Eleanor Jacobs went abroad for the first time when she sailed to Panama to marry a fellow New Yorker and moved to Guatemala. Eleanor describes in amusing detail her crash course in household management and socializing with friends of dictators. The war years were spent in Trinidad, New York and Washington and saw the birth of her only daughter. She spent two years in Bombay, India, at a time of political unrest before settling down in Panama City, Panama, to juggle the demands of wife and mother and eventually that of career woman. Widowed at 54, her daughter married, Eleanor was recruited to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) executive team in Madison, Wisconsin. She returned to the US after living abroad for 27 years, but a medical condition forced an early retirement. Her health continued to be a major challenge, both physically and spiritually, and she discusses the challenges of these years thoughtfully and philosophically. She has lived in a continuing care community in Madison since 1990, retaining her involvement with CUNA while developing new interests. The essays she wrote in her creative writing classes form the basis of this memoir.

Amid its impressive skyscrapers and massive avenues, New York is a complex city that can be intimidating, even to its longtime residents. With that said, it is a city that begs to be explored. Pere Ortis relies on experiences gathered from his thirty years living in New York to share a travel guide that includes entertaining personal stories and historical facts. Ortis leads visitors down a fascinating path where they learn about local landmarks like the Conference House on Staten Island that served as the stage for negotiations between the British and Americans after the Declaration of Independence in 1776; Saint Patricks Cathedral where more than two thousand parishioners can worship within walls that hold incredible history; and the Yorkville District where many still come to live in peace and prosper, just as the German immigrants once did. Included in his tour of the Big Apple is writings about the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown and Little Italy, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Times Square, and many other local attractions. The Joy of New York is a colorful collection of travel stories that offers tourists an in-depth glimpse into the history and places that make the Big Apple one of the most interesting places to visit in the world.

Presents a chronological overview of the history of cartography, from the earliest maps of prehistory to the engraved maps of the seventeenth century and beyond. Includes illustrations.