New York Books

I love this book...I currently have about 4 chemistry review books, including an older edition of this book from my brother. The SAT II Books (like Princeton Review and Barrons) are good, but this book is very clear. There are a few trick questions, but mostly it is about the concepts. Very helpful with all the extra questions at the end of the chapter. Absolutely great! Thanks

This book has helped me so much with honors high school chemistry and explains everything so clearly and the convenience of having 40 practice questions per chapter really helps me truly understand the concepts of each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone taking chemistry!!

It may be a little too detailed for the regents student. Since the regents is getting dumbed down, I reccomend getting an older copy of the book (before 2001)-- It has more details and helpful hints in it

This is about the best book on high school level chemistry I have come across. Albert Tarendash explains each concept with care and very helpful example problems are worked out. I would recommend this book to anyone who is taking an introductory chemistry course.

This book has helped me so much with honors high school chemistry and explains everything so clearly and the convenience of having 40 practice questions per chapter really helps me truly understand the concepts of each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone taking chemistry!!

I am about through with the book and I normally don't make comment until I'm done with a book, but this man is truly remarkable. The author has lived a remarkable business life and the book is an inspirational biography full of relatable business lessons or nuggets. I have had a lot of fun laughing and learning from his life lessons.

On the other hand, I feel that the lesson I have learned most is that a balance of work and life is imperative to me. The author is twice divorced and I believe he dedicated more time to his work life than his family life. I think he is kinda reluctant to talk in more depth about it having only dedicated three pages to the topic. I think he would agree. Nonetheless, I have become a huge fan of John C. Whitehead.

A brief summary of John Whitehead's accomplishments thus far indicates the nature and extent of his "life in leadership": most recently, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC); previously, co-chairman of Goldman Sachs and then deputy secretary of state, second-in-command to Secretary George Shultz, in the Reagan administration; also tenures as chairman of the governing boards (at one point or another) of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the United Nations Association, the International Rescue Committee, the Harvard Board of Overseers, Haverford College from which he earned a B.A. degree, and the Asia Society. It should also be noted that, during World War Two, Ensign Whitehead commanded a Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or "Higgins boat" that successfully delivered troops to Omaha beach on the first day of the Normandy Invasion.

With all due respect to Whitehead's numerous and considerable accomplishments, however, what most impressed throughout his memoirs is his passionate commitment to being an effective leader of others whose welfare has been entrusted to his care. He has always cared deeply, indeed passionately about sustaining that commitment, whatever the given circumstances may be.

As a case in point, after retiring from Goldman Sachs, Whitehead was determined to disengage himself from his various responsibilities and therefore "was dead set against" accepting New York Governor George Pataki's invitation to serve as chairman of the LMDC, following the attack on the World Trade Center. After completing a rigorous analysis of the "pros" and "cons" of acceptance, "it was clear to me that I had to say no." Then, after he looked around his office at all the photographs and memorabilia, "I took a deep breath, and I knew what I had to do. I picked up the phone again and dialed the governor, and when he came on the line I told him I'd accept." There are dozens of other, comparable situations in which White also had to make an especially difficult decision, none of which he later regretted. "I don't allow myself that luxury. What's done is done."

There are several important lessons that can be learned from Whitehead's personal as well as professional experiences that he so generously shares in this volume. Those of greatest interest and value to me include these three:

1. Effective leadership is first and foremost both a privilege and an obligation; those who would lead others must embrace the obligations of trust, compassion, and dedication as well as of rigorous preparation, precise and enlightened decision-making, and courage. It is worth recalling that Dante reserved the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality.

2. Effective leadership also requires not only an understanding and appreciation of teamwork but also a determination to help develop effective leadership skills in one's associates. Hence the importance of recognizing and, yes, celebrating the achievements of others.

3. Finally, effective leadership functions simultaneously within three dimensions: the intellectual, the emotional, and the spiritual. Throughout history, the greatest leaders are those who possess (a) highly refined analytical skills and sufficient knowledge that enable them to make appropriate decisions, (b) a temperament that enables them to sustain a proper balance of what is most important, and also (c) what is often referred to as a "moral compass." As Bill George has so eloquently explained in his book True North, authentic leaders must be authentic people.

When concluding his memoirs, Whitehead observes that he can't help thinking how "lucky" he has been. "Mine has been a good life, filled with lots of fun, interesting experiences, drama, and an engagement with serious issues at the highest level...I have lived at a time when there has been a lot to be done, from fighting the Nazis to battling terrorists. I like to think I have risen to many of these challenges in my own quiet fashion, and I am confident that the next generation of leaders will meet them in their turn. I have been glad to do my part in all of these great endeavors. More than glad. From first to last, I have been thrilled to be in on the action."

