California Books

This is a gorgeous book filled with delicious recipes, interesting profiles of organic growers and great local restaurant recommendations. The photographs really capture the beauty and character of the Marin landscape. If you love food, you will love this book! A definite "must have."

This book is like going to the farmers market ; ) Yum! Featuring farmers and recipes from Marin County restaurants. It is visually beautiful and the recipes are seasonal, of course, and not too complicated! It can sit on the coffee table or in the kitchen, I love it!

"ORGANIC MARIN: Recipes from land to table" has beautiful photographs of the farming land in West Marin County, CA. I love the brief profiles of the farmers, the food producers, the restaurant chefs, and their recipes. This book is a winner. A great gift for everyone who loves exquisite photos of food on the land and on the table. The recipes are delicious! .

This cookbook can only be described as exquisite. The vibrant colors from the book's beautiful photographs jump from pages. Organic Marin is a fascinating look at Marin County's organic movement. The book includes profiles of 16 organic farms in the Marin area and their philosophy that food fosters community, family and hope. Of course, the ultimate reward is the recipe sections, separated by season, each with a page-filling photo. Each recipe is from a Bay Area organic restaurant. I can't wait to try them all!

This book, along with its Oregon-Washington Second Volume, is a MUST-read for anyone planning their own trip along all or part of the Pacific Crest Trail. This trail guide provides a wealth of information such as mileage, water-stops, trail conditions, tips, maps, and even locations (including addresses!) of post-offices and other along-the trail stop-overs for re-supply. PCT hikers often carry this book with them in their packs and reference it often. More weight-conscious thru-hikers will cut or tear the book apart into sections (it's conveniently divided into a long series of trail sections between stop-overs) and ship the abbreviated guides back to themselves at towns along the journey.

Combining years of research and tens of thousands of miles of first-hand trail experience, the authors have done an outstanding job in allowing future backpackers access to the information they need to plan their own epic adventures. The book usually comes with an pamphlet included to keep you posted on any updates and changes to the trail since the book's latest release (which I believe there have been six such releases since its initial publication in '73).

I'm planning my own thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, and after much of my own extensive research through countless other books and guides, I still come back to this one for the information I need to plan my own greatest adventure to date. Be sure the check the Oregon & Washington volume of the guide as well, written by the same authors in the exact same format.

I have used this book since 1980 to hike all or part of the PCT. It can make or break your trip. The most important info is where to find water. Some souces are difficult to find, but this book will lead you to it. The amount of info,maps, water, landmarks, milage,trail conditions, suppy points, etc., make this book a must on any hike along the PCT. If you don't have it with you, you're a lost soul.

I enjoy all of the Schaffer books because they are accurate, fun to read and reliable. This book has little chapters on the PCT, and the descriptions of each part of the trail are a total delight. So often these hiking books neglect to tell you how to reach the trailhead and oftentimes they don't provide detailed instructions (I mean this for section or day hikers of the PCT). Schaffer never makes this mistake. You will not need a separate map to locate any of the sections of the trail, his maps and written instructions are first-rate. In fact, there is even a nifty fold-out map sewn into the rear pocket so you can tote it along on any of your journeys. Equally interesting is that this book doesn't merely give elevation gains, difficulty ratings and desriptions of the trail conditions. These are vital to know, but Schaffer also includes little bits of information of what kinds of wild flowers you will encounter, birds, wildlife and other little nuggets neglected in other guides.

The book is supposed to be mainly for thru-hikers of the PCT, but there are many trails here that can be used for day hikes. These trips will be in the 10-16 mile range and any strong hiker can easily do these hikes in one day. If you do choose to go the entire PCT, Schaffer describes water sources, camping sites and addresses whether bears or marmots might be a problem for you. Most importantly, he tells you where to find water and whether the water source is reliable throughout the whole year.

I can't recommend this guide highly enough. Even if you're an armchair hiker, you'll derive many hours of vicarious joy from this guide.

I bought this book & another book, kept this one and returned the other. I haven't seen a better guide to the PCT.

As to Churchwell's history of Palm Springs, here is what was said by Peter Wild, English Professor at the University of Arizona and author of numerous books on the Southwest. "Two of the most reliable [histories] . . . are Frank Bogert's oversized book . . . ;and my favorite . . . , Mary Jo Churchwell's heartfelt work giving us a generally accurate picture of how much was lost when the village was wrenched into a city."

