California Books

This is essential reading for anyone interested in conservation and those who simply love nature writing. I read this book before reading "The Wild Muir". In comparison, this one is obviously a more thorough overview of Muir's life. Reading this book first makes "Wild Muir" more enjoyable....kinda like reading a novel before watching a movie based on it.

This Autobiography of John Muir was a look at the life of an amazing man. He was the type of writer that could take you to the place where he was living and make you feel like you were right there with him. His childhood experiences in Scotland and the farm life of Wisconsin formed the basis for how he viewed and related to the rest of his life and those around him. He was a world traveler who looked through the eyes of creation to observe ecology and invention. As a world traveler I also observe through the eyes of creation and as a native Californian I have had extensive experience hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada's. John Muir's writing style took me back to the places I have loved and remembered.

A great writer writing about great things - you'll feel like you're in the middle of the Sierra yourself. Endlessly enjoyable.

"American forests! the glory of the world!"
- John Muir, 1901

Of all the extraordinary men and women that have made our nation great, one stands above all others for his dedication to preserving its unequaled natural beauty: John Muir. Founder of The Sierra Club, this lover of the western forests' legacy to our generation is the National Park system, through which millions of acres of unique ecosystems have been set aside for everyone's enjoyment.

"Muir: Nature Writings" is a collection of the writings of this Scottish expatriate who first stepped foot in America in 1849 as an eleven year old brawler and budding naturalist. Blessed with a childhood mastery of Latin and Greek as well as a discerning and disciplined eye, the learned boy possessed a poet's heart, a scientist's mind, and a theologian's soul. A genius, who as a teen whittled precision wooden scientific instruments, Muir used his diverse skills to vividly portray nature's life and death struggles on his family's Wisconsin farm in "My Boyhood & Youth." Here we find Muir learning to swim by observing frogs or recollecting the mindless slaughter of the Earth's most numerous bird, the now-extinct passenger pigeon, a forlorn tale that foreshadows the conservationist he was to become.

While in college polishing his mechanical skills, Muir was detoured into studying botany. Dropping out to make powered tools for factories, an accident left him rethinking that detour; he forsook the factory and walked across America. His journey led him to the Sierra Mountains, chronicled in "My First Summer in the Sierra." Now working as a shepherd, Muir drove his flock through Yosemite while making detailed nature studies. Marveling at the natural beauty of the land he would eventually champion as one of the first National Parks, Muir wrote: "We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us. Our flesh-and-bone tabernacle seems transparent as glass to the beauty about us, as if truly an inseparable part of it, thrilling with the air and trees, streams and rocks, in the waves of the sun, - a part of all nature, neither old nor young, sick nor well, but immortal."

Muir's writings here run the gamut from analytical to thrilling. In "Stickeen", the author and a canine companion cheat death while stranded mid-storm between crevasses of an Alaskan glacier. (A self-taught authority on glaciers, Muir would eventually have one in Alaska bear his name.) "The Mountains of California" is an in-depth look at the geologic formations, plants, and animals of the region. In this piece, he tells of being stuck on the side of volcanic Mt. Shasta, staying warm in the bitter cold by nestling up to steam vents. Muir also laments the loss of the vast meadows of the San Joaquin Valley as he discusses how to make a living post-Gold Rush by raising bees for honey.

What makes Muir so unique when compared with today's environmentalists is this belief that we can live in harmony with Creation if we take simple steps to prevent despoiling it. In "The American Forests" he wrote: "No place is too good for good men, and there is still room.... Every place is made better by them. Let them be as free to pick gold and gems from the hills, to cut and hew, dig and plant, for homes and bread...." Muir's balanced view of Man's place in the wilderness overwhelmingly reflects his Christian faith, for he never fails to stand in awe of each living thing God has made. That our government leaders were so swayed by Muir's writing attests to the power of his "holy" persuasion. All of us are indebted to John Muir's single-minded devotion to America's wilderness.

("Muir: Nature Writings" is part of the Library of America series. This diverse collection of the writings of great Americans ranges from sermons of early American preachers to analysis of the Vietnam War. The works of Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, Flannery O'Connor, and James Thurber are but a few that comprise the series. An invaluable lookingglass into the heart and soul of our nation, this collection is essential reading for anyone who longs to know what makes America unique.)

