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A complete reference resource contains hundreds of timelines, divided into fourteen broad categories including Politics and Law, Media, and Sports, offering much greater detail than most timelines and featuring tables of evolution, fashion trends, and much more. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazing Compendium of Timelines
This book has timelines spanning all possible subjects, from science, literature and the arts, military history, sports, and dozens of others.Each timeline is chock full of dates and detailed explanations of what took place on that date in history.Highly recommended for anyone interested in history. ... Read more

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Pick up The New York Public Library Literature Companion to check the dates of Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past or to find out how James Joyce's Ulysses changed U.S. obscenity laws, and you may find yourself hours later absorbed in the imaginary worlds of Camelot and The Matrix or sidetracked by the fascinating history of The New Yorker. Designed to satisfy the curious browser as well as the serious researcher, this exciting new resource offers the most up-to-date information on literature available in English from around the world, from the invention of writing to the age of the computer.

Interwoven throughout the more than 2,500 succinct and insightful entries on Creators, Works of Literature, and Literary Facts and Resources are the fascinating facts and quirky biographical details that make literature come alive. Readers will discover, for instance, that Walt Whitman was fired from his government job after his personal copy of Leaves of Grass was discovered in his desk by the Secretary of the Interior, who was scandalized by it; that James Baldwin remembered listening to blues singer Bessie Smith ("playing her till I fell asleep") when he was writing his first book; and that a publisher turned down the serialization rights to Gone with the Wind, saying, "Who needs the Civil War now -- who cares?"

Looking for information about book burning or how many Nobel laureates have come from Japan? You'll find it here. Trying to remember the name of that movie based on a favorite book? Read the "Variations" section -- you'll be amazed at the pervasive presence of great literature in today's entertainment. From Aristophanes to Allende, from Bergson to Bloom, the biographical entries will inform readers about the men and women who have shaped -- and are shaping -- the literary world. Look into "Works of Literature" to discover the significance of Beowulf, The Fountainhead, Doctor Zhivago, and nearly 1,000 other titles. Check the "Dictionary of Literature" to find out what the critics and theorists are talking about. And if you wish to delve even deeper, "Websites for Literature" and "Literary Factbooks and Handbooks" are just two of the bibliographies that will point readers in the right direction.

Unique in scope and design and easy to use, The New York Public Library Literature Companion will be at home on every reader's shelf. Whether you are immersed in Stephen King or King Lear, this book has the insights, facts, and fascinating stories that will enrich your reading forever.

With four major research centers and 85 branch libraries, The New York Public Library is internationally recognized as one of the greatest institutions of its kind. Founded in 1895, the library now holds more than 50 million items, including several world-renowned collections of literary manuscripts and rare books. Among the books published from the library in recent years are The New York Public Library Desk Reference (1998); The Hand of the Poet (1997); Letters of Transit: Reflections on Exile, Identity, Language, and Loss (1999); A Secret Location on the Lower East Side: Adventures in Writing, 1960-1980 (1998); and Utopia: The Search for the Ideal Society in the Western World (2000). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

uotations" and "Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia."
Edward Abbey to Stefan Zweig, the first 262 page section covers "Authors" - of the entire world; a follow-up section of 57 pages covers "Other Influential Figures," from Joseph Addison to Wm. H. Wright; the short sections on "Authors' Awards" and "Sources in Literary Biography" to "Works of Literature," - from "Aaron's Rod" to "Zuckerman Unbound" - will have you delving into the construction of this tome and its endless answers to questions you must know but haven't thought to ask yet.This wonderful reference book fills a need in your personal reference library, and it equals in importance the ownership of "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations" and "Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia."Once you turn to a section, you could find yourself reading for hours, for the volume invites this reaction.Many other sections answer questions asked, and you will be glad to have added this reference book to your personal library.The tome answers needs of college and high school students alike - and, also, for the personal learner on their quest for learning.

The Best Single Volume Reference Literary Text There Is
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY LITERATURE COMPANION is one of those texts that ought to lie prominently on the shelf of anyone who dares to call himself book smart.The list of potential readers is daunting: bibliophiles, poets, novelists, essayists, English literature majors, and even quiz show contestant wannabes.In its 700 plus pages lies a wealth of erudition not found in any other single volume.Editor Anne Skillion has divided the COMPANION into three broad categories:
1) Creators--which includes biographical sketches of the major figures of Western literary history.
2) Works--which covers in surprising detail the output mentioned in (1) above.
3) Literary Facts--which lists the names of the characters in (1) and (2)