John Whitehead is an exemplary leader but also, in my opinion, an exemplary human being. My hope now is that many others, especially those preparing for a career or who have only recently embarked on one, will read and then re-read this compelling personal account of a life well-lived, committing themselves to honorable and productive service when they are also "in on the action," whenever and wherever that may be.

A brief summary of John Whitehead accomplishments thus far indicates the nature and extent of his "life in leadership": most recently, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation LMDC); previously, co-chairman of Goldman Sachs and then deputy secretary of state, second-in-command to Secretary George Shultz, in the Reagan administration; also tenures as chairman of the governing boards (at one point or another) of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the United Nations Association, the International Rescue Committee, the Harvard Board of Overseers, Haverford College from which he earned a B.A. degree, and the Asia Society. It should also be noted that, during World War Two, Ensign Whitehead commanded a The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or "Higgins boat" that successfully delivered troops to Omaha beach on the first day of the Normandy Invasion.

With all due respect to Whitehead's numerous and considerable accomplishments, however, what most impressed throughout his memoirs is his passionate commitment to being an effective leader of others whose welfare has been entrusted to his care. He has always cared deeply, indeed passionately about sustaining that commitment, whatever the given circumstances may be.

As a case in point, after retiring from Goldman Sachs, Whitehead was determined to disengage himself from his various responsibilities and therefore "was dead set against" accepting New York Governor George Pataki's invitation to serve as chairman of the LMDC, following the attack on the World Trade Center. After completing a rigorous analysis of the "pros" and "cons" of acceptance, "it was clear to me that I had to say no." Then, after he looked around his office at all the photographs and memorabilia, "I took a deep breath, and I knew what I had to do. I picked up the phone again and dialed the governor, and when he came on the line I told him I'd accept." There are dozens of other, comparable situations in which White also had to make an especially difficult decision, none of which he later regretted. "I don't allow myself that luxury. What's done is done."

There are several important lessons that can be learned from Whitehead's personal as well as professional experiences that he so generously shares in this volume. Those of greatest interest and value to me include these three:

1. Effective leadership is first and foremost both a privilege and an obligation; those who would lead others must embrace the obligations of trust, compassion, and dedication as well as of rigorous preparation, precise and enlightened decision-making, and courage. It is worth recalling that Dante reserved the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality.

2. Effective leadership also requires not only an understanding and appreciation of teamwork but also a determination to help develop effective leadership skills in one's associates. Hence the importance of recognizing and, yes, celebrating the achievements of others.

3. Finally, effective leadership functions simultaneously within three dimensions: the intellectual, the emotional, and the spiritual. Throughout history, the greatest leaders are those who possess (a) highly refined analytical skills and sufficient knowledge that enable them to make appropriate decisions, (b) a temperament that enables them to sustain a proper balance of what is most important, and also (c) what is often referred to as a "moral compass." As Bill George has so eloquently explained in his book True North, authentic leaders must be authentic people.

When concluding his memoirs, Whitehead observes that he can't help thinking how "lucky" he has been. "Mine has been a good life, filled with lots of fun, interesting experiences, drama, and an engagement with serious issues at the highest level...I have lived at a time when there has been a lot to be done, from fighting the Nazis to battling terrorists. I like to think I have risen to many of these challenges in my own quiet fashion, and I am confident that the next generation of leaders will meet them in their turn. I have been glad to do my part in all of these great endeavors. More than glad. From first to last, I have been thrilled to be in on the action."

John Whitehead is an exemplary leader but also, in my opinion, an exemplary human being. My hope now is that many others, especially those preparing for a career or who have only recently embarked on one, will read and re-read this compelling personal account of a life well-lived, then commit themselves to honorable and productive service when they are also "in on the action," wherever that may be.

This fascinating book will be of interest to a wide array of readers. Previously, I knew a little about John Whitehead's illustrious career of leadership in three sectors: as an icon of Wall Street, Deputy Secretary of State, and a philanthropist. Whitehead describes how his professional and personal goals were achieved. With humor and low-key modesty, he shares his experiences throughout his life, and admits to the cases of serendipity that marked aspects of his career.

Readers interested in business and finance will enjoy reading how John Whitehead realized his vision of turning Goldman Sachs & Co. into a global investment banking powerhouse by the application of straight-forward methods. With determination, clear-thinking, good planning, and honesty, he rose at Goldman Sachs from a young Harvard MBA to co-chairman in the span of 29 years.