Mary Jo Churchwell's history of Palm Springs touches on the familiar Palm Springs of old ....a Palm Springs populated by the beautiful people like Bob Hope and Gig Young, Lucy and Desi, and yes, the lovely Miss Dinah Shore. BUT, Churchwell's Palm Springs is so much more: The canyons, the desert wildflowers, corny street and condo names, and above all, the sunshine that just won't quit.

All I can say is WOW! I want all my friends to read it - very moving. This reads as if I'm chatting with an old friend that grew up in Palm Springs as I did. I remembered things I thought I had forgotten. Let's hear more from Mary Jo Churchwell!

If you've dismissed Palm Springs as a soulless wasteland fit only for golfers, gamblers and creaky celebrities, this book will change your mind. With Mary Jo Churchwell as your good-natured guide, you'll discover the things that truly make Palm Springs unique in the world. This is the first book to focus on the area's awesome natural wonders and its bold past populated with writers, eccentrics and explorers. Whether you're a visitor or a lifelong resident, this book will quadruple your enjoyment of this desert town.

If you've dismissed Palm Springs as a soulless wasteland fit only for golfers, gamblers and creaky celebrities, this book will change your mind. With Mary Jo Churchwell as your good-natured guide, you'll discover the things that truly make Palm Springs unique in the world. This is the first book to focus on the area's awesome natural wonders and its bold past populated with writers, eccentrics and explorers. Whether you're a visitor or a lifelong resident, this book will quadruple your enjoyment of this desert town.

This book wins on two fronts: it gives a fascinating insight into the development of Los Angeles at the end of the 19th Century, and the emergence of that brash new town, Hollywood; and it is also a great love story, centering first of all around the love of brothers Bud and Vincent van Vliet for Amelie Deane and then of Vincent's son Kingdon for Bud's daughter Tess. I read this book thirty years ago and still love it and re-read it. It is very well-written, the characters are all three-dimensional and I love the history of El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porcunciula (Los Angeles for short), with its railroads, its oil fields, it's Santa Ana winds, and its developing movie industry.

It hasn't dated one bit, and if you can get hold of a copy, grab it.

I actually haven't read this book in years, but it is one of my all time favorites. I love the historical background that the author uses- you get a real feel for Los Angeles as it was at the turn of the century. The characters are very real and have much depth. A great book for a couple of afternoons under a tree or at the beach. This book will stay with you for a long time after you read it.

It was actually several years ago I read this book - a friend of mine had just finished it and recommended it to me.

Prior to telling me about the context of the novel, she had noted several times: "I just finished reading this book the other day, and it has done nothing but perturb me ever since. For some reason I cannot stop thinking about it." It is books like the one she was then rather abstractly describing that pique my interest, so I asked if I could borrow her copy of it, for my own enjoyment (and judgment). I began reading it that afternoon while trying to pass the time at a local theatre rehearsal. Needless to say I was absorbed - the prose was stunning! Poignant, written without regret; magnificently and sharply outlined by the dolorous contemplations of each character.

The plot of the book is vague in my mind. I remember some of the subplots very specifically, however, down to even the most intimate details. It is a love story, but one far too literary to be deemed simply a 'romance'. The novel itself takes place over the course of about three generations in the life of a California family. There is much tenderness and brilliance present - it is ultimately a clever book with a tragic ending. I would like to read it once again, and feel what I did the first time. It did not "perturb" me afterward like it did my friend, but it did leave a weighty impact.

I began to read this book 2 days ago and could not put it down. It is the story of the birth of a city, Los Angeles, which coincides with the settling of the area by two prominent families, the Deanes and the Van Vliets. Through marriage, these two families merge and produce adventurous men who gamble everything on risky business ventures and beautiful women. The Van Vliets take center stage, and the story follows the lives of two brothers, Bud and V3 (short for Vincente.) The older brother Bud is a confident, take-charge sort who intimidates his more introverted younger brother, V3. The younger man always feels that he is in his brother's shadow and so he constantly strives to match Bud in business and in love. This inevitably pits the two brothers against one another, and their sibling rivalry results in rash actions which have consequences on each succeeding generation of the family. The background setting of early Los Angeles is the perfect one for this epic novel, and the well-developed plot and characters make this 25-year-old book one which deserves to be rediscovered by today's readers.

