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New York Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Parable of the Tribes: The Problem of Power in Social Evolution

Published in Hardcover by State University of New York Press (1995-02)

Author: Andrew Bard Schmookler

List price: $59.50

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Average review score:

The Ways of Power Explained

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-18

This book proposes a novel systemic hypothesis about human behavior that on its face seemed like a synthetic exercise: that our political systems have evolved according to the systemic rule of "power maximization."

It sets forth a novel conundrum that is anything but synthetic and that proves the author's point in a rather profound way. The conundrum is called the "Parable of the Tribes." Simply stated, the parable exhausts all the possible outcomes in a competition between a number of "non-power maximizers" and a single determined "power maximizer." The result is that in order to survive, the "non-power-maximizer" has no choice but to become a power-maximizer himself; that is to say, he must also adopt "the ways of power" whether he wants to do so or not. And in doing so, the circle of power is continued and the "ways of power" are extended.

According to the author's theory, it is selective biological and environmental pressures that have been responsible for the evolution of our human political systems into power-maximizing forms. However, in a world, where recently, there were two power-maximizers, each with enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world several times over, the dilemma of those facing a determined power-maximizer became more than just an abstract theoretical notion. It became a very real global existential trap indeed, escape from which required equally novel solutions.

As an Analyst for the U.S. Arms Control & Disarmament Agency (ACDA), I am proud to admit that we actually took Professor Smookler's theories literally in search of a way to deal with the very real problem of the threats that USSR nuclear arsenal posed.

Suffice it to say that most of the analysis involved expanded version of the classic "Prisoner's Dilemma" game theoretic schemata, and in particular, the Meta-game tableau, which expanded it, as formulated by Professor Nigel Howard. As well, we used some of the very excellent Game Theory work developed by Professor John Nash, whose life became a popular movie biopic.

The upshot of our analysis was that escapes from both the "Prisoner's dilemma" and the "Parable of the Tribes" could be found provided the "decision surfaces" were expanded to take into account new "meta- possibilities." In some ways, our proposed solutions were similar to the solutions Professor Smookler's oproposed in his subsequent work.

In any case, the book shows how serious theorizing can be put to good use in dealing with actual "real world" problems in our complex times. Since it was published, this has been one of my favorite and most cherished books.

Ten Stars.

Simply Amazing

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-10

I will keep this very short since this is a something that truly speaks for itself. In the past two years I have read around 50 books pertaining to a variety of topics. This book, The Parable of the Tribes, was by far the most interesting book I think I may have ever read. It brings to light so many answers to questions that any normal inquisitive human being has pondered over once or twice in his or her life. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in society, civilization, evolution, economics, philosophy, phychology, and sociology. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the two other books he wrote after this one.

The Origins of Violence

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-29

Imagine a group of tribes living within reach of one another. If all choose the way of peace, then all may live in peace. But what if all but one chooses peace?

So begins this paradigm-bending book, an elegant theory of social evolution, as well as a brilliant prescription for modern peacemakers. Schmookler not only accounts for the origins of the ancient cycle of human violence, he provides a path from domination, competition, and unilateral decision-making to partnership, cooperation, and multilateralism. As Schmookler guides the reader through possible answers to the parable, it becomes clear that, when faced with violence, whether one chooses to fight back, surrender, or run away, each "solution" tends to spread the power dynamics of violence through the system. Even the most peaceful culture, when forced to defend itself, must shift to that degree of militarism deemed necessary for survival.

The liberating message for peacemakers is that violence is neither a hard-wired aspect of human nature nor God the Father's indelible curse on humankind; rather, violence arose as a regrettable solution to human conflicts and has since spread from person to person and culture and culture like a social virus, or meme. By focusing on what Schmookler calls "the problem of power in social evolution," we can chart a new course through personal and political conflicts and find lasting, nonviolent answers to the parable's dilemma. A vital book in the peacemaker's library.

