Times Square Red, Times Square Blue (Sexual Cultures)

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An award-winning science fiction writer, esteemed professor of comparative literature at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and celebrated essayist and memoirist, Samuel Delany is one of America's keenest observers. He was also a longtime habitué of many of the sex theaters in New York City's Times Square, spending, by his own estimate, "thousands and thousands of hours" at the Capri, Variety Photoplays, the Eros, and the Venus. In the 1990s all of these theaters were shut down through new restrictive zoning laws, part of a combined effort by the Walt Disney Corporation and the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani to gentrify the area, replacing these seedily memorable institutions with antiseptic, innocuous architectural and cultural creations in the name of health safety. But as Delany reveals in his new book, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, the decision to clean up Times Square had little to do with public health, and everything to do with corporate greed.

In the two essays that comprise this eloquent, provocative book, Delany grieves for the loss of this strip of sexual release. Though he is careful not to romanticize or sentimentalize the peep shows and porn theaters, he does illuminate the way in which these venues crossed class, racial, and sexual orientation lines, providing a delightfully subversive utopia--and a microcosm of New York life. In the first essay, "Times Square Blue," Delany details his shared erotic and conversational encounters with working-class and homeless men in the theaters (which primarily showed straight porn films) and the genuine friendships that resulted; these immensely personal reminiscences also provide a social history of late-20th-century Times Square. Drawing on historical and theoretical resources in the second essay, "Three, Two, One, Contact: Times Square Red," Delany next builds a thoughtful and passionate argument against the gentrification of the area and the classist, characterless direction in which he sees New York heading. Read together, the essays of Times Square Red, Times Square Blue are both heartfelt homage to a beloved city and lament for a quirky vitality increasingly phased out by encroaching capitalism. --Kera Bolonik

Book Description

"Measured but emotional, illuminating but challenging." -The San Francisco Chronicle

"Remarkable." -Salon

"Essential." -The Nation

"In a provocative and persuasively argued cri de coeur against New York City's gentrification and the redevelopment of Times Square in the name of 'family values and safety,' acclaimed science fiction writer Delany proves himself a dazzlingly eloquent and original social commentator. . . . This bracing and well-calibrated blend of journalism, personal history and cultural criticism will challenge readers of every persuasion." -Publishers Weekly[starred review]

Both a celebration of the kaleidoscopic possibilities inherent in urban diversity and a eulogy for the plurality of human contact and stimulation squelched by the Times Square makeover." -Village Voice

If one street in America can claim to be the most infamous, it is surely 42nd Street. Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, 42nd Street was once known for its peep shows, street corner hustlers and movie houses. Over the last two decades the notion of safety-from safe sex and safe neighborhoods, to safe cities and safe relationships-has overcome 42nd Street, giving rise to a Disney store, a children's theater, and large, neon-lit cafes. 42nd Street has, in effect, become a family tourist attraction for visitors from Berlin, Tokyo, Westchester, and New Jersey's suburbs. Samuel R. Delanysees a disappearance not only of the old Times Square, but of the complex social relationships that developed there: the points of contact between people of different classes and races in a public space. In Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, Delany tackles the question of why public restrooms, peepshows, and tree-filled parks are necessary to a city's physical and psychological landscape. He argues that starting in 1985, New York City criminalized peep shows and sex movie houses to clear the way for the rebuilding of Times Square. Delany's critique reveals how Times Square is being "renovated" behind the scrim of public safety while the stage is occupied by gentrification. Times Square Red, Times Square Blue paints a portrait of a society dismantling the institutions that promote communication between classes, and disguising its fears of cross-class contact as "family values." Unless we overcome our fears and claim our "community of contact," it is a picture that will be replayed in cities across America.

Customer Reviews:

hey, reader! stop giving no-star ratings to this book!.......2004-01-31

A confused "Amazon Customer" is repeatedly inserting blurbs from other periodicals into the "customer review" section of this page, AND failing to give "star" ratings to these inserts -- thus steadily dragging down the star-rating of this book. Since the blurbs are positive and have been repeatedly entered, I assume this "Amazon Customer" wants people to be interested in the book. Well, by failing to give a star rating, you're doing exactly the opposite! So either stop inserting blurbs altogether, or start giving them star ratings. This book is too cool to be muddied up by your confusion.

