North America Books

Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (7/08)

"Belly Up to the Bar" is a collection of reviews of 101 New York City restaurants that service their full menu at the bar. All restaurants included in the book have a Zagat rating of 23 or higher, and some are Michelin starred as well. While it could take up to a month to get a reservation for a seat in the dining area at most of these establishments, you can walk in off of the street and pull up a stool to the bar without reservations. Restaurants highlighted include well-revered spots like Jean Georges, Gramercy Tavern, wd-50, Babbo, and Veritas.

Each of the 101 establishments in the book list the address, phone number, Zagat rating, Michelin rating (if any), website address and the name of the chef. The author gives wonderful descriptions of the atmosphere at each location, including the crowd that typically frequents the bar (businessmen, vacationers, opera-goers, thirty-something's, couples, older foodies, etc.). The décor of the location is included as well as what to expect when you pull up a seat and ask for a menu, right down to the type of placemat that is laid before you, the bartenders' knowledge of the menu, the bread and butter and how it is served, and if water is provided without asking.

Background information on some of the chef's and the concepts behind their menu design and the set-up of their dining establishments is included. "Belly Up to the Bar" also highlights the beer and wine selections available at each site, and the price ranges that you can expect for your drinks. Quite a few of the appetizers, entrees and desserts available at the restaurants are noted, along with their prices, and the author tells you what she ordered and how it was. Handy indexes are also included for the 101 restaurants included in the guide, broken down by cuisine, location and Michelin star rating.

I would suggest this guide to any New Yorker who appreciates fine dining and doesn't mind the less-formal bar and lounge area as long as the food is just as good as what is served in the dining room. Vacationers planning a trip to New York City will find this guide no less handy than those native to New York, as with so many dining options to choose from, even native New Yorkers probably don't know which spots offer full menu's at the bar for those times when you can't possible wait four weeks for a table. "Belly Up to the Bar" by J.S. Mitchell is a guide that will allow you to walk into the setting with confidence, knowing the crowd to expect, the attire required, the atmosphere, and the certainty that you can pull up a bar stool without reservations for a great meal.

BELLY UP TO THE BAR: DINING WITH NEW YORK CITY'S CELEBRITY CHEFS WITHOUT RESERVATIONS is a guide to getting into the best Manhattan restaurants without reservations, and is a pick for any collection strong in New York travel guides. Each bar receives a 2-page description with all the information on ambiance to number of bar seats to people. From assessments of formality to etiquette and of course food quality, the book assesses only New York's best.

I thought the concept of this book was brilliant and I wondered if it would live up to my expectations. It did so and more. The author provides an insider's view of what to order and how to order it "at the bar" at the city's great dining spots. Mitchell somehow manages even to convey the ambiance of the places. I can't wait to try all these great places without having to plan ahead!

Russ Hall has written great books in two genres now: mystery and western. This book has elements of both genres: the story wends about in unexpected turns, like a mystery, while the backbone and the details of setting are true to great westerns. There is a tender story at the heart of a McMurty-like story about the harshness and cruelty of the old West. I loved this book. I hope you will too.

I fell in love with the story of Bent Red Moon! It was the kind of book that grabbed my attention from beginning to end. The setting of rustic hills in Texas was so real I could almost feel the heat from the sun and the grit on my tongue. My favorite part was seeing how Mick and his dark skinned friend would get out of the trouble that seemed to follow them everywhere. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves westerns, romance, excitement and mystery all wrapped up in one.

Wow! What an exciting book! I got caught up in the story and the drama and couldn't put the book down. The book is action-packed, yet also has a lot of interesting facts about the Texas flora and wildlife. I recommend this book to young people as well as adults.

Brutally honest, but not so cynical that it's annoying.

This is a query as to what happened to the On the Loose Series. Did the big boys (Fodors, Frommers, Let's Go swallow them up?) Any information about the demise of these student writers would be appreciated.

This is the best guidebook I've ever read. It's brutally honest, concise, and seriously funny. Offers great resources and detailed maps. Have fun !

Very touching and brings back a lot of memories. I wish I could have met Bernie. DayBreak Star facility is wonderful for the people. I hope they can continue to keep this spirit of achievement going. When you consider the 3 Reyes children coming from a poor reservation, and perservering to get their educations, and giving back like they did, it is a joy to think of. I hope our people will be touched by the achievements and consider striving for their own goals.

The author is justly proud of his brother "Bernie Whitebear". The book provides many facts and stories of Whitebear's accomplishments in fighting for Indian rights. Many of these facts can be be authenticated by going on-line and reading newspaper articles from that time.

I knew Bernie Whitebear while I was a teenager in Seattle and he was the first Urban Indian leader I had met. Over the course of time, I found him to be a person who mentored youth and he was a visionary in a very enlightening period for Urban Indians in Seattle. His perseverance and dedication is a testament to his character and reading the book written by Lawney, his brother, about their upbringing makes all the pieces in the puzzle fit and make sense. He came from a humble background (perhaps "poor" as far as wealth) but also one that was rich in morals, values, traditions and culture. This book was a very good read.

