Product Description
urious to know about the wind chill factor or how to make a Rob Roy or locate the time in China? Why not peruse a list of common crossword-puzzle words, catch up on the latest computer terms, learn how to carve a turkey the right way, or find out who invented what and when? The most reliable, useful, and entertaining information is once again just a page-turn away in the fourth edition of The New York Public Library Desk Reference. This timeless resource originates from one of the world's great storehouses of knowledge. With collections totaling over 50 million items, The New York Public Library's vast collections continue to expand at a rate of approximately 10,000 items per week. Fully updated with more than 1,000 pages, The New York Public Library Desk Reference is packed with answers to the most frequently asked questions, as well as easy-to-read charts, graphs, and tables, insightful sidebars, full-color maps, and illustrations, plus cross-references and web addresses to aid more in-depth research. From the serious to the trivial, the most frequently sought information from more than 50 reference books is readily at hand in this one comprehensive and accessible guide.Amazon.com Review
If time is of the essence, you can find what you seek in ajiffy (an actual unit of time meaning 1/100 of a second) in the NewYork Public Library Desk Reference's chapter 1: "Time and Dates."Once there, however, beware. You may begin by looking up what time itis in Addis Ababa when it's 12 noon in New York (8 p.m. is what you'lldiscover), but ere long you'll be browsing the perpetual calendar(1775 to 2098), refreshing your memory as to what fortnightlymeans (once every two weeks, just as you thought), and skimming thelists of major holidays worldwide. But "Times and Dates" is just thebeginning. Section I--"The Physical World"--also contains vast datapertaining to weights and measures, biology, the physical sciences,mathematics, and technology, plus inventions and scientificdiscoveries. Delving therein you can find how many cubic inches are ina pint, how to diagnose and treat constipation in your pet, whichplants are poisonous, what tropism means, when the next totaleclipse of the sun will take place, the URLs for major Internet searchengines, and the toll-free phone numbers for major national Internetservice providers.

Other sections of the desk reference include music, literature, andthe visual arts, religions, philosophy, and museums around the world,alphabets, grammar, and daily etiquette. Life-saving first-aidprocedures are described, as are cooking tips, stain-removal advice,personal-finance details, and legal information, plus useful addressesand phone numbers relating to adoption, disabilities, and domesticviolence, alcoholism, family planning, and television networks. Withsections on travel, sports and games, as well as the United States andthe political world, this is an irreplaceable reference of great scopeand value. It is the mark of a great reference that the informationyou desire be readily accessible when deadlines threaten, andendlessly entertaining in your leisure hours; the New York PublicLibrary Desk Reference flawlessly passes both tests.--Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

In need of some updating (this is the 1998 edition), but still a good read.
Very handy in some senses (historical data), but it's getting a little old and in need of updating.For example, the current Pope (Ratzinger) isn't listed at all; this edition (the Third) went to print in 1998.On the other hand, historically-based information doesn't change (or at least it shouldn't- James Audubon died in 1851 and it is unlikely that will change).Think of it as "Just the important parts of Wikipedia" all nicely formatted, printed out, and bound into a book.Buy a used copy if you can and keep it in your personal library; part of the value of this sort of book will be in fifty to 100 years as "contemporaneous evidence".

Staple reference book
This book is a staple text to keep around the house. So much handy information, and interesting information. If you ever found yourself in the social challenge of finding something to talk about, randomly open this book and it will give you several interesting topics on two pages!
Great book for crossword puzzlers too.
Sure, you can google, but interacting with a book is so rich and dynamic.

needs some editing
I hope the 4th edition is better than the 3rd.On page 876, they list the 50 states but only 48 are listed.They left out Wyoming & West Virginia.On page 1037, they mispelled Korean; it was spelled Koren.

This version is out of date.
Amazon is apparently unaware that the Fourth Edition of this book (The New York Public Library Desk Reference) was published in 2002. The Third Edition, which is what Amazon is trying to sell to us, came out in 1998. Don't waste your money on out of date reference material, unless, of course, you are doing historical research.

Amazon: Shame on you!

Good Quick Source of Information
This is an excellent resource for a short description of a very wide variety of subjects that one sometimes is curious about.In addition it makes an interesting book to page through as there is information about subjects that almost anyone will find interesting and it will broaden a persons general knowledge. ... Read more

Product Description
Search for the "Fountain of Youth" with Ponce de Léon, witness the dramatic events leading up to the Spanish American War, and explore the dozens of different nations from which Hispanic Americans hail. Discover Hispanic holidays, foods, and dances, and find answers to all your questions about Hispanic American history. . . .

Why do some people call themselves Hispanic, while others call themselves Latino? See page 11.

