I had to read this and write an esay on this book for mu history 1302 class. At first, I found myself gettign depressed by the horrible consitions that the people in these dwelings endured. After continuing with the book,I began to find myself fascinated. It is like actually being in the time period that Riis speaks of. The book is very well written and breaks a lot of boundaries. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It makes you very aware of the problems that were, and the problems that are.

Like books by Steinbeck, How the other half lives is a eye opening expose of life for the have-nots in the late 19th century. The progression through the different areas of NYC shows that there were a lot more poorer people in the city than I thought. Riis is thorough and pulls no punches in showing how the other half true lives.

I used this book along with another Riis book for a U.S. History project at school. Both this book and Low Life were an incredible help. The pictures are incredible. Riis was the first to show this side of life in NYC during the first part of the century. His books are by far the best pictoral records of the time. I highly recomend this book for anyone interested in the early part of the century or anyone who needs information for school projects.

When I first heard that the man who had provided the model for the Jon Lovitz character on the criminally neglected cartoon series 'The Critic' had an autobiography out I was understandably excited. Sad to say, this latest entry in the memoir sweepstakes is a grave disappointment. A homely collection of borrowed postmod effects, graceless prose and anecdotes so boring that one begins to suspect the author of a passive-aggressive hostility. Alas, no matter how funny he may look, Luc Sante's no Jon Lovitz.

"This book is the missing link between Benjamin's Arcades and Frank Kogan's fanzine Why Music Sucks, more streetwise than the former and with more potatoes than the latter, while not overlooking the traditions of the Rabelaisian catalogue, the Bretonian weekly junkshop run, or just good ol' Oulipian hijinks. You read this, then shoplift his templates and project them up onto the mural on the darkened childhood bedroom wall of your own life. Sometimes they come out looking like Nan Goldin's photographs; your psyche runs for cover." - John Wójtowicz

When I had the opportunity to study in Belgium I was told "Belgium is a beautiful country - when the sun shines." That is certainly correct. But if this book had been published before I left for Belgium it would have shown me a way of seeing this country in a whole new light. There is more than one source of sunlight. Luc Sante is one of those sources. If you are planning an extended stay in Belgium read it before you go. Even better, if you have had the experience of living in Belgium for a reasonable length of time you will want to get on the first plane back there.

a clear a concise book of early 1900's crime scene photos with interesting text. not for the faint hearted. very graphic stuff including an image of a dead pregnant dog.

This is a collection of crime scene photos taken by the New York City Police Department between the years 1914 and 1918. Sante's commentary is clear and consistently well-written. The fascination here is that viewing these images is similar to the feeling one gets when looking through very old snapshots in the attic of a house belonging to an older relative. But the strangely voyeuristic sense one always gets while looking at old photographs is magnified in this book exponentially, and the experience becomes a distinctly chilling, almost uncomfortable one. Although certainly not for everyone, this book is nontheless unique and darkly wonderful.

The photos in this assemblage are really awful -- I could hardly stand to look. The relief is in reading the commentary, which is a series of lucid, appropriately concise themes on crime, death, material culture, memory, randomness and order -- and the versatile and vital craft of photography.

This collection of 26 essays, supposedly devoted to "character" actors and actresses, seems, at first, to be enjoyable enough reading for those of us who love the movies. Until, that is, one notices that there are essays concerning such "superstars" as Liz Taylor, Robert Mitchum, and Doris Day, which, although interesting and fun to read, really have no place in a book like this. There is a noticeable dearth of articles concerning supporting actresses, and ethnic actors of both sexes are essentially ignored. Including more pictures would have helped identify actors who are not immediately recognizable to those of us born in the second half of the twentieth century, as well. A little more effort on the part of the editors could have made this mediocre volume a much better book.

This is a highfalutin version of what is sometimes called a "bathroom book." Lots of brief, easily, uh, digestible essays on actors, from mainstream superstars to barely remembered character people and cult and camp figures. The book has the feel of something thrown together within a couple of weeks of securing the book contract. There are some nice pieces here, like Manny Farber on movie acting, Geoffrey O'Brien on Dana Andrews, Updike on Doris Day, Michael Weldon's heartfelt if dully written rundown on Angelo Rossitto. But then there's the unbearably precious or preening pieces like one where the author is pretending to be Timothy Carey, and worst of all a laughably self-absorbed "tribute to Robert Mitchum" by an art critic who thinks he probably would have become Robert Mitchum's cool best friendor something if only he had ever met him but he didn't meet him, see, because he was afraid Mitchum would disappoint him. One cringes at the un-coolness of it. Overall, editor Sante might have been better off looking for pieces by more learned film writers rather than using some of the wispy contributions in this medium-grade collection.

Having read the posted reviews,I began to challenge my own previous judgment about this book.It's hard to disagree with the criticisms---maybe I'm just a soft touch for this sort of writing.The way I figure it--if there's one really outstanding essay among the bunch--my money spent will have been justified.So--did this book deliver? I say yes---no regrets on my part for having bought it.You're not likely to go for all 26 entries(I didn't),for it's all a matter of taste in the end.The Barbara Payton piece alone covered the cost for me.It's an up-close memoir of a kid growing up among the sleazy environs of a Sunset Blvd. dive where he encountered,and was befriended, by the notorious actress turned hooker-and-dipso---a priceless recollection of the Hollywood community and it's fading stars in free-fall.The Mitchum piece was fine by me---I've read other latter-day hep-cat appreciations of Mitch,and this one is as good as any---if the actor had not survived to enjoy(?) such a disreputable old age,he might have become a genuine cult immortal.John Updike on Doris Day is outstanding---even if you're only a casual viewer(or listener)of her work.I thought "Rogue's Gallery" was just great---Luc Sante should do an expanded version of this with profiles of more actors---his insights are flat on the money."Warner Bros.'Fat Men" gives us Sydney Greenstreet and Eugene Pallette---Hey,those two guys are worth my $18 anyday.Then there's Angelo Rossitto(excellent)and a neat piece of detective work wherein Stuart Klawans tracks down the "shoe-shine" man from the arcade number in "The Bandwagon"---the idea itself is inspired,and the execution lives up to it.Those are my favorites,but there is other good stuff---if you like offbeat essays on underappreciated film players,you'll be well rewarded here.