New York Books

Linda Hayward's beginning reader gives children a detailed and fascinating look into the day of a fireman and the job that he does dring a 24 hour shift. There are safety inspections, rescue work, checking all the equipment in the firehouse, etc.

The picture word list in the back of the book is an excellent feature, refreshing the reader's knowledge.

I haven't met a kid yet who didn't have at least a passing interest in firetrucks and firefighters. This book gives curious children a peak into the "real" life of an every day hero. The vocabulary is just right for beginning readers and the images will keep the attention of younger listeners.

This book also serves as a useful tool to speak to your children about fire safety.

Although these books are intended for young readers, my two-year-old daughter enjoys having them read to her. The language is easy and direct, the connection between words and pictures is very clear, and the short length fits her attention span.

We have about six books from this series, but "A Day in the Life of a Fire Fighter" is her favorite - and she now loves to point out the "Exit" sign and fire extinguisher in any building we visit.

My daughter is 4 1/2 and is beginning to read. The DK books are wonderful and she loves them. The pictures are very good (all DK books are excellently illustrated) and the short stories hold her interest. This series is great in that the reading levels are clearly marked on the book cover, so she knows what to look for when at the library or bookstore.

I also appreciate DK because of their quality binding. Unlike so many other children books, DK uses heavy glossy paper-stock.

a must read for advanced students who need intro to saivism, spanda yoga, and such highest of disciplines for self-awareness development. excellent text for history of and clarity of teachings. top level study.

When I bought this book I have never heared of Dyczkowski and I have been very positively suprised about the quality of his understanding. He succeds explaining in a very concise manner "matters" that almost escape explications. I You are so fortunate as to experience Silence (No-thought) from time to time and would like to have some indications about the deeper misteries of our lifesource, this is an exellent book for you.

If I could have only one book to read the rest of my life, this would be it. Not only is it a rich and revealing exposition of the doctrine of vibration of Kashmir Shaivism--the most comprehensive and internally coherent non-dualistic ontology I've ever encountered, it introduces the reader to the many paths by which this ontology can be realized in one's life. As another reviewer stated, this is a book for the advanced student. Those who have only a theoretical background in Asian and/or Western thought will read the words, but have no real sense of the Reality they refer to. But seasoned spiritual practitioners will find countless rewarding insights in this text. I originally bought the book about 10 years ago, having only a slight acquaintance with Kashmir Shaivism. Since that time I have read it at least half a dozen times. With each reading I continue to be astounded at the depth and breadth of Dyczkowski's grasp of this school of spiritual wisdom. I can only assume from what he's written that he really knows, at an embodied level, what it means to walk the "path of liberation."

Ancient Kashmir was a source for both Buddhist and Hindu spirituality and learning. Many of the metaphors of the nondual awareness school were handed down to our present day through generations of mystics and scholars and provide an extraordinarily rich source for meditative expansion and stabilization. The root guru of Adi Da Samraj was Swami Muktananda, who in turn was a product of the Kashmir Shaivist school of nondual awareness. The richness of the terminology, derived from the ancient Sanskrit, is remarkable for both it's clarity and depth. These teachings are readily accessible in meditative absorption, and are a wonderful adjunct in the development, expansion, and assimilation of transcendental awareness.

I have a Borzoi who has a Canine Good Citizen Certificate and is a SHARE (Special Human Animal Relationships) therapy dog. Soon we will be getting into the READ program for children in local schools where children with reading/learning problems read aloud to dogs. I bought this book for children to read to my Borzoi. It is a delightful story that captures the essence of the aristocratic Borzoi on a level that can be easily understood. Even if your child does not have a reading problem, I recommend this book for any child's enjoyment, as well as your own...

Smug, self-centered, perhaps even spoiled wolfhound "Pasha" is a supercilious Russian Wolfhound bred in Europe, who proclaims herself "une reine" (a queen) and looks "down her long Russian nose" at Sluggo, a cheerful "mix"--all scruffy American cheer--who looks past Pasha's haughty comparisons. "'You're a mutt,' barked Pasha." "'But it's fun being related to lots of different kinds of dogs,' answered Sluggo."

