California Books

Richard Schwartz paints a picture of Berkeley in words that transports you back in time. Interesting and lively, the stories show life around the turn of the 20th century. Even for people who don't live in the Berkeley area, the characters and pictures are fascinating. A must-read for anyone who wants a sense of how life really was around 1900.

This book really gave me a different perspective on Berkeley, the geography and the people. The way the information was delivered brought the book to life and added depth. It is not in any way a "typical" history book. The vignettes about the people made the time period approachable and real. A must read for anyone who has ever been to or lived in Berkeley.

Just a few words to tell you how much I enjoyed "Berkeley 1900." I saw
pictures about a past I never knew existed. It gave me an appreciation of
Berkeley I never thought I would have. Prior to seeing the book, I thought
Berkeley was just a bunch of pinkos.
jake

This compilation of hundreds of newspaper articles shows a small town at a point in its evolution. Berkeley, California is now a well known city throughout the USA, but it started out from humble beginnings. Each article reveals something different about its people, its society and movements and norms of the day.

I expecially enjoyed items such as these:

Chapter 18. Saloons and the Temparance Movement. "Scientists. . .reported that daily indulgence in beer would result in a mental state akin to criminal insanity. . ." Fascinating stuff.

Then dive into Chapter 19. Milk, the Problem. In a creamery's advertisement one can learn "Absolutely pure country milk and cream from healthy cows and fed in a well-ventilated and sanitary barn -- fed on only the best food obtainable."

Just slices of 100 year old life in Berkeley. . .

Some historians avoid the controversal events of history. Richard Schwartz's book paints a realistic view of of life in Berkeley, California at the turn of the century.

From articles condemning dairymen for not giving their milk cows the tuberculin test, to stories about organizations forming to discriminate against Asians in the city, Schwartz tells it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A great portion of the book is devoted to "human interest" articles. There are stories that deal with fires, ferries, and the conflicts between horses and the new automobiles.

Richard's book is filled with interesting articles, artwork, newspaper ads, and photo's. It makes a great coffee table book, one that can be picked up anytime for a few minutes of exceptional reading.

Perfect, new condition, shrink wrapped for protection.

Excellent Historical content. My husband was thrilled.

A fantastic work! Very detailed and full of fascinating photographs. Anyone with an interest in American narrow gauge will find this fascinating.

What to say more ....
Complete, full of drawings of rolling stocks, maps, the history of those brothers is so well written that seams a "romanze" not a real history.
Packed with informations, maps, and everithing you can expect from a "professional" writer.
An absolutely "must have" for any railroad fan and not. A piece of history.
Enzo Fortuna

As a researcher of Northern California local history, I use this book as a primary source document. I find the accuracy astounding, the book is easy to read, and the illustrations are first class. It is a model for anyone to follow -- study it, and cite it with confidence.

This massive volume charts the development of early California railroads, both narrow and standard gauge, by following the lives of two Irish immigrant brothers, Thomas and Martin Carter. It is much more than just a railroad history as it explores how they gained the skills and knowledge to build railroad cars, bridges, and even the railroads themselves, and how they used innovative leveraged financing (which in retrospect seems surprisingly modern) to build their company. The cars that they built some 100 years ago can still be found, still in San Francisco, Alaska, and in numerous railroad museums across the western United States.

As Mr. MacGregor develops the story of the Carter Brothers he is also telling the story of six individual early California Narrow gauge railroads which were built to fight the monopolistic Central Pacific system, called "the Octopus" by the newspapers of the time. Each of these lines will have a connection to the Carters, either through cars built by them, or through bridge and car designs which they provided under contract. Through side bars and supplemental chapters you gain insight into how these railroads operated, the locomotives they purchased, and which saloons were favored by their management.

Additionally, this is a wonderful example of the great American story, as the two brothers escape famine plagued Ireland, only to pass through the plague infested Canadian immigrant stations on the St. Lawrence River. 1862 finds Thomas operating his own business in upper New York state, which he abandons to come west to California to avoid the Civil War draft.

