3 comments about The Legendary Neversink: A Treasury of the Best Writing About One of America's Great Trout Rivers.

1. "The Legendary Neversink" is a keeper.
   
   15 years ago I learned that The Neversink River in the Catskill Mountains of New York is where dry fly fishing was introduced in America. It was developed and spread throughout the county until "the Catskill School" became the American School. This book offers further proof that it would be hard to name a sportsman, naturalist or conservationist who did not explore the river, try his hand at fishing it and later write about it.
   Wonderfully illustrated, Askins has blended over twenty essays about the Neversink River (written by these individuals over the span of more than 100 years) into a thrilling history of the environment, the explorers and innovators, the economy and the political struggles which threatened and ultimately preserved it for our generation. Every chapter, whether it is a how-to-do-it, an adventure well remembered, or an hilarious tale of men (or women) interacting with nature, is great reading.



2. Ed McGivern has really created a great book on shooting here. Whether you are a new gunslinger, or experienced marksman, there is something for everybody in here. He is historically one of the best known shooters, and gives an entertaining glimpse into all of his experimentations in shooting.



3. Much of what is reprinted here could be accurately described as having little or nothing to do with the Neversink; many pieces seem to have been selected merely because their authors were somehow associated with the Neversink or were known to have fished the river. Furthermore, Askins presents an entirely one-sided and misleading view of the "gorge controversy," which involved the acquisition of hunting and fishing rights in a portion of the Neversink gorge by the State of New York that ultimately allowed the public recreational use of the gorge. Although some of the pieces are by significant American angling writers, this is not the way to learn about the Neversink.

5 comments about Guide to New York City Landmarks.

1. What I said about the AIA GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY is the same I have to say about Guide to New York City Landmarks by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. I have been a New Yorker all my life and thought I'd known it all. There were buildings/structures that I knew to be older than most and probably landmarks, but never got around to checking them out. Then I picked up the Guide to New York City Landmarks
   by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission sometime in 2003. Ever since, I have kept it with me at all times: in my back pocket, my briefcase, my jacket... Sometimes I go to some of these places in advance, with the intent of looking at them after I'd read about them. Other times, when on my way to or from work or lunch, I will see a building, stop, and look to read about what it is. My hunches aren't always correct, of course: not all the buildings I think are landmarks are. But I always keep this Guide on hand to find out.



2. Excellent resource. Has detailed descriptions and appraisals of New Yorks most important historical landmarks and buildings. It is critical in helping us plan our trip to NYC.



3. Profusely illustrated, filled with informative and fascinating text, and sporting great sidebars on key points of NYC history and architecture, this volume will aid and bedazzle tourists, students, and history buffs -- perhaps even getting the most jaded of New Yorkers to see their neighborhoods in new light!



4. I thought with this book I could go straight to historical sites, find out who built it, when and learn history about it. The book is not quite that easy to use.



5. I'm a NYC Tour Guide and this is one indespensible book for my professional library.

1 comments about Frommer's 24 Great Walks in New York (Great Walks).

1. The book gives thorough, easy to follow walking tours throughout different areas of New York City. The historical facts and inclusion of details regarding the development of the city are impressive. The authors, Michele and James Nevius, are New York tour guides - I followed up with a tour of Greenwich Village with them to appreciate their level of knowledge of the area. If you are interested in a focused look at the city with insights into how time has passed through architecture and immigration, use this book as a guide.

1 comments about Streetwise Downtown Manhattan Map - Laminated Street Map of Downtown Manhattan, NY - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated subway station locations (Streetwise (Streetwise Maps)).

1. If you think you'll ever find yourself in Manhattan, do us all a favor and buy this map. You don't want to look like a tourist fighting with that huge copy of the NYC subway map that they hand out for free. I'm convinced that the MTA has some sort of deal with the muggers to hand those unnecessarily large maps to mark the tourists.

   This is by far the most comprehensive Manhattan map I've seen packed into an easy-to-carry, laminated package. It has all the essentials that would be valuable to the casual visitor or the local yokel who would never admit they don't know where Essex crosses Rivington.