Where in the Americas did the Spanish first settle? See page 20.

Which Spanish explorer discovered the Mississippi River? See page 39.

Who were the desperadoes? See page 62.

What is the Day of the Dead? See page 78.

Who was Che Guevara? See page 106.

Who was the first Puerto Rican to break into professional golf? See page 175.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY's bestselling reference books include The New York Public Library Desk Reference, The New York Public Library Book of Answers, and The New York Public Library Student's Desk Reference. GEORGE OCHOA is the author of The Fall of Mexico City for young adults, Wilson's Chronology of the Arts, and the coauthor of The Book of Answers: The New York Public Library Telephone Reference Service's Most Unusual and Enlightening Questions.

Also in this series:

• The New York Public Library Amazing African American History
• The New York Public Library Amazing Women in American History
• The New York Public Library Incredible Earth
• The New York Public Library Amazing Space

Customer Reviews (7)

Saint Saga #15
This is the book that put Leslie Charteris on the map and made best-sellers of all the previous Saint books in retrospect.

Set shortly after the repeal of Prohibition, this tale of revenge is one of the grimmest, and the certainly the most violent, of all the Saint stories, so that when it was filmed, it was considerably toned down (and all hint of corruption in the New York judiciary removed, of course).

Nevertheless, most Saint fans, including myself, seem to regard it as one of the best (as witness the other reviews).To take just one example: as a synopsis of all the previous Saint books -- vital, if new readers are to understand the story -- the prologue (which takes the form of a letter to the NYPD from Simon's old adversary Chief Inspector Teal of Scotland Yard) is one of the most original ideas I've seen.

Charteris knew New York well, along with its denizens and their culture and language.The characters are drawn with great verve, especially Inspector John Fernack, the various members of the gangland hierarchy, and the mysterious Fay Edwards, who falls in love with Simon at the same time as she is helping him to kill just about everyone she knows.

Above all, Charteris shows himself once again a first-rate story-teller.Gripping from start to finish.

P.S. For a list of -- and discussion of -- all Charteris's Saint books, see my So You'd Like To... Guide.

who is the big fella?
If you only ever read one saint story ,you will be missing out on some great stuff, but THE SAINT IN NEW YORK would be the one to try . The saint at his best reckless as ever ,but coming very close to getting a set of wings to go with his halo . His way of expression ,english wit to hardend new york thugs is very amusing.Dont confuse this guy with the later tv saint, in this he bumps off the ungodly as quick as they would him ,with the help of gun ,knife and a mysterious female,beautiful but deadly.Trying to free the city from the clutchers of nicely sewn up crime ring,the saint works his way through some of the smaller fish,and gets dangerously closer to the sharp and powerfull jaws of the big fella,but who is the big fella ? GREAT STUFF .

who is the big fella?
If you only ever read one saint story ,you will be missing out on some great stuff, but THE SAINT IN NEW YORK would be the one to try . The saint at his best reckless as ever ,but coming very close to getting a set of wings to go with his halo . His way of expression ,english wit to hardend new york thugs is very amusing.Dont confuse this guy with the later tv saint, in this he bumps off the ungodly as quick as they would him ,with the help of gun ,knife and a mysterious female,beautiful but deadly.Trying to free the city from the clutchers of nicely sewn up crime ring,the saint works his way through some of the smaller fish,and gets dangerously closer to the sharp and powerfull jaws of the big fella,but who is the big fella ? GREAT STUFF .

Unusual but the Best Saint Novel
As the other reviewers wrote, the Saint was unusually cold and mercilessin this book.Because the enemy was so big, so strong and so merciless;even the Saint was severely cornered several times.But I was glad becausehe still held his characteristics that made him so charming; impudence,recklessness, sense of humor and sense of justice. I also enjoyed the storyvery much; well-plotted, fast-paced and thrilling.And the climax was sodramatic!It will be one of the best Saint novels.Highly recommended.

Robin Hood of Modern Crime bashing the New York underworld
When Simon Templar, alias the Saint, is hired to avenge the murder af a millionair's son, he comes to New York to find a totally corrupt system. With impudence only he has, he cheerfully takes on the task ofsingle-handedly cleaning up the City. We see the colder side of hispersonality when he swears to be completely ruthless after witnessing themob's impersonal fatal "rides." This book is fast paced with acompletely unexpected ending, with no dull spots anywhere. I wouldrecommend it to anybody, even if you are not a Saint fan. ... Read more