Finally -- an all-inclusive source of information for favorite aunties (to stay that way) and god-parents too! Although I have no children, I have scads of nieces and nephews who visit from back east; plus my friends have children who sometimes like hanging out with me (and I with them). For years I have cut articles about "fun places to go" out of newspapers and magazines and stuffed them into drawers, until I have no drawers left. But no more! This fun and well-written guide has it all and is geared specifically to children and their grown-up buddies, not just vacationing families. I especially enjoy the photos taken by the author's children, which prove they really did enjoy these places. Not only do I recommend this guide to vacationing families, I also sing its praises for Southern California adults with young friends and relatives who visit often.

I have found this book to be totally enjoyable, humorous and was extremely helpful when we took our grandkids to visit friends and sightsee in the L.A. area. I have many friends who like to travel and I will certainly recommend this book as a real time saver while in L.A. Excellent!

This book provides all the basics -- sites, how to get there, prices, hours, amenities -- but it also rings true with an air of authenticity and experience. This is a real mom who went to these places with real kids and went through all the same things that everyone goes through -- standing in lines, eating good or bad concession food, trying to give the kids a fun day instead of just wearing them out. We've actually used and benefited from the info in the book and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Excellent book! Author Kathie Weir describes hundreds of enriching things for parents and children to do in the greater L.A. area. As a longtime resident of southern California, the author has visited most of these sites with her children, so her descriptions include a personal and honest touch; for example, in evaluating one museum, she writes, "Most of the under-twelve set will be happier elsewhere, but if you have one of those super-brainy, bored-with-everything, and a bit off-beat teens, this museum is IT." I liked her warm, down-to-earth writing style. Most of us---who think of famous amusement parks when we think of L.A.---are not aware of the area's wealth of museums, historical sites, wildlife preserves, train rides, gardens, annual events and much more. For instance, I was surprised to learn that Southeast Los Angeles has a Civil War Museum. The Union Army was stationed on the West Coast during the Civil War, and the Officer's Quarters of Drum Barracks now serves as a museum. The book lists many other places as intriguing as this. A Parent's Guide to Los Angeles is also very well organized. The author divides Los Angeles County into four areas, lists the sites by geographical section, and includes clear driving directions to each one. In fact, she devotes a whole chapter to tips on driving in L.A., offering helpful advice about coping with freeways and rush hours. Weir most definitely understands what it's like to travel with children, which gives her book even more credibility. She writes, "Parents never know what might strike a child's fancy" and confesses that when she took her children to see the great sights of Europe, the part they talked about the most afterwards was feeding the pigeons. How true this rings for anyone who has traveled with children! "An afternoon at a playground followed by hotdogs, cooked in the park's firepit can be a cherished memory for a kid," she advises. I was impressed with her attitude that sightseeing is a valuable form of education for children, but that "every family is different and every child has his or her own interests." This book provides a wide range of choices for any family's individual needs. I highly recommend this book.

The book Pasquala is about a brave girl who suffers because her dad and mom die. Pasquala is a strong character because her uncle who adopts her isn't very kind to her. For example, he doesn't let her go to the mourning ceremony or be in the ceremony changing kids into adults. Pasquala is the book's narrator, and she is a good one because she helps others. She saves the padres when she runs for 3 days and nights to warn them about an attack, and that's why she dies. I think that the book is good and it teaches a valuable lesson: we need to help others and then they are going to help us back when we need it. Pasquala even got her name from a padre who calls her that because she helps others. I like this book a lot, and think most kids my age would enjoy reading it. I learned many things from this book, such as how Yokuts Indians collected salt.

The book Pasquala is about a brave girl who suffers because her dad and mom die. Pasquala is a strong character because her uncle who adopts her isn't very kind to her. For example, he doesn't let her go to the mourning ceremony or be in the ceremony changing kids into adults. Pasquala is the book's narrator, and she is a good one because she helps others. She saves the padres when she runs for 3 days and nights to warn them about an attack, and that's why she dies. I think that the book is good and it teaches a valuable lesson: we need to help others and then they are going to help us back when we need it. Pasquala even got her name from a padre who calls her that because she helps others. I like this book a lot, and think most kids my age would enjoy reading it. I learned many things from this book, such as how Yokuts Indians collected salt.

