cover image Only in New York: An Exploration of the World's Most Fascinating, Frustrating and Irrepressible City

Only in New York: An Exploration of the World's Most Fascinating, Frustrating and Irrepressible City

Sam Roberts, , foreword by Pete Hamill. . St. Martin's, $23.99 (280pp) ISBN 978-0-312-38777-8

A staple among readers of the New York Times , urban affairs correspondent Roberts collects 40 of his podcasts for the Times Web site—savvy snapshots of the city that prides itself on its restless energy. Roberts (Who We Are Now ) pens snappy glimpses of its personalities, trends, events and general mayhem, including topics such as the gender gap and “eligible men,” fat New Yorkers, the New York City pooper-scooper law, gangster Nicky “Mr. Untouchable” Barnes, and the terror and fear of the 9/11 tragedy. His writing really crackles when he sinks his teeth into the antics of some of those who put their stamp on the city, such as writers Norman Mailer and Jimmy Breslin in their 1969 madcap political race, Mayor Bloomberg's deep pockets for wooing voters or President Obama's early student days of roughing it in Manhattan. Street-smart, informative and occasionally hilarious, Roberts's new book is New York City as it is and always has been. 20 b&w line drawings. (Nov.)