California Books

So useful for boys who have no father figure in their lives. Almost a guide to identify willing candidates and make sure you have that vital male role model in your life! Even though I have a real, live father, (thanks Dad!) this still tugged at my heartstrings no end, especially the initial scenes when Sweeney's father is dying and he describes his sister's grief about not kissing him goodbye on the fateful day - incredible.

This account of a young man's search for someone to teach him the lessons and values that his dead father could not is a beautifully written, thoughtful book. His style of writing is straightforward and candid, as the struggles of his large, financially-strapped family are detailed. Especially well-drawn are the three men he chooses as father figures, and his strong yet vulnerable mother. It would make a good book to give to a man who may have served this function in your life, or someone in need of a father figure.

Following the devastation of September 11, 2001, the author of the remarkable new memoir, "Father Figures," wrote an online essay to remind Americans of one of the grim realities of that day: the thousands of children who were suddenly left without a parent, and what others could do to help these kids as they made their way from grief to growing up. The response felt by many to that first essay led to the writing of "Father Figures."

Kevin Sweeney knows an unfair amount about this sad subect. His own father passed away when he was three, leaving a loving but now nearly destitute mother to raise six children alone.

The Sweeneys, without a father, husband, provider, faced a grim challenge, but the young boy named Kevin was determined to work his way through the loss.

Each child who loses a parent must inevitably come to terms in his own way, but Sweeney, by some quirky inspiration that only an innocent youth could summon, came up with a novel solution. He would adopt a father; in fact, three. Secretly. Without their knowing it.

His plan was simple: without a father of his own to guide him, he knew something was missing, so to fill in the chasm he would select the best, the wisest men in his small world, watch them, learn from them, but never tell. And bask in their glow when he was brought into their gentle orbits.

His powers of observation as a child serve him well as an adult. Sweeney has rendered wonderfully a world that is so quaintly American, so hopeful, that one wishes to step back into it, if only for a sweet neighborhood picnic, or a summer pick-up baseball game with the kids. A time when an entire suburban block came out to cheer the neighbor girls on their way to the prom. That was all in the outdoor world of youth. Inside was a different story.

They were tough times growing up, and Sweeney brings alive an almost Dickensian tale of the private sacrifices his family endured for years after his father died. Nor does he pull punches when, growing up, he begins to discover some of the flaws of hiw own beloved dad. Refreshingly, Sweeney tells this story without a hint of bitterness. The optimism of a boy who is determined to survive and flourish is alive and well in the grown-up who set out to record his past.

Sweeney has done a remarkable job in showing us how a child navigates, poorly at times, the shifting tides of growing up, the yearnings and fears and disappointments. But also the joys and thrills of the little victories, like learning to hit a curve ball. He is funny, honest and blunt and does not spare even himself from his critical eye, not even when it comes to reliving those inexorably dumb decisions adolescent boys seem driven to make.

Above all, he is a gracious and grateful memoirist, and that spirit rubs off on his readers. He is grateful for these three remarkable men and how they, chosen secretly by a bright, fatherless boy, helped him steer his way. It is a wonderful tribute to them, surrogate fathers who deserve a pat on the back from all of us who read Sweeney's memoir.

Kevin Sweeney has created a whole world in Father Figures, giving us not only a strong portrait of what it is like to grow up without a father, but also of a modern Catholic childhood. His writing and insights are strong and often simply beautiful. He's a wonderful story teller and will keep any reader turning pages long into the night.

I have another, older, copy of this book and have read it several times. This was a replacement for the old one, which is worn out! If you've ever been to Baja, you will totally love hearing Jack and Denny Smith's experiences with purchasing a home there. If you haven't, you will still love hearing the story AND you will want to go there and find your own adventure.

I have traveled to Mexico for over 25 years, and own a home there. This story is only too familiar. I am buying a copy for all of my Mexico loving friends and family.

"God and Mr. Gomez", while not a recent book by a long shot is a timeless read. It is written in the hilareous style that only Jack Smith can pen. You blend in with the characters and it being a true story makes it all the more interesting and satisfying. A great read for summer, or anytime

Both Jack Smith and Mr. Gomez have passed on from this life. Thanks to Jack's gifted writing ability, you can experience the culture, beauty and patience pace still to be found in Baja California. I have been there and seen the house, the road, the federalli check point, the cliffs and the fishing village. I have had the good fortune to have stayed in a home near Jack's and met others who followed Jack's column in the LA Times during those years of construction of his "mansion". I have searched used book stores and bought on-line used copies while new books have not been published since 1997. I am so glad it is back in print so I can recommend it to my friends. Great reading and funny too!

