on the movie Bridget Jones. But I was honored when Ms. Langston asked me to read her ARC. I figured I could stomach through it and give her a few words of encouragement on her first book. I didn't expect to really enjoy it, but I was pretty impressed by the whole thing, and is a wonderful first effort from Langston.

This is the story of Lindsey who lands a job as a trend identifier who jet sets between LA and New York. She finds a love interest in each city, struggles to make it in her job, and keep up her separate lives on both coasts. I think the story line is average and in itself not terribly exciting. But, what makes this story good is that Langston likes to pontificate questions and problems in life and love that plague Lindsey throughout the book. It's these ramblings that bring life to the story and where the humor really comes into play. These bits of prose really showcase the writer Langston is destined to become.

Obviously, this book is the first in what could become a series of Lindsey's continuing struggles in love and job on two coasts. Her first effort is well done, yet leaves room for her to grow. I look forward to seeing more from Langston in the coming years and to see how her writing matures. She's a good writer now, and will continue to improve.

I went to college in Los Angeles and worked in Manhattan. Ms. Langston's portrayals
of these cities are accurate, astute and thoroughly enjoyable.

In the first chapter alone, there's plenty of evidence to prove that Ms. Langston is an outstanding writer. The novel has a classically-structured conflict, as the heroine must choose between two eligible bachelors. There are many funny, yet truthful moments along the way. More importantly, the story never veers into trite or implausible territory.

This book is perfect reading for the beach, the plane, or anywhere else.

If you are like me and have read just about everything out but are still searching for a book that is original and fun - this is it! It is well written and uses a story line that you haven't read a million times.
Cynthia brings her characters to life and describes both LA and New York in vivid detail. You will not get bored reading this book. In fact, you won't want it to end. Luckily, she has left enough story and developed the characters in a way, readers will just beg for a sequel - or a series!
SO - BUY THIS BOOK TODAY!!! It's one of the best!
and if you don't want to read it - I'm sure it will be made into a movie - it is that good!

This may honestly be the funniest book I have ever read. I found myself laughing OUT LOUD on almost every single page -- which is not an easy feat to be accomplished! And not only is it funny, but it is incredibly insightful about human nature as well. Langston has concocted such a lifelike character in Lindsey Miller -- you find yourself nodding along on every page, saying to yourself, "Yep, I totally get her. That is so true. That's exactly how I would be thinking." Lindsey Miller reminds me a lot of Bridget Jones -- clumsy, unsure of herself, but underneath it all is really one tough smart cookie. This book is super-fast reading: you can blaze through this fun-to-read book in just a couple of days. I loved every page of it, and am hoping for a sequel!

This is a serious biography for all history buffs. The author has expertly woven world history, specifically British history, and the Golden Age of Piracy's pirates (Blackbeard, Bartholomew Roberts, Anne Bonny, etc.)into the background of William Kidd's life. William Kidd began his illustrious career as an honest trader and ended with the financing of his ship by unscrupulous English businessmen. He began his final journey to the Indian Ocean with one mishap after another and ended it by being arrested for piracy. Did he deliberately comit acts of piracy? Or was he a scapeboat for a business deal gone bad? This is an excellent well-researched and well-written book. I have read many nonfiction historical books, and this is one of the best. It has detailed footnotes and index. I recommend any book about pirates by David Cordingsly and Frank Sherry. My son also read a children's novel that is well-researched, has pirate photos, and nonfiction information. The author is K.J. McWilliams, and the book is The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo.

This book makes you hostage from start to finish Was the captain out on the seas in quest for something other than treasure You Decide Great read

This book makes you hostage from start to finish Was the captain out on the seas in quest for something other than treasure You Decide Great read

Ritchie does an extremely able job of refocusing the story of Captain Kidd away from being a personal drama. Instead, he builds an image of the world where Kidd was one of many trying their luck at this (then) semi-legal trade. Piracy was the only place left for a sailor who loved the sea but not the navy.

As a reader, it was interesting to see Kidd transformed from the pirate figure of legend into a semi-competent adventurer who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in British history. Ritchie also provides a fascinating look at the 17th-18th century justice systems.

Ritchie is less of a writer than a historian, unfortunately. There were a number of places at the beginning of the book where I felt lost as to where he was trying to go. However, as another reader notes, this improves later on in the book.

Recommended for readers with a particular interest in pirates.

A scholarly treatment of the William Kidd case and times. The author switches back and forth between presenting biographical information about Captain Kidd and an evolution of the declining use of privateers and pirates as tools of foreign policy. The writing is smooth and well thought out, providing an entertaining read.