Whitehead promoted innovations at Goldman Sachs that were later adopted throughout the investment banking industry: the first initial public offering, preferred stocks and convertible bonds. His nine-point memo with advice to the New Business Department was revolutionary at the time. It included the famous aphorism, "You can never learn anything when you're talking." The co-chairmanship of Goldman Sachs that he established with John Weinberg was a novel leadership solution, as no Wall Street firm had ever had two chairmen before. John Whitehead displayed determination and thoroughness in his work. For example, no one outside of privately-held Ford Motor Company knew exactly how big the company was. In the mid-1950s, Whitehead took the train up to Boston and personally went through the public records in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts files, to find a copy of Ford's balance sheet. This information stimulated Goldman Sachs to initiate a relationship with Ford, which culminated in its managing the IPO of the largest family-owned company in the world.

For readers interested in foreign policy, the book illustrates how to achieve results inside the government. Even before his confirmation as Deputy Secretary of State under President Reagan, in the face of Senator Jesse Helms' obstructionism, he learned the value of speaking directly to an adversary in a successful effort to work things out. Whitehead wanted to make a difference in the world, which he accomplished "with just a little insight and persistence." One of his key successes was to begin the process of weaning Eastern Europe away from the Soviet Union through astute diplomacy, while US foreign policy was still focused on Moscow. He gives a riveting account of his meetings with Lech Walesa and Poland's president Jaruzelsky, Rumania's president Ceaucescu, and Bulgaria's dictator Zhivkov.

John Whitehead also made a strong imprint in the world of nonprofits. "They appealed to the idealistic side of my nature," he writes. Over the course of his life, he has given away more than $100 million. His involvement in nonprofits began with assistance to freedom fighters resisting the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. He describes his exciting experiences with US-supported mujahedin fighting Russian invaders in Afghanistan, including witnessing an attack on a Soviet fort led by a Harvard Law School graduate from Pakistan! More recently, Whitehead's chairmanship of numerous nonprofits - notably the International Rescue Committee, United Nations Association, Youth for Understanding, International House, and The Asia Society - coincided with their spectacular growth.

What makes Whitehead's book especially appealing are the captivating details about his personal life. He relates how his dashing father would land his single-engine plane during World War I on an athletic field on the Bryn Mawr campus, to court his future wife. Upon graduating from high school, John Whitehead worked at the 1939 World's Fair running a concession guessing customers' weights. That summer, he earned enough to pay for his first year's tuition at Haverford College. When he joined the State Department, his daughter made up flash cards to help him memorize the capitals and the names of the political leaders of the 185 countries recognized by the United States.

The book enters the new millennium with John Whitehead's tenure as chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, to which he was appointed by Governor Pataki. Its mission was to rebuild the World Trade Center following the tragedy of 9-11. Whitehead describes the vision and challenges of rebuilding Ground Zero. The book concludes with his ideas about leadership, and comments about foreign policy and the general state of the nation. In Whitehead's model of "quiet leadership," the most effective leaders are patient, thoughtful people who are guided by high ideals and do a lot of listening. The ethical dimension of John Whitehead's life and leadership style, and his credo of "doing well while doing good," are truly inspiring - as is this book.

I had trouble finishing this book because I could barely get through a couple of pages without getting so inspired that I had to stop so I could take action on my own dreams. As a recent graduate of NYU, I was reminded that my career path will take many unexpected turns and of the possible impact I can have by following my vision and sticking to my values.

This autobiography is written with such authenticity that it is completely relatable. The author's struggle to pay his own way through college in 1939 reminded me of my own in 2000. I could relate to the feelings of triumph. And I could certainly relate to the mortifying mistakes (although perhaps I haven't yet experienced anything as bad as driving Henry Ford home in a Chevy!).

At the same time, the book is incredibly educational. History, business, political, and leadership lessons are encapsulated in every story. As Whitehead describes his experiences, certain themes begin to emerge, giving the reader tools they can apply to their own life. I found myself using lessons I derived from Whitehead's diplomacy missions in my work with others!

I would highly recommend this book to anybody interested in leadership, but especially young business people at the beginning of their careers. This memoir gives an incredible inside and frank perspective on leadership of an individual who has had a more ecclectic and successful career than most people could ever hope for. Furthermore, this book is also fascinating because it provides a historical insight into the business world that a history textbook could never provide.