Prelude and fugue.......2000-03-11

Samuel Delaney has done the near imposible - he has written a book that is both titillating and informing. Dividing his cogent 21st Century social philosophy into two parts is at first disconcerting: Why are we reading (buying) a book that lets us in on the gossip of firsthand observation of Times Square New York, then in a page turn becomes a sophisticated academic treatise on our current social problems, in the City, and in a Country? Once past this mirage of a hurdle Delaney makes it patently clear why he chose this format. If we are introduced to a problem in a seductive manner, we pay closer attention to the bigger issues. This superb little book is illuminating in its exploration of where we are in our interpersonal relationships, our interplay with those around us (street, neighborhood, city, country), and our current drive to homogenize our world. Beautifully written, immensely readable, and a very important contribution to our social perceptions!

An intelligent, touching book.......2000-01-06

I always thought of Samuel Delaney as a writer of science fiction, my least favorite genre, so this is my first book by him. I was impressed and delighted. The worst thing I can say about it is that Mr. Delaney has a love of dependent clauses strung along inside comma-copious sentences that were sometimes hard to read. But he has awesome insights too, and compassion and wisdom lace every page. Makes me wish I was old enough to partake of that culture.

Sex and the City.......1999-11-24

A remarkable book, with both the frankest discussion of people's sexual desires and needs of any book I've read in years, and a compelling argument about the crucial role places like the old Times Square play in the life of a city. A paeon to America's cities and an intimate history of a culture being destroyed. Delany's masterful prose makes this brief book a treat to read. A great stocking stuffer for the intellectually and sexually adventurous.

Not worth it.......1999-11-20

This book promises to be a history and social commentary on Times Square's sleazy recent past. But in reality the book is told from a very narrow and restrictive point-of-view (. . . )There's nothing wrong with that except he practically ignores the fact that the West 42nd Street sex shops, peep shows, and massage parlors were also an attraction for heterosexual men. The reader will get painfully tired of reading endless descriptions of Delaney's sexual exploits among the XXX theater crowd. Additionally, the handfull of black and white photos of the empty storefronts of the "Forty Deuce" were taken after most of the shops had been driven out of business. Without good photos of the way 42nd Street used to be, the vibrant nature of the area is greatly diminished and Delaney's text doesn't make up for it. If you are looking for a social history of the old Times Square, something balanced and better illustrated, try Josh Alan Friedman's "Tales of Times Square" instead.

Black Knight in Red Square (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Inspector Rostnikov Mysteries)

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Porfiry Petrovich is a man of unusual skills
Back in the USSR
Black Knight In Red Square
Book 2 in the Rostnikov Series

Black Knight in Red Square (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Inspector Rostnikov Mysteries)
Stuart M. Kaminsky
Manufacturer: Felony & Mayhem
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1933397586
Release Date: 2007-02-15

Product Description

The Moscow Film Festival may lack Cannes' boats, bikinis, and gentle breezes, but it has nevertheless attracted scores of international actors, directors, and deal-makers. For some, the festival represents Moscow's re-emergence as a world-class city. But for a gang of zealots headed by a beautiful brunette, the festival represents a target, and they have been attacking the "film people" with frightening efficiency. Desperate to avoid embarrassment, the Kremlin is trying to cover up the killings. And desperate to stop the killers, the KGB has put Inspector Rostnikov on the case. With his Jewish wife and his suspect taste for American crime novels, Rostnikov is hardly the KGB's favorite cop. But he's their best hope to catch the woman with brown hair, complicated motives, and a really big bomb.

Customer Reviews:

Porfiry Petrovich is a man of unusual skills.......2006-07-20

In this the second of the series, our hero, Chief Inspector Porfiry Petrovich not only foils a terrorist cell that is planning to blow up major historical sites in Moscow, stop a gang that has been beating and raping old women; he also manages to win a weight lifting trophy (for people over 50), and most importantly to fix the toilet of his bulgarian upstairs neighbor. The idea that his home has been bugged by the KGB could never scare a man who knows how to use a wrench.

The most interesting thing that happens during this book is that Rostnikov and his wife (who is jewish) decide to emigrate from the Soviet Union. This book was written in 1989 just before the fall of the Berlin Wall and jewish migration was at it's easiest.
But, once they put in their papers, they will probably both loose their jobs and the effect on Josef in the army in unfathomable. How Porfiry handles this problem is in itself worth the time to read this book.

