5 comments about First Light: A Magical Journey.

1. I bought this book when I was visiting New Zealand in 1988 where people kept recommending it, and I am just now rereading it for something like the fifth time--including one time with a discussion group. This time through I am finding new delights that I must have skimmed over before. Parts of the book are naively New-Agey, but even those parts are personal and honest and fun to read. It is the story of a woman whose job takes her into the middle of an enormous cultural shift, and she manages to stay in the middle--between the world views of American bureaucracy and a traditional people's values, and somehow to walk that precarious boundary and to be receptive to the ways it changes her. It's an amazing story.



2. My mother mailed me this book from America to New Zealand because I have recently arrived in NZ and I will be living in New Zealand for the next year. I find Carol O'Bistro's insights about New Zealand culture relevent and insightful for a current long-term visitor. Her writing is lyrical and fun to read. I wonder what she is doing now.



3. Thought provoking, moving and fun. The story is told in a masterful way that made me laugh, cry and sit-up thinking about it for a week after I read it. The author takes you along on her own personal journey and as her New York City eyes and heart transform into something miraculous so does the readers'. It touches the heart and reminds us of our humanity in the most magnificent way. Read it slowly; you won't want it to end!



4. Perhaps the best book ever to explain why New Zealand is not the USA with minor differences. There are considerable cultural and societal differences which may escape the visitor unless and until they experience New Zealand on a deep level. Some find the mysterious aspects of her experience of the Maori culture to be doubtful or merely coincidence. Those born in New Zealand will understand them and will not be surprised.



5. On September 10, 1984, at first light, New York's Fifth Avenue was the scene of an unusual ceremony. On the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art a group of Maori women wailed the ritual welcome: HAERE MAI !! Their calls were answered and taken up by a group of Maori elders down the avenue, their leader in a feathered cloak, their path cleared of evil spirits by a small band of tattooed warriors ferociously thrusting their spears.
   
   It was opening day of a groundbreaking exhibition at the Met: Te Maori: Maori Art from New Zealand Collections. The elders were in New York to lift the tapu and open the exhibition. Their greeting was for their ancestors, spiritually residing in the 174 taonga (treasures) on display outside New Zealand for the first time. Nine years in the planning, Te Maori was the culmination of a massive exercise in politics and logistics.
   
   Carol O'Biso was the registrar of the exhibition, responsible for the packing and safe passage of these treasures collected from a number of New Zealand museums. First Light: A Magical Journey is her lyrical story of this great adventure.
   
   The "cultural artifacts" are believed by the Maori to be sacred and powerful. Carol, overwhelmed at first by the vast divide between her New York self and the ancient Maori beliefs, struggled to do her job in the midst of controversy over the exhibition. She was excluded by Maori custom from speaking at the many ritual gatherings in museums and meeting houses. Frustration was her constant companion, in those early days. Gradually the power of the collection became entirely real to her and she found herself honoring the treasures in ways she would not have found possible.
   
   Carol spent several years packing, shipping and unpacking the irreplaceable treasures and was under their spell when she returned them to New Zealand in 1986. She handed them over, in yet another ceremony that left her in tears, to a New Zealand registrar for their awe-inspiring progress through New Zealand museums.
   
   Carol's story is a very personal one and some of her early impressions of New Zealand were less than favorable. However the country's charm and especially the strength of the Maoris' respect for their culture led her to a deep appreciation of The Land of the Long White Cloud.
   
   I had the privilege of seeing Te Maori in New Zealand, and First Light brought back vivid memories of its power. I read the book in the early 1990s and then gave it away (read it! you'll love it!), and when I found a copy on Amazon this month I was delighted to be reacquainted with it.
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008

1 comments about Gone Fishin: The 100 Best Spots in New York.

1. "Gone Fishing: The 100 Best Spots in New York" (paperback).
   This is a great book for fishermen looking at a detailed description
   of many places to choose fishing a variety of fish in New York.
   Signed,
   Gene Godlove (adventurist)

4 comments about New York in the 70s.

1. What Weegee was to photojournalism in the 1930s and 1940s, Allan Tannenbaum is to the 1970s. This volume of Tannenbaum's critical mass of New York's underside establishes him as one of the most important photographers of his time, in a city that has one of the most historic traditions of documentary photography.



2. ...All the excitement and desperation, the madness and creativity, the fun and the fatalities of that extraordinary decade are there. If you learn nothing more from it you will discover the Keith Richards always looked as old and raddled as he does now.



3. I had this out during my holiday party last weekend and it was the hit of the night! I couldn't drag people away from it . . . the photos are really fun and sexy, but even better are the stories and memories they spark. All night people were saying "Oh! I totally remember that!" and launching into their own favorite stories from the 70s. Definitely my top pick for a coffee table book.



4. A fantastic document of a time and place like no other. New York in the Seventies was a thrill a second, and it seems like Tannenbaum was everywhere, taking beautiful clear pictures of everyone and everything. An exciting social document!

2 comments about Still New York.

1. It's extremely well-executed photo realism with pencil + watercolor, and
   the artist has chosen buildings/scenes which are architecturally strong
   and visually rich so as to let his technique really shine. However, the
   real strength, I think, is actually the artist's ability to impart a
   dreamlike quality (reminiscent of children's book illustrator Chris Van
   Allsburg). This elevates the book to a whole different, more evocative
   level, so that you stop marveling at the technique and start thinking of
   the subject matter itself. Anyone who loves New York should love this
   book.



2. I enjoyed this book very much, and will return to it over and over to enjoy the excellent reproductions of Brosen's highly realistic watercolors. His work is unique and compelling. I also enjoyed the artist's descriptions and information, given as picture captions, about the scenes he painted. There are also highly readable vignettes with each chapter, focussing on a local, long-term resident of the area of NYC that that chapter pictures. A fine read, but an even more beautiful LOOK.