John Muir was one of the founders of the early 20th century conservation movement and godfather to today's environmentalism. This collection of three books and shorter works demonstrates the reason. Muir's description of the natural world is at times scientific, at others spiritual. Here nature is not some remote thing but the living manifestation of God's love. This is not a religious book as such and yet he finds that all parts of the natural creation from rocks and mountains to trees and animals have inherent within them a life force which makes them precious. Humans are neither removed from nor a "higher" part of nature. Muir shows that we are part of this larger whole - a radical concept when he proposed it and radical still. Muir set the standard in calling for preservation of the natural world. He was a genius as an inventor and scientist and, in addition, is one of our finest writers ever. These collected Nature Writings are simply beautiful and wonderfully presented in this Library of America edition.

Molly Fisk's volume of poetry, Listening to Winter, is candid, clear and understated as her stories unfold. And the reader, at the end of each line, wishes for blurred focus, hopes the next line will not confirm what has just been read. Themes of survival, abandonment, and truth-telling are interwoven with a rich pictoral landscape. I took away immense strength and admiration for Fisk's facility with language. A must read for students of life, language and women.

Molly plunges you into the terror and humiliation of the greatest personal harm, the most intimate human betrayal, with raw courage and boldness, with the keenest understanding, the clearest, most vivid images, with exquisite, painful, beauty. She tells the truth of it. This is a gift beyond measure. Finally, you're not alone anymore. The closet door has been flung wide open and love becomes possible once more. She makes it so. Molly Fisk is a fine poet. I can't recommend her work highly enough.

"Listening to Winter" is full of wonderful poetry, the poem containing the title line "Hunter's Moon" is so evocative of my youth that I gobbled the rest of the book in an orgy of reading and feelings. Then, hungry for more, read each line again slowly, as if sipping great wine.

"Sugar & Salt" let me FEEL what before I'd only glimpsed. "Couples" made me cry out in pain, yearning to talk to my long dead father. "Veterans" renewed the thrill of having lived when so many didn't, made me rejoice I came back whole enough to be healed by my loving wife. This wonderful book reafirmed my joy of being alive, of being part of this lovely world and in love.

If you love great poetry, buy this book!

Bright Blessing on you Molly, where-ever you are. Thank you.

If you have ever cared for a woman, buy this book.

Thank you Ms. Fisk for your terrifying but wonder insights into the word of pain, shame & humiliation shared by all incest survivors. It is heartening & frightening to realize both that we ALL, all men can & could be betrayers and abusers of trust. Users and abusers of those either in our power or under our protection if we just follow our desires. We could be but are not, are not because we chose to be better than the potential beast within. We are better men because we make conscious choices to be the best we can be instead of taking the easy path of choosing to have all the pleasure we can take, regardless of the pain and damage caused.

Your poetry, your pain ennobles us. It helps us to be the men we should be by showing so clearly the horrible damage caused and pain inflicted by being like your father.

Thank you. For all us us I thank you.

"Listening to Winter" perfectly illustrates the axiom that: "Hearing is a biological function - listening is a conscious decision." Molly's choice to listen is difficult and it is sometimes hard to stand beside her with open ears and hear what she hears. But her courage supports and sustains us, allowing us to follow a thread of exquisitely delineated detail into the darkest secrets of the heart and safely out again into the light. We are well rewarded for listening: the lyric voice that leads us sings in perfect pitch. Both as woman and poet Molly Fisk models integrity with grace and humor. Over and over again in her poems, she chooses life.

Gumprecht's _Los Angeles River_ is a well-written history of the Los Angeles River, from Native American and Spanish/Mexican pueblo days to the present.

Looking at the concrete-lined flood control channel that the LA River has become, it is hard to believe that the LA River once was the main water supply for the City of Los Angeles. As the city grew, though, its water needs outpaced what the river could supply. An alternate source (which turned out to be the infamous Aqueduct), was eventually developed. With all the Owens Valley water coming into the city, the river became simply a dumping ground for wastewater and other undesirable things.

The LA River, more or less also determined the expansion of the city. Since farmers in the San Fernando Valley had no rights to the LA River water (it all belonged to the city), eventually, the San Fernando Valley had to join the City of Los Angeles to access any water.

The river was also known for flooding and changing its course unpredictably. These floods became more and more of a concern as areas near the river developed, first with agriculture, later with residences. After a particularly devastating flood in 1934, officials called on the Army Corps of Engineers to help with flood control. This led to the concrete channelization of the river.

After that, no one thought much of the river. Occasionally, the concrete channel inspired uses such as movie shoots and vehicular uses. It looked so much like a road, that several people proposed making the riverbed into a freeway.

Meanwhile, the river was starting to get some attention. Lewis McAdams founded the Friends of the La River, which is trying to get the river restored to its natural state. They have run into opposition by the Army Corps of Engineers, and other parties concerned about flood control issues. The future of the river becoming more than it is now (a paved channel with a trickle of water in it most of the time) remains in question.