The narrative is particularly well written, with lots of dialogue, characterization, humor, and tension. Illustrator Erika Oller turns in a veritable tour de force, with illustrations that somehow capture the grandeur and sweep of an opera house. Her washes and shadings, contrasted with directional and suffused light, convey the almost mystical aura of live theater. Packed with scenery and singers, Ms. Oller shows that the stage is full of excitement, commotion, and even a little confusion.

In a way, the dogs become symbolic of class and racial differences, of royal Europe and upstart America. The reader may notice that the two dogs' class and "breeding" distinctions find a match in the performers' costumes. Pasha identifies so much with the woman singing of her royal pedigree ("Everyone looks at me because I am beautiful. My beauty makes me a queen.") that she begins to sing. Her howls (and I quote: "Wa-hoo, woo-hooo... Wa-hoo-woo-hooo-woo...") elicit giggles from the audience and she is pulled rather un-royally off the stage. There's your headline about wanted and unwanted attention!

Pasha is dejected. However, Sluggo, a canine equivalent of the archetypal James Cagney figure, reassures her. Comforted, Pasha resumes her royal stance and deigns to say, "Spasibo..." "It's Russian for 'thank you. " Nonplussed Sluggo gets into his 1930's everyman (everydog?) vernacular: "You're welcome', answered Sluggo. "That's English for 'anytime.'" Pasha and Sluggo become friends, although Pasha retains some of her canine-centric ways about her. In yet another amazing Oller picture, Pasha lies listening--all dreamy-eyed--to Metropolitan Opera House broadcasts. "And as she listens, she remembers what a beautiful voice Manon had...for a human."

West and Izen base their book on a truer-than -usual event that occurred on September 26, 1997. The authors were onstage as puppeteers during a Metropolitan Opera House staging of "Manon," and a dog really did begin to howl during the festival scene. "The Dog Who Sang at the Opera" closes with a newspaper article describing "Passion's" interruption of diva Renee Fleming, in which she is quoted as saying "I told the director, `it's the dog or me,'" and stating whether she couldn't decide whether this was the most humiliating or complimentary experience of the opera. Life imitates art! Fortunately, there is a letter (dated October 17, 1997) from Ms. Fleming printed on the penultimate page, in which she explains that not only was her "dog or me" proclamation said tongue in cheek, but that she is a dog lover from way back. "I thought Passion's high notes were at least as good--or perhaps even better--than mine." (Still, I had to love the seemingly imperious attitude of the opera, for there on the very last page of credits and other details is a legal disclaimer: "This book is not authorized, sponsored, or endorsed by the Metropolitan Opera.") This is a wonderfully told story, with a few quietly embedded lessons, and all of it glistens with the emotion and atmosphere of Ms. Oller's watercolors. Very highly recommended for all kids around elementary school age.

This is a great story with beautiful illustrations. Funny, charming, and entertaining for both children and adults. I bought this book for my 73 year old father who has a love of the opera and dogs. He loved it!

This book is magic. The story is charming and the illustrations are stunning. I have given the book to all my nephews and nieces and they love it.

I enjoyed this account of Al Ettinger's travels with the 69th infantry during WWI. It's interesting to find that he held so much detail in his mind so many years after the events, and after many years of not talking about it- finally opens up and recounts everything in such great specificity. I also appreciated that the accounts were checked out by his son in such detail to verify specifics before publishing- after all, no one's memory is perfect. The book is interleaved with historical maps and summaries of allied strategy, giving the reader a yardstick as to where the events fit in history. I really got a good feel for the deep sense of camaraderie that Ettinger developed with the people there in the ranks, and his heroes, especially concerning Father Patrick Duffy, a guy anyone would want to know in whatever place in history that he or she was born in. The only shortcoming of the book (and it is slight) is that it leaves out the outcome of Lt. Quirt (a pseudonym) in the epilogue. Great reading.