Back in the USSR.......2003-12-23

Kaminsky is an incredibly prolific writer, but I'd never read anything by him until now. This second book in his long running series starring Russian police inspector Porfiry Rostnikov blurs the line between detective fiction and international spy thriller. What begins as a poisoning case linked to the prestigious Moscow International Film Festival soon ties in to a terrorist plot to set off remote control bombs at Soviet landmarks in Moscow. The result is a book that's partly excellent and partly silly. The silly part is this idea of a fictional international terror cell seeking to destabilize both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. It may be the distance of some twenty years since the book was written, but the whole presentation of their aims is laughable.

However, when Kaminsky sticks to his hero detective and his capable underlings (especially Ivan the Vampire), the book is outstanding. It's a common enough trait of police procedural series that one of the key obstacles the detective faces is his own bureaucracy. This is certainly the case for Rostnikov, however the novelty of the Soviet system keeps the book interesting. Not only the political machinations, but the day to day corruption and seedy underbelly of the socialist capital make the book well worth reading. There's just enough of the private lives of the Soviet cops to round things out nicely. On the whole, an intriguing book despite the laughable villains, and one that'll have me seeking out others in the series.

Black Knight In Red Square.......2003-05-08

This book is a very suspenseful book. When you first start to read the book you are instintly wraped up in the book. It gives a great information on Russian history, along with the famous buildings in Moscow. This book is about a Chief Inspector named Porfiry Rostnikov would is put on a case that involves 4 men all posined on the same night in the same Moscow hotel. He learns that these murders are done by a darked eyed women who is a terriorst and has many more plans into embarassing Russia. It is up the the Inspector to stop this women before she commits more harm.

Book 2 in the Rostnikov Series.......2001-03-20

It starts out as a not so simple poisoning of four during the Moscow film festival. Not a good thing and it gets worse when Rostnikov determines that one of the victims is an American investigative journalist. Further digging brings in the KGB, an international terrorist brigade and more deaths. And, as expected, Rostnikov and his assistants, work in and around the system to solve the crime(s).

I enjoyed this story a great deal though not as much as the first book - Death of a Dissident. What I like most about the Rostnikov series is how a generic, could happen anywhere, crime story is altered when seen through Soviet eyes. Dissident was a 100% Soviet story and that was part of it's charm. The introduction of a number of international players in this book somehow blurs the distinctiveness of the earlier book.

Book Description

"Sharply, evocatively written and elaborately plotted...It should find as many friends as did GORKY PARK."
THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
Back from exile, Arkady Reko returns to find that his country, his Moscow, even his job, are nearly dead. Not so his enemies. Hounded by the Russian mafia, chased by ruthless minions of the newly rich and powerful, and tempted by his great love, Arkady can only hope for escape. Fate, however, has other ideas....
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
A LITERARY GUILD MAIN SELECTION

Customer Reviews:

Back in the USSR.......2007-01-31

Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. "Red Square" is his third novel - after " Gorky Park " and "Polar Star" - to feature Arkady Renko and was first published in 1992.

Renko, the hero, works as an Investigator with Moscow's militia - more or less the standard police force - and has something of a chequered career. Never a truly 'practising' member of the Party, Renko hasn't always been thought highly of by those in authority. He has always wanted to catch the people responsible for the crimes he's investigating, regardless of the 'political' consequences - as a result of this, he was once dismissed from the Party for a lack of 'political reliability' and sentenced to a life in Siberia. He also appears to be something of a disappointment to his father, a very famous ex-General. (Arkady's opinion of his father - who is very ill as the book opens - isn't too high, either). However, after the events outlined in "Polar Star", he was reinstated to his former position - but is now working in a new Moscow that he barely recognises. "Red Square" is largely set in Moscow, Munich and Berlin in 1991 and is set in turbulent times : Germany has been re-unified and the breakup of the USSR is closing in.

