Parks Books

Robert Caro's The Power Broker, a biography of Robert Moses, contains every attribute of a Shakespearean tragedy. Moses was brilliant, driven, an over-achiever, but possessed a deeply flawed character which aroused feelings of both esteem and disgust. Like all of Shakespeare's tragic protagonists, he was capable of both good and evil. Fully able to redeem himself, he instead moved unheedingly towards his doom. That 30+ years of unquestionable power within New York State's political, corporate, and labor elite forestalled this doom speaks to the measure of the man. Indeed, it took a Rockefeller to push him from the mountaintop.

One of the best biographies I've ever read, The Power Broker's 1,163 pages artfully and suspensefully tell the tale of a man for whom the words great and ignominious qualify as adjectives. Initially an ardent reformer, Moses was increasingly corrupted by power. At the apex of this power, Moses answered to no one and ran a wide reaching web of political commissions and public authorities as his personal empire.

His transition from reformer to elitist provides the backbone of Caro's epic. Once a voice for the common man, Moses eventually attained what can only be described as aristocratic contempt for the mob, the rabble, the lower echelon of economic achievement. The reader may marvel that such a powerful man was heretofore unknown to them, but the reader will certainly grow increasingly disenchanted at such a man's venality.

The Power Broker is a classic deserving the attention of every student of history. Despite it's heft, it remains a page turning pleasure throughout. As such, it most assuredly merits the highest ranking I can give it: 5+ stars. Trite though the term may be, Robert Caro has authored a masterpiece.

This book, written by Robert Caro - probably the best living biographer, was his first book. It is a massive, thorough, detailed, engaging study of how one man - Robert Moses - planned, shaped and built - the modern city of New York.

It is about the acquisition of power and its utilization by one man in order to bring his vision of New York City to fruition.

Robert Moses - the primary subject of the book - together with the notion of power, and New York City itself as well as its residents being the other subjects - was trained in urban planning England, was a visionary, a planner, and a "Power Broker" - and thus the title, whose materials where New York City, planned, designed, built modern New York by stamping his vision in the form of new parks, spaces, roads and parkways, new neighborhoods, new subways/rail-lines, new beach and recreational facilities and areas, had an impact on the way millions of New Yorkers as well as visitors to NYC experienced NYC - experienced NYC - for decades. His shape of NYC is still shaping how humans experience reality in such city.

This is a tour de force. This is a good book for those interested in New York City, local and state government politics, the modern bureaucratic / administrative aparatus of government and those who wield the helm. Whether you agree with Robert Moses vision of NYC or not, he had a tremendous impact. The impact was not limited to NYC. Seen as the expert on urban planning, his model, his vision, his views, spread throughout the entire field of modern urban planning. Thus, his impact is not just local or state. It is in fact national and international. Modern cities - the leadership of which visited or modeled their cities on NYC - where shaped by his creations.

A long book. A detailed book. A hard book. But excellent, very interesting, and well worth the effort and time. Probably the prime example of what an excellent biography is and should be. It made Robert Caro, its author, into the preeminent biographer of the last several decades. It set the standard. I don't know if it has or will ever be matched.

I have been waiting to read this book for a very long time, and the wait was well worth it. Mr. Caro presents a massive, well-researched piece on one of New York's most influential (and controversial) public officials. I am a sucker for great detail, and so I enjoyed Caro's painstakingly detailed portrait of how a young, idealistic reformer evolved into the ruler of a huge bureaucratic empire. What Caro makes very clear is how Robert Moses became so corrupted by power (and self-importance) that he failed to grasp how his projects were not always in the public interest. Moreover, Caro paints a vivid picture of Moses' cynicism and shrewdness, and how he parlayed those into greater and greater power. For instance, Moses realized that most state legislators were political hacks who never bothered to read the fine print of the laws that they passed. He played on this to insert such fine print into legislation which made him virtual Tsar of development in both New York State and New York City. In addition, Moses was able to convince most New York politicians that he was indispensable to them, and so had them virtually eating out of his hand (i.e., his tactic of threatening to resign, unless he got 100% of what he wanted). At once fascinating and frightening as to how one man could harness such a degree of power!