Lastly, I recommend this book because the leadership lessons it provides are universal. They aren't fly-by-night strategies, but basic and simple values that can be applied to almost any leadership position at any time.

1993 and the city doesn't really want to know they're in the peak of a crack epedemic. Giovinazzo tells it all with all the "in your face" brutality and dirt that New York wanted to keep confined to the Port Authority Buiding and 42nd st. before it turned to Disneyland. You know what? It's all still there, just spread around more. Disturbing and straight from the hip,but it wasn't till years past that those very images have come to permeate our music ,literature, art and films. Take a ride on the crack train and while you're at it check out BG's outstanding film work like No Way Home with Tim Roth. A local guy who is a Euro cult star and fabulous drummer as well as director. I need another hit of Buddy G

I was first interested in "Life is Hot in Cracktown" after hearing it was the new sequel if you will to Selby's "Last Exit to Brooklyn." While Last Exit is a classic, this book is fast-paced, contemporary, and ambitious. This string of distantly realted stories exemplifies the horror the criminal underworld and idolizes the good people caught the system. Some characters are good, some are bad unlike Selby's books in which all are truly wicked. I suggest you read this. Throughout the reading, you will feel a sense of hope pervading the most horrible of situation. Good look and enjoy.

Well, these vignettes are eerie, well written, and intense! He has a way of keeping you reading! Giovanazzo's other books are similar...and just as well written.

Giovanazzo has trained his magnificent eye on the lives of some of New York's trash heap. The prose style is clean and unpretentious, and the portraits are sometimes touching, sometimes horrifying, but always real.

This book will make you think, and feel. Its characters are complex people. But what makes their lives so tragic is their direct or indirect involvement with the homogenizing grind of crack addiction. As this currency and the pursuit of it control varying, but always overwelming amounts of the characters' time and energy, we see them stripped of all human traits except pain. And this, in action and ideation, is the sad fate of the addict. Superb, truthful book.

Having met the author, Lester Atwell, and interpreting his comments about his youth, it is concievable that this wonderful treasure, Life with its Sorrow, Life with its Tear" is, indeed, a "curtained autobiography" of his days of youth. Truly a gentleman with an incredible sense of humor and memory! He was legally blind when we met him in 2001, shortly before his death. A veteran of WW11 as an infantryman in the 87th Infantry Div. of General Patton's 3rd Army, Atwell also wrote,"Private," his experiences in the European Theater 1944-1945. WELL WORTH THE READ!

This book is one of the best I've ever read---the story is wonderful, as well as the writing. I first read it when I was a teenager--now in my 40's, I have reread it more times than I can count. I am now passing it on to my daughter to read; I am sure she will enjoy it as many times as I have!

why i didn't know about this book, before a very well-read friend gave it to me and told me that it was one of her all-time favorites. readable, accessible, but beautifully-written and perfectly-described, it will absolutely transport you to another world. what can i say? it's made me give up TV. and i'm dreading reaching the final page because i just don't want it to end. do yourself a favor and order this one.

Paul. Uncle Reggie. Aunt Dottie. Aunty. Audrey. Aunt Viv. The cousins. "As the train roared in" you will be on that train and instantly captivated in their tale. The Great Depression is just a nuisance; Prohibition is a joke. Their parties and plans and hopes continue. Paul,the orphaned son of the family's sister, has heard from his late father about the family's extravagances and 'pretensions' all his life, but finds himself drawn into their way of life. Encouraged by them all, especially Uncle Reggie, his dreams grow beyond anything he had ever imagined, only to find that the people who love you most can have nearly fatal flaws.

I first came upon this book in a thrift store, and bought it because liked its title. From the moment I began to read it, I was totally absorbed in the story line, but what impressed me most was the character development. The characters ran the gamut from flamboyant and boastful to young and shy. Although the characters were all very different from one another, they melded perfectly in this story. This book has a very special place in my heart, alongside Gone With the Wind, Grapes of Wrath, and Thorn Birds. It is well worth the read.

My son (2yrs) got this book and loves it so much!
the colors and real life action!!

he loves to watch kids do karate!
i recommend highly!

This is a great non-fiction about Chinese New Year, for ages 4-12! The text is simple enough for younger children and detailed enough to really be informative for older children. Following a young child through his preparations for the celebration immediately brings young readers (and listeners)into the story. Vivid photographs of familiar and novel scenes help children to relate to Ernie Wan while learning about a significant aspect of his culture. Rather than lecturing the reader, this book invites the reader to share in one boy's celebration of the Chinese New Year while teaching about the holiday at the same time. This book has been well-loved by my children (now ages 8, 10, 12) for many years. We are now on our second copy of the book! It comes out every Chinese New Year, and even some other times through out the year. My children often ask to take this book to school to share at Chinese New Year. (Bonus: inside the back cover is an explanation of the Chinese zodiac with years and personality traits.)

