<p>"What a city this is! Fascinating," says author Mark Miller of New Orleans. His book gets well behind the fa?ade of this exotic jewel, with its 300-year-old melting-pot heritage, squeezed between the Mississippi River and Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne. Flood prone and precarious as a place to live, New Orleans compensates by embracing the sensual pleasures of life with joyful abandon, and Miller's guide captures this spirit. He begins with the city's historical heart, the French Quarter, with its narrow streets and iron balconies, street musicians and artists, he then digs into the neighborhoods-among them Esplanade Ridge, Faubourg Marigny, the Garden District, Holy Cross, Irish Channel, Faubourg St. Roch-each with its distinctive culture. Special features include numerous walks, an uptown streetcar tour, and detailed discussions of food and drink, Mardi Gras, jazz, the Mississippi River, voodoo, the Cajun heritage and more. An excursions chapter explores the Mississippi River plantations, Louisiana's capital city of Baton Rouge, the Gulf coast, and Cajun country. Along with the sights and the justly famous restaurants and nightlife, readers will be treated to a feel for the unique pleasures and eccentricities of the Big Easy and its surrounding area.</p>