"It is enthralling and difficult to put down before completion." --Military Images

"A vivid portrait if a colorful outfit, DOUGHBOY places its emphasis on the human factor ... an invaluable and entertaining firsthand portrait of leadership, loyalty and morale -- the soul of any U.S. Army regiment." --Military History Magazine

"This well organized book becomes one of those rare war memoirs that has been back-checked for facts, that has such meticulous evidence of accuracy, it transcends the normal colorful remembrance to become a true work of history." --Gannett News Service

"Don't let 'A Doughboy With the Fighting 69th' escape you. It is destined to be a classic." --Irish Edition, Phila.

"An eye- witness account of World War I doughboy experience from a less than model soldier...a lively, personal account of both courage and realistic Army life." --The Bookwatch

"Although I have read many autobiographical accounts of famous generals and their bloody campaigns, few have touched me with the same effect as this story of one of America's true doughboy heros." --Ronnie Shimron, Curator, Jewish War Veterans

"It is enthralling and difficult to put down before completion. Afterward it is to be savored." --Military Images/ "A vivid portrait of a colorful outfit...an invaluable and entertaining firsthand portrait of leadership, loyalty and morale ... --Military History/ "This well organized book becomes one of those rare war memoirs that has been back-checked for facts, that has such meticulous evidence of accuracy, it transcends the normal colorful remembrance to become a true work of history." --Gannett News Service (John Hanchette)/ "Don't let [Doughboy] escape you. It is destined to be a classic." --Irish Edition (Philadelphia)/ "... a lively, personal account of both courage and and realistic Army life." --The Bookwatch

Private Ettinger, in his brief military career, managed to experience the battle of the Argonne Forest, survive four close shell bursts, a personal strafing by a German pilot, and some spectacular crashes on his dispatch-rider motorcycle, to provide us with one of the most engaging memoirs of the American Expiditionary Forces.
His very readable and entertaining reminiscences, augmented by some first-rate research by his son, are enhanced by rare photos, interesting appendices, and details of organization of a unit with some of the most colorful characters in American military history, such as "Wild Bill" Donovan, Father Duffy, Joyce Kilmer, and Douglas Macarthur (who personally delivered the author from incarceration).
Ettinger's story is highly recommended as a vivid window into the world of the doughboy, and a fine unit history as well.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

A wonderful read. Well-documented and beautifully presented. It realistically evokes a time when honor fueled men to do their perceived duty without hesitation and with great patriotism.

The book via letters and diaries creates a true emotional atmosphere of World War I and those committed to serve. It would make a superb film!

Not to be forgotten the men of L Regiment. Thank you Mr Harris for the insight to a time before I was born and frankly of a different type of men who had so much to give and so much to lose but honor and duty were so important to them all. This was a wonderful book and if you lived as I did in the Hudson River Valley the memories of all of this are so important to me.

Being a native New Yorker and a lover of history I was pulled into this book. With few "unit histories" of the Great War, this one is a must for any serious reader. The unit, made up from the elite of NYC, and men of more humble backgrounds from upper NY, forged a unit while not heralded, most certainly worthy of this book. The story, while never quick moving, will be interesting for the serious reader. The unit saw serious action in breaching the Hindenburg line while attached to the British. Good for the serious student.

This book is well written, well researched and well titled. I devoured it in three sittings. While the First World War has been eclipsed by the Second World War for most Americans, this story captures a fascinating piece of America's earliest military history as a world power. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions which the author used to recreate the past. The arduous conditions the men experienced in South Carolina, where they trained at a partially built national cantonment, are so well drawn it unfolds like a movie. Their surroundings in the U.S. and abroad are brought dramatically to life. The troopship's approach to the French sea coast and entry into Brest harbor, the march through the city and the French countryside complete with the smells of tree blossoms, the troop trains, the billets, etc. were all wonderful. The graphic descriptions of life in the training areas, the reserve areas, marching to the front, entering the trenches, enduring incessant bombardments, making nighttime forays into "No Man's Land" and fighting the big battles was gripping.