The book started its life as a masters' thesis, but the prose is accessible, not overly academic. Recommended for anyone interested in the history of Los Angeles.

I first saw the Los Angeles River in TV shows and movies like Terminator 2 and have ever since been interested in learning more about this strange, concrete encased urban waterway. Blake Gumprecht's book does a great job of providing the history of the Los Angeles River from its pristine condition two centuries ago into the modern era as a "Freeway for Water" in the book "The Los Angeles River."

The author balances his coverage of the river and fairly represents both sides of the struggle to restore it back to a more natural appearance versus the need to provide flood control protection with concrete fortifications.

The book is extremely well researched and documented. Extensive maps and photos shed light on the topic and make the historical changes easier to follow.

My only wish is that a future edition will include color photos.

If you've ever wondered why Los Angeles is in the middle of a desert (hint: it wasn't always), what the river looked like before there was a city, and why the river was buried in concrete, this is the book. An excellent description of the origins of the river and the city, with insights into the modern revitalization movement.

Among the things I learned:
--The river starts in the San Fernando Valley, but the city of Los Angeles has claimed the water as its own since at least 1810, a claim eventually known as the Pueblo Water Right.
--Not all of those concrete beds in L.A. are technically the L.A. river, which starts along the south edge of the San Fernando Valley, dodges a number of movie studios, and makes a right turn through downtown before heading for the Pacific. The others are creeks and washes that feed (fed) the river.
--The area's light rainfall was sufficient to keep the river flowing year-round until suburbia took over. Concrete and asphalt reduced the water that soaked into the ground to be released slowly into the river. Now, the primary source of flowing river water is the what's been reclaimed from sewage treatment plants.

Worth the read for all Angelenos or anyone who is interested in Los Angeles.

Reading this book was an assignement for a geography course I was taking in college. My first thoughts were "A book on the L.A. River? How can they write an entire book on a river that flows a couple of days per year?" My indifference to the subject was quickly dismissed after the first few pages. This book is very insightful! It gives a detailed history on L.A., from it's foundation as a tiny pueblo to the sprawling metropolis it is today, with the river & water in Southern California being the central themes. I always wondered why L.A. was built in the area it's in & Mr. Gumprecht answers that in fine detail along with many other interesting facts regarding the annexation of neighboring cities, water rights, deadly floods and ultimately the concrete channel built to contain this unpredictable river.
Whoever is interested in the histroy of this region will no doubt greatly enjoy this superb book!

This fascinating book is packed with information about the history of Los Angeles. Not many present-day Angelenos would know that the location for the city was chosen because of the once-abundant flow of the Rio de Porciuncula, or Los Angeles River. Blake Gumprecht pulls an amazing feat in researching the River's many incarnations alongside the history of the growth of Los Angeles. In addition to providing detailed reports of the River's former courses, and devastating accounts of some of the River's infamous catastrophic floods, Mr. Gumprecht explains the River's role in shaping the course of Los Angeles city politics in greater detail than any previous study.

Once an ample stream that sustained all of the city's water needs for over 100 years, the Los Angeles River was then pumped dry, smothered in concrete, and almost pushed out of the city's consciousness. Incredible photographs appear throughout the book; many of these photos will make nature-loving Angelenos yearn for the Los Angeles River of yesteryear, with its bubbling, meandering stream, and its banks lined with willows and sycamores.

Long before you approach the end of this book, you realize that, in an over-zealous attempt to control flooding, the Los Angeles River was essentially raped, depleted, and buried. The fact that, at present, most of its 51 miles are cement is a shame -- especially in a city with so little park space. Amazingly, the River still provides up to 15% of L.A.'s drinking water, albeit from subterannean pumps that tap the River's flow before it ever reaches the surface. And millions of gallons of River water were diverted to the Silver Lake reservoir.

People who never knew that there was a Los Angeles River should go see the few surviving River greenbelts in the Glendale Narrows and the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area to appreciate our city's River as it used to be.

P.S. - I encourage other Los Angeles River buffs to look at Kevin Roderick's book "San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb" to see other beautiful pictures of the River in its natural state, before the concrete obscured it.

Do you know someone who works in downtown San Francisco? Do you need to get him or her a Christmans gift? Look no further! Gail Todd has provided the perfect gift with her snazzy guide to lunchtime walks in the downtown SF area. A real treat for anyone looking to make good use of his or her lunch hour. A Great way to get to know the greatest city on earth.

As a 20-year resident of San Francisco, I'm pretty jaded when it comes to guidebooks about my city, but this book is a real treat! The author's fresh approach and clear, concise information makes this book a pleasure to read. Buy two and give one to a friend.