While Thomas finds work in the shops of California's first railroad, his younger brother Martin goes to work on the new state capital building. Thomas loses his leg in an industrial accident, and as a result has to find an alternative to physical labor. That alternative was railroad car drafting, which became design and eventually engineering. With these newfound skills he would form, with his brother a partnership to build railroad cars. That company would thrive for 30 years in a difficult economy.

The text is supplemented by a rich assortment of photo, drawings and contemporary color illustrations. The book even finds room for an amusing and insightful discussion of Thomas Carter's love life and his long standing affair with Molly Redmond, a refreshingly liberated Victorian woman.

This is a must have book for anyone interested in Western railroads, narrow gauge, or California History.

Thoshinsky executes a beautiful photo essay. Gritty, funny and remarkably touching. A brief and privileged glimpse into a world rarely experienced or understood by those outside law enforcement.

"The truth is most people don't like the police. They need 'em. They just don't like 'em." Peter Thoshinsky examines the delicate and brutal world of the San Francisco Police Department in his book, Blue in Black and White, sharing pictures he has taken over his 25-year tenure as a cop. These stark, graphic images show San Franciscans from all walks of life, fighting, demonstrating, and pleading to be released from their handcuffs, and always close by is the officer who has to deal with the civilian's actions. Each subject is treated with respect, no matter the crime or event shown, and Thoshinsky writes free verse and prose poems next to the shots explaining the unseen or unknown, giving the reader a window into a world few rarely see.

The subject is San Francisco and the boys and girls in blue who walk her streets, but the book transcends location. Market Street, 200 Leavenworth, Broadway, Union Square, North Beach, Candlestick Park, and McAllister Street all make appearances to remind us where the pictures were taken, yet the reader gets a sense that these images are everywhere, in each skid row alley of every great American city, and these are the men and women who risk their lives for their job. Capturing the mixed emotions most officers feel protecting citizens who also despise them for who they are, the book humanizes the police force for those who have never understood the weight that goes with the occupation.

Peter Thoshinsky investigates the realities of homelessness, mental illness, drugs, and cops' use of force with the integrity of someone who is there firsthand, and he wrestles with the truth and justice each officer tries to bring to a workday while trapped under a hot Kevlar vest, badge, radio, belt, and ammunition somewhere below the San Francisco skyline. He tells us that the police remind themselves every day, "That could be your brother, sister. Given a change of fortune, that could have been you." Thoshinsky reserves judgment of the characters he meets on his beats, and instead captures their portrait with a sense of anticipation, the reader left curious what happens next in the scene. Blue in Black and White educates with cop lingo like "B Caper," "Four Boys," and "Hondels" and memorializes fallen officers with a picture and a line or two in their honor.
This pictorial set in San Francisco shows the heart of the city and the people who live in it and protect it. It is accessible and moving for both officer and civilian, honestly examining the lives of the police as they move from the academy to the streets. The reader comes away knowing more about what it means to be in the line of duty performing a job no one wants to give credit for.

Blue in Black and White is a photography book of San Francisco's law enforcement officers, by police sergeant, experienced photographer, and native San Franciscan Peter Thoshinsky. Each two-page spread features a black-and-white, larger-than-life photograph of people keeping the peace on San Francisco's streets on the right, and a brief poem, caption, or insight on the left. A moving and unforgettable visual tribute, as well as a window into the daily routine of a difficult yet rewarding public duty.

Ever been curious about what it's like?...

Have a friend or family member who is one of 'them'?...

Think you already know what this calling is all about?...

It often seems impossible to express just exactly what it's like. With simple, stark and poinet photographs, as well as sparse, direct and accurate words, Pete Thoshinsky's, Blue in Black and White, comes about as close as one can.

Short of donning armor, girding weapons, and riding thanklessly into harms way in defense of others everyday, this is as close as you are going to get.

Thank you Pete,
Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra!