While Robert Moses' achievements are the main focus of this book, Mr. Caro also devotes a great deal of attention to the political situation that existed in New York during the era of Moses. In doing this, he gives readers a fine education on how New York and its municipalities were governed at that time (and in many ways, are still governed), along with an in-depth look at other contemporary political figures (i.e., Al Smith and Fiorello LaGuardia). I would equate reading this book with taking a college-level course, as you learn and think so much while reading it.

On a critical note, not all of Mr. Caro's conclusions about Robert Moses are universally accepted. For instance, Mr. Caro accuses Moses of single-handedly wrecking the Bronx with the Cross Bronx Expressway. However, many people have argued that this was only one of many factors that destroyed the Bronx, and not all of these things were brought by Moses. Perhaps Mr. Caro should have given space to opposing viewpoints regarding the Moses legacy. Overall, though, I think that it is a great book: required reading for anyone interested in the development of New York during the 20th century.

After 40 years of writing biographies, Robert A. Caro deserves an all time winning award in history. In 1974 he wrote the biography of Robert Moses, Big Bob the Builder in New York. It is an incredible biography. By focusing on one person, Caro succeeds in revealing the peculiarities of this particular epoch in New York. It is a detailed account of how power works in New York between 1934 and 1968. The book is about personalities, Robert Moses of course, but also about the Rockefellers, Al Smith (the governor of New York), La Guardia (mayor of NY). And the book is about building. Every student in building ought to read this book. Robert Moses was a genius in obtaining power, preserving it and ruthlessly exercising it. The resuls are dazzling. Nowadays New York shows a multitude of Moses battlefields. The high ways, the parks in and outside New York, the playgrounds, the tall apartment houses. Robert Moses, Big Bob the Builder once was a celebrity in New York,. His fall after so many years of exercising of power could be no surprise,. His legacy is in doubt. Did he neglect the possibilities of mass transport and were his investments exclusively focused on cars? Did he have solid preferences for the middle class and did he try by all means to neglect the needs of the lower class? Every builder, urban planner, politician, municipal employee, developer, student of history shoud read this book. It is a big big six star
luuk oost

[...]

Robert Caro's biography reads like an extraordinary work of investigative journalism - damning, erudite and compelling - that surely would have been appreciated by Robert Moses had he not been the subject.

It is a fascinating study of the evolution of government in New York City and Robert Moses' ability to shape laws as the "best bill drafter in Albany" and to seize upon prevailing trends and work the levers of the City, State and Federal governments to his advantage. It is during the Great Depression when Moses is able to mobilize maximum resources, largely from the Federal government, for some of his most ambitious projects.

While at most times a scathing indictment of Moses and his methods, Caro does credit Moses - New York City's first Parks Commissioner - for his contributions to green spaces in the city and his creation of a premier state park system.

Caro insists that judgment about Moses' legacy is premature and that one can only say New York would be a very different place without Moses. New York was indeed a very different place at the time of publication of the Power Broker; Caro has recently commented that some of Moses projects, such as the Triborough Bridge, have been a boon for city residents. Although he never cared for mass transit, it's a shame Moses couldn't come back to start work on the stalled new Penn Station.

This is current and up to date information on the rides at WDW. It is in depth descriptions for those who need to know every last little turn and drop on all the rides, not just the popular ones. Would definitely say everyone should have this whether it's your first or hundredth trip to Disney!!

My family is going to Disney next June. I wanted a book that would give me information on everything. Love this book.. it tells you what is a good time to go on a ride, tells you whether it is scary for pre-schoolers. It is an amazing book, plus has so many wonderful pictures.

This book would be a great read even if you don't have a trip to WDW coming up! I am a huge Disney fan and have been known to buy guidebooks just to read and keep myself updated on the changes and such. This book can truly stand alone and is so much more than a helpful planning guide! Little unknown facts and figures, interesting stories along with all of basic information that is essential in planning an enjoyable trip to WDW all in one neat little package! The pictures are incredible too! It does have a lot of information so order it well in advance of your trip! This is definitely one for the list of "must haves" if you are about to travel to WDW for your first time!

We have always used the Unofficial guide but discovered the Complete WDW just recently. This book has a myriad of awesome colorful pictures--here's what WDW looks like! The only drawback is that, unlike the Unofficial guide, this book doesn't ever criticize WDW or give actual reader input.