I just moved to San Francisco, and received Gail Todd's book as a Christmas present. It was the best present I've ever received. I had no idea downtown San Francisco was so beautiful, and I would have found the prospect of discovering it on my own daunting without this excellent guide. I recommend this book for anyone who lives or works in San Francisco. I also know from experience that it is a great gift to give to someone who lives in "The City."

Now that Spring is here, Gail Todd's walking guide to San Francisco is indispensible for anyone living in the City and looking for a new way to explore it. Beautiful pictures, detailed maps, tons of great ideas for lunchtime walks -- this guide has it all.

I would make one small addition to the other reviews. Lunchtime Walks in San Francisco, Gail Todd, is as useful for tourists as is it for residents! It became a permanent addition to our library after we were able to flip through a copy at the Rand McNally Store in San Francisco. For those not having the opportunity to peek first, this is a wonderful resource for trip planning. The walks aren't too long (about an hour for most), are centrally located, and a handy map is included with each. Information is provided on the history and the architecture of the area, shops, restaurants, picnic areas (yes, even in San Francisco there are areas for relaxing and enjoying your lunch in the great outdoors), and gorgeous views. Perfect for the visitor wanting to take some delightful jaunts including the 'must see' sites in a city that is made for walking. We've already book marked several of the 33 walks for our next visit to the city by the bay.

You'd expect this book to be either a paen to conservative values, or a completely dry legalistic review. It's neither, which is really wonderful. The first chapter suffers from bouts of overdetail, but once you get past that, the book blossoms into a very interesting pastiche of historical facts and musings reported in an unconventional array of styles that really hold your attention. Besides, where else would you read about the treatment of Jews in the Massachussetts Bay Colony?? A highly original read.

The first book by John T. Noonan, Jr., that I read was his tour de force, Contraception: A History of Its Treatment by the Catholic Theologians and Canonists, which I finished reading on June 5, 1967, finding it an exemplary study of a fascinating subject. On June 16, 1973, I read his Power to Dissolve: Lawyers and Marriages in the Courts of the Roman Curia. Each year I pick a book which I consider the best book I read that year. For the year 1973 I awarded Power to Dissolve the greatest book of the 55 books I read that year. When I saw The Lustre of Our Country I knew I could not go wrong reading it, and I was right. Other reviewers have written well of the book, but even if you do not read the entire book--its chapters are able to stand alone--read Chapter 7, entitled "The Pilgrim's Process." It is a dazzling and devastating critique of the Supreme Court's meanderings in dealing with the religion provisons of the First Amendment. This is an excellent book, and anyone interested in its subject will be rewarded in reading it.

This is a very special book. Its subject matter is weighty, its intent serious, its disciplines--law and theology--address issues of grave import. The purpose of this review is to alert potential readers to qualities as to which a more adequate review is likely to leave them unaware. The text of the "Lustre" is not ponderous. Instead navigation of the thicket of ideas which the text presents tends to leave the reader refreshed rather than drained. Eccentric and various in its organization and modes of presentation, this book frees one from captivity to a prescribed routing and invites navigation after one's own bent. Subtle logic combines with a pervasive historical sense. Events permeated with paradox and tragedy are presented with insight and wit. Not an easy read; but rewarding. As in the case of Whitman's Leaves of Grass, a reader of this book touches the life of a very special American.