The genre is historical fiction. The story began when Pasquala and her mother were hiding in a cave because they saw soldados coming to their village. Pasquala was scared when she sees shadows near the cave opening so she closes her eyes and then feels a hand touch her; when she opens her eyes her father is right in front of her. Her father said the soldados had gone. After a couple days they go to the Pacific Ocean and on their way back Pasquala gets sick, so they have to take her to the mission to save her life. After a while they start living at the mission. One day her father finishes a beautiful saddle, so now the soldados want him to take it to the presidio where the soldiers live. When he gets back he is sick and dies. But before he dies he tells Pasquala and her mother to leave the mission. When Pasquala and her mom go back, the other villagers don't really like them anymore, because they had to do their work while they were gone. From this book I learned a lot about the Yokuts Indians who lived in the Central Valley. The book was short (about 90 pages) and easy to read. I liked the ending because usually most books have a happy ending; this one was sad. Read this book, it's enjoyable and a great way to learn about Califoria history and geography.

The authors have done a fabulous job in bringing to life what it must have been like to be a little Yokut indian girl living in California's Great Central Valley 200 years ago. It teaches a great deal about the Yokut way of life and how things started to change when the Spanish arrived with their missions along California's coast. This is a fast read! You won't be able to put it down! Each turn of the page brings little Pasquala to a place in your heart where she will remain long after you finish the book. It is a fantastic book for 4th grade teachers to read aloud to their classes. It is also an excellent book for anyone who simply enjoys reading a well-written compelling story.

This is just a real though provoking book. If it's light reading you want, stick with the comics in the newpapers. If you want a book that that will make you think and learn - then this is a great choice. Also, the CreateSpace edition is physically attactive both inside and out, with an easy to read, clear typestyle and layout.
A classic.

A review of Carlyle's Past and Present written in Carlylese (he's much better at it than I am...)

This book could change the whole Western world, if only men would read it, and believe it! -We could have several Utopias springing up in North American and throughout Europe within the space of five years! So here you are. In this work, Carlyle criticizes the social, economic, and political arrangements in England of the 1840s. I will not bother to explain what those arrangements were; I will only say that his criticism is as relevant to us now as it was to the people of his own time. My friends, very simply put, then as now, we have 'parted company with the eternal inner Facts of this Universe, and followed the outer transient Appearances thereof...[we] have forgotten the right Inner True, and taken up with the Outer Sham-true.' Yes Carlyle's English is a bit strange, but try not to be distracted by outer appearances, that is his point! In many aspects of our Western life, we have forgotten what is true and at the heart of the matter, and taken up with superficial nonsense.

Let's begin with economics. In Carlyle's day, the Industrialists were trying their damnedest to figure out a way to make the production of cotton cheaper. This is a sham! Instead, figure out a way, with all your cotton cloth, to 'cover all the backs of England.' How like our present day Global Economists, wracking their brains trying to get the poor fools of the Third World to buy our products. Why don't they stop a moment and see if everyone at home is yet sufficiently provided for. Do your own fellow citizens need what you are producing, or have they enough of it, need they some other product which it is in your power to produce? And what is this of Advertising? Carlyle remembers a hat-maker who built a seven-foot hat of wood and plaster; wheeled it about the streets of London to attract customers to his shop. Does this improve the quality or utility of your hats, man, or does it only fool people into thinking that you have done honest work? I begin to think that more money is made in Advertising in these times of ours than in any other enterprise. What are our cities but places to tack up Billboards, to display Clothes in shop windows, to produce commercials for television, all to fool people into buying rubbish they don't need. Don't Advertise, Just Work!

Religion? Why all the silly ceremonies, the controversies, feuding between different sects. Do we need absurd ceremonies and idolatrous rituals to believe in a Divine Power? True Religion is 'Moral Conscience, Inner Light' 'All Religion [is] here to remind us, better or worse, of what we already know, better or worse, of the quite infinite difference between a Good man, and a Bad, to bid us love infinitely the one, abhor infinitely the other, to strive infinitely to be the one, and not the other.' A Religious man is he who makes his whole life an appeal to Heaven, to Divine Justice, to Goodness, and who cannot be happy if he do not always choose the right thing for his family, his country, his God and himself.