One of the most interesting things about loving books is that one never gets to the end of ideas for them. While there are indeed mountains and continents of sameness that can be safely ignored, one should never get blasé because someone will always find some way of surprising you and giving you something fresh to look at. I am not saying that in the history of printing there has never been a book like this one, but it is a very fresh look at something I have not seen.

And what is that? You say that it is just another book of pictures of cops? Well, it is a book of pictures of cops, but there is a big difference. This is a book of pictures of cops TAKEN by a cop. What difference does that make? Because we see the police officers the way a man who knows them and knows their job sees them rather than the way we usually see them depicted on TV and in the movies. We learn which assignments the cops like, which they don't, what some of the problems are, and even the tedium of the job.

Peter Thoshinsky was on the "Tenderloin Task Force" of the San Francisco Police Department. He shows us cops on the job and provides captions that help us appreciate the pictures. Some of the captions are merely informative, some are insightful, some are funny or ironic, and some are touching. And they all enhance the photographs.

I was particularly struck by the caption for "The Good Son"

Cop: "When was the last time you spoke with your father?"
Son: "Well, I call him every Sunday, `ya know, just to make sure he's ok."
Cop" "OK"
Son: ... "and so when he didn't answer the phone on Sunday, I thought something might be wrong".
Cop: "Yeah."
Son: "Yeah, so I come over and I found him dead just like that."
Cop: "So, when you called your dad on Sunday he didn't answer?"
Son: "Right."
Cop: "You must have been worried?"
Son: "Uh-huh."
Cop: "Today is Thursday."
Son: "Uh-huh."

Or the next picture of a female arm with wrist tattoos in handcuffs entitled "Tattoos and Bracelets".

Or: "The first rule of police work, the very first rule. Everyone lies. "I ain't got nothing officer, I swear it". See rule number one.

There are dozens of more like this. Fresh, insightful, and even touching. Not only for the cops (one picture is of an old women in a wheel chair flipping the bird to a cop), but also for the lost souls who are so lost they see the cops as the enemy rather than someone trying to help them (few people see being taken into custody as a help).

Very much worth having and lingering over.

I found this book at a rummage sale for a buck. I started reading it at the book store and couldn't stop. The language is very touching. While I read this book I stopped often. It's like you have to digest the words to hear their melody. It is really incredible when a book changes you. Changes your perspective and allows you to see through the eyes of another. It did this for me. I just finished reading it, and I want to read it again this time slower. It is one of those books that while you read it you want to tell the world go read it. it's good. maria

Denny Hinkle's book gave me back something that I'd lost. It was an understanding of my own journey, replete with valleys and peaks, many joys and many sorrows. Like Denny, I followed society's conventions, was married, and had a family. All the while, denying a very basic part of myself and my nature. When life's circumstances allowed me to begin to be exactly who I was, I found self-acceptance and self-love awaiting me. "Burning Point" is not easy to read. You have to stop often and look inside yourself, get in touch with your own life, and often times utter a prayer of thanks that you didn't undergo some of the family trauma that was a part of his daily existence. I raced to the end of this book and found joy...for Denny and for me. So will you. This book is written from the heart and Denny Hinkle's heart connected with my own.

In this courageous memoir, Dr. Hinkle weaves a mesmerizing tapestry of sensuality, longing and self-discovery. We are invited into his world by an image that is with me still: Appearing from the mist, ethereal and angelic, a blond boy on a hill, sent to teach acceptance of one's truest self. A clinical psychologist, Dr. Hinkle relates his history with riveting prose in an uncompromising, yet compassionate manner. His journey encourages the reader to discover their own unrealized selves - to challenge their own limits and bravely put one foot in front of the other. I have tremendous admiration for the life he has lived and the love he has found.

Burning Point, a true story, is the most revealing, intimate, profoundly moving portrait of a man's life that I have ever read. The riviting conflicts of his life are presented in the first chapter, which ends in one of the many unforgettable scenes of the book, establishing the suspense that I felt throughtout Burning Point until its dramatic conclusion. The author, a psychologist, writes beautifully about the central issues of his life with amazing honesty and depth of insight. He is obviously a very talented writer. This book is a real page-turner. Best of all, the many emotions I felt helped me to learn about myself.

