New York Books

Used by my college bound daughter in her move to NYC. She says she has found some great vegetarian restaurants with this book

When I first started exploring NYC, I got a Zagat guide that listed only a handful of veg-friendly restaurants. Rather than curse the darkness, I bought this handy guide and use it all the time. I've used the book to find some truly unique vegetarian places.

As a falafel junkie, I liked the Top Ten Falafel list that the author gives. I think the guide could improve with a diversity of viewpoints (the Zagat method), but I imagine that will come with future editions.

Bottom Line: It's a well written and researched vegetarian guide to NYC. What more can you really ask for?

I'm a life-long omnivore but my boyfriend recently became vegan, I thought we would never be able to find a restaurant to suit both our tastes. Recently I came across this book and it is wonderful. Who knew there were so many vegetarian/vegan restaurants in New York City? The listings break down restaurants to their most minute details and make them approachable even to those who know very little about vegetarian/vegan cuisine. In addition to the ample information this book contains pull-out maps that make planning a trip even easier. I seriously recommend it for any vegetarian New Yorker, or for those dating one. Enjoy!

I have now bought a few copies of this book -- one for my office and three as gifts. It's super useful (even if you're not a full-on vegetarian): the author includes a lot of restaurants that serve a "full menu with vegetarian choices" as well as strictly vegetarian and vegan establishments. It's organized by neighborhood and offers highly-detailed reviews. Really terrific.

This book is part of a new series of vegetarian guides to major cities. The pocket or purse-sized guide is packed full of reviews and information about restaurants around New York-Manhattan and the five boroughs. The guide is organized by neighborhood, and includes a nice map of all the locations listed in the book. Within the neighborhood section, the locations are listed alphabetically, but there is an index by cuisine at the back of the book.

Each Restaurant is rated for quality and price and has a key to whether the location is vegetarian, vegan, or a conventional menu with vegetarian choices. There's a short description for each restaurant which provides useful information about the location, sometimes describing favorite dishes. Because the book was written by one person, Justin Schwartz, who reviewed all the restaurants himself (!), it is useful to read the introduction to get a feel for his style and what he likes and doesn't like. (For instance, he loves falafel, so there are endless choices of great places to find it all over the city).

There are many fantastic restaurants listed in Veg Out that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise, but the author also spends a lot of time describing one or no-star restaurants, when I think he simply could have listed the location with a caveat to stay away. The size, convenience and well-stocked pages of this guide make it a great book to carry on your next trip to the city. --Amy O'Neill Houck

i saw this book at a financial advisor's office and immediately came home and purchased it. it is a fabulous melding of text and photography, beautifully rendered. if you have visited this part of new york, you will enjoy the memories....if you have not been there yet, look at this before you go and it will greatly enrich your experience.

This is a holiday gift to open more than once. Beautiful! Useful! Fuses text and illustrations in a way that enriches both!

with all the mega mergers going on this may be the last photographic history of the old Wall Street.

This book makes a wonderful gift for the person with everything. A real treasure for all those who own stocks or those who want to visit NY.

This book is a pleasure to read and to keep around for others to enjoy. I keep it on my desk at work so that my visitors can enjoy the incredible photography. The book also gives a unique insight in to the history of the many firms on Wall Street and how consolidation has led to our current list of players. Many find it interesting to see how certain firms came to be what they are today.

One example of an interesting foreshadow is that the author has included a picture of the Banker's Trust building reflecting off of a Deutsche Bank conference room table. The two frims merged several years after the photo was taken.

Since buying this book I now enjoy walking around lower Manhattan. While before I was caught up in the rat race, I know see the beauty of the arcitecture and can better appreciate the history of Wall Street. This book is full of insightful anecdotes which lead to interesting stories for me to share.

This book is a must for anyone who works in the finacial world for its insight and to keep around for others to enjoy.

I was happily surprised when I saw one of the authors books on Nantucket while on vacation there. I bought the book and was again happily surprised at its combination of photography and narration. I would rate Nantucket Island five stars as well.