Follow Ernie Wan and his family throughout a traditional Chinese (Cantonese) New Year Celebration! Colorful photos and detailed text provide good insight to a fascinating and beautiful culture! Photos of New York's Chinatown and Chinese schools are accompanied by cultural facts. From kung fu school to New Year traditions, this book is more than I expected. The Lion Dance is covered very well, but is certainly not the sole topic of this outstanding book! Ages 4 and up.

For my preschool class, I am pairing this book with an 11' long paper dragon and a stuffed dragon puppet. The children will be making paper lanterns and sampling various Chinese foods. They should really enjoy the unit on Chinese New Year!

Gung-Hey-Fat-Choy! Happy New Year!

If you have small children,their first encounter with the lion can be the stuff bad dreams are made of. Our 16-month-old son was both frightened and intrigued by the lion that came to the Chinese restaurant where our friends' son was enjoying his first birthday. The book follows Ernie Wan through his preparation to his first lion dance one Chinese New Year's day in New York's Chinatown. You see the customs and rituals that lead up to his debut. More important, you see the closeness of his family and the value of rites of passage in gathering people together. My family is not Chinese but my wife and I have immigrant parents. If you are trying to demonstrate why maintaining your cultural heritage is worthwhile, Lion Dancer will support your cause. My son literally drools on the pictures of the Chinese dishes and the kung-fu kicks of the lions amid the firecracker smoke. If I have a single criticism, it's that the pages of this paperback will fall out after repeated reading. And if I'm entitled to menion one mature indulgence, the book includes a section describing the personalities of the various animals in the Chinese lunar year. You might agree that the year you were born is more telling than the month.

I thought the book was very interesting with wonderful pictures
for children to look at. Despite being written for children to enjoy, it gave some insight to anyone, curious about this aspect of Chinese culture.

Carol Lea Benjamin has been a dog trainer and private investigator. Her heroine, Rachel Alexander, a dog-trainer-turned-PI, comes from a traditional Jewish family that disapproves of both her occupations. Like Rachel's family, and like Rachel herself, we readers find ourselves asking, "How did she get into this?"
The Long Good Boy is sixth in the series featuring Rachel and her sidekick Dashiell, a superbly trained pit bull, with guide dog certifications that let him stay close to Rachel wherever she goes. And Rachel needs help when she enters Manhattan's meat-packing district to help three transvestite hookers find out who murdered one of their friends -- and whether one of them might be the next victim.
Rachel learns that another murder took place nearby, just the night before "Rosalinda" was murdered. Coincidence? Not likely. Determined to unearth the connection, Rachel goes undercover in a part-time sales job at Saks, finds creative ways to, um, release the files she needs from the meat company, and takes to the streets for a brief but memorable stroll.
Benjamin always plays fair. Dogs don't talk or solve crimes. Any top-dog trainer could turn Chi-Chi's tiny dachsund, Clint, into a competent burglar when Dashiell turns out to be the wrong size. Dog lovers will recognize Clint's expression after the first training session: "Thank goodness somebody finally realized I have a brain."
Benjamin's vividly depicts a world most readers would just as soon not know about: "tranny" hookers trying to earn money for dope, getting into strange cars, negotiating with "pimps" who are not much into employee relations. Yet the characters are portrayed three-dimensionally, sympathetically but not sentimentally. And somehow Benjamin manages to maintain the style of a "cozy" mystery in this totally un-cozy setting -- the sign of an author who is very much on top of her craft.

Rachel Alexander suffers from insomnia, which leads to an unusual job with transsexual prostitutes who are concerned about the murder of a fellow working girl. Shadowy intrigue and urban noir mingle in this mystery which offers many twists and turns.