Personally, I think the Peterson Guides are far more helpful than the Audobon publications. As mentioned in other reviews, Peterson uses illustrations organized by color and flower configuration. The illustrations are very well done. Audobon uses photos. The idea is that you match your specimen to the photo it most closely matches and follow further identification from there. The books are complimetary and work well together; however, if you can only choose one-- get the Peterson book. Overall, I have had much better success keying out plants with Peterson and repeatedly have found the plant I am looking for overlooked in the Audobon text. The truth be known, I doubt I will ever buy a Audobon plant book again-- perhaps they are better with birds.

I take this guide (and the Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers-- west) on all my field trips to identify wildflowers. Though Peterson has fewer real photos, it does have better aids to identify specific wildflowers, as it is organized by color, as well as number and types of petals. The sketches help me do a preliminary id on the wildflower.

I like the book and the topic, however the binding is is such bad shape that the book is useless in the field or for a more robust usage. Can this be fixed?

Though this title may be a little pricy, it is a must have for residents of California, Oregon, and Washington. At any rate, any family within which there is a flower collecter, should have a copy of this excellent resource. Though my family originally purchased this title because of a biology project assigned to my daughter, it has since opened up an interesting world of the natural plant life of this area and even those farther away.

Conquest,traveler,the thundering herd,student body left,student body right,the rose bowl,"Fight On!" depicts the history and tradition of USC football from the early Howard Jones years to the Pete Carrol era through the guys who covered it and the players who lived it.It shows you USC football's golden era of the 1930s to its low point of the late 90s,and to its resurgences as college footballs dominant dynasties of today's era.Not just as a USC fan,but as college fan period,"Fight On!" is a great book and shows you what college football is truly about on and off the field.

This is a great book by an even greater author Steve Bisheff. I have purchased and enjoyed all his sports books. I'm not a USC fan, but it made a great gift for all my friends that are.

Good book that captures the Trojan football history. The author has covered Trojan football for newspapers for years. I have always enjoyed his newspaper articles. The book captures a lot of those stories and USC history.
USC is a very interesting football program for many years. They have had many ups and downs over the years and the author does a good job telling the stories. It is always understood that once a Trojan you are a Trojan for life. It is a great University that shines in many thing besides football. Book is a good read.

"Fight On" is the rare sports book about a particular university that any football fan can enjoy, rather or not you have a relationship with that school. USC football came alive for me as a result of reading this book. Talk about history! It doesn't get any better than USC vs. Notre Dame. The entire history of the football program is here and the authors are to be commended for giving the casual fan, as well as USC alums and supporters, the ultimate read on USC football.

The book has great pictures and captions. However, I bought it as a part of research and would have liked to see some facts with the captions. Other than that, it was great, I came from vallejo and feel proud that there's a strong filipino community from vallejo and that it's acknowledged in this book. I would recommend it to everyone who comes from vallejo and is Filipino. I would recommend it to history teachers. It's our history.

But it does show you the history of Filipinos in Vallejo. I'm proud to be a 2nd generation Filipino American living in this city. We will continue to cultivate and flourish because of our roots and culture.

Reading this book brought back a lot of fun memories of growing up in Vallejo in the '60's and '70's. Appreciate all the efforts that were put into this book.

I enjoyed looking thru this book and seeing my father & the "Manongs" of my childhood and learning of their roles in the history of Filipino's in Vallejo. It made me proud to be a descendent of these great men that set a foundation for the "Filipino Community of Vallejo."

This book is really a great seafood cookbook. I learned how to search out healthy seafood and then cook it in a simple but tasty way.

FISH FOREVER: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING, SELECTING, AND PREPARING HEALTHY, DELICIOUS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD is for neo-pros and chiefs who would choose sustainable seafood, and is written by the owner of the Monterey Fish Market in San Francisco who has supplied such seafood to some of the nation's best chefs. His guide blends an international recipe book with in-depth profiles of both fish types and discussions of fish health issues and concerns. Access to a range of fish types is required, but any library catering to patrons who love to cook seafood must have this, with its bright centerfold of photos and detailed fish cooking insights.