Arguably the Greatest Non-Fiction Book Ever Written

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-06

THE PARABLE OF THE TRIBES is an awesome achievement that will completely restore your faith in human nature. The book presents a stunning theory of social evolution every bit as revolutionary as Einsteinýs theory of general relativity or Darwinýs theory of natural selection. Like those two previous theories, the PARABLE represents a paradigm-shift in thinking. (My jaw hung open the whole time I was reading.) The book provides a path beyond guilt, shame, and hostility toward love, compassion, and wholeness within the human condition. Ranging over the subjects of psychology, anthropology, religion, and sociology, the bookýs implications could not be more sweeping and profound. It presents a breathtaking critique of civilization that shows us how humankind is more the victim and less the instigator of historyýs violence and oppression. It disproves the erroneous commonsense view that civilization is merely human nature and human choice writ large. It leads us to understand fully our predicament so that we might solve our problems intelligently. For a couple million years, humanity lived within a fairly circumscribed biological niche. Culture evolved slowly and was in step with biological evolution. Suddenly with the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago, social evolution began to outstrip biological evolution. In an unprecedented way, our genetic inheritance came to be out of joint with our environment. Schmooklerýs book shows that with the advent of large-scale agriculture, suddenly anarchy came to characterize the inter-societal system. Societies began to compete using the vast new possibilities offered by civilization. A process of selection began, continuing to this day, which favored the ways of power--a process that is utterly indifferent to natural human needs. Ways of being that had been inherently more humane and more sustainable were slowly but surely swept away in favor of cultures and societies wielding ever greater power. Schmookler reveals how Power is a contagion that leaves destruction, despoliation, and misery in its wake. The book also presents possible solutions to this problem of power. The PARABLE will definitely be one of the greatest, most liberating books you'll ever read.

Tough Reading, Great Bottom Line, a Classic

Helpful Votes: 23 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-25

This is tough reading, in part because the publisher's choice of paper and font are not the best. As one who has previously recommended such books as Lionel Tiger's "The Manufacture of Evil: Ethics, Evolution, and the Industrial System", Norman Cousins "The Pathology of Power", and many other books on the pathologies of treating man as a "good", of scientific objectivity as "value neutral" and therefore bad, of secrecy as counter-productive to "precautionary principle" decision-making, I immediately recognized this book as an integrative work, possibly supplanting all those other books by bringing the various arguments together in one place.

This is indeed a brilliant product by a towering intellect, and it has the bibliography and index that one would expect from a world-class endeavor. I recommend it together with Philip Alott's "The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the State", Stewart Brand's "Clock of the Long Now", and John Lewis Gaddis "The Landscape of History".

The author's bottom line: not only must we come to grips with how power is managed in every nation and organization, but also we must manage at the *global* level if we are to succeed in optimizing fulfillment at the *individual* level.

The Path to No Self: Life at the Center

Published in Hardcover by State University of New York Press (1991-10)

Author: Bernadette Roberts

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Average review score:

Brave enough to loose it all.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-16

Bernadette shows that her love for God has given her the courage to 'go into the market place' and to be brave enough to let it all fall away. It also shows how narrow this path is and how easily one can fall for the fear of being left alone with nothing in the whole universe to hang on to. Though her approach is different from my own, it makes crystal clear the miracle of the 'other' being there. And if not all trust is handed over without any reserve, however dangerous it looks, you will get stuck somewhere on this path. It is very revealing and clarifying to see this path from another tradition than my own. I want to thank Bernadette from the bottom of my heart for showing me her way. She is a tribute to her tradition and to mankind as a whole.

A Monastic Journey

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10

I like this book. As a student of A Course in Miracles, I was interested in seeing any similarities between ACIM and a Monastic Journey to God. They are indeed similar. I have learned that the key back to God is to abandon the ego. Ms Roberts learned it too. However, she seemed not to get past the fact that she is NOT a body and could not see thru this illusion. But she eventually did it. I believe she is enlightened. This book helped me a lot.

Love this book

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-05

I stumbled upon this little book when I was a teenager. It catapulted me into a very profound and healing journey. I base my way of living on it still, fifteen years later. This book, it would seem, can take on elements of an Eastern philosophy, but is based in Roberts' experience as a catholic nun. This book paints a completed picture of what our souls' journey requires of us on its path to selflesness. It is an important insight to unexplored territory.

A book to live with

Helpful Votes: 43 out of 44 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-02

This lucid and unfailingly honest account of the process of coming to terms with the loss of "self" is simply a grace for those with ears to hear. Ms. Roberts, a former nun, has walked the contemplative path to the point where it disappears into nowhere and then, remarkably enough, kept walking. Her personal experiences and reflections on the journey are invaluable to those traveling a similar route; along with the writings of St. John of the Cross, her books (I include "The Experience of No-Self" as well) are simply the most nourishing of mana for those lost in the desert of God, as well as for those who have lived in the desert and are being called at last back to the city. The straightforwardness of her writing and her contemporary reality are a blessing. No one tells it like it is about the dark night of the soul better than Bernadette Roberts, and her books have been sustaining companions to me for almost twenty years. They were all I could read, at many points. These are not books for scholars; these are books for those in the grip of the real thing.

