Berlin Now

A smartly guided romp, entertaining and enlightening, through Europe's most charismatic and enigmatic city It isn't Europe's most beautiful city, or its oldest. Its architecture is not more impressive than that of Rome or Paris; its museums do not hold more treasures than those in Barcelona or London. And yet, when citizens of "New York, Tel Aviv, or Rome ask me where I'm from and I mention the name Berlin," writes Peter Schneider, "their eyes instantly light up." Berlin Now is a longtime Berliner's bright, bold, and digressive exploration of the heterogeneous allure of this vibrant city. Delving beneath the obvious answers—Berlin's club scene, bolstered by the lack of a mandatory closing time; the artistic communities that thrive due to the relatively low (for now) cost of living—Schneider takes us on an insider's tour of Germany's rapidly metamorphosing metropolis, where high-class soirees are held at construction sites and enterprising individuals often accomplish more without public funding—assembling a makeshift club on the banks of the Spree River—than Berlin's officials do. Schneider's perceptive, witty investigations on everything from the insidious legacy of suspicion instilled by the East German secret police to the clashing attitudes toward work, food, and love held by former East and West Berliners have been sharply translated by Sophie Schlondorff. The result is a book so lively that readers will want to jump on a plane—just as soon as they've finished their adventures on the page.

On the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Wall, a legendary Berliner tells the inside story of the city. Over the last five decades, no city has changed more than Berlin: divided in 1961, reunited in 1989, it has become Europe's most vibrant melting-pot of artists, immigrants and entrepreneurs. Blending memoir, history and reportage, this legendary Berliner takes us behind the scenes there - looking at everything from life under the Stasi and the difference between East and West Berliners' sex-lives to the city's night-life, politics and hidden quirks - and reveals what makes Berlin the uniquely fascinating place it is.

The New York Times–bestselling author of So Long contemplates the human condition in this short story collection for fans of Grace Paley & Alice Munro. The elusive nature of happiness is a compelling theme in Where I Live Now. The survivors in these stories—many of them society's marginal or excluded people, fighting alcohol or drug addiction, bearing emotional scars—recognize it all too well. They mourn the lost dreams of youth, the roads not taken. They suffer the damage life inflicts: the ache of loneliness, the pain of separation, the fear of death. Set mainly in Los Angeles, Lucia Berlin’s gritty working-class stories bridge the gap between the Americas—rich and poor, North and South, Anglo and Hispanic. While her style has been compared to Raymond Carver’s, and her dream- and drink-addicted characters to Richard Yates’s, her fictional territory and fatalistic humor are hers alone. Praise for Where I Live Now “Berlin’s literary model is Chekhov, but there are extra-literary models too, including the extended jazz solo, with its surges, convolutions, and asides. This is writing of a very high order.” —August Kleinzahler, London Review of Books “This remarkable collection occasionally put me in mind of Annie Proulx’s Accordion Crimes, with its sweep of American origins and places. Berlin is our Scheherazade, continually surprising her readers with a startling variety of voices, vividly drawn characters, and settings alive with sight and sound.” —Barbara Barnard, American Book Review “Berlin is marvelously successful, placing her memorable characters in gripping situations, plumbing their messed-up lives for pathos and allowing us to see deeply into their souls.” —Publishers Weekly

Chronicling the history of Berlin, this book charts the Communist-Nazi struggle of the Weimar Republic; the Thousand Year Reich with its penchant for show and architectural grandeur which transformed the city; and its consequent battering by the Allies and the Soviets by air and land respectively. The city's position as the central point of the Cold War is examined, focusing on the partition, and eventual reunion, of East and West.

Marvel at the Brandenburg Gate, climb the Reichstag's dome, and check out Checkpoint Charlie with Rick Steves Berlin! Inside you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Berlin Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the colorful East Side Gallery, to the Memorial of the Berlin Wall, to cozy corner biergartens How toconnect with local culture: Raise a pint with the locals and sample schnitzel, stroll through hip Prenzlauer Berg, or cruise down the Spree River Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed neighborhood maps for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, a German phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 400 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on every neighborhood in Berlin, as well as day trips to Potsdam, Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum, and Wittenberg Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Berlin. Expanding your trip? Try Rick Steves Best of Germany.