The author's diligent research makes this a good read and good history. This reader became convinced that what was known as the Silk Stocking Regiment was far more than spoiled rich boys playing war. When they entered the war they may have been naive, but they rose to the challenges they faced with great courage. Despite suffering terrible casualties they fought valiantly. Their parent unit, the 27th Division, did not fight with the main American forces, the A.E.F., in France. It was assigned to the British Expeditionary Forces (B.E.F.), ultimately under the command of an Australian General, but that did not dampen their fighting spirit.

These soldiers enjoyed broad public support of the people of New York, both upstate farmers ("apple knockers") and New York City socialites, because it blended men from both. The book goes to great length exploring the pedigrees of many of the men of the historic old New York 7th Regiment. It leaves no doubt that many of the men came from the highest class of American society. We are also introduced to some of the "apple knockers". The story proves to be a very interesting social history. The trials, accomplishments and valor left this reviewer feeling very proud of these American soldiers. That feeling of pride is tempered with sadness for the many lives of these fine men which were given so unselfishly.

Every year as the holidays approached my daughter requested this book from the library. Ed Emberley's books are still the best books for easy step-by-step drawing instructions - simple lines and shapes accumulate into a satisfying whole. My son rarely picked up a drawing utensil, but he'd be down on the floor, right beside his sister drawing away - satisfied and rarely frustrated. Emberley's "Big Orange Book" also recieved a lot of use in our house around Halloween.

Ed's books on thumbprints...and simplier drawing books would probably be considered the *first* steps while i would consider this the *first and a half* step... there are more complex (more steps to some pictures) drawings... there are still pretty easy ones and if this isnt your shilds first book and they are at a stage where they are ready for something a bit more challenging this would be a good second line of art books.. it still is writtne in the same way and there are still easy easy things to draw BUT for those wishing to increase their skill/hardness level..there are pictures with more steps. the pictures are still broken down into easy to follow steps and it is STILL much easier and more understandable than most art books out there for kids... and there are so many things to choose from!

This book is from a series of 4 books from Emberly are the easiest books on drawing there are, period. Anyone young or old can learn to draw some great critters and vehicles from these books. ANYONE! All of his Big Color books are great, (They are a series, each named after a color). This one is famous for the easy way it shows you how to draw step by step, what appears to be a complex fire engine, but it is simple when you do it his way. THis book includes a number of fun ideas including Uncle Sam, police cars, ships and boats, Christmas holiday drawings. He even shows you how to make yours unique rather than a copy of his drawings. You can be the doodle hero of your classroom or office after using this book. He does it simply using very simple steps, lines, and basic shapes to start you off. My favorite in the series would be the Purple Book or the Green Book, then Orange, then the Red Book.

If you want to move up from here and learn the terminology of what you are doing, and really become an accomplished artist, the next step after these are the terrific books by Jack Hamm. If you just want to have some fun, get this book!

I think now we have all the Emberly drawing books and this one is far-and-away the toughest. Ed's son Michael, in particular, favors more complex drawings that will be harder for the youngsters to emulate, though older kids will probably appreciate the step-up after mastering the other books. (Even Ed's stuff largely seems tougher.)

Also, just so you know, this isn't a "red" drawing book like the green and orange: a wider variety of colors is used, and more subtly than in any of the other books, even the Animals book (which also uses color, but not to this degree).

I'd still recommend it, but more for 7 - 10 year olds.

A very interesting collection from Acanthus Press: very well documented, pleasant to read with a real work of documentation from the author. Despite some peoples who tried to minimise her influence, Ms de Wolfe - Mendl was an extraordinary visionnaire and has given worldwide interiors a basis that can still be found in all discerning family houses nowadays.
A very fascinating book for all interested by beauty and taste!