As both an amateur home cook and a devotee of sustainable seafood, I think this is the best sustainable seafood cookbook on the market. The recipes are simple and healthy, and the factual information is well-balanced. I highly recommend this cookbook!

I have always enjoyed fish when I go to restaurants but the fish market and cooking fish scared me. 'Fish Forever' gives me the information to select and cook great seafood dishes. The results of the recipes are spectacular. I am lousy cook, but the recipes are so easy to follow, they improved my cooking. The book is also an interesting look at fishing and the seafood business.

I grew up in So. California, so I've been fishing and diving the Pacific for many years. Now I live in Mexico and fish/dive the Gulf of California. I have never found a better field guide for these waters. I keep a copy on my boat and use it constantly.

The full-color illustrations are excellent and the descriptions are precise and accurate. It is laid out logically and is very easy to use. I've settled many arguments and won many bets on the docks with this book.

As a volunteer for the new Long Beach (CA) Aquarium of the Pacific, I needed to quickly learn about fishes of the Pacific coast and how to identify them. This book exactly suits my needs. It is interesting and informative, without being too technical. The color illustrations are beautiful. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to learn more about Pacific coast fishes.

Fishes of the Pacific Coast is an excellent reference guide with beautiful full color illustrations of approximately 450 fish. I truly appreciated the inclusion of the fish of the upper Sea of Cortez. Small ecological and historical blurbs are fascinating. The handbook size makes it a must have on your diving or fishing boat.

I do a lot of fishing and own quite a few books on fish. I also keep a life-time fish list, a list of every species of fish I have ever caught that I was able to correctly ID. I have found Fishes of the Pacific Coast by Gar Goodson in particular to be very useful for ID purposes, but I also find it to be very good writing, highly interesting, and full of information that most other fish ID books usually lack. For example, he tells you here if a fish is considered good eating, or not. He tells you where they are found, in how deep of water, locals, tidbits of history about the fish, and also what they eat.
I recently bought two new books on fish, one about fish of the Gulf of Mexico and another on fish of the Atlantic Ocean and looking them over I kept finding things missing; I suddenly realized how much better this book of Goodson's is.
The many illustrations by the artist Phillip J. Weisgerber are all excellent and every single one of them is in color. I am a writer myself, author of some 5 published books now,... and I appreciate books that are put together with care, appreciate writing that is fun and interesting and highly informative. Fishes of the Pacific Coast is an inexpensive book and a darn good one. If you fish in the Pacific you'll want to own this book and will find that having it, and bringing it along on fishing trips will add a great deal to your pleasure. Also, I would certainly recommend this book as a present for anyone who is interested in nature,in fish, in fishing. A marvelous book and one of my favorites for sure!

When we lose just a part of our physical or mental being, we can suddenly feel that somehow we are not really ourselves anymore. Dr. Beisser had lost almost his whole physical self, but he shows us so eloquently how to overcome loss by changing his "point of view" both literally and mentally. I have gven a copy of this book to more than one person that I felt by their reading it, it could be of service in some way. I think anyone can benefit form this book, disabled or not and I highly recommend it!!

I'm 25 hispanic female that recently read this book. I just became fascinated for the optimistic attitude and spirit of life that this book has. No words to describe what has done in my life

This is an excellent true story. I think it would be very good for people in the medical and/or caregiving professions to read. Dr. Beisser is very inspirational in his journey to overcome his disability. The concepts in the book that were important to me are those feelings and experiences he relays about being dependent on physical care from nurses and doctors. Specifically, I learned alot from what he said he felt like when they cared for him grudgingly or with indifference; and also how he was affected when they simply would not listen to him. I have taken these words into my life and I always try to remember them when I am caring for someone who is dependent on me. Another important concept is the persistence he embodied. He simply never gave up, even when everybody was telling him to 'throw in the towel'. He did accomplish exactly what he set out to do, despite his obstacles. And finally, the concept of gratitude was BIG in this book. He was grateful even for his disability in the end. As amazing as this sounds, it is a pure and simple truth that we all must be grateful for absolutely everything that happens to us. Dr. Beisser shows the reader this lesson in a big way at the end of the book when he talks about his total acceptance of his circumstances and all the personal growth he has attained from those circumstances.

