New Book Tells NYC History Using 101 Objects

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's kind of tough to describe the history of New York City, but a new book aims to do that with some of the objects -- including bagels and black-and-white cookies -- that have made a lasting impression.

Sam Roberts' book "A History of New York in 101 Objects" hits stores this week.

LINK: More Information On 'A History of New York in 101 Objects'

Roberts told CBS 2's Diane Macedo and Andrea Grymes the book was inspired by the British Museum, which did a history of the world in 100 objects.

"New York is just too big for that," Roberts joked. "It took 101 for New York.

"The toughest thing was winnowing them down to 101. Readers just innundated me with suggestions about which objects to include. ... We wanted things that were transformational, that would be enduring, that were not too much bigger than a breadbox -- so not the Statue of Liberty."

For the full interview, watch the video above.

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