Gerard Koeppel has done a remarkable job of ferretng out material and documents which demonstrate how long it took, how much cash it took, how much politicking it took to get the simple compound H2O to complex NYC. I don't mean to be glib about this. As one reviewer has noted, Manhattan without fresh supplies of water would've been another unliveable coastal town.

Just like DeWitt Clinton's Erie Canal brought goods in and out of the city, the many visionaries (Burr[for politicial and banking reasons] and Colden [for practical reasons]) gave the city an enormous insurance policy for its future which is difficult to ignore.

This book is a compelling dedication to the people who saw the need for the reservoir system and made it a reality. Sometimes the book gets bogged down with details, but that's to be expected. What wasn't expected, by this reader, was the author's perserverance and dedication to this important matter, and for that he deserves the highest accolades.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS, and THE FIVE POINTS CONCLUDED, A Novel

In "Water for Gotham," Gerard Koeppel tells in a compelling way what could have been--ahem--a dry story. Its focus is on the civic history of a nascent metropolis thirsty for water, the self-interested politicians who used that thirst for their own ends, and the few dedicated visionaries who labored against man and nature to bring cold, clean water to Manhattan. Koeppel paints a vivid picture of life in New York from colonial days through the early-1800s, when the Croton Aqueduct was opened.

One of the few significant criticisms I have about the book is that while it frequently discusses structures, equipment, and emerging technologies, little effort is made to clearly explain and describe them. While the book is not meant to be a technical or engineering review, better explanations (as opposed to cursory descriptions) of some of the methods of construction (e.g., dams, the aqueduct) would have been appreciated.

A second criticism is that the book ends too abruptly with the arrival of water through the Croton Aqueduct, with only passing mention of later developments to the City's extensive water supply system. An additional chapter on how the other reservoirs in the system were created--sometimes through contentious legal battles and property condemnation--and the disposition of some of the original Croton structures, would have been welcome.

Notwithstanding these minor quibbles, the book is enjoyable, informative and enlightening. Recommended.

When we turn on the tap we take it for granted that pure and wholesome water is supposed to come out. For Americans in the early 1800's, the supply of fresh water to New York City was an achievement on the order of the moon landing in our era -- carrying a river for 40 miles through hills and valleys and across rivers to a desperate island city.

The amazing story of New York's water supply has long been known to historians, infrastructure buffs and residents of the Westchester villages through which the beautiful Old Croton Aqueduct still passes. Gerard Koeppel's new book, Water for Gotham: a History, makes this story accessible to all.

Unlike previous works on the subject, which have emphasized the engineering accomplishments of the Croton Aqueduct, this book explores New York City's social and political history with a liveliness and wit that make the turbulent decades following the American Revolution come to life. Experience the terror of cholera and great fires, the antics of scoundrels and demagogues, and the heights of idealism, dedication and genius that are all intertwined in this epic tale.

Mr. Koeppel's book is impressively researched and is a true contribution to our understanding of New York history. That a work of non-fiction is so lively and engrossing is another reminder that truth is stranger than fiction.

The book illustrates the folly of trusting our elected officials. How often did they use a public fear to enrich their own pockets? The sordid ancestory of the Chase Manahattan Bank is a case in point that Gerard Koepell, a person who I shared classrooms with when we were growing up, brings out particularly well. The point of history is for us to learn from our collective experiences and Gerard lays it all out for us. Gerard points out that at first no one knew about cholera and it's relationship to contaminated water. I had no idea that well into the 1800s people from New York had no running water or toilets and used the streets as their "trash" depositories. What else did the book teach me? Politicians in the past had no stomach for a long-term project or long-term thinking ... Politicians were/are corrupt and weak-minded and despite the huge legislative bodies, politicians are overwhelmed and the real laws and decisions are made by 1 or 2 people and everyone else is, at best, a yes-person. The status quo is often very comfortable. In old New York, beer was a relatively safe drink because of the brewing process (ie boiling) and New York had great economic incentive to keep people drinking beer instead of water. What are the present day unrecognized-evils? Air quality? I worry that the tremendous rise in urban asthma will eventually transform into an increased risk of lung cancer, even in the non-smokers. What interests are happy with the status quo of our air? Automobile manufacturers? Oil companies? The Advertising Industry? The Media? The Pharmaceutical Industry? Anyway the book is great food for thought. Gramatically some of the sentences, particularly in the early chapters are attention grabbing gems. And that is from someone who was hit with a tennis raquet by the author. Good work Gerard! END