Product Description
What is the SI System?What are signs and symbols?What are the major computer languages?What are the major greenhouse gases and sources?What is chemical kinetics?The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference is the most comprehensive single volume of frequently needed information on science available. It is “the” essential reference on one of the most important topics of our time -- science. Authoritative, completely up-to-date, and easy to use, it spans ten separate disciplines as well as related fields. Chapters cover:* Scientific Measurements* Scientific Symbols and Signs* Time* Biological Science* Biomedical Science* Chemistry* Physics* Astronomy* Earth Science* Meteorology* Environmental Science* Computer Science* Engineering and Technical Science. And it also includes a chapter on Science Resources -- useful addresses, nobel prize awards, scientific organizations, government agencies, science museums, and more.350 tables, charts, graphs, and line illustrations provide both at-a-glance information and in-depth learning for students and professionals alike.Amazon.com Review
Considering this volume is a mere 668 pages, it does aremarkable job of covering the major concepts and facts of biology,human anatomy, chemistry, physics, astronomy, Earth sciences,meteorology, environmental sciences, and engineering. Not surprising,as it was written by the New York Public Library staff who know whatquestions are most frequently asked by a knowledge-hungry public.

The ultimate test of such a reference volume is scrutiny of areas withwhich one is intimately familiar, then reading up on areas about whichone is woefully ignorant. This book passed both tests: The biologychapter was sound (though I wanted much more information aboutevolutionary principles), and the section on particle physics wasinformative. Even if you already have a collection of several thousandbooks covering most of the sciences (like myself), this is a handyreference. And if you're a student or want access to a lot ofscientific knowledge in the smallest possible non-digital package,this resource is essential for those times when you simply can't getto the library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Untrustworthy
The book lost immediatly credibility for me when the first thing I looked up contained a serious factual error. The biographical entry for Alan Turing in the Computing section states that he was American, whereas he was in fact British.

Even if this were the only error in the whole book, how can you trust a book that so immediatly shows itself to be flawed.

Don't believe everything you read
While I love the concept of this book, my personal experience was that I flipped, more or less randomly, to four different pages and found errors on EVERY page. Perhaps that was just rotten luck, but it makes me suspicious of all the answers in the book. I think you'd be better off looking at a reference that's written by experts, rather than generalists. Buy a copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica CD-ROM.

Well, it's big...
...and fun to flip through.And the section on computer science has a handy ASCII chart.Really, isn't getting this sort of spotty, high-level and often outdated scientific information exactly what the Internet is good for?(Do you know that the Internet "has now grown to possibly 2 million host computers all over the world?" - The NYPLSDR does.)If you think a random, off-line, walk through the science tree sounds like fun, get this book.I do and i did and i'm satisfied.

What a great book
This is a terrific book. Practically every other sentence is a statistic! I love the big list of discoveries and inventions, which dates back to the discovery of fire!
I love the huge section on computer science, amazing book! worth ten times the price!

Handy reference book for educational purposes.
Anyone who is in the sciences, especially the biological sciences, know that the information being discovered it growing at an exponential rate. This makes it incredibly difficult to write a textbook for science, since one way or another, you are going to miss recent knowledge which may not be widely available yet. It is also difficult to decide what science is important to learn. This is one of the major problems in developing science educational standards that all students between K-12th grade should be expected to learn. I am inclined to think that purchasing references books such as this fine example, would almost be preferable to buying textbooks that will be out of date within six months. A reference manual such as this is not intended to be used for reading straight through to gain information on one particular science. Rather it acts as a basic foundation from which to springboard science knowledge. The concept of recommending current reference books, distributing science journal papers and using the vast amount of science knowledge now available on the web is an idea that has been used at the college level for several years. It is now a good idea to extend this practice to the junior high and high school level, rather than attempting to cram textbooks full of scientific information which may or may not be valid and useful to students by the time they complete the class.

My main objections to this reference book are two. First, for most deaf students (and for nondisabled students too) reseach has demonstrated that the more visual information given in terms of pictures, graphics, photographs, mathematical equations, etc., the more likely students will remember science. This book could definitely use more pictures and graphics, and it could definitely use color for enhancing learning. This particular reference would be great for on-line, especially if the New York Public Library was willing (or Macmillan) to keep it up-to-date...pictures, graphics, and photographs could easily be scanned to make the information more potent to the learner. The other objection is the placement of a large field of study, Neuroscience, in the biology section and it is given barely a nod, when it is as vital to our understanding as genetics is. Even though Neuroscience is considered to be a rather new field, its impact on medicine and behavioral sciences is too large to be dismissed. Perhaps the publishers will rectify this error the next time around.