5 comments about An Actor Prepares...To Live in New York City: How to Live Like a Star Before You Become One.

1. What a gold mine! This book isn't just for actors--it is a meticulously-researched, up-to-date and readable guide to living well in Manhattan without watching money flow through your fingers--it covers everything from haircuts and clothes to great deals at the opera. I'm recommending it to all newcomers, regardless of profession. If I had to find one small flaw, it's that I'm not quite confident about his recommendations for women, as--and he freely admits this--they rely on the judgment of his female friends, and the reader can't gauge whether these women share the author's ability to find the best, the least expensive and the most hard-to-find secrets of New York. Regardless, a minor detail in a worthwhile book.



2. Actor or not, this book is a huge help in finding the cheapest of everything in New York City. Listed by category, the author gives listings and phone numbers of the cheapest of it all. There are hints and tips on how to make it in New York on a budget, how to find a place to live, and even where public restrooms are available!



3. This book is fantastic! I live in Australia but I'm going to be living and working (hopefully...) in New York in a couple of months.
   The book includes sections on practically every aspect of life - from cheap food, medical care, and general merchandise, to hairdressing, public toilets, and internet service providers.
   I would say this is one of the most useful books I have ever read, and I can definitely recommend it to anyone planning on making a move to New York City.
   It is extremely easy to read and not at all like trawling through a guidebook. The sections are well organised and easily located in the table of contents. I particularly liked the book and music store 'reviews'.
   It also felt as though it was written by a person that I would actually like in real life, and while this is not entirely relevant, it gave me even greater faith in the advice.
   I feel a lot more confident about my trip now that I know where to go and what to expect as I attempt to set up house.
   This has certainly relieved me (at least temporarily) from my increasingly frantic google searches.



4. Wile some of the info offered may be slightly out of date by the time a reader gets their hands on this book (addresses and phones can change, etc.) the wisdom and experience of the author comes through very well. Anyone who is headed for the Big Apple as an actor should read this book.



5. This book is good, but even better if you plan on living in Hell's Kitchen (midtown west). As the author refers to that area often. Overall, i liked it though. I'd say it helps speed up the process of getting comfortable living in the big city, not working, but LIVING.

No comments about New York for Kids: 25 Big Apple Sites to Color (Dover Pictorial Archives).

No comments about Vandam New York City/ Manhattan, New York Pop-Up Map.

2 comments about New York City InsideOut (Insideout City Guide: New York).

1. I used this little book when I went to New York city and it was super-handy. I had it tucked in my back pocket. The fold out maps are fantastic. I never got lost even when I went too far on the subway. I very much like that it comes with a pen and a compass. I used the pen to write notes and directions in the back. I used the compass when I got turned around and wasn't 100% sure which direction I was facing. The cover is plastic which makes it very rugged, not very environmentally friendly though. I have used the San Francisco Insideout guide as well with the same success.



2. My husband and I just love the InsideOut guides. The popout maps are so cool (though hubby has trouble folding them back up), but we would recommend having the subway stops marked on them. The size is perfect for carrying in your purse. It's not a comprehensive guide, but they do a good job of capturing some of the essential NYC.

No comments about New York Enclaves.

1 comments about New Jersey Walk Book: A Companion to the New York Walk Book.

1. Every serious New Jersey hiker must have this book. Full trail descriptions with full-color maps. Notes on geology, history, hiking tips. A good index and Jack Fagan has contributed many excellent sketches.
   
   This is now a companion guide to the equally indispensable New York Walk Book: A Companion to the New Jersey Walk Book for New York hikers. Be sure you get the 2nd edition of the New Jersey Walk Book: A Companion to the New York Walk Book, which was released in 2004 and is substantially revised from the 1st edition released in 1988. (The 1988 edition is often still available and has some historical value; see New Jersey Walk Book.)
   
   It is worthwhile checking the New York New Jersey Trail Conference website before undertaking any major hike in the region. The trails and access points don't stop changing just because a guidebook has been published.
   
   The "Walk Book" was originally published in 1923 by the National Geographic Society; the next four editions were published by Doubleday; and the sixth and later editions have been published by the NYNJTC. The first five editions included trails in both New York and New Jersey. In 1988, the "Walk Book" was published by the NYNJTC and split in two, the New York version was called the 6th edition, and the New Jersey version, the 1st edition.
   
   The "New York Times" published an interesting article on May 19, 1998 by Glenn Collins on the history of the Trail Conference and the "Walk Book". It extracted several passages from the 1923 "Walk Book" (which now sells for around $200 if you can find a copy):
   
   "For protection against rain, pure rubber clothing is about the only reliable material; but in warm weather or after exertion it is uncomfortably hot. . . ."
   
   "Boots or stout leggings will save many a bruised shin or ankle or torn stocking and trouser leg. Breeches for women, long worn in the Western outing clubs, are becoming more in vogue in the East and sensibly so. There are combinations of breeches with detachable skirts which are convenient for travel to and from the country or where city or country yokels may stare. . . ."
   
   "A pack on the back is bound to cause heavy perspiration and wetting between the shoulder blades. Reed frames have been devised to hold the pack off the back and give circulation or air. . . ."
   
   "Paper is as effective a protection against wind as leather, and many trampers regard a paper waistcoat, costing 50 cents, as indispensable for blustery weather. . . ."
   
   "If you are ever out with Malcomson he will introduce his big Bermuda onion. You will crave a thick slice and you will never go tramping again without one. It adds horse power to one's legs after luncheon. . . ."
   
   Things have changed a bit since 1923, but the trails are still a major benefit of living in this area.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008