Unparalled Wisdom on the Christian Journey to Divine Union

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-07

More profound, authentic Christianity is to be found in ten paragraphs of this book than in the complete texts of ten wise books on Christian spirituality. To read Roberts' works is to be immediately transported into the radiance of absolute Truth. The Christ presented in this book is the One your soul has longed to discover!
Joseph Conti, Ph.D.
Instructor, Dept of Comparative Religion
California State University, Fullerton

The Post's New York : Celebrating 200 Years of New York City As Seen Through the Pages and Pictures of the New York Post

Published in Paperback by Collins (2001-11-01)

Author: New York Post

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Average review score:

Lots of history

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-11

Obviously, 200 years is a lot of history. That's why you leave this book with a "I want more" flavor on your mouth. But this book has the most important happenings in the past 200 years of NY history -- including 9/11. It is something to read over and over, and to use as a history source, even for kids.

History Buffs and Take Note

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-10

This will be a pleasantly surprising book for those unfamiliar with the long and, dare I say, glorious history of the oldest daily newspaper in the USA.

Founded by Alexander Hamilton, the NYP went on to help shape New York City and even the nation, in substantial, surprising ways (the creation of Central Park, the candidacy of Lincoln, the founding of the NAACP, etc.). Page Six fans will be pleased too -- there are ample servings of dirt, scandal and snort-inducing headlines. In short: an informative, fun read.

One small complaint: I would have liked to see 200 years worth of editorial/political cartoons included in the book.

Great Headlines, great history

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-06

I grew up with all those great New York Post headlines. But I never knew how big a part the newspaper played in the city's - and country's - history.

This is a great, fun read.

The Post Rings True

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-03

Whether you love or hate New York, you will love this book. Whether you love or hate the New York Post, you will love this book. I was surprised at how quickly I was taken in my the fabulous photographs and memorable headlines. It's a wonderful historical record of New York. It's also a wonderful historical record of the country.

I could see history bufs, celebratory hounds and just about everyone being interested in it. It would make a great gift.

Truly enjoyable view of New York history

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-08

This is a book ideal for perusing. All the headlines, front pages, photos, and stories make for a unique view into New York's history. It is at the same time, entertaining, informative, and truly relaxing. Over the course of its history, the Post has covered the ideological spectrum from Left to Right, and this places fascinating interpretations into past and recent events.

A couple of shortcomings ring loud: (1) There is weak writing (or editing), and (2) there should be a bit more depth to the history presented.

Overall, however, this is highly recommended, especially for anyone interested in New York City, and those living here.

Raising Raul

Published in Hardcover by Viking Adult (1999-11-01)

Author: Maria Hinojosa

List price: $23.95

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Average review score:

More than a book for Moms

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-22

Initially I thought this book would be focused more on parenting, in the traditional sense. But this book is so much more: Maria's inner struggle as a Latina in America- wanting more of her own culture, and wanting to succeed here in America at the same time; finding a man who helped her know herself... how all of this and more molded her as a parent.
I am buying a copy for a friend who is not even a mom because I know she will enjoy it.

Loved every line..

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-17

I read this book a few years ago and loved it so much that I am looking to buy a new copy so I can read it again. The writing is so VIVID and above all so HONEST, that you feel like she's sitting right in front of you. This book is definitely one of my favorites of all time and I would recommend it to everyone.

Colorful and Flavorful

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-26

Raising Raul was such a refreshing book to read because of Hinojosa's ability to keep me glued. I read it in two days. How did she manage to do that?? Her struggle to achieve motherhood is narrated in such a frank manner,with such flavorful intimate details;you just can't help but be drawn into her world. While the book in itself is wonderful I did have an objection. The name, Raising Raul, is a bit of a misnomer. I thought the book spent too much time on Hinojosa trying to conceive Raul rather than focusing on when she did have him which is what the title suggests.

Wonderful to give to a new mom!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-19

My mother gave this book to me right after my son was born. She liked the general mothering idea it proposed - sort of a "whatever you do, so long as you do your best, all will be OK." It was wonderful to read Maria's thoughts on motherhood (and all of it's ups and downs) while I was still adjusting myself. I read most of it while breastfeeding (the early months can be marathon feedings)!

A Readable, Moving , and Inclusive Memoir

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-05

Men have no reason to feel uncomfortable about reading and appreciating this book. I love Maria Hinojosa's memoir because it is easy to empathize with her efforts to become pregnant after past near misses. She writes about so much more than just pregnancy and motherhood, though. The book's richness resides in how honest and open she is about her struggle; and its impact on her relationships with her parents, husband, and friends. Even when she discussed painful topics and incidents, I detected no bitterness or sense of blame. Most of all, I appreciate Hinojosa's acknowledgement of spirituality as a constant pillar of her development. This is a rich, down to earth, and moving invitation into one woman's experience of parenthood, marriage, friendship, culture and love. Do not miss it!