I found the information on the attitudes toward pirates during the late 17th and early 18th centuries interesting and chock full of little know tidbits. The biography of William Kidd was eventful and conforms with what I have read in other sources. The author takes the story from early accounts to Kidd's first appearance in the Caribbean to the arrival in New York and on through the fateful trip that sealed his fate. Ritchie uses the general information on the attitude toward pirates to reinforce the conclusion that Kidd was doomed from the moment he surrendered in New York, and to provide some insight into why Kidd did surrender.

My one complaint revolves around the author's conclusion that Kidd was actually guilty of piracy and should have been convicted. It is not that the author reaches that conclusion, after all the evidence can point to that conclusion, however, I had the feeling from the first page that the author's intent was to prove Kidd guilty. Casting off the guise of impartial historian that early in the book has to raise the question - has the author's attitude spilled over into the data presented? That said, it is important to read multiple views to get a better understanding of the history, and I did find this book to be both entertaining and informative.

For an alternate view of the William Kidd story try The Pirate Hunter by Richard Zacks. P-)

There was a time when a person could come to Manhattan with just a few dollars and find a place to live, a career and friends. This novel captures that time beautifully. Mailer's clear voice and sharp eye make the city come alive, with guest-star appearances from Andy Warhol, Halston and Debbie Harry.

I admit the first time I picked up this book, I kind of smirked-I expected this book to be an easy and entertaining read, but lacking in depth. I was correct about the first two assumptions. This book had to be one of the most entertaining reads. The author does a great job of interweaving realistic situations with humor. Many times throughout the novel, I found myself laughing or being surprised in a pleasant way. The main character of this novel is a likable character-she is an innocent girl from Arkansas who enters the modeling world in NYC in the seventies. I loved the descriptions of the seventies fashions and the hair! I loved the innocence of the main character, how honest she was and how she had a conscience. Eventually, that conscience would collide many times with the standards of her new world. I would definitely recommend this book, if you want an easy, enteraining and humorous read. Not only that, but this book will have you wondering what will happen to the main character and will have you thinking about her long after you've finished reading it.

Norris Church Mailer is from Arkansas. So am I. She has a degree in art. So do I. She's a former secondary teacher. So am I. That's where the similarities end. She's a wonderful writer who, in her second book, CHEAP DIAMONDS, brings back memories of small town Southern life that made me smile, frown and think.

Mailer's story is a delight to read. In it, she tells of the impossible rise of Cherry Marshall, a gal from Sweet Valley, Arkansas, in the New York fashion world of the 1970's. Interwoven with the story of Cherry's growing success is the story of her friend Cassie who is left behind by her boyfriend, Lale, when he can't take the pressure of settling down. Both Lale and Cherry wind up in New York and become high-powered models while Cassie stays behind in Sweet Valley to fights a personal tragedy. Cherry also keeps up a correspondence with her friend, Baby, who is always getting into messes.

The story is told from Cherry's perspective, often by means of letters she has either sent home or has received. Cherry is honest, thought-provoking and sincere. She suffers over her choices, wondering if they will send her to hell, as her minister back home would tell her. She tries to hold onto the roots of her hometown goodness while struggling with the murky morals of her wide open New York world.

Mailer has done a wonderful job showing the difference between Southern culture and the New York high life of the 70s, along with Cherry's attempt at balance. This is a wonderful read.

As one of a million small-town girls who came to Manhattan to follow her big dreams, it was exhilarating to read about this character's arrival in NYC in the Seventies--a romantic bygone era of Avedon, Studio 54 and a much hipper, grittier Soho. Loved the fashiony touches--patent leather gillies and burnt-orange trimmed suede hot pants (those were the days!). But this is no cookie-cutter chicklit tale. Underneath the beautiful characters and the glossy fashion world, this is also a very touching story about love and loss and I found myself in tears at some parts of Cherry Marshall's journey through her new, often confusing world. I read this author's first novel and didn't want to say goodbye to this charming, gutsy character. I'm so glad I didn't have to! I hope Ms. Mailer will be giving us a third installment of Cherry's adventures next year? S'il vous plait?

Norris Church Mailer has a clear and honest voice, and her novel has an intriguing- and attractive- plot (especially for fashionistas)! What a colorful read!

I have yet to find anything as well designed or pleasing to the eye as a cognoscenti map. The intellect, nay, sheer genius that was put forth in order to create a more perfect travel guide does nothing but boggle the mind of this lay-man. From the informative blurbs to the visually pleasing color combinations to the reassuring texture of the page, this map has it all. I can only wait, with baited breath, for the Middletown guide to come out, in order to see what I've been missing in my own backyard. Cognoscenti, you had me at "hello."