This book is a memoir that deals with the author's decades-long struggle to understand, and come to terms with, his sexual self. The struggle is described with brutal honesty, against a background of family, the rituals of high school and college, institutions (including the US Army), political life, societal norms, contemporary history, religion, and more. Yet the writing never bogs down, and the reader finds himself impelled along with the author down a turbulent river of discovery. Hinkle recalls or recreates conversations and impressions in an absolutely convincing style. Gay people who read this book will doubtless relate to many of the incidents and emotions he details. Straight people will probably be astonished to discover that what is referred to as one's "sexual orientation" isn't necessarily all that straightforward. All readers will enjoy Hinkle's fine ability to describe his conflict without being either maudlin or self-righteous.

Burning Point is the story of a journey, that moves from the author's childhood and relations with his parents, to betrayal of an early homosexual love, with attendant regret and grief, through a "normal" period of heterosexual marriage and raising a family, and finally into the acceptance and joy of Hinkle's present life.

So this is a story with a happy ending, but it has many dark moments. Hinkle, who is a clinical psychologist, has a great facility with words. Though the situations and feelings he describes are often of the most tortuous and complicated nature, the writing is so straightforward that it is a very easy (though long) book to read. And there's not an ounce of psychobabble present!

I can do no better than the hydrogeologist Syndnor in summarizing the utility of this introductory work. My only critique is that Mount needs to revise the chapter on climate and consider projected impacts on CA's surface water based on what we now know after 13 years of data collection.
Just as Knox needs to revise his primer Global Climate Change and California (1992).

California Rivers and Streams: the conflict between fluvial processes and land use, Dr. Jeffrey F. Mount, 1995, University of California Press, 359 pages

California geologists, engineers, environmental planners, and the general public will enjoy reading this comprehensive book on California rivers. The author is Dr. Jeffrey Mount, who holds the Roy J. Shlemon Chair of Geology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Mount is the Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. He has formerly served on the Reclamation Board within the California Resources Agency.

With a heightened sense of public concern about flooding, water supply, levee repair, fish habitat, and river restoration, this book on California rivers is the best general primer that is currently available. Although not designed as a textbook, California teachers may find it suitable for introductory courses because of its comprehensive scope and highly readable narrative.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1, How Rivers Work, includes: Chapter 1, Introduction to the rivers of California; Chapter 2, Water in motion, Chapter 3, A river at work ¯ sediment entrainment, transport, and deposition; Chapter 4, The shape of a river; Chapter 5, Origins of river discharge; Chapter 6, Sediment supply; Chapter 7, River network and profile; Chapter 8, Climate and the rivers of California; Chapter 9, Tectonics and geology of California's rivers.

Part 2, Learning the Lessons: Land Use and the Rivers of California, includes: Chapter 10, Rivers of California ¯ the last 200 years; Chapter 11, Mining and the rivers of California; Chapter 12, Logging California's watersheds; Chapter 13, Food production and the rivers of California; Chapter 14, A primer on flood frequency ¯ how much and how often? Chapter 15, The urbanization of California's rivers; Chapter 16, The damming of California's rivers; and Chapter 17, The future ¯ changing climate, changing rivers.

Review by Robert H. Sydnor
California Certified Hydrogeologist #6
LM-AEG, LM-AAAS, LM-AGU, M-GSA, M-AGWA

This book will answer any questions you have and then answer all the questions you are too dense to think of. Anyone living in California should be forced to read this. River runners also benefit from this book that shows the correct fleuvial processes, unlike many kayaking/rafting books. Read it, get on the water and then fight for the rivers!

This is a subperb review of how rivers systems work and how man-made changes effect these systems. Perfect for the interested layperson interested in earth science. The second half of this book covers the major watersheds of California.