Politics? Why do we continue to elect Bill Slicktons and Tony Blears, vicious Garry Condits and brainless Bushes, when these rotten Governors have in their own souls nothing to govern by. They are play-actors, nothing more, and very poor ones at that. Behind the smile, the make-up, the $400 hair-cut lies only one thing: 'impudent dishonesty--brazen insensibility to lying and to making others lie' Look into the souls of such men and what will you see: 'a general grey twilight, looming with shapes of expediencies, parliamentary traditions, division lists [like opinion polls], election-funds, leading articles...' The true leader, on the other hand, is a hero: he wants none of our material rewards, fears none of our punishments, believes that there is such a thing as eternal justice, will stop at nothing until he has made life better, happier, more fruitful for his fellow citizens. How do we elect such a man, instead of another politician, that is, another professional liar, wood and plaster dummy? We as voters must cease to vote wrong! How is that to be accomplished? Well that is not so easily done. We must all awaken from this state of enchantment, says Carlyle, must begin to learn to distinguish just and unjust, admirable and despicable in our fellow men, and in ourselves. READ THE BOOK!!!

This is for sure a great book, if you have the ability to concentrate for more than five minutes, unlike the majority of the Herd, in mean people, of today. If your intrest lies in the substance of this book, read some other review, I'm only going to tell you that, the (1909) publication, stinks; the so called book, is more like a oversized magizine, and the print is about the size of a footnote in the bible.

Widely known is the lucid and acid historic sense of Thomas Carlyle. This is what you will find in this book. More accessible than the monumental 'Sartor Resartus', but at the same high level. I strongly recomend that book as a way to enter into the vivid world of Carlyle.

Having a group of friends whom I hike with everyday we run out of places to go, well we did before I got this book. It's very comprehensive, including descriptions of each area, map of the area, facilities available and a bit of history. Even the appendix has useful information, with websites for many organizations that can provide addt'l info. I recommend this for anyone in the bay area who wants to explore our beautiful preserves.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in hiking the hills on the Peninsula. It is very well organized and easy to use. Good for everyone from a casual hiker to serious outdoors enthusiasts.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District came into existence in 1972 as the result of an overwhelming vote in 1972 to preserve lands from rapid development. In 1976 the "open space" concept was extended into San Mateo county and in the nearly 30 years since the MROSD has come to manage almost 50,000 acres in an area where even small amounts of real estate command a huge premium. Divided among 24 separate "preserves" and managed for low impact recreation, MROSD lands protect much of the natural beauty of the bay area.

An accomplished hiking guide author, Weintraub's book does indeed list and describe one or more trails in each preserve. Distances covered range from short half-mile strolls in Foothill Open Space and Skyline Preserves to a 10+ mile jaunt through Purisima Creek Redwood Preserve. The vast majority of the hikes however are 5 miles or less and are more suitable for a contemplative walk than a strenuous workout. Accompanying the descriptions are some useful map sketches with mileage between key points carefully delineated.

The hikes, however, are not the centerpiece of the book. The real highlights are the local history selections. In addition to relating the history of MPOSD, Weintraub delves into the local history of each preserve. Old photos accompany Weintraub's descriptions of historical logging in the Purisima Creek area, wine making at Picchetti Ranch, and the former stables of Los Tracos Reserve. Better yet, Weintraub's talent as a professional photographer shows in the many beautiful plates and pictures that adorn this book and capture the beauty of the bay area. Finally, the book has numerous interesting sidebars that cover everything from wildlife in the area to the mechanics of trail building and maintenance.

Local history buffs and frequent hikers in the south bay area will certainly want to purchase this book. As a hiking guide it is a little limited. Unlike Weintraub's other guide books from Wilderness Press, this one is more narrowly focused. The reader is compensated by getting more wonderful prose and photos than the traditional guide book format allows. All factors considered, this is a wonderful book.

I really don't think this should have been written as a guidebook. The idea of including at least one hike from each preserve works well in a few cases, but is almost laughable in others. However, the history and background given on each preserve makes up for this poor guidebooksmanship.