It is about time that an in-depth book on the subject of New York's water supply was completed. The author has done a fabulous job of putting a highly readable work together that brings to life a period we rarely think about and a topic hardly considered in our hurried modern lives. Reality, however, is that New York without water would be just another coastal town. Those interested in a photographic history of the same topic should seek The Croton Dams and Aqueduct which will be publihsed by Arcadia Press in August of 2000.

this is a fine, fine book that you will not be sorry that you purchased. you might find yourself reading it more than once. it is a testament, a love letter to pain, to vulnerabilty, to life in all it's terrifying glory. it is brutally hard one moment, and then like a bird's heart in your hand in another. delicate like a razor. maybe you'll let out a few balls-out laughs while you're on this literary roller coaster, you might cry your eyes out too. maggie dukes it out with the best of the scribblers here. a true gem.

this is a fine, fine book that you will not be sorry that you purchased. you might find yourself reading it more than once. it is a testament, a love letter to pain, to vulnerabilty, to life in all it's terrifying glory. it is brutally hard one moment, and then like a bird's heart in your hand in another. delicate like a razor. maybe you'll let out a few ... laughs while you're on this literary roller coaster, you might cry your eyes out too. maggie dukes it out with the best of the scribblers here. a true gem.

this is a fine, fine book that you will not be sorry that you purchased. you might find yourself reading it more than once. it is a testament, a love letter to pain, to vulnerabilty, to life in all it's terrifying glory. it is brutally hard one moment, and then like a bird's heart in your hand in another. delicate like a razor. maybe you'll let out a few balls-out laughs while you're on this literary roller coaster, you might cry your eyes out too. maggie dukes it out with the best of the scribblers here. a true gem.

I actually got excited reading this book. Maggie Dubris' poetry is richly conceived and beautifully executed. The lengthy section "Toilers of the Sea" is a spellbinding mosaic of nursery rhymes, fragements of traditional folk songs, lyrical flights, modernist touches and strange catalogues. The long prose poem "WillieWorld" is harrowing, touching and filled with sharp details.

The book also contains a number of short stories. The one about the Rolling Stones in group therapy is a kick.

Weep not my wanton is a wonderful, powerful, funny and at times heart breaking collection of stories and poems. Maggie Dubris tells tales of New York City that the average citizen doesn't even know exists. It's an amazing glimpse into worlds we glide by unknowingly everyday. Her combination of prose and poems is fabulous and works so well. She infuses the pages with strong feelings. Some of the stories had me rolling with laughter. The section called "Toilers of the sea" is so full of emotion it at times brought me to tears. Black Sparrow press seldom lets us down and this book is no exception. Maggie Dubris is a wonderful author and I am so glad to have been able to read her book. I loved every last word.

The first novel by Robert Hill provides insights into suburbian life and how persons from varying backgrounds intermingle and impact each other.

A refreshing, original retrospective of one couple's life-enhacing challenges in the "Camelot" years of the 50's and 60's. Set in the Connecticut suburbs, this rapidly paced, emotionally charged narrative is delivered to us with great wit, pathos and humanity! I am sure Robert Hill's debut novel is destined to be viewed as an important contribution to the American literary scene.

This debut novel is definitely something that should not be missed. It is written in the voices of both the two central figures of the husband and wife. The novel does a great job of navigating us through the marriage, family, love, careers, victories and set backs of the time periods of this rich story. You laugh, cry and feel for them as you read about the lives of Dan and Myrmy dealing with the realities of the their day. The outstanding command of the english language is personified by the dialogue of the central characters and the ancillary people involved. When I finished reading this book, I wanted more!

