The Cruise

A double-deck bus tour guide with the heart of an urban poet, Timothy Speed Levitch doles out a fascinating overview of New York City history that's nearly impossible to forget -- due mostly to his passionate asides about life, love and the pursuit of the cruise. Denouncing the rigidity of New York's grid plan through a rambling story about a woman in sexual slacks, Levitch reveals as much about himself as he does about the city he loves.