The book opens in August 1991, with Renko and his partner - an Estonian called Jaak Kuusnets - on their way to a meeting with Rudy Rosen. Although Rosen operates as a banker for the various factions of the Russian Mafia, he has agreed to Renko planting a transmitter in his car for the duration of a Mafia-sponsored illegal market. (This is largely due to the fact that the militia have enough to put Rosen away for a very long time). Despite turning informer, Rosen appears to feel relatively safe. The Chechen faction, headed up by Makhmud, constitutes his only real enemy, but - since all the factions require his services - he doesn't think he's under any real threat. His sense of security is reinforced by Mikhail Kim, his fearsome-looking Korean bodyguard, and his business partnership with Borya Gubenko - the head of the Long Pond Mafia. Unfortunately, shortly after a quiet conversation with Arkady at the market, Rudy is killed when his car goes up in flames - changing Renko's case from surveillance to a murder inquiry. One of the witnesses points the finger at Kim - and it seems clear the Korean was responsible for at least one of the two explosions.

Although Arkady works most closely with Jaak, there are a couple of other members on the team he has assembled. Polina deals with the forensic work and is nearly as dedicated to her job as Arkady Renko is to his. Minin, on the other hand, is practically the anti-Renko : he remains devoted to the Party and is, in fact, the only Party member on the team. Renko's boss is a man called Rodionov - the City Prosecutor and an elected member of the People's Congress. When Renko meets with Rodionov to inform him of the investigation's progress, he's also introduced to General Penyagin - the recently appointed head of CID. Unlike his predecessor, Penyagin is a bureaucrat - not a detective risen from the ranks. Renko is stunned to discover that the third person attending the meeting, Max Albov, is a journalist. As the investigation unfolds, developments take Renko far and wide - even to the recently reunited Germany. However, Albov proves to be someone Renko just can't avoid.

This is a hugely enjoyable book - in fact, the Renko series is just getting better and better as it goes along. The book is set in the USSR's dying days, a difficult time for all those used to playing the political game. As such, it's probably even more dangerous that it had been - especially for someone like Renko who only cared about catching the villain, rather than doing what was politically 'correct'. Highly recommended.

"Who can we be, if we get out alive?".......2007-01-28

First published in 1992, _Red Square_ illustrates the complexities which have emerged as the Russians allow some private enterprise but have not yet become a democracy. Hardliners want to perpetuate their own way of life, while young people and the hungry proletariat want reform and their own piece of the pie. Arkady Renko, who has appeared in two previous Cruz Smith novels (Gorky Park and Polar Star), has returned to Moscow from exile and has resumed his job as a detective, this time investigating corruption and criminal fraud in the city as private enterprise takes illegal turns.

Rudy Rosen, who engages in money-changing, gambling, and other felonies, some of them involving citizens of foreign countries, is cooperating with Renko by allowing him to record conversations. Immediately after Renko leaves Rudy in his car, however, Rudy's car explodes, incinerating Rudy and a suitcase full of cash. As Renko investigates who might have killed Rudy, the complexity of this mystery parallels the complexities of a Russian society in which it's every man for himself in terms of financial transactions.

All the characters are at loose ends, wondering who they are and how they are perceived. Renko is just back from exile, the love of his life having defected to Germany years ago, and she believes that he has abandoned her. Rudy Rosen wants to have it both ways--to cooperate with Renko and to continue his shady dealings. The Chechens who appear in the story are blamed for everything that is violent or illegal, but they remember the horrors of mass relocation and the killings through which the Russians annihilated their villages and left them homeless. As the investigation of Rudy's death leads Renko from Moscow to Munich and Berlin (and to a meeting with Irina, his long lost love), Renko meets with other Russians who live abroad but still regard themselves as Russian.

Renko is a sad case--morose, love-starved, and without any reason for living--and as he tries to do what is right, his essential goodness comes through. As the case becomes an investigation of stolen paintings, many of them owned by Jews at the outbreak of World War II (and earlier), Renko's own superiors and the Russian Mafia abroad threaten his life. The body count rises and who-did-what-to-whom becomes confusing, but many readers will be focused on the character of Renko. As he tries to navigate the minefield of his own life, he resembles a modern version of some of the great Russian tragic heroes. This is not the most unified of the Renko mysteries, but it is fascinating, nevertheless. n Mary Whipple

All four very good, this one is fantastic........2006-07-30

Red Square blew my mind. What a great book. I find there is a lot of junk out there for the two genres I prefer: fantasy and crime drama. I was floored by Red Square - and had actually read it first. Kind of shows how great it is that I loved every moment and I had not even read Gorky Park or Polar Star yet (both darn good, too). Havana Bay followed and was good, but not as full and gripping as Red Square. wow. Truly a gift.

