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Shane Baker is taking a very unusual approach to publicizing the new book "A Biographical Dictionary of Yiddish Writers in the Soviet Union." Baker's been traveling to places like Times Square and the Port Authority trying to get people to look at the book. When that didn't work he decided to leave it out to see if he could get anyone to pick it up. That didn't go so well either.

"The police, pulled us over to the side and took our identifications and marched us down to their little station there but they did let us go. We just can't return to the Port Authority bus terminal ever again," Baker said.

NY1 recently caught up with Baker on the High Line where he again tried to give the book away.

Despite his enthusiasm and "chutzpah" Baker understands it's a tough sell.

"There's a very large community who can read this lettering very easily. Unfortunately most of them are not very interested in the literature, they want the religion and that's that," Baker said.

The book retails for $49.99 but Baker can't even give it away.

So even if you're one of the many people who is never going to read the book, Bakers says all New Yorkers need to know a little bit of Yiddish like "oy gavalt", a cry for help, or "oy vey" which means woe is me.

In the end, Baker did find one taker. And while many pretended to read it, it's important to remember Yiddish is written right to left.