2 comments about Spooky New York: Tales of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore (Spooky).

1. New York has a rich heritage of folklore. The author of Spooky New York has picked 30 great stories to share. My favorites are story number 4 entitled "Redemption", story number 9, called "The Rising of Gouverneur Morris" and story number 21 called "Henry Hudson and the Kaatskill Gnomes". The book has 30 stories and all 30 are told in an interesting manner, some of the stories have surprise endings. A few popular folklore legends are recounted such as "The Maid of the Mist". This is a great story to read for anyone visiting Niagara Falls. The story provides some background material and reads in an interesting manner. If you are planning a visit to the Rochester area the first story in the book called "The White Lady of the Lake" may interest you. The setting for the story is the Durand - Eastman Park. The park is on Lake Ontario, a great setting for a picnic. You may even be able to find the stair's mentioned in the story. There are several great stories about the New York City area, There's an Empire State Building ghost story, a story about buried treasure on Liberty Island and many more fasinating tales. I highly recommend this book.



2. I really enjoyed Schlosser's latest book. I own the whole series, and I read Spooky New York as soon as it arrived from Amazon (which happened to be a traditional dark and stormy night.) There were a couple of stories, High Hat and the Hermit's House in particular, that troubled my dreams that night! Of course, typical of Schlosser, there were also some characters that made me chuckle out loud.
   
   Quite a number of stories took place around New York City. I had no idea that Central Park, the Empire State Building, and Ellis Island had ghost stories associated with them. Also, Captain Kidd left buried treasure on Liberty Island, the Devil had a fiddle contest in Brooklyn, a monster once roamed Wall Street, and a Revolutionary War hero rose from his Bronx grave to defend his widow and baby son.
   
   Highly recommended!

1 comments about Rediscovering Jacob Riis: The Reformer, His Journalism, and His Photographs.

1. While I'm no expert on the subject, I'd guess this will become one of the definitive bios on Jacob Riis, and also contains many of his important photos as a bonus. The reproduction quality is good enough -- probably better than the original print publications -- but not exceptional.

5 comments about Access New York City 12e (Access Guides).

1. We just returned from a trip to New York City. I am a HUGE fan of Access books and have used them for cities around the world for the last 14 years. However, the current version of the New York City Access is woefully outdated and was a waste of money. We found several businesses had moved and one, the venerable Balducci's, had gone of out business. Needless to say, this de-railed us a few times and was inconvenient to say the least.

   Things change quickly in New York. If Access wants to be in the business of publishing guides of New York, they need to commit to annual updates.




2. Very helpful approach that discusses sights, restaurants, shops, and hotels block-by-block. Subway stops should be superimposed on these maps, although they are included separately.



3. Out of date info.
   Waste of your money.
   Do not purchase.
   Wait for new edition.



4. The layout of this series of guide books is excellent to have along on the trip. Laid out street by street, area by area, with color coded text for different types of attractions - hotels, dining, shopping, etc.- it is wonderful for finding your way. Much easier than a book with all hotels in one chapter, all dining in another. This way, if I'm shopping in SoHo or visiting an Upper East Side museum and want to have a bite to eat, its a breeze to find a good place nearby. I have used ACCESS NY for many years and find their reviews of dining to be spot on.
   
   Highly recommend.



5. I have always loved the format of ACCESS books but to be honest, the last 3 guides to NYC have been very outdated. I feel as if the author has told a flunkie to "check the websites" of all the places listed in the book, and that the flunkie then quit his job and the author just published the edition from 10 years ago. I cannot continue to purchase the Access books knowing this is the case. I wonder if the author reads his own reviews on Amazon (I kind of doubt it). He should stop wasting his and our time by publishing out of date books.

5 comments about Hotel Bemelmans.