Bottom line: it's worth the money. WDW lovers will read and reread the book!

I purchased this book right before a fall trip to Disney World with my 3 teenagers, and it was the best thing I did. A lot of detailed information about restaurants and tips on where to get good snacks was right on target. We were able to find some wonderful out-of-the-way places to eat for a good value while in the parks that we may not have stumbled upon on our own. The book also recommends various attractions by placing a check mark next to them, which helps plan your day if you are trying to make the most of your time. Overall, this is an excellent book with exceptional insights.

What an unrelentingly gripping series of stories -- life, death, animals, boys, girls, men, women, horses, snakes, water, wind, earth, blood, fire and sky. Mark Spragg's style is a bit like David Hockney doing his photograph collages. He doesn't show you everything, just bits and pieces to make the whole. He lets you put some of the pieces in place. What a style. It's shot through with his own strong character and some compelling scenes of raw Wyoming life. The stories follow an amazing arc that you don't see coming until the last chapter and then you just kind of want to start all over again, and meet the boy that became the man. Beautiful stuff. Look, I'm not really out here trying to sell my book at every corner but the people who told me about Mark Spragg are readers of my book, "Antler Dust." I had three recommendations from "Antler Dust" readers to check out Mark Spragg, mostly because, I believe, of the detailed outdoors action and the fact that my book takes place in a neighboring state, Colorado. I am going to read more Mark Spragg but for others who like him, please also consider Antler Dust.

Mark Spragg writes beautifully, even poetically, of teenage life in a Wyoming family struggling to make ends meet by catering to "dudes" come West for the seasonal fishing and hunting. His collection of stories is varied, but all are tied to the splendor of unshod love for the land and for the horses he rides through a journey that will steal your heart.

These are two feelings I got from reading this memoir. Life in NW Wyoming is not easy. Days are spent with horses and one's life is taken by horses. In fact, if you love horses this is a great book.

One thing that kept creeping into this book is the distance the author had toward his parents, especially his father. Little but dialogue is written about the father, but he comes across as callous and more worried of turning the boy into a real man. The boy, in turn, writes about his concerns about the man he will become. At times that dragged on too much.

Still, it's wonderful prose written in a manly tone. For rugged cowboys and ranchers it's a perfect read.

I'd worry about peope who don't hurt themselves laughing while reading Wapiti School. My goodness, these stories are terrific, sometimes tough and bitter, sometimes perfect poetry. Just wonderful.

The author writes excellent prose with innumerable well turned phrases and descriptions. The subject matter is primarily his adolescence on a Wyoming dude ranch and hunting guide service that his family, Pennsylvania expatriates, operated in the 1960s, some vignettes from his adult life and descriptions of friends and conditions in windswept Wyoming. The chapters are actually a series of essays rather than a progressive narrative with the ones about life and work on and around his father's ranch, where he essentially lived as a hired hand in the bunkhouse with hardened wranglers from about the age of fourteen, being the most interesting.

I enjoyed the book principally due to the excellent writing and colorful recounting of the author's experiences as a real "cowboy" in an era when most of us male baby boomers only experienced the same thing through ubiquitous western TV shows and movies of the 50s and 60s. It was a life in another era when so many of us grew up in boring suburbia. I recommend it for these reasons.

But maybe I missed something because I never came across any explanation for the author's seeming sense of hurt, isolation, melancholy and general unhappiness that begins, for unstated reasons, during his college years.

I am an adult and have just discovered this jewel. I have to say, I loved it. Of course, it's not like Koontz's adult books, but it's not designed to be. The tale held my attention and I loved the characters, especially Amos.

This is a good book for younger children who want to be a little scared, but not too much and the message is timeless.

Highly recommended.

It is a nice story, with a definite "good" advise for kids. I think it would make a good introductory book for youngsters into the "suspense/horror" genre.

I have been looking for a copy of this book for years. It was the 2nd book I read by Koontz and fell in love with it. I had read it over several times and fell into the story and art work everytime. Even though it's been over 10 years since I've last seen or read the story, I remember it as if I read it last week. I only wish it was more available for others to enjoy as well. This is definately a story for those who are still a child at heart.