Red Riding Hood

Published in Hardcover by Dial (1987-09-30)

Author:

List price: $16.99

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Average review score:

good but reader beware!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-27

I did like this book, but I gave it 4 stars mostly to draw attention that this book might not be for everyone. My children (ages 4 and 6) were definitely a bit disconcerted when the sweet granny got eaten up. Certainly not what they (nor I) was expecting! Of course, it all gets happily resolved in the end - but I had my reservations getting through the book myself. So if you have especially tender-hearted young'uns in the audience, you may want to go for the "sanitized" versions of this classic.

Ted Tiding Hood by James Marshall

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-19

I love all James Marshall books. They are clever, funny and I love the illustrations.

Granny and Red are Delicious - a review of "Red Riding Hood"

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-27

We liked this book but I don't think we'd give it 5 Stars. Five Stars should mean a knock-you-socks off book. This is nice, but rather typical of Marshall, and more or less what you see with most Red Riding Hood stories.

Which is not to say that there isn't humor nor merit in the book. I love that Granny gets cranky at being interrupted while reading in bed (she has a stack of books by the bed), and that in one picture there is an empty box of after dinner mints laying open on the floor. [Granny in fact comments that it was so dark in the wolf's stomach that she couldn't see to read.]

Four Stars. [B-]. Good Read-aloud. Marshall's usual clever artwork. Story follows the older versions in that grandma and Red are swallowed.

Little Red

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-03

Robert Barfield
Book Review

Red Riding Hood by James Marshal

In this version of Little Red Riding Hood Little Red disobeyed her mom. Her mom says, "Stay on the path". But she did not stay on the path. She found woof the wolf and he told her to pick flowers so he could get to Grandmas house before little Red Riding Hood got there the wolf got there and ate the Grandma. When Little Red Riding Hood s mother knocked at the door the wolf opened the door and he let little Red come in side. Little Red said " What big eyes you have" The walk said "More the better to seeyouwith my dear" "What big teeth you have". The wolf yelled "More the better to eat you my Dear"

Theme: Caution

Message: do not talk to people or animals you do not know. Because it is a warning sign because you could get eaten or kidnapped.

Genre: Fiction. Why: because wolfs cannot talk.

Audience: I would recommend this book to little kids because they do not know whets in the woods.
I liked this book because it was funny and it had a good lesson in it.

Just Wonderful! We Love this Version!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-22

You have to love ANY version of this where Grandma and Little Red get EATEN! Younger readers more familiar with the Grandma getting thrown in the closet or under the bed version may be a little shocked, but it's usually short lived. I find that kids appreciate and enjoy the versions that have the "nasty" bits left in much more than the sanitized version. We are treated to an even greater delight with a few sly details in both the art and text that give the characters some personality traits you don't normally see in the standard retelling...in this version Granny loves to read, Red is charmed by the sly and slightly urban wolf, and the wolf is, well, wicked (he says so himself, more than once)! I really love the silly "surprise at the very end...nicely done!! A very nice retelling that is manages to convey a lot in just a few words and everything is enhanced by the simple (but highly effective) illustrations! I'll definitely be adding this one to my permanent collection! I give it a solid A!

Report from Ground Zero

Published in Paperback by Doubleday (2002-03-18)

Author: Dennis Smith

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Average review score:

gripping, powerful, emotional powerhouse..

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-18

I used to work in WTC building #7 until I moved to LA about a year before 9/11. I never felt so out of place as I did for a few weeks after 9/11 as I watched the recovery and clean-up efforts from Ground Zero from California. I wanted to know everything I could which is of course impossible unless you were there. This book gives you incredible insight to the bravery, courage, strength and gut-wrenching horrors of those who were there to find, clean-up and recover.

Hearing it from the men and women who were there

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-14

This is absolutely a great book, probably the best one for getting you into ground zero and feeling what they felt, to as great of an extent as you can. I don't quite understand all of the [---] he uses, for example, "the [firefighters] started down Vessey". Is he just trying something new? I don't care though, I have never read a book that is as honest and makes you feel like your fighting the fires with dennis more then his series of books. Great job!