I am a hydrologist and a water lawyer practicing in Washington DC -- this is the book I give to clients and friends to explain how rivers work and what people do to them. It assumes an intelligent reader but no background is required to get the main points. While its title and focus is California, the lessons are applicable throughout the country. Great book.

Janice Marschner is my California Harry Potter author; I can't wait for the next volume to hit the book racks. Her "California 1850" is a seminal reference book on every county in our state in its puberty. It made me realize what younsters we are compared to 'the old countires' of our parents' origins. Anecdotes make it encouragingly readable. I feel it should be in every Califonira home, library, school, and on historical society bookshelves.

"California's Arab Americans" is volume one of a series she plans on the minorities that spice our Calfornia stew. The fact that there are several pages on my colorful maternal MALOUF family who pulled into Los Angeles in 1890, might make me appear somewhat prejudiced. The background chapters on immigrations, customs and ethnic individuality should be of common interest. It might help to help improve the status of ethnic minorities in times of suspicion, fear and hatred.

I, for one, am anxious to learn more about the Basques, Slavs, Orientals, etc. who are distributed thruout our State, some still with regional enclaves which perpetuate language, cuisine, religion, and festivals. Homogeneity is drab and tasteless; vive la difference!

Janice is a unique researcher and raconteuse. Brava! Encore!

A slice of our everyday lives you may have missed --- Arab Americans immigrated to California like many others. They are hard workers, family oriented and caring individuals. If you don't believe that, please read Janice Marschner's "California's Arab Americans." Her thumbnail snaphot of their difficult war-ridden history is a good refresher for the reader and makes their integration into American society, as put forth by Marschner, seem that much more remarkable.

This book does a great job communicating an important truth: Arab Americans are the people right next door. They are the owners of many landmark businesses in California towns. They are among the familar faces in our community as council members, board members, state representatives and participants in the movie industry. Janice Marschner has structured the book so that the information is easy to access and the sideboards, with topics like Arabic Writing and Names, Arab Cuisine and Key Issues of Conflict in Arab World, make obtaining that information even more convenient. This book will be appreciated by teachers and others interested in knowing more about the people of California.

Marschner's book is a refreshing change during these turbulent political times. So many new books tend to paint a superficial and grossly unfair portrayal of Arab Americans. With insight and sensitivity into the political and cultural history of Arab Americans, Marschner paints a compelling and accurage picture of a community in the spotlight.

Nidal Ibrahim
Editor
Arab American Business Magazine

A deeply researched primer about the Arab world, with 15 chapters & a bibliography, covering the history of the Arab American families in the counties of California, complete with photos of families, religious & community centers.

RebeccasReads recommends CALIFORNIA'S ARAB AMERICANS as a resource, a history & a record of emmigrations from the Middle East to America during the past century.

dear john coale-congradulation on creating a book that anyone not even interested in paddling would enjoy. the pictures are breathtaking and succeed in capturing the feelings of the moment,such beautiful scenery. i wish your book great success. sincerly, lia medina,mill valley

I am not that good with directions, but with this book in hand I thought that I could go anywhere!!

This book is so great, it made me come all the way down to California just to go canoeing! The pictures alone are enough to make one get right out on the water!!!!

I'm hesitant to leave a review because some of the locations listed in this book are still peaceful and unknown, but this book is so invaluable when hunting for a good paddle spot that I felt compelled to sing it's praises....as long as it's just canoers who purchase this great book and not power boaters! The directions are easy to follow and accurate. The camping information is extremely important when traveling with children, like we do.The lay out of the book is perfect in helping to select drive times and specific locations. I came back to Amazon to purchase the book for a friend but see that it is out of stock. Hopefully this is just temporary. If not, buy it used!!