I remember reading this book when I was 10, it's stuck with me ever since. Now with kids of my own I can only appricate the story's plot more. I love this story and am only sadden to know that it is no longer in print for other adults and children to enjoy cheaply.

I read this book to my kids when they were little, sometime around 1990 I think. We had just moved into a new house( another Navy Move) and of course the children were in new surroundings. My wife was working nights and I was fortunate to be at home with the kids. My children and myself loved the story and it has remained one of their favorite memories of childhood.(Not the only book I ever read to them of course) Even tho' the book is not all sugar and spice its wonderful illustrations helped tremendously. I'm not a fan of Koontz particularly, as I think most of his books are the same tired old things, but I think this book is great for the young and the old.

This book provides a theological look at the nature of the spiritually disciplined life. Willard explores the "why" of the disciplines more than the "how." While this book certainly stands on its own, it makes an excellent follow-up to Foster's "Celebration of Discipline." Willard's intent takes him deeper than Foster and provides a more thorough exploration of spiritual disciplines. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent book for all followers of Jesus Christ or someone who wants to know what a true follower should be doing as a disciple of Jesus. If you want to grow and strengthen yourself in your walk with Christ, this book is an excellent guide. Just like a high caliber athlete practices and trains daily, we also need to follow certain practices to strengthen ourselves and develop good habits of prayer, worship, celebration, solitude with God, and many others. Without following these disciplines that Jesus Christ Himself practiced, the Christian can only expect to get so far before getting stalled in their faith. These spiritual disciplines are truly essential in furthuring our walk with Jesus. Dallas Willard's book is an excellent resource for that growth. Tom W.

a great source of spiritural disclipines, easy to understand and use in your daily life. great writing as ususal by Dallas Willard

"The Spirit of the Disciplines" focuses on the various disciplines that God uses to change people's lives. The book contains 11 chapters and 2 appendix for a total of around 265 pages.

Each of the 11 chapters addresses a particular theme. Chapter 9, addressing the specific disciplines, is my personal favorite. According to Willard in Chapter 9, the disciplines are separated into 2 groups:

1. Abstinence - This group consists of actions that helps us from becoming too involved in the world so we may better focus on God instead of the things of this world. The disciplines included here are: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, and sacrifice. Willard's comments on solitude and silence were particularly insightful (solitude can help us in resisting conformity to this world).
2. Engagement - This group consists of actions we can do to serve others in this world so as to not become so isolated that we render ourselves useless to be used by God for His glory. Disciplines included here are: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, and submission.

Other chapters (such as 11) address issues such as: can a Christian be financially and spiritually successful at the same time?

Willard will definitely challenge you to think and pay attention as you read, so be forewarned - this is not a light read!

Read, enjoy, and be challenged and encouraged! Highly recommended.

In this book, Dallas Willard describes Christ's "easy yoke" of discipleship and corrects some erroneous beliefs as to what a life of discipleship entails. This does not replace the Gospel but is rather a fuller understanding of how to access the benefits available to us in our salvation.

Just as an athlete's entire life is devoted to the discipline of exercise, practice, diet, rest, etc. to result in the attainment of excellence that we see briefly during a sporting event, so a Christian's spiritual maturity and Christlikeness is not an accident but must be an ongoing intentional activity. Willard describes a series of "disciplines" which can be of value as we apply them to our lives:

The disciplines of abstinence:
solitude
silence
fasting
frugality
chastity
secrecy
sacrifice

These make way for the disciplines of engagement:
study
worship
celebration
service
prayer
fellowship
confession
submission

As we follow the Spirit's leading, we can utilize these disciplines to cultivate a deeper experience and awareness of Christ in our lives.

Willard also reviews how these disciplines have been abused and perverted over past centuries, resulting in the Protestant rejection of asceticism that has led to superficial contemporary churches that are devoid of spiritual depth and fruits of the Spirit.

There are also two very important chapters regarding poverty and wealth, and engagement with worldly power structures. Willard suggests that rather than "disengagement" with the world whereby we divest ourselves of our assets and worldly positions to become more "spiritual," instead we should steward these God-given responsibilities to work within our sphere of influence to advance the priorities of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As Willard says, "there truly is no division between sacred and secular except what we have created. And that is why the division of the legitimate roles and functions of human life into the sacred and the secular roles does incalculable damage to our individual life and to the cause of Christ. Holy people must stop going into 'church work' as their natural course of action and take up holy orders in farming, industry, law, education, banking and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism or to pastoral and missionary work."