Carol Lea Benjamin has been a dog trainer and private investigator. Her heroine, Rachel Alexander, a dog-trainer-turned-PI, comes from a traditional Jewish family that disapproves of both her occupations. Like Rachel's family, and like Rachel herself, we readers find ourselves asking, "How did she get into this?"
The Long Good Boy is sixth in the series featuring Rachel and her sidekick Dashiell, a superbly trained pit bull, with guide dog certifications that let him stay close to Rachel wherever she goes. And Rachel needs help when she enters Manhattan's meat-packing district to help three transvestite hookers find out who murdered one of their friends -- and whether one of them might be the next victim.
Rachel learns that another murder took place nearby, just the night before "Rosalinda" was murdered. Coincidence? Not likely. Determined to unearth the connection, Rachel goes undercover in a part-time sales job at Saks, finds creative ways to, um, release the files she needs from the meat company, and takes to the streets for a brief but memorable stroll.
Benjamin always plays fair. Dogs don't talk or solve crimes. Any top-dog trainer could turn Chi-Chi's tiny dachsund, Clint, into a competent burglar when Dashiell turns out to be the wrong size. Dog lovers will recognize Clint's expression after the first training session: "Thank goodness somebody finally realized I have a brain."
Benjamin's vividly depicts a world most readers would just as soon not know about: "tranny" hookers trying to earn money for dope, getting into strange cars, negotiating with "pimps" who are not much into employee relations. Yet the characters are portrayed three-dimensionally, sympathetically but not sentimentally. And somehow Benjamin manages to maintain the style of a "cozy" mystery in this totally un-cozy setting -- the sign of an author who is very much on top of her craft.

Rachel Alexander is on her strangest case yet. He is hired by three transvestite hookers to find the killer of their friend Rosalinda. The manager of the local meat plant was killed the same night, and Rachel thinks there is a connection.

This is a very taut thriller. I couldn't put it down. The characters are bizarre and very real. I can't wait for the next Rachel and Dash mystery.

Carol Lea Benjamin has written a crime novel that excels in many dimensions. It is a brilliantly plotted thriller that will keep your heart pounding up until the last word; her characters are so distinctive and quirky that you'll wish they were real and you had the chance to know them; her usual humor is as evident as ever; and, of course, the dog stuff is as informative as it is appropriate to the story. This is Ms. Benjamin's grittiest novel to date and a good read for any mystery lover.

This collection of vintage postcards, with a well written history of the Hamptons, was a lovely surprise. I bought this initially as a gift but kept it for myself and ordered a second copy to give away.

I lost my two pet hamsters, hampton and hampton. I thought this book would help me find them. It didn't, but the pictures were so pretty, I don't care about my hamsters any more.

Steven Petrow's beautiful book on the Hamptons brings that part of the world -- some of which has been lost to time -- to brilliant life. His well-researched and concise history makes the colorful postcards seem even more vivid in their depiction of the lifestyle of the Hamptons. As a history buff, the book satisfied my appetite for learning the Hampton's story; as a casual reader looking for something to flip through on a lazy summer afternoon, I have found myself coming back to this book again and again. As Cole Porter might say, it's a de-lovely depiction that I am going bring as a treat to my East Coast friends when I visit them.

The Lost Hamptons's combination of text and postcards perfectly captures the mood, light, homes and society of a gracious bygone era. Spend a few hours with this beautiful book and experience the Hamptons in all their historic glory.

My family and are planning a vacation to visit the Hamptons area later this summer. I picked this book up with the hope that it would give us a good basic historical overview about the area. It turns out this book is so much more than a standard history. The vintage photos that were collected for this book are so vivid they literally reach out and "touch" you and send your mind reeling backwards in time - a time that is seemingly "lost" as the author refers to in the title of the book.

This book will now be a companion guide for me and my family during our trip. We plan to seek out as many of the places pictured in the book and find out what they look like now so we can build a "before and after" album of our trip.

The book was good but would have been better if the stories were not so disjointed. The common denominator was the Lake and the stories were interlinked because of those who lived there or where they originated from.

Not much to add to the reviews below, aside from the fact that I agree with them completely.

Slouka's writing approaches poetry in its effect. Beautiful.

Mr. Slouka is a fine writer. His words are beautifully strung together, his vision of the world elevates the mundane into poetry. For this reader, such writing is much like a fancy cake or bonbon ~ the gorgeous product of excellent talent and grand effort. Best read in small, savored bits. Recommended.

This book brought me more reading enjoyment than any I have read in a number of years. Slouka has a talent which only some short story writers possess--the ability to pull you into the narrative with the first sentence or two. The character insights are first-rate and each story is a polished jewel.

A great read!

This collection of essays and short stories is poignant. My eyes frequently teared over. It is rare, I think, to find lovely, melancholy tales that question love and sense of place and are written in a male voice from a male perspective. "Lost Lake", due to the finely crafted writing and the emotional chords it struck, has now been placed in a section of a bookcase where I safely guard two dozen books that are very important to me. Highly recommended for all readers, but particularly for men who see the world with a sensitive perspective, and who search to provide themselves with an emotional sense of time and place.