sublime red.......2006-04-13

martin cruz smith has delivered a delicious tale of historical intrigue. having been to moscow and berlin multiple times, i appreciate the realism in his descriptions. the physical connection resonates fully and the plots accentuate smartly. the meandering convenience of some of the organized crime figures is somewhat shallow, and yet they are necessary to illustrate the freemarket chaos in post-soviet russia. i thought that the upshot of the coup attempt was ignored, being that the story ended with tanks on the steps of the white house. the romance played well with irina but i was disappointed that the teasing with the female detective wasn't pursued. i would've enjoyed a romp in the sack between renko and the young bomb expert. in conclusion, my experience was one of light pleasure and therefore this pile of words is highly recommended.

The Return of Renko!.......2006-01-05

Arkady Renko, brilliant and flawed hero from Smith's Gorky Park and Polar Star, is back in a book nearly as good as the original in the series. Renko, political offender, has returned from his "reconditioning" exile among the fishing fleet of the Siberian coast, and he's been permitted as a "reformed" person to begin work once again in the Moscow militia ( police department). Renko finds life vastly changed from a decade before, when he was a rising star among Soviet detectives. Not only has Gorbechev opened Soviet society to heights never imagined in the perpetual night of the Cold War, but the cynically pragmatic Renko discovers lawlessness of a type and savagery impossible under strict Communist control. As he infiltrates the new mafia, a variety of vicious, fearless black marketer, Renko finds himself caught up in a massive plot, the dimensions of which he at first can barely comprehend, involving the smuggling of priceless works of Russian art. Indeed, as Renko trails these national treasures into western Europe, he is reunited with his lost love from Gorky Park, Irina, who has worked for ten years among dissidents intend on crumbling the Soviet empire from the outside in. Red Square (the name is itself part pun and part key to a mystery) is, like all of Smith's Renko books, as much a sociological exploration of the society within a nation that was both a military superpower and an economic Third World regime. This is a satisfying read that concludes among real life events, and at its climax draws its strength from the backdrop of one of the brightest moments of freedom in the annals of humankind.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader

Red Square
Martin Cruz Smith
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0517137305
Release Date: 1995-01-16

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

After a nice little fishing trip, Renko is allowed back in Moscow to work. The next Arkady Renko novel is a little better than the previous effort. It gets across the decay and depressing atmosphere of the communist country that he is in, and the rise to power of the Russian mafia.

A man that is a banker for many of the mafia groups is murdered, and Arkady is on the trail.

Starting From Square Two (Red Dress Ink)

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Touched on my emotions...
Sweet, interesting, and thoughtful portrait of searching for love.
Fun
Skip It
Poignant tale of moving on after losing your first love

Starting From Square Two (Red Dress Ink)
Caren Lissner
Manufacturer: Red Dress Ink
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Friendship | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Carrie Pilby (Red Dress Ink Novels)
Inappropriate Men (Red Dress Ink)
Sleeping Over (Red Dress Ink)
$Scenes From A Holiday: The Eight Dates Of Hanukkah\Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution\Emma Townsend Saves Christmas (Red Dress Ink Novels)$ Scenes From A Holiday: The Eight Dates Of Hanukkah\Carrie Pilby's New Year's Resolution\Emma Townsend Saves Christmas (Red Dress Ink Novels)
The Last Year Of Being Single (Red Dress Ink)

ASIN: 0373250525

Book Description

Is it possible to find that perfect once-in-a-lifetime love twice?

Gert Healy thought she was finished with dating. She thought she'd never again have to worry about what to wear and what to say and whether she was pretty enough. She thought that she'd be picking out strollers and booties for the children she and her husband were planning to have. Instead, she's mourning his loss and coming to terms with being a widow at twenty-nine.

It's been over a year now, and her friends -- with the best of intentions, really -- have convinced her it's time to get back into the swing of things (even though looking for love is the last thing she wants to do). Although they've developed many a dating rule between them, now that Gert's a part of their single-girl crew, she's beginning to realize they don't know the first thing about men. Of course, Gert doesn't know the first thing about dating, since she married her college sweetheart, so maybe joining forces will work out after all. But does Gert have it in her to fight her way through the leather-jacketed and miniskirted crowds in search of a second miracle?

It's back to square one on everything. Well, actually she's done it all before. Square two, then.

From the author of Carrie Pilby comes this charming and bittersweet tale of love, loss and starting over.