Willard says that the proper focus of the church is to cultivate disciples of Christ: "Ministers pay far too much attention to people who do NOT come to services. Those people should, generally, be given exactly that disregard by the pastor that they give to Christ. The Christian leader has something much more important to do than pursue the godless. The leader's task is to equip saints until they are like Christ, and history and the God of history waits for him to do this job."

As the church collectively and believers individually apply the "spirit of the disciplines" to cultivate Christ's nature within and among us, God's influence will be spread more effectively within the world. This book is a manual showing us how to go about it. As Willard says, we really have no other choice than to become disciples of Christ - or not. When we count the cost of each alternative, it is evident that the "easy yoke" is better than living according to the spirit of the world.

This is the best WDW guidebook for planning and organizing your vacation at Walt Disney World. It reviews and rates all the attractions at all the resorts, as well as all the resorts and restaurants. The maps are very useful. Of all the WDW guide books, this one is best at helping you prioritize each day of your trip.

This book has answered just about every question that me and my family has about WDW. It truly helped us make our decisions about our upcoming WDW vacation.

I've bought a few books for our upcoming WDW trip, and this one has by far the most detailed maps that I've seen. It shows where the restaurants are, the bathrooms, shopping areas, etc. so you can get yourself well-oriented with the layout of the parks before actually getting there. As far as the whole WDW complex, the map is not too bad, but I've been looking at google earth for that kind of detailed information - the proximity from the hotels to the different parks, where the toll plazas and parking lots are - things of that nature. This book doesn't have extremely detailed touring plans - just some general guidelines, but still a lot of very helpful information. It has some good tips and info regarding the dining plan - the breakdown of prices, which I thought was very useful because then you can straight up compare how much money you are actually "saving" if you choose to purchase the Disney Dining Plan. And it has a little journal where you can keep records/memories of your trip, and it's spiral bounded, which I love. So if your looking for planning info, it's great, but if you've already planned and want actual touring plans, you might be happier with a different purchase.

Loved this book. A must have if you are going to Disney for the first time or for the 100th time. Gave me lots of inside advice, great restaurant reviews, which were right on, and the maps were so much better than the ones you get at Disney. This is a must have. I will get a new one each time I go to Disney. I suggest getting it as eary as you can as it was so much fun to read and review before the trip. Made the vacation feel longer than just one week for me . . . .

The passporter is a great tool for any disney vacation. It has all the info you need to plan your trip and guide you when your there. it also is a great keepsake as you have folders in the back to keep a log of your trip. Loaded with maps, resort information and lay outs. Park maps with reviews on every ride and restaurant. Some of the reviews i find a bit silly but everyone has there opinion. Will bring the world of Disney to you.

Every book has to end, I know that, but I felt cheated when I closed "Red Square". How dare Cruz Smith actually finish this thriller? How could he not have added a few more pages of his delicious and irresistible writing? Arkady Renko, the incorruptible and love-lorn Soviet detective, is on the trail of the people who killed one of his informants. He is also pining for the love of his life, who is now broadcasting pro-western propaganda to the fast-collapsing Communist empire from Munich (the action takes place in August 1991). As luck would have it, Renko ends up in Munich as he tracks the killers. The plotting in this novel isn't great -- there are too many coincidences and Renko does remarkably well in Germany, given it's his first time in the West and he speaks little German. The writing is addictive as ever and reaches new heights when Ranko is reunited with the object of his desires, who has a new man in her life. If you want to while away an absorbing few hours, I highly recommend this book.

I read this book twice. Still was confused, but as in his other novels, the author grabs you and puts you inside the protagonist's (Arkady Renko) head.
I think I will read this a third time. Even if I still don't understand it, I will greatly enjoy the ride.

Red Square blew my mind. What a great book. I find there is a lot of junk out there for the two genres I prefer: fantasy and crime drama. I was floored by Red Square - and had actually read it first. Kind of shows how great it is that I loved every moment and I had not even read Gorky Park or Polar Star yet (both darn good, too). Havana Bay followed and was good, but not as full and gripping as Red Square. wow. Truly a gift.