John T. Noonan, currently serving as Judge on the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, has written both a personal and historical account of the experience of religious freedom in American history. Noonan begins his book by giving an autobiographical narrative of his Catholic upbringing in Boston and how this affected his theological and political views on religious freedom. He discusses his difficulty in reconciling his belief, taught by his father and other intellectual mentors, in religious tolerance with the teachings of the Catholic Church, which asserted that it was the one true church and that it was the duty of the state to actively promote Catholicism as the only true religion. Noonan then draws upon his theological knowledge to argue, contrary to what his Church once taught, that the very idea of religious freedom is fundamentally a Christian one. Noonan sums up his argument:
"By the first century A.D. there is in the Mediterranean world a religionEhat carries the concepts of a God, living, distinct from and superior to any human being, society, or state; of obligations to that God, distinct form and superior to any society or state; of authorized teachers who can voice these obligations and judge any society or state; of an inner voice of reason that is one way God speaks as well as by His authorized teachers. According to these concepts as taught by this religion, each person, individually and not as part of a family, tribe, or nation, will have to account to God as Judge for every thought and deed. Collectively, these concepts are at the core of liberty of conscience and liberty of religion."
Noonan then turns to history. In the Introduction to the book, Noonan put forward the argument that "free exerciseEs an American inventionEever before 1791 was there a tablet of the law, a legal text guaranteeing to all a freedom from religious oppression by the national legislature." Noonan now goes on to demonstrate the evidence for this claim. He traces the settlement of New England, the religious oppression of the Quakers and the Baptists, and then tells how religious liberty came about from these early conflicts. Noonan writes that:
Plymouth and the Bay Colony provided an ideal and a rhetoricEhode IslandEnd PennsylvaniaEhowed that organized government could exist without supporting a churchEand] Maryland provided the phrase [free exercise] that is at the core of the First Amendment. All four colonies demonstrated that the Church of England could tolerate other forms of Christian worship and so prepared the ground for the English Act of Toleration.
Noonan demonstrates that it was the pluralism of the colonies and the diversity of religious sects that contributed in large part to the development of religious freedom in early America. This "proliferation of sects" gave colonists "a variety of alternatives to the established" churches, which "created political constituencies that politicians had to consider."
The book then turns to the legacy of James Madison and how he has so influenced our views on religious freedom. Noonan gives a mini-biographical treatment to Madison, describing his early religious training and somewhat sudden entry into colonial politics during a critical time in our nation's history. The reader cannot help but to sense the author's deep affinity for Madison and his legacy. Noonan gives special treatment to Madison's role in crafting the American concept of church and state matters.
Noonan then goes on to describe early 19th century American church and state relations through a fictional sister of Alexis de Toqueville. Contrary to Toqueville's, Democracy In America, Noonan argues that church and state interacted in a manner that was not exactly in keeping with the Madisonian ideal. Government at this time was very closely involved with religion and supported it in a number of ways that could be construed as respecting an establishment. Noonan also describes the abolitionist movement and how this crusade was firmly rooted in American Christianity, at least the Northern variety.
Noonan focuses a large portion of his book dissecting and examining the legal aspect of church and state matters and religious freedom as a whole. He keeps the readers attention by a fictional dialogue between 'Harvardman' and 'Mr. Simple.' There are several interesting observations made by Noonan during this quite extensive examination of jurisprudence relating to church and state matters. One of the most intriguing is:
"Ceremonial deism was the court's description of prayers by a legislature, prayer at the opening of a court, and of 'In God We Trust' imprinted on the coinagesEust as Secular Humanism was nonreligious practice that was called a religion, ceremonial deism was religious practice that was not to be called a religion. The court created a kind of American Shinto, a state religion that for establishment purposes was a non-religion because its purposes were secular."
One could only conclude after reading such an argument that the Supreme Court has indeed established a religion appropriate for government support at the exclusion of all others. Is this not what Madison and others warned us would happen if the state took it upon itself to delve so deeply into religious matters as our courts recently have? Noonan argues his point but at the same time allows the reader enough leeway to decide on his own.
The book concludes with four examples of how the American concept of religious liberty has impacted the world EFrance, Japan, Russia, and the Roman Catholic Church. The final example brings us back to Noonan's own beginnings, or where the first part of the book left off. In 1965 the Roman Catholic Church formally adopted, after centuries of persecution of 'heretic' sects, religious toleration. Beyond the significance this event served for the author, it provides an appropriate closing to the topic of religious freedom and certainly a monumental one in human history as a whole.

One of the ironies of American Constitutional history is that many of our greatest jurists have never had the opportunity to sit on our highest court. One thinks of such obvious examples as Learned Hand, John Johnston Parker,Arthur Vanderbilt, Roger Traynor, and John Minor Wisdom. John T,. Noonan, currently a senior judge with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, clearly deserves to be ranked in this select company( as does his philosophical antipode, Richard Posner of The seventh circuit). This book, remarkably lucid, remarkably learned and remarkably humane, constitutes the culmination of Noonans historical, legal and philosophical reflection.Other reviewers have already indicated the riches of this fine books contents. I will only note that I learned something new, or encountered a fresh and startling argument, on almost every page. Noonan has thought deeply about democracty and human freedom, not only in America, but in other countries as well. The chapters on France, Japan, and Russia show an understanding of the cultural political, and religous life of those nations which borders on the extraordinary. The chapter on Tocqueville( told through the literary device of an imaginary account of America written by Tocquevilles equallly imaginary sister, Angelique,) is quite brilliant, and opens up new perpectives on Tocqueville. All in all, a great book. One hopes for more from Judge Noonans learned and humane pen.It is truly amazing that mediocrites such as Breyer, Kennedy, Ginsburg and Souter sit on the court, while this deeply patriotic and brilliant man has to preside over the often humdrum cases of the ninth circuit.