An exclusive self-made member of the design cognoscenti, Elsie de Wolfe was a social climber and a tastemaker. This is an unrivalled publication of a woman who pretty much defined style in the early part of the 20th century and is recognized as being the first paid interior designer in America. Full of photographs (although in black and white) of her projects and her own homes, this is a great addition to the library of anyone who is interested in classic decorating and the history of decorative arts.

THIS BOOK IS AN HISTORICAL SENSATION....A WONDERFUL READ AND FULL OF STUNNING PICTURES; WELL WORTH HAVING; MAYBE TWO IN YOUR LIBRARY ONE TO KEEP AND ONE TO CONSTANTLY REFER TO FOR INSPIRATION......A MUST HAVE !!!!

Elsie de Wolfe, born in 1865 give or take a few years, was a woman ahead of her time. She is noted for her taste in interior decoration, although she did not begin that career until after she was 40 years of age. Her earlier life had been spent as a stage actress, an occupation that raised eyebrows during the Victorian era.

Nonetheless, when she turned to her new career it was with the following announcement: "I am going in now for interior decoration. By that I mean supplying objets d'art and giving advice regarding the decoration of their houses to wealthy persons who do not have the time, inclination, nor culture to do such work for themselves. It is nothing new. Women have done the same thing before."

Perhaps so, but probably not with de Wolfe's impressive client list, which included Anne Vanderbilt, the duke and duchess of Windsor, and Adelaide and Henry Clay Frick.

This fascinating volume holds some 300 color plates tracing her designs of numerous rooms for the rich and famous, as well as rooms at Barnard College, and perhaps her greatest love, the refurbishment of the Villa Trianon. For this reader, an intriguing section is the one devoted to de Wolfe's private residence in Paris. Marriage to Sir Charles Mendl, a press attache to the British Embassy in Paris, gave de Wolfe entree to English aristocracy, albeit not terribly high on the ladder. Nonetheless the new Lady Mendl needed a proper setting to entertain. In addition to the Mendls, the apartment she found became home to a journalist friend, John McMullin. Lord Mendl chose to also retain his bachelor dwelling. This apartment was pure de Wolfe, reflecting as she had once written: "It is the personality of the mistress that the home expresses. Men are forever guests in our houses, no matter how much happiness they may find there."

Later, she would decorate rooms for herself at New York's St. Regis, and the Plaza. After going to California in 1941, she refurbished her last house in Beverly Hills for herself and her husband.

She was a trendsetter and, undoubtedly, a self-promoter who lived life to the fullest and precisely as she chose to do so. This volume is apt tribute to her style, persistence, and ingenuity.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

While waiting for this to come to dvd in the US, I purchased the book with high hopes. I fell in love with the movie and the book only enhanced that love. Elizabeth Von Arnim brings the beauty of this Italian castle to life in a way that only words can do. The charm and enchantment are palpable. It is easy to get lost in their world so that you can experience it as though you are there with the four women.

The Enchanted April. I love this book. About ladies way ahead of their time - before women's lib had come on the scene. Takes place in a rented villa in Italy for one idyllic month in April - ladies vacationing without their husbands and finding themselves.

Having loved both filmed versions of this story, I came to the book not anticipating any surprises, and in that respect I was correct. What I did get, however, was a more fully-formed understanding of each of the four women who come to San Salvatore. Each has her own quest, and each is surprised in the way that her quest is resolved.

Elizabeth von Arnim can harness language in ways that few other authors are able. She is, for instance, able to display what a walking joke Mr. Wilkins is, while letting him think that he's the very model of an educated man.

I started off loathing both Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline Dester in a way that wasn't true when watching the films. This made their transformations that much more satisfying, in the end.

I'm now interested in reading other books from Elizabeth von Arnim and, even more importantly, visiting the castello where the story is based. She wrote The Enchanted April after her own visit, and it has continued to "enchant" travelers in the many years since the publication of her novel. I can't wait to see the "tub of love" and be surrounded by wistaria myself.