Otherwise, I find this to be an excellent resource, both for me and for those I teach. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Public Library
AMAZING U.S. Geography

Follow a chinook over the Rocky Mountains. Trace the course of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Discover where gold is mined and fish are farmed in the United States. Explore our fascinating nation from Alabama to Wyoming, and find answers to all your questions about U.S. geography...

Where is the highest waterfall in the United States?See page 33.
What is a sand sea?See page 40.
Why does California have so many earthquakes?See page 41.
Why are people from new England called Yankees?See page 69.
How many U.S. presidents were born in Ohio? See page 89.
Where did the Santa Fe Trail begin?See page 96.
How large is mammoth Cave in Kentucky?See page 108.
How hot are the Hot Springs in Arkansas?See page 116.

Also in The New York Public Library Answer Books series:

Incredible Earth
Amazing Space
Amazing African American History
Amazing Hispanic American History
Amazing Women in American History
Amazing Mythology
Amazing Explorers
Amazing Scientists
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great resource on the geography of the USA.
Found this book very useful for information on the geography of the USA. It's a great factbook, and perfect for studying about the United States. If you are looking for a colorful map book on the 50 states, you may want to try other books like: National Geographic United States Atlas for Young Explorers, Third Edition ... Read more

Product Description
Sail down the Ivory Coast with the ancient Phoenicians. Meet the Kublai Khan with Marco Polo. Join the Antarctic explorers in their race to reach the South Pole. Discover vast new lands, plumb the depths of the deepest oceans, and venture into outer space. Find answers to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the world’s greatest adventurers and explorers...

Who was the greatest general & explorer of the ancient world?See page 7.
What was the Silk Road?See page 11.
What caused the Age of Exploration?See page 23.
What was considered the worst crime on the high seas?See page 45.
Who was Ynes Mexia? See page 69.
Who found the source of the Nile River?See page 74.
How did Ballard find Titanic?See page 105.
Who was the first woman in space?See page 135.

Also in The New York Public Library series . . .

Amazing Native American History
Amazing Hispanic American History
Amazing African American History
Amazing Women in American History
Incredible Earth
Amazing Space
Amazing Mythology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

amazing mythology: a book of answers for kids
I was not very impressed. No pictures, not written for my son's age (8 1/2). I was hoping for tales of Cerberus etc. and they were not there. Too bad, I would not recommend this book to a friend.

Very wide range of cultures
i am a huge fan of The new york public library series. and it just so happens that im obsessed with greek mythology. this was a very good book. it covered the basics of almost every culture that there were stories in. i learned a lot about other countries that i didnt know about. i highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The idea of utopia, the perfect place, has tantalized humanity for thousands of years, from the myth of the Garden of Eden to the high-tech folly of Biosphere 2. Now the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and The New York Public Library are jointly sponsoring a major exhibition that explores the utopian imagination and the myriad attempts to achieve utopia, showcasing a spectacular collection of art and literature.
Utopia: The Search for the Ideal Society in the Western World is the catalog for the American exhibition, which will be on view in New York from October 14, 2000 through January 2001. Featuring essays by curator Roland Schaer and by Alain Touraine, Lyman Tower Sargent, and other leading European and American scholars of utopia, this elegantly designed volume will explore the long tradition of thought and art envisioning the "perfect place," extending from classical antiquity to the present. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 pictures, most of them in color, Utopia presents such fascinating images as Theodore de Bry's 16th-century idealized drawings of the native inhabitants of the New World, Renaissance renderings of ideal architecture, posters from the Soviet Union and the 1939 World's Fair in New York, and photographs of experimental communities. Included as well are such resonant documents as a copy of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's hand, stunning illuminated manuscripts, and rare items relating to the French Revolution and to the social utopias of the Romantic Age from the collections of the Bibliothéque Nationale.
Both beautiful and intellectually provocative, Utopia is the perfect vehicle to explore an idea that has arisen, in many forms and many places, throughout human history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An accurate sub-title, a marvelous book.
This large (perfect size for reading on your lap) book contains a series of intelligent essays and sumptuous illustrations and photos mapping the history of utopia from Plato on.I believe that the thing that makes it such a spectacular work is the wide range of disciplines, works and forces that the writers identify as utopic.

When people think of utopia, they often think of science fiction, fanciful and ideal worlds that make life better than our wildest dreams.In truth, most science fiction these days explores utopia as a critical paradigm, realising that we can not live in a perfect world, they explore the possibilities, the way they work and the way they fail.I'm all for this, but the thing that I loved so much about the New York Public Libraries book on Utopia, was the way it is very solidly linked to the real world.