No one pretends that this volume will have enough information to write say, a scholarly paper on one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, but for one who wishes to taste the Tales for the first time, one could do worse than start here.Further piquing the interest of the erudite reader is a series of sidebars, which are both delightful and informative:
A) Writers on writing
B) First books by 10 American writers
C)Poets at work (Three things are certain: death, taxes, and the fact that poetry rarely pays the rent)
D) The New York Public Library in fiction
E) Shortsighted rejection letters (You'd be amazed at what famous works were rejected by publishers)
F) Nobel Prize in literature winners (Grouped by country)
G) English & American Poets Laureate (Tennyson held this post for 42 years)
H) Standard reference books in literary biography
I) Memorable opening/closing lines (Useful for those taking the GRE in English)
J) Pulitzer Prizes for fiction/poetry/drama
K) Influential literary periodicals
L) Movie adaptations of novels/plays (Great for viewing just before the lit test)
M) Recommended Great Books List (This one is controversial: too many of my favorites were omitted)
N) Landmarks in literary censorship (Includes Lolita, Lady Chatterly's Lover, and The Satanic Verses)

This COMPANION is one of those vanishingly rare breed of reference books that can be read as often as referenced.It avoids the dry as dust patina of scholarly jargonese that infects and afflicts other and similar texts.If you already have the NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE, then this one is a must buy.

AN OUTSTANDING SOURCE OF LITERARY INFORMATION
First of all, I need to say that you won't find absolutely everything here, so don't expect to.Neither will you find deep philosophical discussions exploring the multiple levels of an author's intent.I say this only because in some reviews of other reference books in the New York Public Library collection, some reviewers have complained that some favorite item of theirs was not included.To summarize this paragraph, there's a lot here for most people, but not everything for everyone.

What you will find are a great number of literary references broken down into a little over a dozen general categories.For instance, under "Authors," there are a couple of hundred two columned pages of brief discussions of authors and their key works.

Under "Works of Literature," you will find almost as many discussions of novels, plays, poetry and other forms of written works.

One of my favorite sections is "Characters."Has the name of some literary character ever come up in a conversation and you can't quite remember where he or she came from?This is the easiest reference I've ever found for obtaining that sort of answer.

In addition there are such sections as "Literary Awards", "Great Book" lists, "Literary Periodals," a "Dictionary of Literature," a "Chronology of Literature," and many more convenient breakdowns.

Overall, of course, there is a general index which includes all entries in all categories, and which serves as a sort of cross reference between the various categories.

As a previous reviewer has noted, this is a great book to open up at any page and browse to your heart's content.I find myself looking up one item and then following it up with another reference mentioned in that one, and on and on, ad infinitum.

From the day I found this book, it has been one of the most used reference book in my collection.

An excellent reference for your collection
The Literature Companion is an excellent addition to any reference collection, for a library or at home.The editor has not crammed the pages with trivia, rather she puts readability and usefulness ahead of fact checking.When I look up an entry, say, on Conrad, I'll start browsing the C's and loose track of time.Very interesting and stimulating. ... Read more

Product Description
This helpful guide provides stimulating reading lists and practical tips for organizing and leading your own successful book-discussion group. Explains how to get a group started, determine its ideal size, weigh the pros and cons of having a leader, understand the effects of various leadership styles, develop a book list that will appeal to your group's interests, and foster a good discussion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

reading groups
This is a great reference on Reading Groups for any Librarian or helpful topics for teachers too! ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Public Librarys collection of nearly three hundred Western European illuminated manuscripts is one of the largest in America but also one that is very little known. Dating from the turn of the tenth century unto well into the period of the Renaissance, these works give vivid testimony to the creative impulses of the often nameless craftsmen who discovered ever-new ways of animating the contents of hand-produced books through inventive and sometimes exuberant manipulations of all the elements of the book: form and format, layout, script, decoration, illustration, and binding. To introduce this magnificent collection and many of its most important works to scholars and the wider audience, The Splendor of the Word presents one hundred manuscripts of particular cultural, historical, and artistic significance, selected from the Librarys collection by three of the most distinguished scholars in the field Jonathan J. G. Alexander, Professor of Fine Arts at! the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, a specialist in early medieval, Romanesque, and Italian illuminated manuscripts; James H. Marrow, Professor Emeritus of Art History at Princeton University, a specialist in late medieval illuminated manuscripts; and Lucy Freeman Sandler, Professor of Art History Emerita at New York University, a specialist in Gothic illuminated manuscripts. The makers of medieval illuminated manuscripts invested their books with sparkle and visual energy. They did so to stimulate delight, imagination, and memoryto make of them objects that fascinate and charm as well as instruct. One need have no knowledge of medieval languages or habits of thought to appreciate the high quality and the aesthetic ebullience of the finely crafted manuscripts shown here, for the very first time, to anyone interested in the ways that books help to define the social, intellectual, and imaginative horizons of their users. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice, but ...
While this is a very good document, it isn't the ART book I had hoped it would be.As an artist, I learn far more visually than I do from all the talking.I wanted a book of plates with some discription.I got a lot of expensive discription and not very many illustrations and even fewer close-ups and details.If you are an illuminator, this may not be the book you want it to be. If you are looking for a history book, I'm sure it will be a nice addition to your library. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of true stories of ordinary people from starkly different backgrounds brought together by the strange, romantic workings of New York's landscape, from this National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author.