I normally don't write reviews of things I buy on line but in this case I felt I needed to make an exception. The Cognoscenti New York map/guide I bought was instramental in making my trip to New York rich and exciting. I recommend it to anyone planning to go to new York.

I always found using a map in one hane and a guide book in the other to be too cumbersome! I've finally found a neat clear fusion of the two in the COgnoscenti guides. I toured London with their London guide and had the time of my life! SO when it came time to see New york Cognoscenti was the only "guide" I bought. Clearly marked icons let me read info on the guide's flip side without losing my place on the map, the way I always did every time I'd refer to a book-type guide while trying to read a map at the same time. I highly recommend these guides.

After causing several car accidents due to large fold-out maps covering my windhsield as I attempted to roar down interstates I was a tad skeptical when my friend Joey told me Cognoscenti Map Guides were the best guides he'd seen. I was used to large guide books which would weigh me down and take up space in my pack I could have used for skotch. But this guide has it all. Tons of info AND a slim and sleak design. Thank you COgnscenti!

Finally a map worthy of a trip to NYC!

By Self Effort one can enter into The Highest Superconscious State,stop the breath and attain Liberation:

Glittered with stories, this book invokes a deep understanding of our universe. Can be read multiple times in different light. Profound exposition of many ideas floating about in the Samkhya philosophy and Vedic literature.

Among the great scriptures of Indian spiritual thought, Yoga Vasistha is the the most beloved of mine. It is not a dry, wise and scholarly representation of Upanishadic thinking. It is a witty, surrealistic, out-of-mind story-telling to break the grip of one's logic-dominated mind. How to grasp with human mind what essentially is beyond it? Read it and either you will jump with joy or you will not understand anything beyond the stories. Are you ready? Or are you asleep with your eyes wide open?
Shantu Dand

The Vedic texts are so full of wisdom and profundity that they take a real time commitment to appreciate them. The full text of the Yoga Vasista is no different. That is why I appreciate this condensed version so much. The meaning and nuances are all there, yet it is written in an accessible style. Make no mistake, this condensed form will take time to read also (perhaps one verse per night before sleep), but it is so sublime and so easy to use.

This is the epitome and crux of Hindu philosphy. A must read for a person looking for ultimate truth and liberation. After knowing the truth presented in this book, there remains nothing to be read further. The author has done a super job of putting this great ancient work together.

The Copacabana flooded me with memories of one of my first dates with my then future husband. It was a big deal because we didn't go into New York very much, so it was a special occasion. Kristin Baggelaar's book evokes these special times in our lives. These are wonderful memories of a bygone era filled with elegance, romance, and high-living. It is an easy book to pick up, browse through, and look back on the different times in our lives.

Other books have been written about the famous Copacabana nightclub, but none have captured the feeling of that era the way Kristin Baggelaar has - every page is a joy.

Edna Ryan, former Copa Girl

The Copacabana personified the nightclub era of 1944 to 1953 in the country. Kristin Baggelaar's nostalgic book captures those days of mega stars and their acts in 126 pages of page-turning comments and photographs.
- Former Copa Girl Wendy Bartlett

book is great, it shows and tells of all the happenings at the wonderful
nightclub on 60th st. in manhattan for so many years. It brought back
wonderful memories. I wish it was still there.

The Copacabana captures the essence of entertainment, particularly the1950's, during which time my parents and relatives in the Midwest savored the music and comedy of these young emerging stars. Though they never attended the performances at the Club, they were well aware of the biggest names in show biz through radio and newly emerging television.

Performers like Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, Eddie Fischer, Frank Sinatra, Julius La Rosa, Red Buttons, Tony Benett, Sammy Davis Jr. Johnny Raye, Milton Berle, Mel Torme, Sid Caesar, Xavier Cugat, and Joe E. Lewis among many others entertained our families and captured our attention while we were gathered around the television at my grandmother's house. My parents and grandparents owned most of their albums.

Kristin Baggelaar makes all of these stars come to life in her book, which celebrates this famous Manhattan Night Club. Her interviews create an intimacy with the characters as if she knew them all personally. In a few words she cites their place in history and highlights their accomplishments and personality. Billy Eckstine was a "robust" baritone, "big hearted" Jimmy Durante was a "perennially crowd pleaser," and Tony Bennett "grew as a performer" at the Copacabana.

Her writing is lively, historic, fast moving and makes all of us who have read this book wish we were indeed a part of the glamour and sophistication of this era of American history.

Jean E. Baldikoski