This is one of the most delightful, readable books I've ever encountered. The movie is terrific -- but the book is even better. An afternoon in a comfortable chair with "The Enchanted April" is one of the best gifts to myself that I can imagine. It's a good gift to share with a friend, too.

EVER TRUE sweeps the dust off history, reading makes one look forward to the next letter as if we were waiting for the postman.

A really great read for the Civil War history buff. Highly recommended, very readable and hard to put down. Excellent work by Lisa Saunders.

I started reading yesterday and could not put it down. It is so interesting to have a look at the Civil War through the eyes of those that lived it, and Saunders' historical notes are facsinating. It amazes me to think that those letters were waiting for her to find and bring back out to the light of day. I am eagerly looking forward to being able to read more later today!

"Ever True" is a stunning account of ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances, folks who never lose their down-to-earth qualities while they learn the ways of a more sophisticated world.

David Sisson, Professor of English and avid genealogist

Lorca had a pessimistic and dark impression of the New York during the Great Depression years. Lorca describes a city populated by ghosts and nightmares. This is one of the most shocking poetic works of the XX century.
I recommend the CD 'Omega'. It is an experimental 'flamenco' work by the `cantaor' Enrique Morente, based on the poems of `Poet in New York'. This music album will help you to go deeper into the book.

Federico García Lorca is among the most celebrated Spanish poets of all time. The beauty of his writing has given him a place in the gallery of the best Spanish writers. This book he wrote when he was a student at Columbia University relies on the influence he got from the surrealistic movements that were running on Europe at the time. Thus, it gets far from the poetic language used in his other books, most notably in Romancero Gitano: verses leave the regularity of the romance to explore new and rich arrangements; the metaphors grow more complex and ellaborate, making a delicious challenge to the reader; one can read a poem time and again for days and will still be unsure of its real meaning. Besides this some of the poems reach a new height on Lorca's poetry. To anybody just seeking to discover Lorca and his world, Romancero Gitano seems to be a best approach in my oppinion, but if you know it and like it, I can't help recommending Poet in New York as a new horizon to discover. If your approach to this book is open-minded, you won't be disappointed.

After reading "Poeta en Nueva York" I found out that it was really worth learning spanish. I am not exaggerating but some of Lorca's verses make me cry. They have so much emotion and fantasy in them, and they talk about experiences that take place deep inside me. The poems are surrealist but that is also what makes them amazing. The best poem is probably "Fabula y Rueda de Los Tres Amigos" where Lorca beautifully conveys his feelings towards his relationships with others and the struggle he sees within them. Strangely enough at the end of the poem he describes a lot of events concerning his death which actually coincided with his murder a few years later. Lorca's relation with the moon reflected through his simple yet overwhelming words is also charming and inspiring. I discovered through them that there was a lot more in that celestial body orbiting the earth than what I used to see before. You will feel that poetry is just flowing out of Federico. He didn't to exert a lot of effort to sound that marvellous and that right.

After reading "A Poet in New York," I can say this much:
"I don't think I am planning a trip to New York very soon." Lorca's account of the city was so visceral, raw and cruel, I could feel the hauntingly dead interactions between people, and those people's relationships to the material world around them. The accounts of violence in the streets are equally as cold and boldly unapologetic as his observations of the early morning hours when the city is first waking up.

Gabriel Garcia Lorca truly shows that when it comes to the movements as a city with ties to industry, capitalistic gain and material wealth, there is no division between the life of the human being and the life of the machine. There is almost an automated, "conveyor belt" feeling to the mechanical movement of life in the city. As soon as energy is poured into an endeavor, it is also poured out just as easily. People are as disposable as sheet metal. Their blood, their organs and their instruments of movement could be ripped away and demolished as quickly and non-emotionally as one would destroy the framework of a building and it would be of no concern to anyone else.

I believe that Lorca's observations and journal entries are a reflection of not only the mindset of one of the most well known cities in the world, applicable to the 1930s, but is also quite accurately a reflection of the state of the world today.