Customer Reviews:

Touched on my emotions..........2007-08-15

As a woman who fell in love when she was 16 and married the same man when she was 19, I can definitely identify with Gert's confusion and agony after her husband's death. Losing my own husband is one of my greatest fears, and I found myself captivated and uplifted by this tale of second chances and life after widowhood. I pray that I am never in the same situation, however it is great to read a tale of hope for a young widow anyway.

Sweet, interesting, and thoughtful portrait of searching for love. .......2007-05-04

Considering that the book was about a young widow, I expected this novel to make me cry. It didn't. Some parts of the plot actually felt rushed, but clearly all the ingredients were there. I love stories about love, and they are rarely this thoughtful and honest. Even better, it isn't just about romantic love, but also about friendship, holding on, letting go, appreciating what you have. All the characters are real, complicated, and human-- there is no villian. That was also refreshing.

If I hadn't already read CARRIE PILBY, I think I would have been more than satisfied, but expected a lot from the author of CARRIE PILBY. STARTING is not as original or surprising, but the thoughtfulness, the realness -- the down to earth truth -- is still here. I don't think that this manuscript was really ready to go, but I enjoyed it nevertheless, and I still plan to read whatever Caren Lissner writes next.

Fun.......2006-01-25

This is a fun and light read. It keeps you guessing about the end

Skip It.......2005-08-21

This was a serious chick-lit book and, unlike Carrie Pilby (by this same author), not very fun to read. The subject covered here is widowhood; Gert, a 29 year old, loses her husband Marc in a car crash and has to begin dating again in NYC. There is tremendous focus on Gert and her status as a widow - in fact, this could easy be a self-help book/guidance book for widows themselves. Unless you are particularly engaged by this author or this sad subject matter I would advise skipping the book. Because, in addition to being a sad subject (and the author makes it sad), Gert has 2 'friends' who aren't very friendly at all. Her friends, Ericka and Hallie, are so opposite to Gert in terms of kindness and authenticity, that you marvel at why Gert would even hang out with them. The friendship between the 3 girls was another facet of the book that seemed out of place and unbelievable. Also, when Gert decides to date again, she meets Tom, a train conductor, on her first night out - it seems impossible to meet 'the one' so quickly, but she remains with Tom throughout the book. I'm a bit perplexed by this book - what exactly is this author intending us to get from her writing? The book is far more serious than most chick-lit out there and not many women in the 20something age range will find it easy to identify with Gert. I would steer clear of this one unless you have a reason for reading it.

Poignant tale of moving on after losing your first love.......2005-06-20

Gert never thought she'd have to date again, but her world came crashing down when her husband Marc is killed in a car accident. Wracked with survivor guilt, she reluctantly bar hops with her single friends who try to teach her the ins and outs of dating. The only problem is that Gert hasn't been on a date in almost ten years. She's also struggling with the disintegration of her relationship with Marc's family - when he died, her role in their family ceased to exist.

On her first outing, she meets Todd and they hit it off, much to the dismay of her friends. Apparently their rules state you cannot date the first guy you meet. Soon her friend Hallie is asking to be set up with his friend. Gert's relationship with Todd is sweet - the polar opposite of Marc. As they get closer, she realizes that she must eventually tell him about Marc. When she finally does, he appears understanding, and then slowly seems to drift away (but perhaps it is all in her mind).

Meanwhile, Erika is stalking former boyfriend Ben and his wife. She dumped Ben in college, and after three months, decided he was her soul mate. Of course, he found another soul mate, married her, and now has a second baby on the way. Ben's wife is so happy that she has created a webpage that Erika becomes obsessed with, which eventually takes it's toll on Erika's sanity.

The story is heart wrenching, particularly Gert's moments of reflective solitude, her participation in grief counseling comprised primarily of young widows from the 9/11 tragedy (Marc died a few days prior), and the feeling that while her friends mean well, they really don't have a clue what she's going through. Notht ekind of friends a widow would want to surround herself with. Another book with a similar theme is "Good Grief" by Lolly Winston.