That this is a first novel is truly amazing. It's a very sophisticated book, style-wise, employing prose that verges on stream-of-consciousness, yet never is it obscure. In other words, the style is very high-flung and literary but never does the reader feel either the need to struggle in understanding what's going on, nor get the impression the author is self-consciously attempting to imitate any other big name "literary" author. Robert Hill's voice is singular, and uniquely his own. As such, this is a phenomenal first novel already showing Hill to be a power to be reckoned with.

When All is Said and Done is a tremendously wise, and often very witty, take on long-term married relationships. It looks at them honestly and without flinching, even when things get a bit ugly. And they do get ugly! However, throughout it all we never lose sympathy with any of the characters. Hill does a fantastic job depicting both human failings and foibles as well as dignity and integrity. Just a wonderful first effort.

[..]

As you get closer to the end of this dazzling book, you'll find yourself slowing down, trying to avoid the inevitable. This is a story of relationship, of time, of place and, mostly, of language. Robert Hill's facility with words will leave you dizzy with laughter and tears and utter astonishment at what our language can do. It is a tour de force, a magnum opus, a triumph.

The phrase "September 11" makes most of us pause and reflect upon the haunting images surrounding that day's terrible events hauntingly embedded in our minds. Sometimes we force ourselves not to mentally go back there, but when we allow the memories, we are prone to shudder recalling the attack on The World Trade Center. Survivor and debut author Ken Greene was courageous enough to pen WHEN THE WALLS CAME DOWN. I thank him for sharing the horrific details he experienced.

Greene's book shares personal accounts such as: whenever he hears any one of seven songs he listened to during his commute to work that fateful morning, the music "puts me right back on the 6:08 a.m. train headed to Grand Central Terminal". The book is full of these honest, insightful truths which puts the reader in his body and mind. Reading vivid scenes of being trapped in the stairwell of the tower in which he worked, thinking of his wife, and being covered in soot brought tears to my eyes because his descriptions took me there.

If you enjoy reading about history, current events, political views, and analytical brainstorming, you will become engrossed as Greene depicts the correlation between obvious routine displays of racism he encounters during his daily commutes, to the 2001 Presidential voting controversy, to Bush's explanation of going to war, and much more. He has included plenty of research to back up his views. His writing is easy to follow, emotional, very witty, and at times humorous despite the intense subject matter.

The fact that the book is more than a memoir of September 11 is what pushes it into the extraordinary class of literature. Greene was employed by the Port Authority of New York as an Assistant Director of Aviation when he found himself thrust into the infamous deadly situation which demanded him to step up and save his life and help rescue others. I recommend this book is placed on your list of must-reads. You are sure to learn while becoming emotionally caught up, as you find yourself not being able to put this book down.

Reviewed by Janet "Jaize" Brown
The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

The casual book-buyer might pick up Ken Greene's When The Walls Came Down and see "another 9/11 book," emblazoned with an image of the World Trade Center buildings billowing smoke after being slammed by jetliners. While the surreal horror of that day can't be avoided whenever an author chooses to tackle this generation's Pearl Harbor, the title belies a sharp critical analysis of what that day really meant to the past, present, and future of America's readiness, or rather, willingness, to truly live up to its ideals of equality, freedom and democracy.
Today, these words are taken for granted, like they need not prove their actuality in Americans' daily lives. However, as Greene begins the first part of the book recalling what started out as a typical day, he explains that he was often reminded of how equality still proved to be an elusive concept when it comes to the perceptions of African-Americans, poignantly explained in what he calls "the seat of last resort," a daily reminder of how, on a crowded suburban commuter train where he was sometimes the only black passenger, the seat next to him was often the last to be occupied, if at all, despite his professional aura.
But it was that professionalism that compelled him to stay behind and help others out of the North Tower of the WTC, amidst a backdrop of horror and mayhem that Greene paints in the mind's eye with a graphic clarity that television images could never penetrate. At that moment, when the walls were literally about to come down, so too did the constructs that separate Americans into categories. It's impossible to imagine anyone in that horrific situation caring whether or not the hand stretched out to help them was conservative, gay, or foreign, and Greene illustrates this as he takes the reader through his fortuitous escape from hell and through the rest of his day.
The million-dollar question left hanging over his audience: Does it take shared tragedy to get Americans to truly come together as one, in the way that's always idealized yet neglected?
The unfortunate answer, as Greene takes his work beyond 9/11, looks like yes, as he convincingly explores America's "business as usual" attitude through a diorama of topics in part two, Politics, which includes the build-up towards war with Iraq, and part three, Race and Hypocrisy.
Even those who don't like looking into that mirror would be hard pressed to trap Greene's work in the category of disgruntled ranting as he has done his homework, providing timelines and context behind so-called controversial issues to bring his point home.
Greene challenges readers to acknowledge inherent hypocrisy simmering under the surface of unflinching patriotism, and he isn't afraid to upset anyone's incredulous sense of "civilized" American superiority. Greene's book is a warning: if Americans lose the true meaning of professed ideals, while also acquiescing the need for governmental accountability in actions that effect the world, history will repeat itself until we get it right...if at all.

