Book: City Pick New York
Our selection: Book of the week
City Pick New York
There are a plethora of different city guide books out on the market, most of which are glorified lists of attractions, hotels, restaurants and shops. They are as impersonal as they are repetitive and those who follow their advice religiously often find another thousand tourists in any given place that have done exactly the same. They are fine for practical information but they are certianly not going to enrich your experience or offer you anything a quick trip to the tourist office couldn't provide.Not so for the 'city-pick' series of books, which regroups the very best of literature written about the greatest cities on the planet from some of its finest authors. The New York edition is divided into 12 sections, including, 'On the Waterfront', 'Big Yellow Taxis etc' and 'Celebrity City', and offers insights into various aspects of The Big Apple as seen through those who have written about it. Snipets of work from the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Truman Capote and Washington Irving stir up images of the city from days gone by while Beatrice Colin, Teju Cole and Ian Frazier give a more modern day account of the city that never sleeps.
Unlike the regular guide book, the city-pick book is one that you can make your own, or rather one that will make your trip your very own and not the same as the next person who has bought Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. Open the book at whichever page you desire and there will be a sentence to make you think, to make you dream, to make you wonder (or even wander). It is the type of book that can be read before, during and after your visit but which will have three very different meanings. Equally, you could just choose to read it, or part of it, before you leave and visit those areas of the city which have left the deepest impression on you. Or why not open it up once you've arrived and see where the writing takes you. Or simply leave it at home, take some time to let it all sink in and then compare your thoughs, feelings and emotions to those who have put theirs down in black and white.
The city-pick collection is a superb way to learn about a destination that you do not know at all and an equally good way to challenge your perceptions or complement your knowledge about one that you (think you) do know. The type of book that can be opened up at any page, the city-pick guide also covers Paris, London, Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam and Venice.
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