Dennis Smith is 9/11's Studs Terkel

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-01

A very readable, moving book that adds still more to the memory-bank of September 11, 2001. The book is divided into two sections: 9/11 itself and the first months afterward, recounted day by day. Most of the second section is Smith's own experiences, with fewer "interviews" with others; however, this doesn't take away from the power of the work.

One peeve is that Smith too often refers to his previous work "Report from Engine Co. 82" in terms of whether or not people were aware of it--including incredulity that a police officer guarding the crime scene a few days afterwards didn't know. However, he writes some of the best descriptions of a profession, any profession, that I have ever read: "...to me it was always the best responsibility to have in a fire--to be on my stomach and to have the officer and the men shouting, 'That's it, you got it, move in, a little more, get the ceiling, get the ceiling, watch the windows, you got it now...".

One quote from an Assistant Chief of Department captures how quickly people forget--from November 5, 2001: "They came down to the World Trade Center in fire trucks and we should not let them leave in dump trucks." Five years later, don't forget all of those who did not leave that day the way they started it.

A bit repetitive and....flight 587?

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-05

It's hard to not give this book a 5-star rating because I was moved in many places and I'm so grateful for the sacrifice of the firemen on 9/11. This book opened my eyes in many ways to their ultimate sacrifice and their continued efforts to honor their own.

I do think, however, that this could have been edited a bit better. The aftermath section (which is about half of the book) seems repetitive to me and thus, not quite as powerful as the earlier section. Also, I found it strange that there was no mention of the crash of flight 587 on November 12th, 2001. Mr. Smith records that on that day he was in a meeting with Mayor Guilliani and other firemen about their role at ground zero. He focused on this day for several pages and failed to mention that 250+ people perished in a NY neighborhood aboard that flight and everyone initially suspected terrorism as the cause of the crash. This omission, perhaps, would have been more understandable had he not mentioned 11/12/01 at all, but there is a whole section for that day and certainly this crash was on his mind, since it did indeed involve firemen.

Overall, I recommend this book.

Poetic, Journalistic, Compelling

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-05

"Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center" by Dennis Smith provides a poetic-journalistic look at a tragedy which still continues to shake America. You'll find the book stronger in intensity than many of the photographic collections of September 11, 2001.

Why? Dennis Smith was a fireman who understood tragedy from an experienced viewpoint. Like all of us, he saw the worst of humankind crash into the World Trade Center. Then, he saw the best of humankind enter those same buildings to save the victims.

Now, three years later, after many in America have preferred to see terrorism as a political event and not one of evil and hate, it is important to remember the violent images, and the tender responses to the hurting and scared. America was in one its greatest moments in those torrid days, and we should never forget.

Smith's descriptions are more than photo-realistic versions of what he saw, but brings forth the anguish and passion, and the smell of wet ash and burning debris. Smith manages to connect with the reader beyond the hype and politics. You will not be able to read this unaffected.

The people in the high-rises, on the planes, and the policemen and fireman all were real people. Even the foolish young men who hijacked the planes, the ones who believe Bin Laden -- all real people who died for another man's lie. Smith draws out the real, draws out the essence as well as the actual accounts of the awful events.

I fully recommend "Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center" by Dennis Smith.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Secret Asian Man

Published in Paperback by Wordtech Communications (2004-05-31)

Author: Nick Carbo

List price: $16.00

New price: $13.09
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Average review score:

SECRET PLEASURES

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-08

Nick Carbo has us see New York through the eyes of a Filipino immigrant with such candor, humor, and savvy that it's amazing to me that this book hasn't been optioned for a movie! Or maybe it has? It's poetry to be sure but it's also a screenplay, a novel, a multi-genre cyber cartoon. Carbo enlarges world poetry and what it can do!

Nick Carbo!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-18

I would never have purchased this book, nor would I have even become familiar with the (frickin' awesome!!!) work of Carbos without my needing the book for a class... some classes really are worthwhile!! I recommend (highly) ANYTHING by Nick Carbos.

Secret Asian Man

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-26

I've just discovered Nick Carbo. Thank God. Thank God.

sci-fi, mystery, detective poetry?

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-24

Nick takes it to the hilt on this one. I felt like I was reading a suspense thriller as I get taken through the life of one Ang Tunay ng Lalaki who interacts both in the "real" world where he meets Nick Carbo but also falls hobnobs with kindred icons of advertising and lore: Hello Kitty, Orpheus from a previous Carbo poem, and Barbie. And it's only in this in between world where Carbo can take on Asian and American ideals head on.

A wonderful book of poems showcasing satyrical irony.