A good example is the Saratoga Gap OSP. Saratoga Gap has only one trail, with virtually no redeeming qualities except that it connects users of Long Ridge OSP and Upper Stevens Creek County Park to the plentiful parking at the summit of Hwy 9. The book recommends that hikers walk down the trail and enjoy the "feeling of seclusion" as cars whiz by 50 yards away on Hwy 35. Yet the section is redeemed by its archaeological and botanical notes. I was also interested to discover that the preserve contains wreckage from a 1959 plane crash, one which my local fire department responded to.

I recommend this book to anyone who uses these preserves, and wishes to know more about the stories behind them.

Funny, absurd, and heartbreaking moments abound in this memoir, which offers an incredibly dispassionate account of being raised, on the brink of poverty, by a freeloading father and codependent mother. In a surprising and original way, the extreme differences between his parents seem to operate like yin and yang forces that converge into the strangely sane wholeness of Dirk's own mindful and even compassionate perspective on his parents and his past.

Once you open this book, you won't be able to put it down until it's finished. There's never a dull moment. The story is heartbreaking and pretty funny at times & the author's writing style is sharp and smart.

Perishable has a lot in common with The Glass Castle, which is one of my favorite memoirs. Both stories make you wonder what in the hell the parents are thinking.

I'm very curious about what happens to the family after the book ends. I can't wait to read the author's next book.

The title of Dirk Jamison's slender memoir Perishable is a reference to the most striking oddity of the author's childhood, that his father--a man for whom the notion of responsibility was anathema--undertook to feed his family of five for a number of years by "trashing," taking recently discarded food prised from dumpsters home to the family dinner table. This was a lifestyle choice rather than necessity. Able-bodied but unwilling to waste his time on a paying job, the author's father saw eating trash as a means of gaining free time: "More trash means less work. Less work means more time." But his enthusiasm for jars of expired pickled eggs and the like was not shared by the rest of the family. The elder Jamison's bizarre take on life was coupled with a selfish abdication of parental responsibility. But his father's instability, if perhaps the worst of what the author endured growing up, was not the whole of it. Jamison's mother was the better parent of the two, but she brought her own problems to the familial mix. Now "slinking off to cry with slabs of chocolate," now refusing a knee operation because she was sure it implied temporary amputation of the affected limb, Jamison's mother, the author explains, was not so much crazy as stupid: "'Ma'am, are you insane?' is the question that nobody ever asks. But I can see that question in their eyes, and it's a misdiagnosis I'm always grateful for. Much preferable to the actual problem, which appears to be staggering stupidity." There were also the regular abuses of Jamison's Mengele-esque older sister and, in the author's adolescence, the in-retrospect-inappropriate attention of "Scoutmaster Gary," the Mormon overseer of a series of Church-sponsored activities in which Jamison took part. In short, the author's home life was unstable, and his father's mode of parenting arguably a form of abuse. Jamison and his siblings lacked dependable adult figures who were capable of making rational decisions on behalf of the family.

Jamison tells the story of his unusual childhood in spare, unflinching prose. Neither sentimental nor self-pitying, the author approaches his subject with something like journalistic dispassion. He is startlingly frank. This is most admirable not when he is detailing his family's failures but rather when he confesses to poor behavior of his own during the period. In the end Jamison's remarkable account of his peculiar upbringing is probably more universal in its scope than he intended. My guess is that a lot of readers will find much that's familiar in the book, their own imperfect familial relationships here writ more extreme. Thus Perishable isn't merely a good read. It may help you laugh at your own crazy relatives.

Debra Hamel -- author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in ancient Greece (Yale University Press, 2003)

All of us grew up in families that were more or less dysfunctional. But this one takes the cake. Well, it wasn't as bad as those families you see on the TV news where a child is actually killed, but boy was it bizarre. In fact it seems remarkable that Mr. Jamison grew up at all, let alone sane enough to put enough sentences together to write a book like this. Then when you find the humor and understanding that he brings to the book and you have to realize that almost regardless of what you do to them kids seem to shake it off and grow up.

The story is delightful (so long as you didn't have to live it). This is what happened to the true hippies who never became part of society. Or as viewed from the standpoint of the author realizing that everyone in your family is a lunatic. To summarize: Dad's dropped out, working sucks and he isn't going to do it any more; Mom is a Mormon whose main goal is to get her children into heaven; sis is trying to kill him. They are all nuts, but as it is described, they're nuts in a delightful way.