The author's first-hand account of surviving and helping others survive the attack on the North Tower on 9/11 offer insights I have not read elsewhere. This in-and-of itself makes the book a fascinating read, but the author goes further.

He brings to focus the fact that there was a brief moment in this country when the tragedy of 9/11 brought all of America together. Our race, religion, politics, or other elements that tend to divide us simply did not matter. Unfortunately, that unity was short lived. In fact, our nation is even more divided, and our civil liberties are more at risk than ever before.

The author details his personal views of life in America and its history from the perspective of a black, Native American. Being white and from European descent, I was at first challenged by them, then intrigued, and in some cases disturbed. Case in point: I did not know that in the same battle Jessica Lynch fought, Lori Ann Piestewa, a single Mom and Native American died. Also taken captive and brutally beaten was Shoshawna Johnson, a black single Mom. These women are just as much heroes as Ms. Lynch, yet neither was given the same credit that was due to them. Ms. Lynch tried in vain to set the record straight. She openly shared on national TV her concern for the inaccuracies and omissions of her ordeal. I share these concerns as well. In fact, I was outraged.

Needless to say, the book is filled with other insights: some amusing, some very sad. One might think the author would be bitter, but that is not at all the case. He simply wants to point out that there are different views of life in America, and after reading the book, I gained a better appreciation of them.

An excellent read! Highly recommended!

Ken Greene knows firsthand about 9/11, the day the walls came down. He was there! He also knows something about the walls that separate us. While tragedy has a way of helping people forget about their differences in a time of great need, walls still remain. ...When The Walls Came Down is also snapshot of our goodness and the barriers that prevent us from sustaining it. Listen to his voice and try honestly to see with new eyes. You will emerge a slightly different person."
--Nigel D. Alston
Talk Show Host, Columnist & Motivational Speaker

If you are ready to know some hard truths and to stop being amongst the herd of "group thought," then this is the book for you. But if you'd rather go on blindly and remain in denial, I strongly caution you not to read this book. Ken Greene gives an honest, brutal account of not only what happened during those horrifying moments when the walls came down, but he goes further to discuss "politically incorrect" topics such as racism in America, election fraud, and the ills within our society that have created walls (globally) that should never have existed. Poignant, compelling, disturbing--and oh so enlightening!

WHERE TO WEAR is NOT just for tourists. I've lived in NYC for over 15 years and this is the book I've been searching for. It has every address, phone number and store hour that I could possibly need. It now sits right next to my NYC phone book and Zagat's guide beside my phone! This is a MUST for tourists and New York natives alike!

Without a doubt, the best written, best researched, most informative book of its kind. It includes all the basic information; but contains tons of witty and useful tips. Also terrific breakdowns of where to find what by category and neighborhood. Clearly, Ms. Melhado and Ms. Clason spend too much time shopping...but for our benefit. The best stocking stuffer I found this Christmas. Last-minute updates and website information are very useful. Look forward to each yearly edition!

My girlfriend and I used her copy to shop the after Christmas sales in Manhattan, and this handy little guide was THE BEST! We're just tourists from a few hours south, but I imagine that foreign visitors with even minimal knowledge of English would find "Where to Wear" helpful. Stores are conveniently grouped by district and type/category. We plotted our course through as many designer stores as we could fit into 2 shopping days and thanks to the accuracy in the descriptions, know we saved precious shopping time and shoe leather. I even found a great hair salon for my next trip!