To Russia With Fries: My Journey from Chicago's South Side to Moscow's Red Square - Having Fun Along the Way

Average customer rating:

Selling Russians McBelieve
Entertaining memoir
Interesting and Entertaining
it is an inspiring book. great determination
Press On---Cohon brings McDonalds to Russia

To Russia With Fries: My Journey from Chicago's South Side to Moscow's Red Square - Having Fun Along the Way
George Cohon , and David Macfarlane
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0771021984
Release Date: 1999-04-01

Book Description

You might think that an autobiography by the senior chairman of McDonald’s in Canada and Russia would be a modestly boastful, ho-hum business story of expansion and board-room debates, wrapped in some nice reminiscences about his family. You would be very wrong. Because this is George Cohon’s autobiography, and George Cohon (“Call me George, please!”) is not an ordinary man…not in his approach to business and not in his approach to telling his life story.

It’s true that George Cohon is one of the most successful businessmen of his generation and that he’s also one of the most colourful. But the man you’ll meet in the pages of To Russia With Fries is considerably more complex than that description suggests. Here, you’ll encounter a man who not only dreamed the impossible dream of opening a McDonald’s restaurant in the heart of the Soviet Union (of all places), but had the patience, the persistence, and above all the good humour to navigate the maze of obstacles set in his course by a scornful communist bureaucracy. You’ll meet a man whose heart is bigger than his assets (he’s donating all the royalties from this book to charity); a man with a serious sense of fun, who loves (and is frequently on the receiving end of) practical jokes; a man whose life so far has been extraordinary by any standard. You’ll discover a man who is a natural and creative entrepreneur and an acknowledged expert on starting a business in Russia. He’s been there and done that – long before the crash of the Iron Curtain.

From a man who can think and do six things at once (he’s been told he has a mind like a butterfly), comes a very lively and hugely entertaining story that has universal appeal.

Customer Reviews:

Selling Russians McBelieve.......2005-10-28

A fascinating story of the authors life, concentrating on his efforts trying to sell the concept of fast food to party apparachiks who had almost little idea what a hamburger was and acted as if they cared less. The book is full of the many humerous and incongruous situations that confronted the western businessman in both Soviet and post Soviet Russia, for that reason alone I would recommend the book.

Having said this I found many irritations too in the sections of the book dealing with activities outside Russia. There are a number of self congratulatory stories, where uninformed critics of multinational fast food are roundly dispatched. Meanwhile meaningful discussion of ironies such as corporate fast food super sizing kids and then building them Hospitals is conspicuous by its absence. Whether in this instance, blocking investment that helped black South Africans or raising money for Israel the book at times seems to be all about self righteous application of economic power. The author trained as a lawyer and naturally argues a good defence, but in criticism I found some of this irkesome.

Entertaining memoir .......2005-07-22

George Cohon describes how he turned McDonald's into a Russian institution by marketing meat, bread, potatoes and milk in a culture where such fare had long constituted the traditional diet. The lesson here is that when global companies market products that local consumers can readily identify with, the companies are perceived to be of local origin.

Interesting and Entertaining.......2000-05-03

Although there is a bit of name dropping and a few self congratulatory stories, overall this book is entertaining and worth reading. Mr. Cohon, while summarizing business dealings which define perseverance, provides interesting perspectives on business management, networking and family values. He also provides a lot of information about the inner political workings of the former Soviet Union.

it is an inspiring book. great determination.......1998-10-03

just great!! amazing.

Press On---Cohon brings McDonalds to Russia.......1998-06-16

George Cohon gives an honest account of the years of meetings, negotiations, disapointments and eventual victory associated with bringing McDonalds to Russia.

A testament to the human side of successful business negotiation.

Average customer rating:

A top class thriller - try desperately to find it!

Forget Gorky Park -- this is infinitely better

Red Square
Allan Topol , and Neznansky
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Deadly Games

Red Snow

Dermo!: The Real Russian Tolstoy Never Used

ASIN: 0425072622

Customer Reviews:

A top class thriller - try desperately to find it!.......2000-04-20

This book is indeed far better than the Martin Cruz Smith book of the same title. I read this once a few years ago and although I lost the book the story has stayed with me ever since. I'll be sure to try to get another copy now that Amazon.com finally lists it.

Red Square is in the same genre as 'Fatherland' - if you liked that book, you'll love this one.