Highly amusing read.

This short book provides a competent overview of the China melamine pet food scare of two years ago. As a dog owner who lived through it and searched for updates on what was safe and what wasn't, I was very interested in Nestle's investigation and findings after the fact. While I was reading it, the news broke about the same kind of poisoning in baby formula in China. Had I not seen that, I might have believed that once the perpetrator of the pet food poisoning was executed!! the poisoning would stop, but no. As Nestle expertly explains, despite the lack of safely involved with worldwide food production, the United States is woefully short of regulatory and safety inspectors for these products as they come into the country and are combined with other ingredients and then distributed to companies who make food of all kinds and specifically pet food. Maybe, pet food companies will take more care in their formulations, however, all pet owners should take the time to investigate the manufacturer of the food they use and pay extra for the better brands of pet food. Nestle lists the brands that had to be recalled for both cat and dog food in the back of her book.

I found the information in this book very interesting. It is packed full of information that kept me turning the pages - I finished this book in a little over a day and am still processing the information. There is information in here that I had never heard and I followed the recall very closely.

I think that all animal owners owe it to themselves to read this book just to see how loose the pet food industry was/is. Pretty appalling stuff.

I went to school for international business and found the material regarding the China/USA import/export very interesting and think everyone can take something away from this book.

This book is a page-turner - and not just because it shows all the twists and turns that went on behind the scenes in the pet food recall. It is an eye-opener about the lack of government oversight or pet food company responsibility for what goes into pet food or how it is made. Just as the title makes clear, this is not a book about pet food manufacture and ingredients - that is the book the author was working on when the pet food recall happened. THAT book is forthcoming. This book is exactly what the title says: it's about the politics of pet food manufacture and sales and how our chihuahuas have been the sentinels as a wake-up call that our human food industry is no better. The author is neutral and balanced and generously gives benefit-of-the-doubt to the various players in this dangerous food drama, a fiasco that still haunts many of us with dogs and cats. Nestle's lack of judgmentalism is actually great because it allows you as the reader to discover how it all worked and bring your own moral indignation to the table, as it were. This book is like following a detective looking for an explanation of the economic,business, political and social elements that conspired to bring about a horrible Perfect Storm of tainted food. I was absolutely riveted by the meticulous research that went into unraveling the mystery and uncovering the obfuscation by many of the participants. As the author of "The Dog Bible" I can attest how hard some information is to come by, especially in nutrition, so I was so impressed by this book that I invited the author, Marion Nestle, onto my live NPR radio show DOG TALK on September 27th. You can sign up for the free podcast or listen live online and decide for yourselves. I say she's done a brilliant job and given us a really significant heads-up for ourselves as well as our pets. I will wager that you'll click on "buy now" once you've heard her talk.

Marion Nestle's book "Pet Food Politics" is about the pet food recall of 2007. For those of you who don't remember, there was a massive recall of pet food last summer. The recall began with cat food manufactured by Menu Foods (but sold under many other brand names including Iams, Nutro, and Hill's), but expanded into a large number of cat and dog foods under many different brand names. It became clear after the recall that the problem occurred because an unscrupulous Chinese supplier sold a mixture of wheat flour, cyanuric acid, and melamine as wheat gluten. As a pet owner, the recall inconvenienced me (I had to change my cats' foods). As a parent, I became greatly concerned about what I was feeding my daughter and began seriously looking at where the food I bought was produced. I bought this book because I wanted to better understand what happened.

I knew the basic story here, but did not know about the total number of pets who died (likely in the thousands), the reasons why melamine was substituted for the wheat gluten (cheap melamine looks like expensive protein when tested using standard industrial tests), nor what happened to the contaminated pet food (it was fed to livestock and made it into the human food chain).

This book is a fast read and is clear, well written, and very interesting. Unfortunately, it is too brief. I wish that Ms. Nestle had taken this opportunity to explain more about the pet food industry: its history, the major players, the processes used to make pet food. The story is fascinating, but it feels more like a New Yorker article than a book.

I would recommend this book to someone who was interested in the pet food recalls, though I think that most readers should start with other books about food production. Specifically, I would recommend Michael Pollan's excellent The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals or Marion Nestle's own What to Eat before reading this book, to get a feel for how food is produced and to understand some of the politics involved.