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Brooklyn: A State of Mind
by Michael W. Robbins & Wendy Palitz
125 Original Stories from America's most colorful city.
Brooklyn: A State of Mind is not really a travel book with descriptions of tourist sights and accompanying fees and hours. Nor is it a history book that gives a detailed chronological time line of the city's growth, but rather this book is a collection of stories and tales as unique as the borough itself.
I lived in Brooklyn for the first 46 years of my life and the last few years we have lived in a suburb about 25 minutes away. When traveling, I will inevitably be asked "Where are you from?" and without a moment's hesitation, I answer proudly, "Brooklyn."
I love the little town we live in now, but nothing is like Brooklyn, so I read this book with a thrill, but I know I am not alone. I have often heard that one out of five Americans were either born or raised in Brooklyn or have family ties here. Of course, as the book will admit, there is really no way to attest to that fact. Yet, everywhere I go, I continue to meet people that claim Brooklyn roots, so this book will be a joy to many.
Brooklyn: A State of Mind is broken into nine categories with broad headings covering themes like Coney Island, Pulpits and Stages, The Waterfront, The Streets and Made in Brooklyn. Each section is filled with photos and writings from local celebrities and everyday Brooklynites, sharing their treasured stories of life in this town, which by the way, is populated by over two million people - that's a lot of stories.
I especially enjoyed reading Eli Wallach's memories of culture shock, having gone from Erasmus Hall High School to the University of Texas and Mel Brooks' stories about growing up on the streets of Williamsburg, with an accompanying photo of his wife Ann Bancroft enjoying a frankfurter at Nathan's.
When reading through this book, you, too, will have your favorites, as something from your youth or your memory strikes a chord and draws you to that story. I loved reading about Coney Island, as the photographs of the Cyclone roller coaster and Steeplechase Park transported me to my childhood.
If words like Flatbush, the Paramount, Junior's cheesecake, Lundy's Restaurant, Grand Army Plaza, the Dodgers or the Brooklyn Bridge evoke a smile on your face, this book is for you.
Title: Brooklyn: A State of Mind
Author: Michael W. Robbins & Wendy Palitz
Publisher: Workman Publishing
ISBN: 0761116354
Review written by: Janet Miserandino
Reviewer's Rating:9.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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