so much wasted potential.

Couldn't get into it and one of three books in my life that I have started and never finished. Dry, slow, boring--very disappointing.

James Wolcott is kind of a hater. Also, I'm not the only person who has dreamed her apartment building was endless.

When it's good, it's SO good. But when it's not, it's SO boring. Gopnik's writing can be breathtakingly beautiful when he hits the mark, but it can also be mindnumbingly dull when he misses. More hit than miss with this one, but still too many too long rambles.
I really enjoyed Paris to the Moon, but haven't read it in years. I'm wondering now if I felt this way about that one then.
I do love his use of words and the love he has for his family, especially his kids really comes through. And being able to read about the NYC places I visited was a treat. I just wish he didn't get lost on endless tangents so often.

A very personal account of one person in NYC. I related to many of the essays but still didn’t find them that interesting.
His pride in being a tech illiterate is puzzling.
The NYC he describes is ever changing, and even as he acknowledges this fact of life, he tries to hang on to “his version” of it. Maybe that’s humanly recognizable, but still comes through as patronizing.

Prettiest book on my shelf. Bought for the gorgeous cover and have no regrets.

In this collection of essays, most originally published in the New Yorker, Gopnik chronicles his family’s move back to New York in 2000 after five years in Paris . (It’s moving back for him and his wife, but the first time there for their young son and daughter, actually.) The impact of 9/11 is covered, of course, and while some of the pieces will be more significant for those living in New York City (particularly Manhattan ) there are many essays about the joys and difficulties of parenthood that many will relate too. While I sometimes groaned at the entitled life Gopnik and his family lead, overall he is a genial and insightful narrator and I would definitely read his other books.

This was more difficult to read than his "Paris to the Moon" book, and a few chapters/essays were very philosophical and esoteric - but most of it was very fun and thoughtful. Made me think about New York City in an entirely new way. The highlights were those chapters featuring his children and their New York adventures and observations.

Very enjoyable, even though I was occasionally annoyed that Gopnik seems to only consider Manhattan "New York." This book also pretty much allowed me to make my peace with the fact that his kids go to the most prestigious private school around.

Gopnik's stories about his kids adjusting to life in New York are great. His philosophical musings about New York and the world today are long and rambling and generally uninteresting.

Imagine a literate, witty, urbane friend who could let you in on the secrets of how New Yorkers really live, introduce you to some delightful characters, and give you the feeling that you will able to navigate the city (the next time you visit) with the aplomb of a native. Adam Gopnik is that friend, and this is the delightful book that lays all those secrets bare.

So far I can't help comparing it to Paris to the Moon, which I found utterly charming, while thus collection of essays is indeed "dense" and intense. Maybe its the comparison of NYC to Paris? Open mind, I'm still at the beginning.