Picked this up for an extended Northern California hiking and riding trip. I purchased about four others as well and I used all of them as each has a little something different. Not a single one was useless and none warranted less than 4 stars. I would reccomend doing the same rather than just picking one for your trip.

Pros - 1. This book is a very easy read. 2. Lots of very good information that you wouldn't find any place else. 3. The book is always prominently at the different Mammoth sport goods stores so its clearly popular.

Comments - 1. I really disagreed with one of her recommendations. But that is completely understandable. 2. There seems to be a little problem in mammoth with food being completely cooked at their restaurants. My wife got food poisoned at one place and my kids weren't feeling real good. The next day I talked with a "local business manager" who said she doesn't recommend restaurants in mammoth for this reason. The bottom line is to make sure your food is completely cooked and if it isn't send it back ! There are just too many fun things to do in mammoth instead of being sick.

As an avid skier and hiker I have found Mammoth from the Inside to be a goldmine of information. I keep it in my Jeep so I can find those great, really special, out-of-the-way Mammoth places Dunn Bates has discovered.

Very well written and concise guidebook on Mammoth Lakes and the surrounding area and region. We enjoyed Ms. Dunn-Bates light sense of humor, which made for easy and understandable reading. My wife and I have been residents of Mammoth Lakes for over 20 years, making the trek to L.A. and back many times, and Ms. Dunn-Bates wrote about stops and sights along 395 that we now must make time for! Good job!

What a great book! Thanks to the author's casual style and comprehensive knowledge, reading MAMMOTH FROM THE INSIDE is like getting "insider" postcards from a good buddy. A must-have book for outdoor enthusiasts.

I bought this book based on the opinions of the previous reviewers. They were absolutely right. I spent 2 days at Yosemite and due to the massive size of the park (1,200 square miles) it would have been impossible for me to get a good tour of Yosemite without this guidebook. I found this book quite useful, from reading about the geology/history of the area, lodging to descriptions of the intensity of the hikes. The book also provides some helpful traveling tips as well suggestions for additional reading. It's a very comprehensive guide.

I wish I had had this book when I first went to Yosemite a decade ago. It would have saved a lot of time and gotten me and my wife to more of the true highlights in the area. This book covers everything from the best trails to the best dining options in and near the park. It lists all the campgrounds in and around the park and notes which require reservations and which are available on a first come-first served basis. And of course it includes a lot of natural and human history in the park region. The book also features some nice full color maps.

What I particularly like about this guide is the organization. Each section (recreation, lodging, camping, etc) is subdivided into various park regions: Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona, Tioga Pass and the Eastern Sierra. As a result, readers have a clearer picture of all that Yosemite National Park has to offer. After reading this book, I will be exploring more of Hetch Hetchy on my next visit in early April. This guide is simply the most comprehensive look at Yosemite and is a must for planning vacations around.

Moon Travel Books presents a spectacular and thoroughly updated, 256 page, second edition on Yosemite National Park. Beginning with 10 pages of color coded maps of Yosemite and a breathtaking color photo of Yosemite Falls, Yosemite packs a plethora of detailed information into an organized, easily accessible format. The first five chapters cover Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Glacier Point, Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and the Eastern Sierra, including Lee Vining, Mono Lake and North, and June Lake and Mammoth Lake. Each of these chapters is divided into sections on exploring and recreation. The final four chapters are about Lodging, Camping, Dining, and Knowing Yosemite. There is a vast list of suggested reading and several pages of internet resources, in addition to tips for travelers, notes on the history of Yosemite and its place names, and much useful and specific information on the flora and fauna of Yosemite National Park. Specific information bytes or special tips are highlighted and blocked to set them off for the eye of the reader. If your plans include a trip to Yosemite, Yosemite is a "must buy" travel guide. Even if you just want to learn more about Yosemite and indulge in some armchair dreaming of travels in Yosemite, this is a great resource, guidebook and dreamweaver.

This book was one of a few I used to plan and experience Yosemite. Time and time again I pulled this book out over the others as the writeups and descriptions were always correct. The little added extras on each place made the experience even fuller. I love knowing about the history and little fun facts about a hike or a place to eat or stay. I would recommend this to anyone going to Yosemite for the first time or 500 time. Her list of additional references also was handy and I continue to grow my library. I have used her reference guides in the past and was always happy with the information. The waterfalls guide is like a checklist for my weekend activities. The one thing that I did like better in other references was the color maps and highlights, it made it easier to reference things in the book.

Before I visit a national park I go to the library for a pile of books to help me plan my trip. With a visit to Yosemite in mind I did just that and came home with a very nice collection including "100 Hikes...", "The Rough Guide to Yosemite" and Ann Marie Brown's "Yosemite" guide. While all of these books have great content, Ann's was far and away the most approachable and the one I bought to dog ear and write copious notes in without guilt. I'm so glad I did.