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-07

One of the reasons I like to review books of poetry is it gets me out of the "ME" kick that poetry is too well known for. Ask yourself this: how many poetry readings have I been to where I spoke soley of someone else's work? Someone who is alive, but that I don't personally know? Not just to say that I like their work, but what I like about it and how it inspires me? Can I, as a poet, go for a month, talking about this person's work, pushing this person's book, without ever mentioning my own poetry? Poet Karla Huston turned me on to Nick Carbo's Secret Asian Man and he's the latest poet I'll be pushing. His new book is full of satyrical irony and poem after poem makes you both cringe and laugh out loud. This is one of the few books of poetry that I'd like to see Quintin Terrantino or the Zucker Brothers make into a movie. Carbo lives in two worlds, the American's and the Filipino immigrant's. But the reflections and dichotmy don't stop there. His main character is Ang Tulay Na Lalaki, is the Filipino version of the Marlboro Man. Carbo starts each poem off "Ang Tunay Na Lalaki..." does something. Like Lyn Lifshin's Mad Girl poems this gives the reader an instant image of who the main character is in a series format. Unlike Lifshin, Carbo forces his white American reader to face up to accepting a non-white- American name. In some poems he does shorten it to 'Lalaki' within the poem, again forcing us to confront our written prejudices. Carbo plays on both sides of the prejudice field. In one poem he criticizes American film makers for having no roles for Asian American Men (only women), while in another he pokes fun at a visiting Filipino friend who's accent is too thick. He has Wonder woman fight a fetus-eating Filipino demon-goddess, picks up Barbie from a shopping bag to tell here about her about her part overseas Asian slave labor, and as Secret Asian Man, helps unite Hello Kitty and Barney the Purple Dinosaur. Even one step better is how Secret Asian Man flows. It reads in part poetry, in part story. No poem should be randomly turned to. Like reading a Richard Brautigan story and the more you read from the beginning, the more you understand the sequence. Early on in the book, Ang Tulay Na Lalaki meets up with a character, Orpheus, who tells him that he feels like a character written by poet Nick Carbo. Later on, Ang Tulay Na Lalaki takes a writing workshop from Carbo and we get to see how Ang Tulay Na Lalaki's poetry differs from Carbo's and how Carbo would run a writing workshop. To add another layer to Carbo's maze of mirrors, I got the book from someone who attended Carbo's workshop. Now I'm beginning to wonder if she is a character written by Nick Carbo? Pushing Secret Asian Man, one might only conclude that I am just an ongoing workshop exercise by Nick Carbo.

Terry Matthews, Reviewer

Speedology: Speed on New York on Speed

Published in Paperback by Context Books (2002-09)

Author: Timothy Levitch

List price: $16.00

New price: $18.51
Used price: $18.52
Collectible price: $79.95

Average review score:

speedology - New York

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-21

I have waited 18 months to get a copy of this book and I am delighted to have finally obtained one. Aa a travel agent, I brought out a group to New York CHristmas shopping and arranged for a guide and a coach to take us round the city.The group was from Leeds, England and the majority were from Yorkshire Television PLC How lucky we were to have Tim Levitch. This was 1995.I have spent my life in travel but have never experienced such an interesting, caring and totally dedicated guide. His wit, depth of feeling, knowledge and clear love of the city shone throughout. His comments were thought provoking and deep - this outstanding ability shines through in his book. To really appreciate the book and the mind behind it it is preferable to have met him - however the book is an excellent buy as it stands. Well done Timothy - we all loved you and your book is just icing on the cake

CHristine Hill

BUY BUY BUY

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-27

WOW, if you've ever been to NYC.... this embodies it all. If you've NEVER been to NYC... you'll have to go after reading this book! Get one while you can, if "they" all find out about it... it'll not be available soon.

The Speed Experience

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-03

Speedology: Speed on New York on Speed is really superb. the title suggests where the book goes: Speed tours you through a few of his guided tours of NYC while imparting life lessons, yoga lessons, and smiles. It's a fast read, like on speed, but there's no actual speed. Speed is just the author's moniker. Speed speeds you through NYC giving you a little bit of history, mystery, and nowstory. If you've never let Speed sleep on your couch, you really should! Ask Speed about his Shakesphere evenings too. -I am curious why copies of this book, which were 16 bucks new, are listing on some websites, unsigned by the author, not first edition, and they're listing for 700 bucks? what's up with that. Who's gettin rich THERE?