Coale goes into just enough details so that you get a feel for the area and its surroundings. He also gives suggestions for where to camp. There are advisories for a variety of items: seasonal accessibility, powerboats, potable water, overcrowding, campground closures, etc. Each lake description also comes with high quality images and a map. The images are very impressive. I don't see any bylines for the photographs, so I'm assuming they were taken by Coale. In the back of the book there is a spreadsheet of all the lakes with the following columns: Natural Lake, Paddle-In Camping, Lakeside Camping, Winter Access, Long distance Paddling, No Motors/Speed Limits, Exquisite Beauty. I have no complaints about CTCH and I think it will be very helpful in designing some 4 day trips this summer. I give the book 5 stars ***** :)

while in France recently at Chalon-sur-Soane I visited their photography museum. They were doing a special exhibit of this work. I was so totally impressed on how Miller could capture these photos while seeming to be invisable to his subjects that I investigated when I returned and discovered that this book was available. I bought TWO; one for myself and one for my daughter who is a serious photographer.

These striking images of Bronzeville -- "Chicago's Harlem" -- will blow you away. The humanity they portray, in all its beaten-down, lifted-up, heartbreaking reality, makes me wish I knew personally every man and woman depicted herein.

Wayne Miller, a white photographer now well into his 80s, went into the Bronzeville ghetto over a two-year period and made these touching pictures; then they "went into a drawer" for 40 years, until finally the Univ of Calif Press published this book. (The book itself is as well-produced a book of photographs as you are likely to find anywhere.)

My grandfather Nathan Joseph ran the States Theatre at 3507 S. State St., in the heart of Bronzeville, for some 50 years (unfortunately the States is not depicted herein). I myself have written a novel of Bronzeville called "To Love Mercy" (Mid-Atlantic Highlands, ISBN 0-9744785-3-9). A historical Afterword appears at the end of "To Love Mercy;" it is an oral history of Bronzeville, in the voices of a dozen people who lived there in the '40s and '50s. This Afterword is illustrated with seven of Wayne Miller's photos from "Chicago South Side, 1946-1948."

I have given close to a dozen copies of "Chicago South Side" as gifts. I was coming to Amazon to buy two more copies when I saw this opportunity to write a review.

These photos have moved me to tears. Buy this book.

This is a marvelous collection of images from everyday Balck Chicago life in the late 1940s. There are scenes of street life, back alleys, patrons at a pool hall and tavern, and night life ranging from a female personator dressing to Duke Ellington hunched at a piano at rehearsal and an ebullient Louis Jordan on stage.

This book is a treasure. I wish I could find more by this photographer (my searches have come up empty). The photographs take you right inside each scene, and often pack a powerful punch of sadness, joy, intimacy, life. The printing quality is excellent. If the publisher can collect more of his work, I will be the first customer.

This is one of the best photographic books I've seen -- ever. Wayne Miller manages to make personal contact with the human beings who lived on Chicago's South Side in a way that few photographers have ever matched. The warmth and complexity of these photographs, the compassion and human understanding involved, are most remarkable -- especially since the photographer stood on the other side of America's terrible racial divide from his subjects. Anyone who loves classic documentary photography, or who simply loves human beings in their complexity, should order this book.

Child of the World is a complete resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone who is a friend to a child between the ages of three on up to twelve years old. It offers very practical advice to support the Montessori lessons of practical life activities, sensorial experiences, language, math and geometry, art and music, social studies and the physical and life sciences, from age 3 through age 12 and beyond. It has been referred to as "a Montessori course in one volume."

Susan Stephenson has been teaching in the Montessori field since 1970, has read all of Dr. Montessori's books and pulled out the quotes that are most helpful to parents and teachers. Child of the World is filled with clear guidance using the priciples of Dr. Maria Montessori. She addresses the joys and challenges of supporting children's process of becoming a fully human being with common sense and deep insight into the nature of the human being. You can feel her enjoyment and appreciation for the unique needs and gifts of the developing sensibilities of the child. Here she offers a perspective that encourages us to observe, reflect, and connect with the child, while offering activities which foster independence, life skills, communication, time for personal reflection. All those who desire to preserve the dignity and joy of the young child will admire how Susan conveys great respect for the inner life and spiritual nature of children. She has gathered together gems of wisdom, practical help, and activities, books, and games that expand the world of the child. She has travelled the globe collecting precise, beautiful and often handmade items that invite the child to interact and discover. Child of the World is also a source of delightful and inspiring books and materials.