My wife brought this book home and I happened to read the first page. Could
not put this book down. Very simple story about two very mismatched people
and what happens when they start to live their lives together. It is a very
quirky love story and not something I'd normally even pick up , but I kept turning the pages to find out what happens
next to Gabe and Eliza. At first I thought the power of the writing was
because the author didn't use adjectives but she does use adjectives. She
just writes in a very spare manner and nothing you could imagine her
characters saying is ever said because the author knows we have already imagined
the words they should say so why say them. And then the characters say and do something we never
could have dreamed they would do.

Loved the book.

Elisa is such a interesting character that i read this cover to cover. Gabe could have used a little excitement however, but reading his point really evolved Elisa in my mind. She handles her disease a little too lightly, maybe making it less scary that it really is. I really did enjoy this book, constantly waiting to see what Elisa would do next.

"Lucky Us" is a very slow, careful exploration of a relationship that, by all accounts, shouldn't succeed. To start, this is a vast difference in age between Gabe and Elisa and ultimately, there is the decidely immature way in which Elisa behaves after she discovers that she has a serious disease.

Pairing these two individuals, Joan Silber skillfully constructs a story that acknowledges the gaps, but emphasizes the shaky platforms that bridge the differences. This is a love story that contains some hard truths; I appreciate how Silber conveys how people can act hurtfully even when they love someone dearly.

Elisa's behavior is often sour; Gabe is the character who imbues the novel with its sweetness. His maturity is stronger and steadier than Elisa's foolishness, and will anchor them through the deepest waters.

My hesitation with the book, however, is that Gabe is so unwavering that he almost seems like one of those perfect Ayn Rand characters! I realize novels are not held up to any literary requirements as far as truthfulness, but I think Silber would have delivered a stronger story had Gabe wrestled with some doubts before he embraced Elisa and her complicated demands on his love.

"Lucky Us" is a great contemporary love story. I randomly selected this novel from the library, and I found myself unable to put it
down. The story was intriguing and exceptionally touching. Gabe and Elisa are an incrediably mismatched couple that face the pressures and problems of modern day relationships. You'll find yourself curious to know the outcome of Elisa's attitude towards life after being infected with HIV. Along with how this issue will affect their future as a couple. Also, will their past burdens affect their personalities, decisions, and roles in life? Joan Silber's lively characters and lovely prose make every page of this book a pleasure to read.

"Lucky Us" is a great contemporary love story. I randomly selected this novel from the library, and I found myself unable to put it
down. The story was intriguing and exceptionally touching. Gabe and Elisa are an incrediably mismatched couple that face the pressures and problems of modern day relationships. You'll find yourself curious to know the outcome of Elisa's attitude towards life after being infected with HIV. Along with how this issue will affect their future as a couple. Also, will their past burdens affect their personalities, decisions, and roles in life? Joan Silber's lively characters and lovely prose make every page of this book a pleasure to read.

This book is a masterpiece. I hope he rewrite his book and add pictures into the book. Good story and lots of classic recipes. Sometimes, I wish he has not retired yet & keep his restaurant opened.

This is one of the best and most useful cookbooks by a great chef that you are likely to find. Too often such books aren't suited for the home cook and are more about ego than food. That is definitely not the case here. Andre Soltner was the owner and chef of the renowed Lutece, a New York institution, for three decades. In this book he shares some of the history of the great restaurant as well as his Alastian heritage. The focus of the book, however, is the food. Significantly, Soltner recognizes that he is writing for the home cook. He thoughtfully provides tips on how to find ingredients or acceptable substitutes for those of us who don't have access to an exotic wholesaler and suggests the best kinds of kitchen accessories to use. It is obvious that Soltner cooks these recipes in his own home. You don't need a first class professional kitchen to enjoy these recipes. Also, the recipes are designed for suitable portion sizes; these aren't recipes to feed a crowd that have been shrunk to fit the cookbook. Just because this book is practical, however, doesn't mean that it doesn't focus on the most sophisticated kind of food. There is plenty of classical French cooking in this book, but it all seems like something you can accomplish in your own kitchen. There are plenty of things in here that you won't want to cook - there's an abundance of organ meats - but you will thoroughly enjoy anything that you do prepare. This is a great addition to any kitchen library.