It is, indeed, a book that explores the search for an ideal society in the western world.From the communes of the 1960's and '70's to the environmental housing collectives of the '80's and '90's.From the South Seas in the British imagination to Urban Geography, from Communism to Architecture, Romanticism and Formalism and Futurism, this book identifies attempts at and dreams of utopia from our own history.Rather than the speculation and fabulation of science fiction, the book provides us with our own speculation and fabulation, our own hope and idealism.

I've always been fascinated by Utopia, growing up reading Ursula Le Guin, Yevgeny Zamyatin and others, Dostoevsky's happiness versus freedom dillema grounded itself deep inside me, living in New Zealand often feels like paradise, and hopes for a better world got me imagining.I have a deep attachment to science fiction, and I'm not saying that this book is good because it neglects the genre's speculation, I'm saying it's good because it provides the social context that encouraged us to speculate in the first place.This book, to me, is a background to every speculative utopia work I have ever read, and the further understanding is invaluable to me.This book is a fascinating read.Devour it.

It also contains useful notes to illustrations, an index of personal names, a chronology of utopian/dystopian cinema and an extensive chronology of utopian literature .

Beautiful and erudite--but not easy reading
If you have any interest in the subject of utopia, this book would be worth it for the pictures alone.It has marvelous reproductions of more than a hundred images associated with ideas of utopia.These include illustrations from famous utopian novels, artwork and architecture inspired by utopian longing (including a lot of political art and propaganda), and pictures of actual communities devoted to utopian struggle and living. But it's not just pictures.The book is also filled with brilliant, provocative essays about historical and philosophical utopias.I am teaching a course on this subject right now, and the material in this book is better written and more apt to provoke discussion than most of the "primary" material that you see listed in utopian bibliographies and web-sites. This book originated as a catalog for an exhibit at the New York Public Library.I hate to say it, but the book is even better than the exhibit.If you have any interest in thinking about the project of making a better world here on Earth, this book will be a valuable resource.And much of it is fun and exciting to read. ... Read more

Product Description
The only up-to-date guide that addresses everyone who writes, from books and magazine features to newsletters, business reports, technical papers and brochures -- with information on how to use computers in every stage of publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The only one you need
I have used this book professionally and personally for ten years and it is absolutely excellent in every way. It is well organized, clear, succinct, intuitive, and thorough. The current sharp decline in the importance placed on correct grammar and usage, which is essential to effective communication, could be curtailed if only everyone owned a copy (and would read it). Those horrific emails sent by intellectually and physically lazy persons should be intercepted as spam; they are at least as offensive.

Best Single Reference
I'm the author of several popular computer programming books that amazon sells. The problem is, I'm not really a very good writer; my background is all technical. My Copy Editor recommended this book as the single best reference -- better than the Chicago Manual of Style or others. An excellent choice!

New York Discovers Common Sense
I have a stack of grammar books at hand on my desk, from the classic Strunk & White's The Elements of Style to the witty and wise books of Patricia T. O'Conner, grammar grinch of the New York Times. None is so comprehensive and usable as the NY Public Library's guide. From welcome advice about "bias-free usage" to "the essential comma," the Library Guide gives down-to-earth and much-needed commentary about the problems writers face every day. My favorite section is Misued and Easily Confused Words, worth reading for its entertainment value alone. I've been a professional writer for over 30 years and only wish I could have had this volume with me all that time. I've tried the rest, this is the best. I just bought my son, who is working on his first book, a copy for Christmas.

Finally! News you can use!
As a professional writer and editor I have found this book to be the best resource for my everyday style and usage quandries. (And I have used several style guides.) It has been a great help in the last couple ofmonths as I have been writing an editorial style guide for my employer.It's easy to navigate and provides information that can be understood bythose of us who aren't rocket scientists. It also explains style andgrammar issues and gives real-life examples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An essential volume if you love the printed word
Surprisingly enough, the Library Journal review cited above actually nails it spot on: "The book is a breathtaking tribute to its riches, with close to 300 of the library's most important items illustrated. Browsing through it, one can find works as varied as illuminated Renaissance manuscripts and the copy of Alice in Wonderland that Lewis Carroll inscribed to Alice Liddel, the real Alice. Inspiring as the library itself, this book belongs in every library...." Or, at least the libraries of those people who love the printed word.

And, not to be outdone, the printing quality of this book is superb.The texture of the lion on the cover is nearly tangible, and the representations of the works from the collection are outstanding.