Beautiful book. Great gift to anyone but especially to our Native American family and friends.

This is my third copy. . Its a wonderful overview of many Native American cultural traditions. The map in the back is also outstanding. I keep giving it away. I really think it is special

This book is beautiful and has inspired my class to write & draw.

This is just one of those books that anyone involved in higher education needs to have. As a student of a university that is struggling with just how to reach out to our community, I would highly suggest it to anyone who wants to spend some time and reevaluate the relationship between institutions and communities.

David Maurrasse has produced a thoughtful study in his book which examines four rather different and distinct IHES (Institutions of Higher Education). By studying how each IHE serves its community, readers can get a good picture of the different approaches in use today. The IHEs--which include a state, an Ivy League, a private, and even a community college campus--serve as a fine set of baseline campuses for study.

Hostos is my particular concern, since I am a Dean at Hostos, and I am well versed in the challenges we face each day in serving our South Bronx community. I believe that Dr. Maurrasse has indeed hit the mark and hit it well in this study. I can, at least, verify his contextualizing of the Hostos mission and its community's needs. His method of becoming thoroughly familiar with the physical aspects of each campus and its history by closely interviewing members of the community as well as faculty, staff, administrators, and students is laudable. At Hostos I know he spoke to long-time stakeholders from the college community and the community at large.

The book should be challenging higher education policy makers to focus on improving community outreach strategic plans for years to come. IHEs can not afford to be percieved as "ivory towers."

This book is well written and very insightful. It can defintely be used as a tool for colleges and universities to form positive relationships with the community. I highly recommend it!

I bought this as a "welcome to Northern California" gift for a friend, and was extremely tempted to keep it for myself instead, as the store only had one copy. The photos were all so beautiful! But I caved in and gave it to her, so now I'm on the waiting list for my own copy. I'm such a good friend;-)

Having recently re-located to the Northcoast of California, we became captivated by this great collection of photographs. All of our family and friends received copies to celebrate the beauty of the Northcoast. This collection is a great way to share what we see every day.

I grew up in Fort Bragg (along the Mendocino Coast) and got my Bachelor's degree at Humboldt State University (just north of Eureka), and I now live in Lansing, Michigan. I love Michigan, but I miss the majestic, rugged scenery of the North Coast of California. This book brought me back to the sights of my memory with such excellent quality photographs, I am tempted to buy it for all of my friends who've moved away from California. Thank you to the authors for choosing the places I love (Fern Canyon, Trinidad Head, Russian Gulch) and for including some of the creatures not found in the Midwest (salamanders, banana slugs!)

This book is exceptional in so many ways. The writing is good, the photographs outstanding. Good research and intellectual honesty makes it a good source for history, ecology, and natural studies.

The approach to creating the book worked extraordinarily well but at its inception must have seemed very chancy. The author chosen to write this account of the Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was unfamiliar with the Preserve and its surrounding area in Oklahoma. The advantage was objectivity but there are lots of hazards in such a choice. Annick Smith is from Montana's Rocky Mountains, separate from the Oklahoma grasslands in many ways. Her recognized writing skills, coupled with drawing on three years of research, getting a first-hand feel of the Preserve, and interviewing a broad cross-section of local people produced this fine addition to any library.

At first glance, the beauty and physical appearance tempts a person to call this a "coffee-table book." However, this is a book with depth. Although easy to read, it takes far longer to read than a person expects at first glance. There are several photos and illustrations per page. Harvey Payne, director of the Preserve, took the majority of current photos over the Preserve's relatively short existence. His skill with a camera is extraordinary and complements Smith's writing well. The photos are mostly well captioned, although the people responsible for writing the captions and laying out the format made a few errors - one of only two negative comments that you will find in this review.

Smith chose to organize her chapters by major subject and then present them in rough chronological order. It was the correct choice to provide smooth flow, and she avoided the trap of duplicating information from chapter to chapter.

After several tries at preserving something of the vanished tall grass prairies that covered much of the central United States, the dedication of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was in 1993. Mostly local issues kept it from being federally administered and The Nature Conservancy stepped in to keep the drive for protection from failing. The Preserve includes over 30,000 acres carved from one of the big Oklahoma cattle ranches. To think of the Preserve as being the same as the original tall grass prairies, is incorrect. It will never be. For one thing, we don't even know for sure what that was; what plants were there, how it changed in response to climate and chance events over centuries. This bit of Oklahoma is an infinitesimal part of the original and each acre of the original differed. Obviously, the historic prairie was unmanaged except for minor burning and other efforts by the Indian tribes. The Preserve is highly managed, albeit with a goal of creating something close to the original. The administration sets fires to represent the random burning which natural forces might have caused. Cattle are gradually being replaced with buffalo to recreate historic grazing patterns as much as possible. However, tourism is a significant source of gaining funds and public support. Oil drilling and pumping continues through agreements between the Preserve and the oil companies. Fencing is required not only at the perimeter, but also in the interior.

