Evolution of New York City Subways: An Illustrated History of New York City's Transit Cars, 1867-1997 Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a native New Yorker, born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, so the NYC subway system means a great deal to me. I'm also a railfan, so my interests in the inner workings of the IND, BMT, and IRT run very deep as well. That's why I can say that Evolution of New York City Subways truly is a subway fan's delight. Gene Sansone has written an incredibly fact-filled, engaging chronicle of the rolling stock of the MTA and its predecessors, as only an insider can. The comprehensive text is accompanied by excellent interior and exterior photos, plus detailed diagrams and specifications. I predict that this book will soon become the reference standard on this subject. I sincerely urge all subway fans to get a copy immediately: they won't be able to put it down!

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Edges Review

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(More customer reviews)Lena Roy has written a terrific book for young adults on the subject of addiction.
After the death of his mother, Luke's father, Frank, starts drinking again after a long period of sobriety and is quickly reduced to a soggy, hopeless wreck. Overwhelmed by the demands of caring for an active alcoholic, and coping with his own grief, 17-year-old Luke flees New York for the Moab Desert, where he and his parents once traveled. He finds a job at the Moonflower youth hostel and lives among the quirky inhabitants.
Ava, a student and sometime waitress, has recently joined Alcoholics Anonymous and although she's trying to deal with her addiction, she's having a hard time. Through AA, she meets Frank, Luke's father. She's alienated from her parents, who have themselves moved to the Moab Desert -- and that's where the miraculous connections begin to weave together.
The story is told in Luke's and Ava's alternating points of view. It's well handled. The novel will inspire any young person dealing with addiction, autonomy and self-awareness. The issues are complicated -- God, synchronicity, life and death, our responsibility to others, forgiveness...Lena Roy shies away from nothing. Her clear-eyed portrait of what AA looks like to a newcomer is refreshing, and although she illustrates, quite beautifully, why "the program" works, she never talks down to her reader, nor does she preach. The characters are well rounded, the story intriguing, the possibilities inspiring.
Highly recommended.

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The Music of Chance Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't know if I necessarily enjoyed this book (or any Paul Auster book, for that matter). The enjoyment comes from the questions I ask myself after I've put the book down. It is not an enjoyable reading experience, but rather a contemplative one. In that regard, it is a highly successful piece of art.
The story appears to be relatively simple. One man goes driving. He meets another man on the road. The two of them meet some eccentric millionaires. The four men play poker. Then two men build a wall. It is almost nonsensical now that I look back on it. But the story's not really the thing (it never is in an Auster book). So don't go looking for closure, and don't expect easy answers. It's all just an excuse for some finely written meditations on the nature of fate and the restrictions of freedom.
Auster's writing style is enigmatic. There is a faux-coldness to it, appearing at first glance distant and reserved. Closer inspection, however, reveals much humanity and passion in his prose. I've always had suspicions that his surname is really an ingeniously calculated pseudonym, for any austerity in the writing is both sincere and ironic. That's a neat trick to pull off, and, to my mind, his greatest strength as a writer. In this example from his oeuvre, he gets the balance just right.

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