The "Where to Wear" guide is like having your own personal shopper. I appreciate the guide's clever store descriptions, complete with store hours and locations. It's well organized, witty, and comes in a slim, easy-to-shop with, size. The guide's handy catagories, such as "best picks" and "best kept secrets" lead me to some real gems (like a pair of striped Louboutin mules!) This guide is a must for those who want to shop New York.

Heads up you shopping mavens and tourists alike! This is one jewel of a book you all must add to your collection of city guides. It's incredibly user-friendly, chock-a-block full of informational tid-bits and snappy commentary. Not only that but it's like having your own directory of all the stores in NY (addresses, telephone numbers, etc.) and it fits into your hip Fendi baguette, your Sergio Rossi tote or your Matt Nye cross bag! If you ever wonder where to go to find that special little something to fit the bill - this one's for you! It just makes you want to walk around in Melhado's and Clason's mules for a day...

Well done! It's a winner.

Skip the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty! Mittelbach and Crewdson know their stuff and their share it in all the fun and interesting details you could want. This is the "big apple" down to the core. I used to live in New York and was excited when this book came out.

Excellent writing. Takes you back to very beginning of New York before man and lets your imagination take over to give you a very different historical perspective. The Michener style without the fictional story line. Terrific reading. Read it in one sitting. You will view New York with a different eye after reading Wild New York

This is, hands-down, the best book I've found yet on the non-concrete parts of this concrete jungle I call home. The illustrations are 1st rate, the maps are very helpful, and the travel directions even help you get there --- like most New Yorkers would --- by public transit. All five boroughs are included, and the book is chock full of tasty morsels about the City's natural side.

Whether a native New Yorker or visiting from out of town, if you have the interest or the inkling to find hundred foot trees, tidal pools, salt marshes, Native American caves, hilltop vistas, or even just learn which wildflowers grow between the sidewalk slabs or which trees are tough enough to stand up to the stress of city life, this book is for you.

Margaret Mittelbach's books is an excellent description of the one side of New York City that no one really knows about, the natural side. The graphics are excellent, providing brief and complete tidbits about the different time periods of New York City's geological and natural history. It is written wonderfully with a sense of humor and keeps the readers attention at all times. In addition, you come away pleased with the new and complete knowledge this book provides about New York City. The walking tours are clear and concise making the reader want to go on one of the walks immediately. Finally, the book design both on the cover and within the book, grabs the readers attention and keeps it throughout the reading of the book. Overall, I would recommend this book not only as a guide book for the natural side of New York but as an extremely informative and fascinating read.

This book is a must have for anyone who has ever lived in or visited New York. It is extremely well-written, witty, and as well it is filled with interesting facts about New York.

I picked up this book on a whim. I got late notice that Zoe was coming to my area to promote our annual MS ride and couldn't attend. I checked out her book here and the price was right so I ordered it just to sooth my curious nature. What a great book! I'm about as the last person you'd expect to read this book but I did and was moved by it. Zoe's story is compelling and the resolve that accompanies her sense of humor are truely insprirational. I'm registering for the New York City Marathon in 2004 and I hope to meet her in person. Great book!

This book is hysterical! I laughed so hard that I nearly wet my pants. (And I was in the waiting room at the dentist's office at the time!) Zoe reminds us that the attitude that she takes into each marathon, and the one that Multiple Sclerosis patients and others should take into the daily marathon called life, is not the importance of winning, but the importance of doing our best with a smile on our face and a song on our lips.

Zoe Koplowitz is a no nonsense, straight shooter, beacon of hope and inspiration to anyone facing life challenges. The 10-time NYC marathoner, the last place finisher each year, shows us that determination and pure will, coupled with human kindness and compassion can propel anyone to cross the finish line with dignity and glory...all their own. This book is the "Road Less Traveled" of the millenium. Pithy, smart, thoughtful, painful and joyous, all rolled into a wonderful, spirited read.