Introduce yourself to Speed

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-17

Timothy "Speed" Levitch is a creative maelstrom. After reading Speedology, I have never felt so utterly alive and ready to overcome fear in my life. It has made me hunger to visit New York to see the world through the literary eyes I have been given as well as a need to think, feel and express more than I previously have. The poetics and spiritual reflection are superb to the point that even an atheist or skeptic can find utter beauty in them...the question of god is irrelevant, as the book is about Cruising with one's self. The oxymoronic idea of "spiritual non-belief" kept floating through my mind as I read and yet it made total sense.

This is a book that is difficult to categorize. It wants to be a New York guide book, but also speaks a great deal about Western and Eastern Philosophy, performance art, tantra and much more. It is perhaps best to consider this the colors of life using New York City as its canvas. Breaking down the ideas that are taken for granted today (money, sex and sexuality, freedom, fear, materialism, etc.), Speed shows us just how connected we can be through discovering, loving and then shattering our own alienation. I can only hope to be a fraction of the creative creature that Speed Levitch is, after all, we are all members of the exuberant party, the Cruise that is the world.

It is a sorry state of things that this book is priced the way it is from second hand dealers. The publisher, Context books, is indeed out of business, but $60 dollars is a ridiculous crime. Look for your profit in $25 at best. It should be enjoyed by those who want to read it, not just by those who can afford it. I found my copy at Strand Books out of New York, the only company that had a copy priced as a book and not as an antique.

A true journey of the mind and the streets of NY

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-30

I have had the pleasure of crusing with Speed in New York last year and I bought my copy from him. (Sorry AMAZON) He is an artist. Of what, I don't really know, but that's the beauty of Speed. Time with him on our cruise is genuine, funny, endearing, educational and most of all precious. His book Speedology, is not just a tour guide, it is this psychatrist/poet's interpretaion of New York and it's many layers itself.
A note to Speed: Coming out this summer. Hope to catch up with you again.

Cavaliere

Stadium Stories: New York Jets (Stadium Stories Series)

Published in Paperback by Globe Pequot (2005-08-01)

Author: Randy Lange

List price: $11.95

New price: $0.38
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Fun Read

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-14

This is a good introduction to the New York Jets. I consider myself a big fan of the Jets and I really enjoyed the book. It's not loaded with to much information and statistics that would bore someone who is not a die-hard football fan. Easy reading with some interesting information on some of the Jets biggest names, new and old. Also talks about fans, owners,the AFC and NFL.

I love the Jets

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-11

This is the best sports book to come out ever. Usually I find these books boring, or uninteresting, but this book is completely different. It was a great book, and once i started reading i couldnt put it down. I suggest this book to everyone, even if you usually dont like sports books. This book is different, and amazing.

best sports book

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-11

This is the best sports book of the year! I Hope he writes another one.

Jets Jets Jets

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-10

i have been a jets fan for many years now, and this is the best jets book to ever come out! Everyone go read it now!

A great inside look at Gang Green!

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-01

An absolute must have for EVERY Jets fan, and a great read for any football fan. This book is not your typical home-team love fest; Mr. Lange regales the reader with stories of triumph and of tribulation with equal aplomb. Book is loaded with facts, stats, and history. Highly Recommended!

Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (Molly Murphy Mysteries)

Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Minotaur (2008-03-04)

Author: Rhys Bowen

List price: $23.95

New price: $12.30
Used price: $11.20
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

a private investigator in the early 1900's

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30

We once again join Irish immigrant Molly Murphy in her New York adventures as a private investigator in the early 1900's. Work seems to be pouring in enough that Molly is able to hire her beau Daniel, a police Captain who has been suspended but whose charges have been dismissed. Pending approval from the superintendant, Daniel will be reinstated, but until then he is doing nothing but getting under Molly's feet, so she decides to put his skills to good use by giving him work to do by finding the missing nephew of a wealthy society matron with whom Molly is friends. But could this young man be on the lam with the loot from the latest job of burglaries?

Molly is busy trying to unearth the supernatural pranks that threaten the well-being of a well known actress who is friends with a former client of Molly's. As Molly begins to suspect that no ghost is responsible for the mischief, she winds up with a role in the performance and less time to work on her other cases. Her biggest concern is the young woman she found in the snow in Central Park, almost dead. Mute, Molly calls her Mary and visits her in the hospital to see if there is any improvement in her health. Upon finding out that she will be shipped off to the mental institution upon discharge, Molly kidnaps her and takes Mary home to rehabilitate herself. Daniel, frustrated beyond measure, tries to take the upper hand in the relationship, but Molly will have none of it. The two continue working their cases as best they can with the little time they can spare.