Put simply, the hardcover edition is not to be missed, especially at the prices used volumes seem to be going for.A princely volume for a paltry price. ... Read more

Product Description
More than four thousand entries on all aspects of American popular culture offer a fascinating, witty, and revealing look at the nature of our country in a comprehensive guide that includes information on our slang, history, folklore, heroes, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

amazing world geography ; a book of answers for kids
My grandkids loved the book, they can read it one chapter at the time, great for car rides as they can ask each other questions from the book. I would recommendThe New York Public Library Amazing World Geography; A Book of Answers for kids/ ... Read more

Product Description
New York City has always been a larger-than-life, half-mythical place, and this collection offers an appropriately stunning mosaic of its many incarnations in poetry–ranging from Walt Whitman's exuberant celebrations to contemporary poets' moving responses to the September 11th attack on the city.
All the icons of this greatest of cities swirl and flash through these pages: taxis and subways, bridges and skyscrapers, ghettos and roof gardens and fire escapes, from the South Bronx to Coney Island to Broadway to Central Park, and from Langston Hughes's Harlem to James Merrill's Upper East Side. Wallace Stevens, e. e. cummings, W. H. Auden, Dorothy Parker, Elizabeth Bishop, Allen Ginsberg, and Audre Lorde are just a few of the poets gathered here, alongside a host of new young voices. Encompassing as many moods, characters, and scenes as this multifaceted, ever-changing metropolis has to offer, Poems of New York will be treasured by literary lovers of New York everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fabulous collection, even for folks who think they don't like poetry
I've given away several dozen copies of this book as gifts to friends who visit New York (including their teenage children), English teachers both American and foreign, and to new, literary friends who find it a fascinating introduction to the city I've lived in for over 25 years. It offers a comprehensive array of top-drawer writers in a focused, thematic collection. And the Everyman edition is beautiful--small and elegant with a gold ribbon bookmark. If you like NYC, or have an interest in cities and the writers who have lived in them, check this out.

Poetry For All
I've never been a fan of poetry. In fact this is the first book of poetry I have ever purchased, purchased out of a sense of loving my city.I have been continually amazed by the evocative imagery found throughout this excellently chosen group of poems.They bring a full sense of what New York City is and was, and provide both a sense of being here and that experience has not varied much over time.

What prevents a 5 star rating, and this is picky perhaps, is that the poet's names are printed after, rather than before the work, something which I found confusing when poems went on for several pages.

Perfect for NYC lovers
If you are looking for something to read as 9/11 solace, get this book. I can't say enough about how good it is. As a Dorothy Parker fan, I was looking for something about NYC by classic poets, and came across "Poems of New York" by accident. It is a perfect gift book to give others. ... Read more

Product Description
The 1897 competition for the design of a new library in New York City was a signal event infin-de-siSclecircles, drawing illustrious and ambitious contestants.The prize went to the youngest of the architectural firms, CarrSre &Hastings, whose innovations included a great gabled third-floor reading room, and the use of the newest cast-iron and steel technology for seven floors of stacks. The exterior constitutes one of the great artistic collaborations of the era; every classical detail was hand-carved by masons and carpenters trained in Old-World techniques.This new addition to the Art Spaces series explores the history and design of a Beaux-Arts masterpiece. ... Read more

Product Description
Malice that cannot speak its name, cold-blooded but secret hostility, impotent desire, hidden rancor and spite--all cluster at the center of envy. Envy clouds thought, writes Joseph Epstein, clobbers generosity, precludes any hope of serenity, and ends in shriveling the heart. Of the seven deadly sins, he concludes, only envy is no fun at all.Writing in a conversational, erudite, self-deprecating style that wears its learning lightly, Epstein takes us on a stimulating tour of the many faces of envy. He considers what great thinkers--such as John Rawls, Schopenhauer, andNietzsche--have written about envy; distinguishes between envy, yearning, jealousy, resentment, and schadenfreude ("a hardy perennial in the weedy garden of sour emotions"); and catalogs the many things that are enviable, including wealth, beauty, power, talent, knowledge and wisdom, extraordinary good luck, and youth (or as the title of Epstein's chapter on youth has it, "The Young, God Damn Them"). He looks at resentment in academia, where envy is mixed with snobbery, stirred by impotence, and played out against a background of cosmic injustice; and he offers a brilliant reading of Othello as a play more driven by Iago's envy than Othello's jealousy. He reveals that envy has a strong touch of malice behind it--the envious want to destroy the happiness of others. He suggests that envy of the astonishing success of Jews in Germany and Austria may have lurked behind the virulent anti-Semitism of the Nazis.As he proved in his best-selling Snobbery, Joseph Epstein has an unmatched ability to highlight our failings in a way that is thoughtful, provocative, and entertaining. If envy is no fun, Epstein's Envy is truly a joy to read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

PrideGluttonyGreed Anger Sloth Lust Envy
"The entire advertising industry...can be viewed as little more than a vast and intricate envy-creating machine." ~ Joseph Epstein

At any one point in life we all seem to be struggling with one of the seven deadly sins. Just when we think we have one area under control another sin rears its ugly head. Envy it seems is one of the ugliest sins leading us to hatred, hostility, spite and destruction.