Zoe Koplowitz bursts out of the pages of her book like the marathon runner she is. Diagnosed with MS in her 20s, she started participating in the NY Marathon in her 40s. Its a dead last finish every time but with wry wit and the spirituality of one with a chronic disease Zoe illustrates her incredible spirit. Ice, gale winds, street gangs, threats of drive-by shootings and the race run on crutches in the dead of night are some of the events she has experienced. The NY Marathon on crutches? Yes indeed and thats only the beginning of Zoe.She unfolds sometimes like a tender flower and other times like a bamboo spike growing in some steamy SE Asian jungle. Her warrior spirit is infectuous even if one isnt coping with slings and arrows, A must read for those heavily involved in a pity party. A definite must read for those who explode in the joy of life.

After reading a synopsis in the Aug. issue of Readers Digest, I went out and bought the book. It's an absolute MUST read!

Ten times better than the Christopher Reeve book. I laughed. I cried. I wished it would never end. It's hilarious, touching and absolutely riveting. By the end of the book, you feel like a totally new person.

I've never written a book review before, so you've got to know how much I loved this book. Buy it, read it and pass it on to a friend. It's truly transformational.

I enjoyed this book. It was an absorbing, eye-opening look into the world of the ballet written by an insider - a young, intense and highly intelligent young woman, a dancer with the NYC Ballet, who exposes life in this elite and unique world.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave a wonderful glimpse into the real world of professional dancing. Miss Bentley told this story with beautiful language, her words flowed like water. I found it wonderful to know what it was like to live the life of a dancer, to know the struggles and the victories, the fantasies and the realities. I recommend this book for all who love dance and for anyone interested in show business or simply anyone who enjoys a good read.

With "Winter Season," Toni Bentley allows her audience to see a real picture of the incredibly tough, demanding and creative world of professional ballet. We see George Balanchine at the end of the career, and such greats as Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins. The incredible, difficult, almost insane demands put on the dancers are clearly drawn, as is Ms. Bentley's love for her art. Especially evocative is her struggle with reconciling art with her demanding profession.

Often, artistic memoirs focus on the superstars, the Tallchiefs and Nureyevs, for instance. The view from the corps de ballet is all the more interesting for being so rare. This book is beautiful, wry, humorous and exquisitely-written. I wish Ms. Bentley had written several other volumes.

Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal is the exquisite chronicle of a ballet dancer's experiences with the New York City Ballet. The dancer, Toni Bentley, claims a certain naivetee, but I don't believe it's innocent ignorance as much as it is simple yearning for experiences she rarely has.

She has a delicate flair for words, and her prose couldn't be any less lovely than her pliees and tondus.

Dancing with a world-famous ballet company is gruelling. The dancers are overworked, underfed, and have little understanding of how the "real world" works, yet it would seem they like it that way. Ballet companies thusly have much in common with military outfits: soldiers and dancers work brutally hard, but have their concerns looked after by the higher-ups. Balanchine is the dancers' general.

With the incredibly long hours and the accompanying mental and physical exhaustion, how did Toni get the time to write this book?

She writes,

"We are hairless. We have no leg hairs, no pubic hair, no armpit hair, no facial hair, no neck hair and only a solid little lump at the top of our heads. Any sign of stubble must be closely watched out for and removed.

"That is not all. We don't eat food, we eat music. We need artistic sustenance only. Emotional, inspiring sustenance. Al our physical energy is the overflow of spiritual feelings. We live on faith, belief, love, inspiration, vitamins and Tab."

Toni eventually does break free of the NYC Ballet machine, but she's drawn inexorably back. After all, as she says, "We live only to dance. If living were not an essential prerequisite, we would abstain."

This is a beautifully written very open look at the world of a professional dancer. The difficulties and joys of life in a world class ballet company are clearly and thoughtfully laid out by Bentley. The pride she had for her place in NYCB, and the sadness of standing in the background while others danced in the spotlight in front of her. But ultimately we are allowed to see the great joy finds in her dancing, and the struggle and work it took to get her there, as well as the struggle and hard work it took to keep her there. Overall I thought that Bentley was very candid and very honest about her life in NYCB. Every dance student planning a life as a professional dancer should read this book.