First published in 1992, _Red Square_ illustrates the complexities which have emerged as the Russians allow some private enterprise but have not yet become a democracy. Hardliners want to perpetuate their own way of life, while young people and the hungry proletariat want reform and their own piece of the pie. Arkady Renko, who has appeared in two previous Cruz Smith novels (Gorky Park and Polar Star), has returned to Moscow from exile and has resumed his job as a detective, this time investigating corruption and criminal fraud in the city as private enterprise takes illegal turns.

Rudy Rosen, who engages in money-changing, gambling, and other felonies, some of them involving citizens of foreign countries, is cooperating with Renko by allowing him to record conversations. Immediately after Renko leaves Rudy in his car, however, Rudy's car explodes, incinerating Rudy and a suitcase full of cash. As Renko investigates who might have killed Rudy, the complexity of this mystery parallels the complexities of a Russian society in which it's every man for himself in terms of financial transactions.

All the characters are at loose ends, wondering who they are and how they are perceived. Renko is just back from exile, the love of his life having defected to Germany years ago, and she believes that he has abandoned her. Rudy Rosen wants to have it both ways--to cooperate with Renko and to continue his shady dealings. The Chechens who appear in the story are blamed for everything that is violent or illegal, but they remember the horrors of mass relocation and the killings through which the Russians annihilated their villages and left them homeless. As the investigation of Rudy's death leads Renko from Moscow to Munich and Berlin (and to a meeting with Irina, his long lost love), Renko meets with other Russians who live abroad but still regard themselves as Russian.

Renko is a sad case--morose, love-starved, and without any reason for living--and as he tries to do what is right, his essential goodness comes through. As the case becomes an investigation of stolen paintings, many of them owned by Jews at the outbreak of World War II (and earlier), Renko's own superiors and the Russian Mafia abroad threaten his life. The body count rises and who-did-what-to-whom becomes confusing, but many readers will be focused on the character of Renko. As he tries to navigate the minefield of his own life, he resembles a modern version of some of the great Russian tragic heroes. This is not the most unified of the Renko mysteries, but it is fascinating, nevertheless. n Mary Whipple

Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. "Red Square" is his third novel - after " Gorky Park " and "Polar Star" - to feature Arkady Renko and was first published in 1992.

Renko, the hero, works as an Investigator with Moscow's militia - more or less the standard police force - and has something of a chequered career. Never a truly 'practising' member of the Party, Renko hasn't always been thought highly of by those in authority. He has always wanted to catch the people responsible for the crimes he's investigating, regardless of the 'political' consequences - as a result of this, he was once dismissed from the Party for a lack of 'political reliability' and sentenced to a life in Siberia. He also appears to be something of a disappointment to his father, a very famous ex-General. (Arkady's opinion of his father - who is very ill as the book opens - isn't too high, either). However, after the events outlined in "Polar Star", he was reinstated to his former position - but is now working in a new Moscow that he barely recognises. "Red Square" is largely set in Moscow, Munich and Berlin in 1991 and is set in turbulent times : Germany has been re-unified and the breakup of the USSR is closing in.

The book opens in August 1991, with Renko and his partner - an Estonian called Jaak Kuusnets - on their way to a meeting with Rudy Rosen. Although Rosen operates as a banker for the various factions of the Russian Mafia, he has agreed to Renko planting a transmitter in his car for the duration of a Mafia-sponsored illegal market. (This is largely due to the fact that the militia have enough to put Rosen away for a very long time). Despite turning informer, Rosen appears to feel relatively safe. The Chechen faction, headed up by Makhmud, constitutes his only real enemy, but - since all the factions require his services - he doesn't think he's under any real threat. His sense of security is reinforced by Mikhail Kim, his fearsome-looking Korean bodyguard, and his business partnership with Borya Gubenko - the head of the Long Pond Mafia. Unfortunately, shortly after a quiet conversation with Arkady at the market, Rudy is killed when his car goes up in flames - changing Renko's case from surveillance to a murder inquiry. One of the witnesses points the finger at Kim - and it seems clear the Korean was responsible for at least one of the two explosions.