To be honest I've felt envy only a few times in my life and it so shocked me into reality that I changed my actions and took another path almost instantly. It was easy to distinguish from jealousy, which I have felt more frequently and mostly in regards to romantic relationships.

Joseph Epstein does a good job discussing both jealousy and envy and also reveals his own envy. In fact for a great deal of the book he discusses his own feelings of envy towards other writers, public figures, etc.

This book deals with many issues related to envy like anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, envy of the young, covetousness, feminism (envying men), Marxism, professional envy, sibling rivalry and the happiness felt when someone fails.

If you have ever felt envious you may recognize your feelings somewhere in this book. This book also has the cure for envy as stated in this quote:

"Jesus among his apostles attempted to root out envy by rooting out its arch cause: rivalry. Jesus attempted to convince all that earthly rewards are at best minor rewards. Glory, riches, power were as nothing compared to what was on offer in the world beyond." ~ pg. 87

~The Rebecca Review

Rambling and insubstantial
Cheery to the point of complacency, Epstein has little to say about this rancorous emotion. If envy is indeed a deadly sin, Epstein knows nothing about how and why it kills.He does, as others have already noted, quote (or repeat) what others have said, but he has little original analysis of these ideas.

"May you...love without desiring/all that you are not"
So wrote the poet W.H. Auden in his "Many Happy Returns," and Joseph Epstein takes it as the exhortatory epigram to this little book on envy.Part of a horribly uneven series on the 7 deadly sins, Epstein's book is one of the better ones (which is to say that it could well provoke envy on the part of the less successful authors in the series).

Epstein argues that envy is the most insidious of the 7 deadlies because those of us who suffer from it rarely recognize it for what it is.Most of us know when we're angry or lustful or greedy.But envy is the "hidden" vice that masquerades as something else, and so it's difficult to recognize and overcome.To make matters worse, we live in a culture that encourages envy--although, once again, it's disguised as "competition," "improving one's lifestyle," or "making the most of one's opportunities."

Epstein's analysis of envy is written entertainingly, and the text is punctuated with wryly appropriate cartoons from the "New Yorker."In his analysis of envy, he makes useful distinctions between (for example) jealousy and envy and schadenfreude and envy.His discussion of ressentiment (yes, that's with two s's), which he borrows from the philosophers Max Scheler and FriedrichNietzsche, is especially useful, although of no surprise to the professional philosophers who read his book.

But there are two areas where I wish Epstein had developed his theme a bit more (even as I recognize that the point of the series is to offer short, pithy treatments of the 7 deadlies).Epstein mentions in passing (Chapter 1) Aristotle's claim that not all varieties of envy are immoral or destructive, and famously cites emulation as one example.Epstein dismisses a virtuous emulative envy as "not so easily done," and quickly moves on.But it's the hard case like this that's truly interesting, and one wishes that Epstein had tackled it.

Moreover, Epstein's suggestion for breaking the hold of envy, on both personal and cultural levels, is the cultivation of "self-honesty, self-analysis, and balanced judgment" (p. 97).Fair enough.But this comes close to suggesting that envy can be overcome through sheer will power, and this in turn suggests that the envious person is aware of her envy but just isn't strong-willed enough to overcome it.Yet if Epstein's starting assumption that envy is insidious is correct, things may not be this simple.Sincere self-honesty and self-analysis may not be strong enough to disclose hidden vice.Balanced judgment is irrelevant without such a disclosure.

All in all, however, a good introduction to the green-eyed monster.

Kindle fails
The Kindle version was very poor.I don't know how this was scanned, but the font was difficult to read at any size; dictionary look-ups were unreliable because of the way they parsed the words.

For the most part I like the Kindle, but the rendering of this book was very poor.

Some disclosure of the quality and or type of rendering of a book would be useful.

A Great Subject
The joy of reading anything written by Mr. Epstein is that he reads all the obscure tomes and summarizes them appropriately in context for the readers. Along with a subtle sense of humor his works are wonderful to discern. Furthermore, his sarcasm is quite a marvel. His usage of swear words is as well fittingly placed. Therefore, not only a reader learns of the topic Mr. Epstein has researched on, the reader also discovers good handling of the English language. Envy is an old disease of humans. Nobody understands it. Nothing can be done to stop it for good. It creeps into everybody's heart and mind. He who says he is never envious in his whole life is lying through his teeth. Each chapter is interesting by itself where Mr. Epstein touches all angles of the so-called sin. It is a small book with a lot of constructive information; absolutely invigorating when a writer could produce examples from all walks of life and every single area of society. Mr. Epstein is a well read person, an above average researcher, and a skilful non-fiction author. I envy him. ;-) ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Public Library amazing women in American History

Join Susan B. Anthony's fight for voting rights. Follow Sandra Day O'Connor to the U.S. Supreme Court and Sally Ride into space. Find the answers to your questions about the amazing women in American history...