The Korean violinist and Pakistani lawyer who strikes up a conversation in a Wall Street elevator. The lost Filipino tourist who boards a lonely A-Train at midnight and asks a fellow passenger -a Brooklyn web editor- the way to Chinatown. The blue-blooded Manhattan painter who decides against her better judgment to share a late-night ride with a stranger hailing the same cab. The thirty-eight-year-old real estate executive who approaches a fifty-one-year-old man in Central Park because she mistakes him for a friend.

Two strangers in public in New York. A chance encounter. And, before long, a wedding.

Heart of the City tells the true stories of ordinary people from starkly different backgrounds brought together by the strange romantic workings of New York's landscape. This is not a collection of sappy love stories, but a look at how the ecology of New York's iconic public spaces can turn utter strangers into partners for life. In Heart of the City, places like Central Park, the Met, the New York Public Library, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, and the subway are not just stops on a tourist map. They are love labs. They are places whose design, history, and social dynamics propel the unlikeliest of people together.

The engine of the book is the true stories of couples who met at a New York landmark, fell in love, and soon married. The romantic narratives are stirring in their own right, but they are filtered through the lens of what experts call ''environmental psychology'' -- how the built environment shapes behavior.

This book is inspired by Sabar's parents' own New York love story. His father was born to an illiterate mother in a mud shack in Kurdish Iraq. His mother was the American-born daughter of a well-off Manhattan businessman. Were it not for the peculiar design and demography of Washington Square Park, this son of a Kurdistan and this daughter of Manhattan would never have met.

Heart of the City is a paean to the physical city as matchmaker, a breathtaking tribute to the role of chance in our lives, and an eloquent reminder of why we must care about the design of urban spaces. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Rochester, N.Y.Publication date: 1907Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1872.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Publisher: New York, LibraryPublication date: 1914Subjects: Welding -- BibliographiesNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Volume: 1-5; Original Publisher: New York Public Library.; Publication date: 1915; Subjects: Engineering; Technology; Language Arts ... Read more

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A collection of classic stories of Christmas features the work of Twain, Faulkner, Cather, Irving, O. Henry, Paley, Cheever, Bobbie Ann Mason, Langston Hughes, and others. ... Read more

Product Description
The sequel to The Book of Answers features factual, informative, and entertaining information on sitcoms, soap operas, game shows, films, commercials and more, divided by Westerns, remakes, sequels, Oscars, and other awards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Example of Movies Defacing the Truth.
The First Superman The Nation Loved., September 10, 2006
Reviewer: Betty Burks (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

In the Fifties, we had a real Superman, someone who fought for Truth, Justice and the American Way on television. He wasn't as dapper as Christopher Reeve but George Reeves was the first and foremost Superman. To us teens back then, he looked old and bulky (not sualve as they do today), but that was the way the male actors in the movies were for the most part then. All the kids looked up to our Superman as presented on our home t.v. sets. This kinky film shows the sordid backstage life of a mortal man who had no other roles (he tried in a Sinatra movie and bombed), because of his involvement with a married woman. Her husband even bought him a nice home for $12,000 which he considered a good investment as he had his own foreign paramour living in his mansion. He wanted to keep the little wife happy.

It's just pretend, making shows on television and movies for the big screen. Being directed by the person who did 'Sin in the Big City,' that is the sordid way the Superman icon is presented. Well, he was just plain marvelous as Clark Kent, but his personal identity was humiliating to him and he wanted other things besides being a t.v. performer. She wanted him as he was and refused to help him further a film career. Thus, when he found a younger woman and fell in love, she set out on a murderous path of revenge.

There were perplexing endings so you can take your pick as to who actually killed him in his own house, or if he did indeed kill himself. I always believed you every time, he'd told her; I had no idea I could spread so much joy. There was much more going on that you realize, and the guys were all frauds. Nothing was as it seemed. Before he met his demise, he told her, "You owe me an explanation," which he never got. All he got was a fatal shot in the head. It was depressing. One woman commented to me on the way out, that it was well-done. I repleid that I would have to think about it.

Actually, two stories were woven into one: the ill-mannered investigator played by Sean Penn with his sordid life and that of the major characters which made the movie rambling and disjointed. How's that? Why's that? A good biography of the first Superman on the screen, someone we all admired, was not in this movie. Instead it was like 'Sin in the City' in the Hollywood of the Fifties. No wonder Eddie went wrong, as he believed in that stuff. It was all make-believe and dangerous.

You can skip this one and watch it on late-nite t.v. in the near future. There is not much redeeming value in watching one of your heroes sullied in this manner. Even if he was only a man, not a Superman, in person. He had the right to live out his life, but that one married woman felt differently. She is the villain even if she didn't pull the trigger. It's possible she did it in person, but with this story as presented here, we will always have to wonder. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subtitle: Printed From the Original Manuscripts Presented to the New York Public Library by Miss Gertrude L. Hoyt; Original Published by: s.n. in 1906 in 115 pages; Subjects: United States; History / Military / United States; History / Military / Naval; History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877); ... Read more

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Compiled by the librarians most familiar with her work and complemented by several of the poet's handwritten letters, a collector's edition published in concert with New York's Public Library is decorated with lithographs and pen-and-ink drawings. ... Read more