Although Arkady works most closely with Jaak, there are a couple of other members on the team he has assembled. Polina deals with the forensic work and is nearly as dedicated to her job as Arkady Renko is to his. Minin, on the other hand, is practically the anti-Renko : he remains devoted to the Party and is, in fact, the only Party member on the team. Renko's boss is a man called Rodionov - the City Prosecutor and an elected member of the People's Congress. When Renko meets with Rodionov to inform him of the investigation's progress, he's also introduced to General Penyagin - the recently appointed head of CID. Unlike his predecessor, Penyagin is a bureaucrat - not a detective risen from the ranks. Renko is stunned to discover that the third person attending the meeting, Max Albov, is a journalist. As the investigation unfolds, developments take Renko far and wide - even to the recently reunited Germany. However, Albov proves to be someone Renko just can't avoid.

This is a hugely enjoyable book - in fact, the Renko series is just getting better and better as it goes along. The book is set in the USSR's dying days, a difficult time for all those used to playing the political game. As such, it's probably even more dangerous that it had been - especially for someone like Renko who only cared about catching the villain, rather than doing what was politically 'correct'. Highly recommended.

This book was published the year I married....I received SIX copies as shower gifts! It was a sign....I was destined to use this cookbook forever. And, so far,that has been the case.
I have found very few recipes to disappoint and many to thrill. The steamed lobster with ginger and scallions is always amazing-especially with lobster fresh off the boat. Singer's stuffed lobster is excellent, though not for the squeemish as you need to kill the bugs before you cook them. Jerry Giorgio's stuffed mussels are also a crowd pleaser.
A friend recently cooked Chicken Adobo for our book club and everyone took the recipe home. Katherine Hepburn's Brownies are delicious and a perfect end to every picnic. And where else was I to look when assigned to make matzoh ball soup for my daughter's kindergarten class?
If you love to cook, you will love this cookbook.

Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook is a celebration of the New York Food world. She is the food columnist for The New York Times Magazine and spent five years working on this amazing book. The first recipe I tried was "Katie's Café au Lait Cheesecake with a Mocha Crust." The ingredients looked delicious with cinnamon and chocolate wafers for the crust and a rum and coffee flavored filling. I made it for Easter and everyone was very impressed.

Since the author is a food columnist I knew she would be selecting winning recipes and so I felt confident enough to make the recipe for a big occasion without even trying it out at least one time for myself. I was very pleased with the results and can recommend the recipe to you for any occasion.

Whether you are interested in trying lots of new recipes or you just enjoy reading cookbooks, the New York Cookbook has so much to offer. Page after page of delicious information mingle with the even more delicious recipes. Some of the fun recipes include:

New York Penicillin - a chicken soup made by Aunt Marie Stacey. This stock/soup is then used in a variety of recipes and is very easy to make.

Irish Soda Bread - Make two loaves of bread in no time at all.

Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce - The perfect sauce for pasta made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and a little brown sugar.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Shish Kebabs
Meat Loaf
Rosemary Chicken
Chicken Paprikas
Pan-Fried Sole
Yoko's Japanese Salad Dressing
Marrakesh Carrots

Some of the sweet treats include: "Coney Island Fudge" made with cream and semisweet chocolate, "Zoe Morsette's Oatmeal Macaroons," "Aunt Olga's Cardamom Cake," and "Katharine Hepburn's Brownies." If you love ice cream, you may want to try out the recipe for Hot Fudge Sauce and Butterscotch Sauce.

A few of the highlights in this book include:

Food Walks - Wander through food markets
A Few Essential Ingredients in Italian Cooking
Manhattan Clam Chowder
In Search of New York Steak
A Trip Down Menu Lane
Festivals

The New York Cookbook is an extremely well-researched feast that will satisfy the cerebral appetite as well as please your family and friends when you try out the delicious recipes. These recipes have been created by some of the best cooks in New York and you can use them with confidence, knowing you are making something wonderful for dinner or dessert. This cookbook was a wonderful gift from a friend who loves visiting New York and I already have plans to buy copies for friends and relatives. This is a highly collectible cookbook with recipes you will look forward to making year after year.

~The Rebecca Review

As a native New Yorker, I consider this a classic ... wonderful anecdotes and recipes from a vast array of people who live in the city. Molly's affection for the city is evident (her brother, Paul, played for the Yankees), and her knowledge of both food and the city makes this cookbook a gem.