Who were the Daughters of Liberty? See page 19.

Who was the first woman to run for president? See page 79.

Who were early leaders of the women's movement? See page 38.

Who was Sojourner Truth, and how did she get her name? See page 32.

What were flappers? See page 115.

Who was Mother Jones? See page 107.

How did the National Organization for Women (NOW) begin? See page 138.

What is The Feminine Mystique, and why is it so significant? See page 139.

Also in this series . . .

• The New York Public Library Incredible Earth
• The New York Public Library Amazing Space
• The New York Public Library Amazing African American History

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential Book For Your Child's Library
I was thrilled to encounter this book. Finally, there is a book to help fill the gaping hole in children's traditional history education. This book is written in a simple question and answer format that provides succinct historical facts about women of all colors.This book should be requiredin every school! ... Read more

Product Description
Designed to keep you organized through the rush and tumble of academic life, The New York Public Library Student Planner has a user-friendly format that makes it easy to view daily, weekly, and monthly schedules. Keep track of assignments and appointments and record notes and reminders in one handy place. The result? You save time, and more of your brain is free to deal with life's larger issues. Features include space for a year's worth of classes, organized by quarter or semester; weekly grids for recording meetings, study schedules, and other activities; full-page monthly grids for long-term planning; incisive, inspiring, sometimes wryly comical quotations; and space for addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. You'll also find lists of Internet resources, reference books, weights and measures with metric conversion tables, US and Canadian holidays, and toll-free numbers and websites for travel and lodging. Size: 6 x 8¼ in.; 160 pages; Wire-O bound, softcover with flaps; printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Best Planner Ever
I can't live without it.Pre-iPhone, this is how I kept all my appointments.I was always into organization and planning, and am quite picky when it comes to purchasing a planner.After scooping out my options, this was by far the best planner on the market.As I result I buy a new one every August!It has a section for notes,phone numbers, work, extracurricular activities and more!Please there is a great inspirational quote on each page.This planner helped me get through graduate school! A+

good content bad binding
I have been using the NYPL planner for three years. I really love the content and the clear design. There are a lot of inspiring and interesting quotes at the top of each page. However, the binding of the planner is absolutely disappointing. The spiral is very weak connecting the back cover and the planner begins to break down (coz I carry it in my schoolbag, some faction there) just after a couple of weeks. I have to tape another cover around the spiral to make it continue working.
So if the planner can get a more durable design, it should be much better.

Different and Better Than Other Student Planner Calendars; Great for Homeschooled Students Too!
After looking at many student planners in person then seeing this one in person I knew it was right for my son (in grade 8). This calendar is for August 2010 to August 2011.

The bulk of the planner is the weekly planner section which I'll focus my review on.

The main body of the planner has a column for Monday-Friday that runs the length of the page with three topic sections. This is a different style than other planners. The larger section has 18 lines for "assignments and meetings" then there is a section with 9 lines for "study schedule" then a section with 7 lines for "extracurricular". Then there are small boxes for Saturday and Sunday with 7 lines each.

Every other planner I've seen just has one giant area for homework and assignments for each day which neglects to help track other appointments like a before school appointment or after school meeting, for a private music lesson or even a doctor's appoinment that happens on a regular school day. I liked how we can write in the day's appointments and meetings in the top part then the extracurricular appointments at the bottom section and then work to be done independently in the "study schedule" area.

Once the days fill up with appointments and extracurriculars the student cannot help but think about time management for homework and studying. How can it all be fit in? If they are really busy on a Wednesday but a paper is due at the end of the week you can't help but think about having to fit in time to work on that earlier in the week, and noting that in the 'study schedule' box. This gets the student thinking about managing their time, I love it!

This not only is this planner good for schooled kids, but it better suits the needs of homeschooled kids (like my son) than the other style of planner. Since we have appointments during the day for academic classes to be held at various places and for some homeschool co-op days this easily can be written into the "assignments and meetings" area which I consider the general daytime hours. The sports and Scouts, his two main extracurricular activities that happen in the evening, will be written in the "extracurricular" area. ... Read more

Product Description
Relates the history of the colony of New York from its founding by the Dutch in 1609 to statehood in 1788. ... Read more