Arnold Beisser grew up with two life goals: To be a doctor and to be a national tennis champion. At 23, he achieved his first goal; at 24, his second. The year was 1950. Soon after his tennis victory, en route to basic training that would have brought him to Korea as an army doctor, he developed a high fever and was brought to a military hospital. Within 24 hours, he was paralyzed from the neck down. As Beisser puts it, one moment he was a doctor; suddenly he was a patient, requiring an iron lung to breathe. He had contracted polio. This outstanding book examines the funny, sad and philosophical aspects of life with a disability and its social consequences. Particularly fascinating are Beisser's stories of the stigma many people attach to disability. His courtship and marriage, as well as his career as a psychiatrist treating professional athletes, make for compelling reading. Anyone who has struggled in life - because of disability or any other tribulation - will be permanently enriched by this unforgettable memoir.

Having spent a lot of time looking for information on imaginative & fun (and sometimes luxury) travel with kids, I can tell you that this is a really unique book. It is comprehensive, carefully researched and well written with loads of practical tips. Some 'travel with kids' books might as well just be bland advertising copy, this one really provides good editorial content, with positive and critical comments. It is a pleasure to read and we will use it for a long time. Fodor's should publish more of these for other parts of the US/world.

I loved this book and would recommend it to any family wanting to travel in the northeastern United States. The writers offer tips and reviews on places of interest, resorts, and campgrounds in a wide range of prices. In fact, we have visited some of those places and found a brand new vacation prospect in Lake George which we will be trying out this summer! Definitely one of the most informative travel books on the market today -- entertaining even if you do not go to these places.

Very useful book for locals and visitors. We liked the way it gave us recommended age groups and prices. We can now plan ahead places to visit within and on the way to our next holiday area. We have also used it for planning field trips from the school into San Francisco. Easy to use and enjoyable to read.

I've been searching for a book like this for several years and haven't found one that fit the bill until now! I had a great time reading it - so well written - and got more useful information than I'll ever be able to use in one lifetime! Thanks so much to the writers and publishers!

My husband and I have been using this book for a few years and it's wonderful. We live in San Diego County and have done 4 of the hikes in the San Diego chapter. We had trouble finding Barker Valley Falls and Los Penasquitos Falls. We were able to find Cedar Creek Falls (in early 2008), Three Sisters Falls (in early 2007), Cottonwood Creek Falls (in late 2005), Kitchen Creek Falls (in early 2007). The area around Cedar Creek Falls was burned in the Southern California wildfires of 2007 but the waterfall was still very impressive. We drive a Toyota Prius and it was a little nerveracking driving the dirt road to the Cedar Creek Falls trail head but we made it ok.

Although this book is in lackluster black and white and not all chapters have waterfall photos, Brown's descriptions have spunk and her maps are adequate enough to get oriented (though you'll still want to supplement them with Topo! maps).

Even when we're not out in the field, I sometimes catch myself reading chapters in this book spontaneously because of how entertaining and well-written the text is. Indeed, it's easy to lose yourself and envision yourself on the trail through Brown's words eye descriptions.

My wife and I have used this book since 2000 or 2001 visiting about a third of the waterfalls listed within. And we still consult it to visit the state's waterfalls to this day.

We also own other California Waterfall books, and I'd have to say Brown's book is by far the most thorough, useful, and professionally done.

What a wonderful book! Each trail is carefully researched to lead you to an exquisite waterfall. What a treat! You can tell the care that this author takes in researching her material, in hiking each trail, in ensuring that you, too, discover the wonder of waterfalls.

A great gift! Or buy one for yourself.

Just last weekend I went to Monrovia Canyon Falls. Record rainfall this year (2005) has put an end to a multiyear drought and the streams are flowing nicely. The falls in Monrovia Canyon were stunning, and I found myself simply sitting beside them enjoying their wonderful music. This for me is the ultimate in hiking. If you feel the same way, be sure to pick up the new edition of California Waterfalls.

The author, Ann Marie Brown, is arguably the best outdoor writer in California. I have gradually adopted her philosophy that dayhikers enjoy "more smiles per mile" than backpackers as my own. Her approach is always to provide the maximum scenic return for any hike she includes in one of her many guides. And, while there are several outdoor writers producing "peak guides" she is the only one with a waterfall guide. It is a joy to read and even more fun to hike. The main change in the new edition is that hikes are organized now by the same geographic scheme used in California Hiking, a book Brown co-authors with Tom Stienstra. Photos are somewhat sharper as well. I've personally hiked to about 30 of the more than 200 waterfalls she describes and have never been disappointed. You won't be either.