If, like me, your idea of culinary hell is quinoa blini with kimchee "tartare", wasabi sorbet in a pesto tuile, and a two-inch stick of "roasted" tuna on an acre of herb sprigs, then this is the cookbook for you. Soltner's recipes appear remarkable today, since they are both delicious and totally unpretentious, almost simple. These recipes are classically French, from the Alsace region, and despite the fact that they were regulars in one of the world's greatest restaurants, many are also easy to prepare. There is neither fusion nor fussiness in this food, just respect for good ingredients and some tried and true techniques. You don't need to be a highly experienced or highly equipped amateur to try many of these; all you need is a bit of patience and a good appetite. Try the mushroom-Gruyere salad or the grilled trout. Of course there are some very sophisticated and difficult dishes as well. I never ate at Lutece and probably neither did you, but at least all our favorite entertainers did. So if you like true French food and would rather beat eggs than fend off paparazzi, you should buy this book.

After graduating from college I started to cook for myself, primarily so I could eat a healthier diet. Two-odd years and many barely edible messes later, I find myself starting to develop a cook's intuition: what brand names provide better ingredients, what substances are NOT adequate substitutes (the cliche being baking powder vs. soda), when proportions are balanced, how much time recipes take, and so on.

When I picked this book up after failing to find Bourdain's "Les Halles" cookbook in the library, I wasn't expecting anything special. Later on I took the time to flip through most of it and was intrigued. Finally I tried the Rhubarb Tart recipe and BAM! -- I was amazed. As other reviewers have mentioned, Soltner has an unerring sense of harmony, and most of his recipes call for (relatively) basic ingredients.

After reading the book in depth and trying a few more recipes, I felt in awe. This was clearly the best cookbook I had ever come across, beating out even Marcella Hazan's "Essential Italian". To name several of many reasons:

1) Soltner started cooking before my dad was born, and clearly maintains a respect for the terrines, quenelles, and mousses that characterize classic French cooking. But as he admits he adapted the best parts of food trends throughout the years, and even includes some childhood favorites and regional specialties from his boyhood in Alsace. (Incidentally, Alsace seems to have produced more than its share of world-class cooks...) So you are as likely to find a recipe for inventive pike sausages or Alsatian potato pie as something with sole or truffles.

2) The recipes are clearly chosen for the home cook. There are complicated recipes, to be sure, but without the showy intricacy common in Thomas Keller's recipes or, say, the "Babbo" cookbook, where long and careful preparation leads to just one small dish. Every recipe offers plenty of "bang for the buck".

3) The introductory material is fascinating. It includes a description of the trademark atmosphere of Lutece, a "day in the life of" recorded before Soltner retired, some musings from Soltner himself, and a concise but thorough discussion of the most common ingredients and techniques. Through it all you get a sense of the warmth and hospitality that characterizes Soltner both as a cook and as a person. And the wry, lighthearted comments continue throughout for most recipes.

A few final words of praise. The presentation of the book is nigh-perfect. Large enough to be readable, small enough to contain a slew of recipes covering the main categories of French cuisine. The directions are precise, the ingredients proportions correct, no glossy images take up space but there are occasional hand-drawings.

Getting back to my own experience, I don't think that I could have fully appreciated "Lutece" a year ago. Every single recipe is worth making. And what's more, Soltner has this remarkable way of pointing out the subtle, yet important, details for each recipe (for example the exact butterfat content necessary in chocolate for the Chocolate Tart). Yet he is not too fussy, often suggesting adequate substitutes for more rare or expensive ingredients such as morels. Use this book, eat well, and become a better cook.

Mr. Soltner, my deepest respect to you for your marvelous work, both in the kitchen and in print. And Mr. Britchky, my heartfelt thanks for convincing Mr. Soltner to produce this book. I would be minus a culinary gem without it.

The collaboration between Britchkey and Soltner is a long one and began when the former became a food critic at large. He continually gave Lutece the highest award year after year for the very reasons found in this book: No fancy dancy, inside out topsy turvey "presentation", no exotic mixing of Indian and Southern cooking, no "tricks". What he admired was the sheer artistry behind the dish, the always fresh ingredients, the simple yet complete recipes that harken back to the chef's days as a boy in France and in particular, the Alsace region.

Many of these offerings are peculiarly French with ingredients that may not be common to average American cooks. Yet almost all can be prepared at home with a little bit of time and effort. This is NOT food for the diet crowd although Soltner's use of creams and butters and oils is entirely reasonable and serves to accentuate rather than hide flavors. Particularly appealing are the many stories of his childhood and early cooking days that are shared throughout the book.