1. Ludwig Bemelmans best known today for his successful Madeline children's series, is far too good and important a writer to relegate him to merely Madeline. (though I am very fond of Madeline myself) There is a treasure trove of solid adult writings that have endearing qualities that commit themselves to fond memory. Bemelmans was a bon vivant, gourmet, gourmand, traveller, and more importantly a student of human nature and all the quirks therein. These elements plus a eye for the pathos of life make him a writer to be rediscovered & cherished. Hotel Bemelmans was my personal introduction to his adult writings, and I have been a fan ever since. This book will provide a smorgasbord of his style and eye for everyday foibiles within the microcosm of the grand hotel's of the past that he knew and loved so well. His broad verbal and ink brush stokes, for he's the illustrator as well, can capture in a paragraph or a simple line drawing what other authors require pages to describe. Applause for the return of Hotel Bemelmans, and a warm invitation for you to step into the lobby and register for a gastronomic literary experience.



2. You enjoyed "Madeleine" as a child and now you can enjoy some further tales by the author Ludwig Bemelmans that were written for the grown up who still has that child-like love for fantastic illustrations and clever stories. I remember reading in a book all about the author that he was brought up and trained in the hotel industry. He was a bit of a difficult child and his Mother sent him to stay with relatives who were hoteliers. He learned the trade inside and out and eventually went to America and worked in the Hotel trade in New York. So his stories are perfect. He was also a well known member of cafe society and was part of that lovely life in the mid-twentieth century where everyone spent their days and nights in hotels mingling. Many of the tales are loosely autobiographical and an absolute delight. Think of it as a book filled with literary desserts. Anthony Bourdain (a most appropriate choice) writes the introduction for the book as well.
   Another book that I recommend is "Bemelmans: The Life & Art of Madeline's Creator" to give an a detailed background and context into the stories.



3. "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..." Years and years after first hearing these lines from the first Bemelmans' Madeline book, and still knowing most of the lines in the book by heart, I was thrilled to find "Hotel Bemelmans" in the bookstore. Here, I thought, was the inimitable Bemelmans, but this time for adults. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed. After coming to America from a boyhood spent in Germany under the tutelage of Uncle Hans in the art of hotel/restaurant management, Bemelmans finds himself working at the Hotel Splendide in New York one of the City's "grand hotels". He begins at the bottom and works himself up. The stories in this book are tales of the eccentric and lovable characters that he encounters while working at the Splendide. There is the irascible Herr Brauhaus, who constantly curses " Cheeses Greisd!" in a heavy German accent, and is in charge of running the hotel. There is also Monsieur Victor who runs the hotel restaurants and strikes fear into the hearts of his staff. In addition we find Professor Gorylescu, a magician who regularly entertains at hotel parties, as well as an assortment of guests whose eccentricities are revealed with delight. It is all a portrait of a time of elegance long gone, and of those who made a certain lifestyle possible. The stories are generally poignant, but if you are looking for a book to provide you with loud guffaws unfortunately this is not it.



4. This was one of the most moving pieces of literature I've read in the last 10 years. The scenes on returning to post-WWI Germany poverty are still sharp in my mind, as is the ending scene in the book, which is a scathing commentary on 1920s high society but which is absolutely appropriate to today's (or any day's) bored, frivolous jet set. After reading this short book I eagerly sought out another adult work by Bemelmans (How to Travel Incognito) and was disappointed to find it superficial in comparison. This is a jewel of a book.



5. Potential purchasers of Bemelman's lovely "Hotel Bemelmans" should know that as far as I can tell all the Hotel Bemelmans books advertised on Amazon is a shortened edition of the original Hotel Bemelmans published in 1946 by Viking Press. The books advertised here were published in 2000 by Overlook Press and contain 24 stories. The Viking Press edition has 36 stories. I learned this the hard way having purchased 3 copies of the shortened Overlook Press book. Some wonderful stories have been left out. e.g. Art at the Splendide. I have the original and am looking to buy some more.

5 comments about How Starbucks Saved My Life.

1. I finished it in one day! I thought he sent a very clear message; it does not matter your age, or the background you come from, you can find happiness in your work, friends, and life. It is never too late to start over, and be who you might have been...happy and fulfilled. So what if he found it at Starbucks, and promoted them. It is a story about how Starbucks saved his life!!! Hello..Starbucks is going to be showcased! He still took the time to talk about all the wonderful people he has met, and even shared the life lessons he learned along the way to where he is now, and yes that means working at Starbucks. Think how you would feel if a company helped pull your life back together. I know I would not mind building them up as much as I could, and announcing to the world all the great things they have done for me and others. I will keep a copy of this book on my shelf! Loved it!!