Child of the World (three to twelve years) and its companion, The Joyful Child (birth to three) offer kind guidance along a sure path for developing the skills and attributes that will assist the child in preparing for life. These are the resources I have depended on to find wonderful additions for my Montessori environment during my 32 years of teaching. It is also the place I rely on for gifts for my grandchildren and resources to have ready when they come for a visit. Child of the World is a great resource for the many years from three to twelve and supports us in the attitudes and applications of good child support. Both of these publications are welcomed into Montessori training centers, schools, and homes worldwide as a clear and concise guide to basic Montessori principles.


A wide array of resources and excellent links such as lectures, children's projects, etc., at the always-current websites of the publisher of Joyful Child and Child of the World:[...]

Cathryn Kasper, AMI/USA consultant

I must say, this is the bargain of the year for making Montessori philosophy understandable to parents. An excellent overview, practical and clear. Also, the materials offered in the catalogue section are much less expensive than those usually found in Montessori schools and so are valuable to parents for their children at home.

This product is an excellent educational resource. The notes on child development ages and stages are very useful; I have used it extensively during the past ten years in homeschooling my own child (and the children of others).It is now the mainstay of my step-daughter's homeschooling curriculum for her three children.
Child of the world is an excellent tool in ensuring your child has a well-rounded education. My current copy lives on the coffee table. Children love to peruse it before birthdays and christmas!

This book can be ordered directly from the publisher at www.michaelolaf.net and a lot of the text has been placed free at this site. It presents a clear picture of Montessori ideas for both the preschool and elementary school, and can be used for projects at home as well. The "book" is also a catalogue of books, toys, and materials that engage the child in a healthy and fun way while educating.

This is a great book with all the basics for a home school. It helps you set up, explains how to go about teaching, offers tons of resources and then there is a catalogue to buy great aids, toys and materials needed. The perfect all-in-one and very [reasonable] for the great stuff it has. I know I bought the expensive guides and now only refer back to this one!!

Since losing his job as an aerospace engineer, Jack Liffey has become something of a specialist in finding missing children. So, when an old school acquaintance asks him to find his missing daughter, Liffey is happy to help out--even if the acquaintance insists on reports and psychological analysis (he's a psychologist). The missing daughter was associated with four Persian-american high school boys, also missing. It doesn't seem like an especially difficult case, although the arrival of an FBI agent gives Liffey a hint that things are going to get difficult.

Liffey's investigation takes him from Los Angeles to Mexican border towns, involves Arabic terrorists, terrorizing Mexican drug dealers, and layers of government corruption, lies, and secrets. As always, Liffey finds a portion of what he is looking for--and a lot more. Persian-American student Fariborz Bayat plays a major role in helping Liffey and, through Liffey, gains a deeper understanding of his humanity, his relationship with Islam, and his moral senses.

Author John Shannon has created a powerful and complex character in Jack Liffey. His love for his daughter, philosophical approach to the world, anguish over his erratic sexual performance, and tough moral code make him both admirable and approachable. As a reader, I'm not sure I would like Liffey, but I am sure I would want to have him on my side.

Shannon knows that moral questions can be tough, that an assurance of righteousness is often the mask of evil, and that goodness exists outside of the arbitrary whim of a God--but he conveys his message through story rather than through artifice. CITY OF STRANGERS is a powerful and emotionally moving story. I highly recommend it.

I loved this book! John Shannon combines great plot, great characters, and a social conscience in a thriller noir style mystery. The plot is fairly complex and covers a lot of ground - racism, class bias, the divisions among arabs and persians, terrorism, dirty bombs, drug smuggling, divorced parenting, car trouble, and raising a teenage girl. Some diaglogue borders on didactic, but still engrossing. The setting is LA grungy, very realistic. If you like your thrillers with some gravity to them, you'll like this book. I can't wait to read the next one.