The book is well-indexed making it super easy to find what you need, the maps are great and the descriptions of the surrounding area are a bonus. Ann provides readers with well-thought out itineraries geared toward meeting your needs based on how much time you have to visit the park (from a day to a week) and your primary interests (from hiking to bagging waterfall pix). She also supplies solid advice regarding what to do if your on your own or travelling with a family.

Clearly Ann knows what she's writing about. Her first hand experience will help you find the motivation you need to get out of the car (or off of the bus) and on to the trails to drink in the beautiful and wonderful place that is Yosemite.

Lynn Davidman's book provides a sensitive and nuanced account of how mother loss reverberates throughout the course of people's lives in complex ways. As a fellow sociologist, I was touched by and learned from her deep and compassionate empathy for her subjects. She carefully and thoughtfully listened to their stories, and presents her analysis in a strikingly original way that honored the integrity of the narratives. This book helped me think about loss, identity, narrative and the art of sociological writing in new ways. I also know that her work has helped many individuals to make better sense of their own experiences of mother loss, something that few sociology books can claim.

I was impressed with the diversity of people interviewed. A central theme for most of the interviewees was how little disclosure of their mother's illness was given to them before or even after death. I was happy to see that children of the mothers who died in the 1980s and 90's were made more aware of their family situations. This book gives permission for those of us who have lost our mothers to open up the emotional attic and relive the memories that we all too often bury in our day to day lives.

The aspect of this excellent and thoroughly riveting book that was most striking and impressive to me as I read it is this: the author has accomplished a work of scholarship and great depth while, at the same time, sustaining an attitude of seemingly immeasurable respect for her subjects and their varied stories.

Early on, Dr. Davidman lets us in on something: "Ethnographers are emotion workers. In order to do this work with integrity we need to seek actively to create a safe space for our interviewees as well as for ourselves." Evidently she succeeds. The interviews - oral histories, really - are presented and interpreted with care and subtlety by Dr. Davidman. The stories are heartbreaking, each subject has suffered a grievous loss; but this book is never maudlin. In addition, its lessons are useful not just for readers who have lost mothers, but for anyone interested in the why and hows of human caring, hope, and love.

I was deeply affected and inspired to action as a result of experiencing this book. I will say that in my view, "Motherloss" helps to heal the world - not a small thing for academic research and hard work to accomplish.

What is perhaps most impressive about this high-achieving book is the wide audience to which it appeals. On one hand, Davidman is a masterful storyteller, weaving her own story of loss with the poignant and remarkable stories of her respondents. She is sensitive and incisive and expertly is able to represent the broad array of experiences with motherloss that she encountered during her fieldwork.

This book is also a superb example of what sociology can be. Far from crunching numbers or stating hackneyed conclusions, Davidman offers a work of qualitative sociology replete with thick analysis and an understanding of the complexities and contradictions of the lives we live. She offers a fresh perspective on the role of the sociologist that, I hope, will inform sociologists in years to come.

Her writing is lucid and engaging and carries the reader through many painful stories about motherloss and the aftermath of what she terms the loss of caring. Her steady voice and astute analysis demystifies the often silenced and unspoken tragedy of losing a parent at a young, formative age. There are few people--in the academy and outside of it--who I can think of who would not grow and learn from this book.

When I was fifteen, my mother died of cancer. This book is the first one I have found that has helped me make sense of this experience. My mother's cancer was not openly discussed in our family and we did not talk about my mother much after she died. But her death made a huge impact on my family;we were kind of lost without her. And for most of my life I have not talked very much about this. But reading this book and seeing the experiences of the people Davidman interviewed, helped me see how common our family's experiences were. It was helpful to learn about how society and the mother's role in it, and the American taboo on death, shaped our very personal, painful experiences of loss. I recommend this book to anyone who has lost a mother at any age. I'm sure you will find comfort in it.

Freelance writer Liz Sullivan takes on a temp job as media escort for food/lifestyle celebrity Hannah Couch, who, it turns out, is quite the opposite of her friendly, grandmotherly image. And her waspish, vindictive personal assistant, Naomi Matthews, is even worse. After someone downs a fatal Pellegrino with lime, and a couple of abductions at gunpoint ensue, Liz, who is a prime suspect, must find out who doctored the drink. Though two of the major characters are exceedingly unpleasant, there are plenty of more appealing ones, not the least of which is Liz herself, a likable, sympathetic amateur detective. On the whole, this whodunit is funny, sometimes outlandish, and very entertaining. This is the first of Lora Roberts' mysteries I've read, and I now plan on reading the first four books of the series.