2. Great book -- couldn't put it down. Very thoughtful -- made me consider how I was living my life and my true purpose. One of those books that you would read over again, to remind yourself about life's meaning.



3. Michael Gates Gill's "How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else" is a story of how the author who had to work in Starbucks as a barista after being laid off from a major corporation. He subsequently lost his family when he cheated on his wife. Overnight, it seemed as though Gill lost everything that matters to him. With no prospect and lots of bill, Gill took a job as a barista in Starbucks. The book chronicled how the job changed his outlook in life, and helped to make him a better person.
   
   The premise of the book was interesting. However, I did not enjoy the frequent flashbacks of his WASPy lifestyle or his encounters with various celebrities or famous individuals. It seemed as though the author was too eager to show he was *somebody* who had connections with those individuals. The book started out very promising, but very quickly it lost its appeal. It was also not well written or edited. Mostly, the book was too much of a cliche for me.



4. Let me start out by saying, as others have, that I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, while the premise was interesting, the actual book was a chore to read. Also, as it went on, I found myself liking Michael less and less.
   
   The constant namedropping quickly begins to wear thin, especially when he mentions meeting Queen Elizabeth and Frank Sinatra within only a few pages of each other. It's as if he needs to constantly remind the reader that he was once "somebody", in order to validate his existence.
   
   To me the entire tone of the book, even the title, seemed condescending.
   I wanted to stop reading it about half way through, but I forced myself to keep going, hoping for some revelation or insight. The last fifty pages were particularly painful, especially those poems to his coworkers--and this guy was supposed to be a great writer?
   
   I gave the book three stars because I do believe it was written with good intentions.



5. I gave this book three stars. I found the overall book good, and it does make you sit back and think a bit about your own life, and your priorities. I found the style of the book, with constant flashbacks got annoying after a time. It was easy to lose the thread of the discussion. I think if the book was 2/3 it's size, it would be excellent. I would also reduce the price 20%

5 comments about Tea in the City: New York (Tea in the City).

1. This is the perfect guide to tuck in your handbag or pocket when going to New York City. Color coded maps tell you the tea spots available in each area of NYC. Daily hours, phone numbers, subway stops nearby, websites, decor, approximate costs, and description of teas and food are included. This will be in my handbag anytime I take a train into New York City.



2. What I really love about Tea in the City is the breadth and depth of Ms. Knight's profiles, especially when it comes to non-traditional tea rooms. This is the first guide I've seen that really makes an effort to incorporate the newer influx of modern East Asian tea destinations, rather than limiting itself to British and hotel teas (though these are here as well). Although I work in NYC, this guide may inspire me to try some new places in some neighborhoods I haven't visited in a while. I also find this guide more male-friendly than most tea books.



3. If you enjoy tea, why not take a tea trip in my hometown, New York? With this book, you can plan out everything. I have found the information provided by Ms. Knight to be accurate and have also learned a few interesting tidbits about tea culture. The excellent photos are worth noting as well. With more and more tea places popping up (and I've noticed a few recently), I hope they plan to put out updated editions. But this is by far the best tea guidebook I've seen, and a necessity for any tea lover who spends time in New York City.



4. I had slight sticker shock and hesitated to buy this book. In fact, when it arrived, I was a bit unhappy with the small size. Having perused this small tome (with a cuppa in hand, of course), I've come to realize that my reservations were in vain. What a great book for the tea lover! This guide is not only informative, but well written. I'll be reading it again and again, and I'm sure that many a happy afternoon will be spent in the City (and here in Brooklyn, too) thanks to Ms. Knight. The only downside is that the fifth NYC borough is not mentioned... sounds like a great opportunity for someone in Staten Island to rise to the occasion for a possible (and hoped for by this reader) 2008 edition.



5. We used this book on two recent trips to NYC as a guide book for planning 4 different afternoon teas. Excellent!