In between the drama of the private investigations that Molly is running we get to peek inside her social life and update on her multitude of friends from the variety of stations in life. Like many Americans in the coming years, Molly's friends come from all walks of life - the caste systems are not nearly as strict in the Melting Pot as they were in many of the Home Lands. Bowen's portrayal of the early twentieth century can almost make you feel as though you are shivering in the slushy streets with dripping petticoats along with Molly.

I have enjoyed every one of Bowen's books. I love Molly's ferocity and loyalty and independence, not to mention intelligence and heart. But I do not like Daniel. I haven't liked him since after Murphy's Law, although I cannot say why in particular. I understand the gender assignments, especially for the era, but for someone who supposedly loves Molly so much, he simply does not understand her. So I guess I have to say that is my beef with this series. I don't want them together. I don't think Molly should have a `yes man' but definitely not someone who expects her to stay home and be taken care of, and to do the cooking, etc. If Daniel hasn't picked up on that by now, which it doesn't seem to appear so, then he isn't going to. Keep looking Molly!!!!

She does it again!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-17

This is a great addition to the series! I wasn't as fond of "In Dublin's Fair City" and was worried this installment would go in that direction. No worries. I enjoy how Ms. Bowen works actual events into her books. It's a great series that should be good for a while yet.

unsinkable Molly Murphy

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-15

In 1902 in snowy Central Park Molly Murphy and her sweetheart suspended New York City police Captain Daniel Sullivan (see OH DANNY BOY) are walking together enjoying the moment. However their idyllic stroll abruptly ends when they see a scantily clad woman half buried in a snow drift. They rescue the near dead but obviously traumatized young lady.

Molly is outraged that someone could do this to another human. She vows to learn the identity of the still in shock woman and uncover who coldly left her to die. At about the same time, actress Blanche Lovejoy hires Molly to investigate the spiritual mischief that is devastating her production of a play scheduled to open shortly but is in trouble due to the ghostly vandalism. Although her time is already tight, Molly agrees to make inquiries into the vanished nephew of a wealthy client, who wants to know if her relative disappeared to avoid a homicide prosecution or is the victim of foul play.

Molly's business is booming so she hires an assistant, an out of work cop who is dating her. Fascinatingly, the cases tie together in the theater leading to Molly going on stage to solve the mysteries. Readers will appreciate the latest entry of the unsinkable Molly Murphy as she continues to prove that she can make it in Manhattan.

Harriet Klausner

Lots of Cases Means Plenty of Action

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11

December 1902 finds Molly back from her ill-fated trip to Ireland and trying to juggle multiple cases at once. First, there's the prospective husband she's been hired to tail to make sure he is above board. Then she is hired to protect aging actress Blanch Lovejoy from the ghost haunting the theater where her comeback Broadway play is supposed to debut. Next, she's hired to find out what happened to John Jacob Halsted, a rich Yale student who is accused of robbing friends right before he vanished. Finally, she and beau Daniel Sullivan find a woman unconscious in the snow in Central Park. The woman wasn't dressed for the outdoors, and when she awakes can't speak and doesn't seem to track with anyone.

While Molly is pleased to have so much work to pay her bills, she also can't juggle it all. So she approaches Daniel, a wrongfully suspended police captain, about helping her. But that potential partnership seems to only cause more friction in their relationship. Can the two find a way to work together and successfully solve all these cases?

When done right, this series is as much about the historical as it is about the mystery. Here, it is done well. Occasionally, the plot appears to wander, but every one of those details becomes an important part of the story. There is still plenty of coincidence here, but Molly is also able to make a few deductions herself. The cases are juggled well, and one plot or the other was always moving forward.

What I found most interesting is the relationship between Molly and Daniel. I have never really liked him, but here I couldn't decide whose side I was on. One minute, I was mad at him, but a few pages later I couldn't believe that Molly could be so childish. I'm still not sure where I want their relationship to go, but I am more open to the possibilities then I used to be.

This series uses mystery to entertain and give us a glimpse into life 100 years ago. And you'll enjoy every minute of this time machine.

tell me, pretty maiden

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-30

**Small Spoiler**

I did not enjoy "Tell Me, Pretty Maiden" as much as I have enjoyed the other books in the Molly Murphy series. I feel like Molly & Daniel's relationship needs to make some headway; there is no tension now that Arabella is out of the picture, & Daniel persists in his archaic views on a woman's role in marriage. The entire scenario is running thin with me. Another reason I did not find this book up to par is the 3 different plot lines that made the book feel scattered. Molly & Daniel ran back & forth between investigations, but, in the end, all 3 cases were linked, which was a little too unbelievable even for me. Even so, I will definitely continue to read this series.