Annick Smith first gives the history of the Preserve, and then circles back to that at the end of the book. She begins with the character, plants and animals of the Preserve. At that point, she steps back and covers the Native American history of the area, including the dismal record of broken agreements and various Indian relocations. The Osage are the predominant Native Americans in the area today. Smith's narrative then goes through a progression of white incursions of buffalo hunters, settlers, cattle ranchers, and finally oil exploration. It is necessarily a summary history but still provides a lot of detail. There is a generous amount about people in this book; those who created the Preserve and run it, the past and present inhabitants of the area.

At this point, I must interject my second negative comment. In portraying the community surrounding the Preserve, Smith adequately covers the people of lower income, as well as the large cattlemen and oilmen. Although mentioning some of the people in the middle, she goes too quickly past those who operate businesses in the towns that support the preserve. There isn't any mention of mini-ranchers running a few head of stock while holding other jobs to make ends meet. The people who attend PTA meetings, lead 4-H clubs, and cooperate in soil conservation districts are part of the core element in such a community.

Now back to the positive. The final chapter is "The Politics of Preservation," and the book ends with a delightful Epilogue, a great resource list for further reading, and a helpful index.

Thanks to those who brought the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve into being, and I wish them the best of luck. Thanks to Annick Smith and Harvey Payne for a great book.

I fully enjoyed this book. In her discussion of the prairie preserve, Annick Smith delved into cowboys, cattle drives, Indians, The Trail of Tears, Oklahoma land runs, buffalo, cattle, oil, the Civil War, controlled fire, prairie grasses, outlaws: all the makings of 10,000 Western movies. The book is beautiful: oversized and full of color photos. I especially enjoyed it since I was born in Oklahoma, still live here, and have spent some time on the prairie. But for anyone who likes Western history, prairie photography and preservation, this is a spiritual journey into a new home of grasses and buffalo in Oklahoma.

....this is a book you must own. Harvey Payne is one of the greatest outdoor photographers you will ever find. If you have lived in Oklahoma or are at all interested in this area or ecosystem, you will find this book fascinating. There is so much beauty in our state that is overlooked, and this book brings it to life, along with engaging stories of the people who tamed this rough wilderness. This is a book that makes me proud to be an Okie while looking at it. If you have ever been entranced by the stoic, proud majesty of the bison who once ruled the prairie, and are now relegated to wildlife preserves, buy this book!

A contemporary child gets help from an old story in this bright picture book set in a small desert village on the Papago reservation in southern Arizona near the Mexican border. Marta Enos' day is ruined when the wind blows her papers out the window and the dogs chew her homework into trash; then she trips and breaks her glasses. Grandmother comforts Marta Enos, repairs the glasses, bakes her some warm tortillas, and tells her a traditional tale about how to deal with a problem. Sometimes it is good to be a tree and look all ways at once; sometimes it is best to be a rock or a fierce mountain lion; but Marta Enos chooses to be an eagle, who can fly high and see how small the problem is. Strongbow's watercolor paintings set the story in wide desert landscapes as the sun sets and the full moon rises, and warm portraits show the loving bond across generations. (summary by Heather Roselle)

I really enjoyed this as a book to read with my 4 1/2 year old daughter. It has a neat story line, wonderful word pictures, lovely illustrations and is suitable for 4 years and up. It encourages kids to think about different ways of solving the problems that arise in life.

The story follows a young girl who, in a hurry to join her Indian grandmother making tortilla's, upsets her homework and eventualy breaks her glasses. The girl is devestated by the turn of events. The grandmonther gently restores her, giving her options on how to solve the problem while gently repairing the glasses. Is this a time to "be like a tree in the desert, standing tall and looking all ways at once" .... "a time to stay still like stone and wait for the problem to pass" .... or a time to fly high like and eagle looking far down to the problem which now seems so small and laugh at it..... As her glassess are mended and the homework reworked the girl can decide that the best option is to look at the big picture. To put the day in perspective and fly high like the eagle. The other options can be considered, thought about and keep hidden away for another day when maybe they will be the most approprite solution for life's problems.

I love this book! So does my 4 1/2 year old stepson, and his Dad has gotten a lot out of it too. The idea of choosing how you are going to respond to a problem rather than just throw a tantrum is something we are teaching the children, and constantly learning for ourselves too. This book is warm and loving, an excellent quiet time read for people of all ages.

Gorgeous book. Almost like being there as we read. Enjoying it now and

will for years to come.

The wide double format spread of the pictures is awesome. I have had it open in the living room since we got it, open to a new picture everyday. Every picture has a frame around it, just like you would have if you had it on the wall.

BIG SKY captures some gorgeous panoramas, capturing natural landscapes and tinting to explore some of the lesser-known state parks and wilderness areas across the country. It's a personal celebration of the American West by a photographer who spent over twenty years searching for just the right sites and experiences: when one was found he'd take a series of panoramic shots and stitch them together on a computer, here produced in panoramic 27x9 inch spreads to properly capture the results. Art photography libraries as well as public libraries strong in visual travel representations will want this.