This book has the best spaghetti sauce recipe --my husband and I loved it--it was a way to bring NY cooking to Hawaii since there are not many good italian restaurants out here like in NY, which I miss. On the downside, not all recipes were good. For ex, I did not like the Madison Square burgers nor did I like the Pad Thai noodles (I tried recipes from Keo or Cooking light for Pad Thai which were better). I will try some more recipes from this book and hopefully will have better luck.

Cooks Magazine recommended this cookbook as being very authentic. I bought it because of their review. They were absolutely right. The recipes are original/authentic New York complete with history and original photos. It's a great read even if you never make any of the recipes.
I highly recommend this book.

We love Cynthia Rylant and this is amongst her best. We were sad when this book came to an end. We wanted to keep reading! The story is funny and engaging. Both my children (ages 8 and 9) loved it and kept begging for more. I loved it equally.

My 10-year-old daughter read this book in her 4th grade class. She loved it so much that I bought her one of her own and read it again with her at home. It is a really cute story. I can see why a 10-year-old would love it.

This is my favorite story to read aloud to my second grade students. The characters are so endearing! Ms. Rylant paints a beautiful picture of true friendship without being preachy. She also includes enough suspense to hold the reader's attention and enough humor to keep them smiling. I love to read it to my students in late fall/early winter because of the vivid descriptions of the ice storm and changing weather. We feel like we're right there with Kona, Stumpy, and Murray! A truly remarkable story.

Would you belive that a dog would help a squirrel instead of chasing the squirrel? Well belive it or not, in the story "Gooesbeery Park", a dog named Kona has a friend named Stumpy that is a squirrel. When a terrible storm hits Gooseberry Park, Kano begins to think that Stumpy and her newborn babies are in deep trouble. Kano goes on the most dangerous adeventure for Stumpy.He will have to go through the most difficult part. That is to go throught the ice cold park. Will he be able to do this in time? He will just have risk anything just for his best friend! Will Kano make make it to Stumpy before the weather gets worser or will he fail his adventure? Who knows what will happen to Kano?

I think people should read Gooseberry Park because it is exciting. It was hard to put down.

I've used this book so much over the past 2 years I may need to replace it soon. While the rating system took me a little while to figure out (the numbers do NOT represent the ranking, just the location on the map), the book is very user-friendly. In addition to giving accurate directions to each campground, it directs you to the correct page and area in both the Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer and Colorado Recreational Road Atlas. By rating Scenery, RVs, Tents, Shade, and Privacy, the book helps you locate the campgrounds based on what is important to you. The elevation info is great if you have young children who might not appreciate waking up in the snow and I love that the book tells you which tent sites are the most popular since we tend to reserve campsites well in advance of trips. This is a great book.

The book is a very good reference on a large number of campgrounds. It has a strength in that it provides pictures, unlike for instance the Moon guide. In my opinion, the book would be better if it covered the CGs more evenly: the authors' choices of "best" very often coincide with "most popular" (read: "most crowded") and the quieter campgrounds do not get the coverage that may be of interest to readers.
Another annoyance I found is numbering of campgrounds. They are not numbered and listed in a logical order that would allow reading about closely located ones in a sequence. Instead, you can read on one and the adjacent one on the map is fife pages down, yet the next one in the text is 50 miles away. This makes one go back and forth between the map and the text if you are trying to get impression on CGs in a certain area.
However, all this notwithstanding, I think this book is well worth having.

We have camped in Colorado for years, but this guide gave us new campgrounds to explore and try. We like the idea that the author includes ratings on both tent and RV "friendly" places, as well as including shade and sun, spacing and privacy aspects.
Love the pictures!
We find the format easy to use and the organization by regions is good, too, although the San Luis Valley should be kept separate from the Eastern slope.
This is the first summer we've used the guide, but will keep it in use for many years.

I do not own an RV, but noticed that the book is full of campsite info from all around the state, and includes whether the sites allow RV's, tents, pets, if they have hook-ups, ect.

We used this book to determine every campground we'll stay at in CO.
The pictures were wonderful and the ratings were very useful. We are tent camping so it was nice to find a book that not only catered to the RV campers but the tent campers as well.