This is one of the better books of a good series, funny and exciting with an "edge of your seat" narrative. Lora Roberts does an excellent job portraying the edgier side of life in her Liz Sullivan series, where money isn't always available and sometimes the Thrift Shop is a necessity. Yet, she also manages to lighten this with some wonderful and sly humor and engaging friends. Liz's friends (including her dog) bring her much needed support and enrich the stories though they take a backseat in this book (except for a couple of memorable and surprisingly funny scenes at gunpoint). This particular book in the series was mesmerizing. I couldn't put it down till I found out what happened to Liz and her latest "temp job from h-ll." If you haven't read any of the previous books I would recommend you do so to see how Lora has allowed Liz to grow into herself. Yet, this books stands alone as a wonderful and exciting adventure.

Character Liz Sullivan finds herself in a temp job straight from hell in the newest installment of this wonderful series. She has to serve every whim of the great domestic celebrity, Hannah Couch. Liz finds herself in danger from everything including being slapped, not being able to find fresh produce, being kidnapped, and being a suspect in a homicide. After a little time with Hannah, she also finds herself in danger of wanting to commit what readers would probably call a justifiable homicide. Lora Roberts has some of the funniest lines available in mysteries, reminding me often of Janet Evanovich's books. Liz's romance with the Paul Drake is exciting and endearing, and makes readers wish for more! Her friend Bridget worries more about picking up her kids on time than finding herself held at gunpoint. This cast is fun and could be anyone's neighbors and friends. I hope Lora Roberts will write many more of these clever books!

This book was really incredibly written. Even though I have never read any books in the series except this one, I'm sure that this book was a good one to start with. Murder Follows Money is funny in it's own way, and also provides an amazing mystery which was also fun to solve. I read this book in one entire day, all during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I just couldn't put it down. It made me sad when I had finally finished the book. It was one of those page-turning mysteries that I absolutely love. I feel that Lora Roberts has created a never-ending series with a very interesting character. Liz Sullivan is the kind of character that you wish that you could get to know in person. Believe me, this is a great book and I recommend it to anybody who loves mystery!

Murder Follows Money is the best yet in a great series. Liz has taken a temporary job with a media escort business. She's hired to do clerical work, but is pressed into service when none of the regulars are willing to escort the famous but difficult lifestyle maven Hannah Couch. Hannah arrives in San Francisco with her entourage - an interesting cast of characters who have their own troubles with Hannah. When one of them turns up dead, Liz is again pressed into service. At gunpoint. She is also the chief suspect. The mystery is entertaining and kept me turning the pages. The solution to the double bind Liz finds herself in is both clever and great fun. I found myself chuckling al the way through. Many characters from the earlier books are here, but it isn't necessary to have read earlier books to enjoy this one. A great summer read. Highly recommended.

A neighbor (in Long Beach, California) loaned her copy to us--my husband was born in Long Beach--and we went out and bought copies as Christmas presents for the native Californians in our extended family. It's a book of nostalgia and confirmation for them--"I remember that! Yes, it was just like that!"--and one of sociological interest for anyone who likes people and wants to be invited into the lives and homes of a broad spectrum of the ingredients in our state melting pot.

I'm not sure I'd call all the authors "great writers" but most of them were comfortable with words.

Jessica Shaver Renshaw,
Author, Compelling Interests,
Gianna: Aborted and Lived to Tell About It

This is an amazing collection of essays and the point of the book is not just to provide eloquent perspectives on the state. Every cent that the publisher receives in revenue goes directly to the California Arts Council,whose budgets were cut by 97%. When you buy a "used" book none of that money goes to CAC. Please think twice about saving the 40ish cents.
This book is a good read and you will feel very good about your deed!

I really liked this book! There are many essays written in it, each one about a different area of California. It's really upbeat and interesting, and the authors are top authors who write beautifully. It's fascinating to read about times and places in California that I didn't know about. All the stories are modern stories, in that they are about growing up in California within the last forty years or so.
This book flows very quickly, and before you know it, you've finished it and wish there were more!

This is the book selected by the City of Long Beach,CA for their 'One book read by all' 2006,or something like that.It's a GREAT choice!.

I loved this book too, as I see others have, and this prompted me to write a review. I have tried to give it as a gift whenever possible and will continue to do so, as I think it is a great idea to benefit CAC. I wish local bookstores would display it more prominently. I grew up in California but this book allowed me a personal look at histories from different corners of the state. Fascinating, well written and truly enjoyable.