I recently reviewed John Shannon's book "Streets on Fire" rather negatively. I want to go on record as saying that I just dislike the *book*, not the character or the author. This next entry in the series, Jack Liffey's sixth adventure, is called City of Strangers, and though I was at times a bit annoyed with the author's attitude towards Muslim extremists, I found the plot very believable, and the ending satisfying.

This time around, Jack's been hired by a college roommate who's now a shrink. The shrink has a daughter who's 17 and who's vanished without a trace. The only real clue is that she had an Iranian boyfriend, who dumped her after converting to a more radical version of Islam. When Liffey interviews the boy's parents, it's immediately apparent that things aren't what they seem, and the story takes off.

Shannon's made Liffey into an interesting character. He's sort of the prototype of the old-fashioned private eye. If he gets into a fight with the bad guys, he *might* win if there's only one guy to fight. Two, and he'll probably lose. If they shoot at him, he ducks, runs, hides, whatever, and gets hurt more often than not, winding up in the hospital. And of course the women enjoy him a great deal, and he winds up in bed with 1 or 2 per book.

I enjoyed this entry into the series a lot more than the last one. The author didn't try quite as hard to make LA look silly, and the plot was more satisfying. Recommended.

What is notable about John Shannon's Jack Liffey series is the author's depth of feeling and respect for young people. What is also of signal importance is the author's talent for creating thoroughly believable characters--even the villains. Take, for example, the fat man so immense that he requires two chairs to accommodate his width. In anyone else's hands, this creature would be a blob of amorphous evil--intent purely on doing his motiveless bad deeds. But with Shannon at the helm, we're presented with a history that makes the character so real that his behavior is genuinely shocking because we don't want to think that someone thoughtful and articulate can, given his intimate first-hand acquaintanceship with pain, proceed to inflict that same pain (literally) on someone else. Yet he does. And it feels very real; the reader shares Liffey's injuries--both physical and psychic. The same skill is at work in defining the young people in City of Strangers, especially the exquisitely drawn Fariborz who is a living, breathing portrait of internal conflict--a good soul on a crusade to awaken people to the wrongness all around them.

As always, when Liffey ultimately makes contact with the young people he's been hired to find, there are deeply thoughtful exchanges. Never condescending, never patronizing, always self-deprecating, yet always sensitive to their struggles--whether real or imagined--Liffey enters into their lives offering his battered heart and body as support for their sorrows. No one I've read has such a profound grasp on the issues that are central to the lives of youngsters approaching the treacherous border of adulthood. Liffey is a good man whose empathy is a poultice for the injured young, drawing out their pain and taking it into himself--like the archetypal sin eater.

Then, gleefully, there are the apocalyptic views that are sprinkled throughout every Liffey adventure. This time out, sadly, there are no little rat-like dogs to be hated. But there is a billboard advertising Drive-Through Hi-Colonics. Relief Without Waiting. (Hilarious!) And there are a couple of bemasked individuals on the street, holding up a banner that says, "Open Up Area 51, Display the Alien Remains."

Finally, happily, Jack has connected with the redoubtable Miss Rebecca Plumkill. And there are bits of a shredded foam pillow littering the bedroom. Now how, we have to wonder with amusement, did that happen? And aren't we glad that some warm light has managed to filter through the gloom of Jack's sorrows!
My highest recommendation.

Here's another great book from John Shannon! It's full of contempory issues such as dirty bombs and Arab Islamic terrorists. As well as covering Los Angeles scenes, which Shannon does better than anyone else I've read, he takes us across the border for a danger-filled visit to Mexico, complete with a vicious drug lord. Jack Liffey gets pretty beaten up this time, but he encounters a couple of interesting new women to ease the pain. He survives it all with courage and integrity intact and with a little help from his daughter Maeve, who seems to be more involved in keeping him alive as the books go on. It was such an engaging story that I could hardly put it down! I'm eager for the next book so I can find out which little corners of L.A., ethnic groups, and social issues, the multi-dimensional Jack Liffey will deal with as he and "Sancho Panza" Maeve drift around my city.