Forget Gorky Park -- this is infinitely better.......1999-03-07

When police investigators probing the supposed suicide of a deputy minister uncover evidence of massive corruption, they suddenly find themselves well out of their depth as the Kremlin elite decides to strike back to erase all evidence of its skulduggery. The authors, both of whom were born in the Soviet Union and know it inside out, use a real incident to build up a gripping picture of quite how dissolute Moscow was in the 1980s. Anyone who enjoyed Gorky Park should buy this book, which is much better

Average customer rating:

A Look Back Inside A Soviet Courtroom

Red Square at noon
Natalia Gorbanevskaia
Manufacturer: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0030859905

Customer Reviews:

A Look Back Inside A Soviet Courtroom.......2007-08-14

I purchased a cheap paperback from a local second hand book store on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised. Though may seem a bit passe given the collapse of the reigning Communist regime, the transcription of the 3 day trial of 8 protesters of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia is truly absorbing. Old style Soviet justice is apparent from beginning to end as we truly see how the deck was stacked against these people. Those working in the legal profession, predominately attorney's will find the saga gripping and full of despair.

A very well articulated book, the author, not on trial herself as she was declared legally insane amazingly got ahold of these transcripts and were subsequently submitted to the West. Should have been translated into a play or movie.

Does anyone know if author Gorbanevskaya is alive today and if so where living? This book is a must own, a historical, under-rated sleeper.

The 2007 Report on Red Square Ready-To-Drink Alcoholic Beverages: World Market Segmentation by City

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The 2007 Report on Red Square Ready-To-Drink Alcoholic Beverages: World Market Segmentation by City
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Econometrics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0497717956
Release Date: 2006-11-13

Book Description

This report was created for global strategic planners who cannot be content with traditional methods of segmenting world markets. With the advent of a “borderless world”, cities become a more important criteria in prioritizing markets, as opposed to regions, continents, or countries. This report covers the top 2000 cities in over 200 countries. It does so by reporting the estimated market size (in terms of latent demand) for each major city of the world. It then ranks these cities and reports them in terms of their size as a percent of the country where they are located, their geographic region (e.g. Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Latin America), and the total world market. In performing various economic analyses for its clients, I have been occasionally asked to investigate the market potential for various products and services across cities. The purpose of the studies is to understand the density of demand within a country and the extent to which a city might be used as a point of distribution within its region. From an economic perspective, however, a city does not represent a population within rigid geographical boundaries. To an economist or strategic planner, a city represents an area of dominant influence over markets in adjacent areas. This influence varies from one industry to another, but also from one period of time to another. In what follows, I summarize the economic potential for the world\'s major cities for "Red Square ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages" for the year 2007. The goal of this report is to report my findings on the real economic potential, or what an economist calls the latent demand, represented by a city when defined as an area of dominant influence. The reader needs to realize that latent demand may or may not represent real sales. For many items, latent demand is clearly observable in sales, as in the case for food or housing items. Consider, however, the category "satellite launch vehicles". Clearly, there are no launch pads in most cities of the world. However, the core benefit of the vehicles (e.g. telecommunications, etc.) is "consumed" by residents or industries within the world\'s cities. Without certain cities, in other words, the market for satellite launch vehicles would be lower for the world in general. One needs to allocate, therefore, a portion of the worldwide economic demand for launch vehicles to both regions and cities. This report takes the broader definition and considers, therefore, a city as a part of the global market.

The 2007-2012 Outlook for Red Square Ready-To-Drink Alcoholic Beverages in Greater China

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The 2007-2012 Outlook for Red Square Ready-To-Drink Alcoholic Beverages in Greater China
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Econometrics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0497379023
Release Date: 2006-09-28

Book Description

This study covers the latent demand outlook for Red Square ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages across the regions of Greater China, including provinces, autonomous regions (Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang - Tibet), municipalities (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin), special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and Taiwan (all hereafter referred to as “regions”). Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across some 1,100 cities in Greater China. For each major city in question, the percent share the city is of the region and of Greater China is reported. Each major city is defined as an area of “economic population”, as opposed to the demographic population within a legal geographic boundary. For many cities, the economic population is much larger that the population within the city limits; this is especially true for the cities of the Western regions. For the coastal regions, cities which are close to other major cities or which represent, by themselves, a high percent of the regional population, actual city-level population is closer to the economic population (e.g. in Beijing). Based on this “economic” definition of population, comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city’s marketing and distribution value vis-à-vis others. This exercise is quite useful for persons setting up distribution centers or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each region and city of influence, latent demand estimates are created for Red Square ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.

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