California Books

If you are a fan of Galen's work you will certainly enjoy this book. The concept, comparing and contrasting the two poles, is brilliant.

The photographs are typical Galen - beautiful, engaging, illuminating. The accompanying text provides context and insight.

There is an essay section at the back that provides some insight into how Galen thought about the photos that appear in this book. Very interesting reading and a great teaching aid for amateur photographers and photojournalists.

Turning to page 74, my Danish-born wife, Aino, was amazed to discover her little town of Scoresbysund. She spent her fomative years(age 5-12)growing up there, where her father, Dr. Werner Mortensen, served as the sole doctor for the area of 3 villages.

Galen Rowell's photography captures the typical beauty of a Scandinavian mileau, even though it is truly a facade for the garbage that the typical native Greenlander casts no further than his front door!

His words portray the many problems of the native Inuits, who have been unable to adapt to the influence of Danish culture and progress. For Rowell to elaborate on the problems of alcholism, violent crime, and the high rate of suicide in a village of only 500, distinguishes him as an author that researchs his subjects quite well! It brought back memories for my wife of the "Grundlander" that beat his wife with the carcass of a frozen seal, only to have his wife bite of his ear.

The large yellow building in the left foreground is the eight bed hospital; the little red house with white trimmed windows that is over to the immediate left is where family Mortensen grew up from 1966-72. This book really takes my wife back,and helps me see things that were only in her mind's eye. It also brings her up to the what the present day Scoresbysund has become. And now that my family will be moving to Fairbanks,Alaska, my wife can get a sneak preview of our future from this marvelous book. Having lived in Alaska myself, I definitely recommend this book for its shear splendid photography and candid commentary. Great job Galen!

This is much more than a coffee table book, though its unique photographs of the pristine beauty of the Arctic and Antarctic would impress even the most casual of browsers. A short story about each photo is included, along with more general, thoughtful and poignant commentary from someone that is truly in touch with the global environment. Rowell is one of the great nature photographers, and this is a stunning collection

Wow, what a great and such awesome picture volume. This book not only shows you pictures from the Arctic and the Antarctic, it particularly reveals the true differences between the two polar regions...they ARE truly different and fascinating! This book also delivers very-high quality photography, which can easily tempt you into travelling to such exotic destinations.

In the book, you will find 2 pictures side by side-one showing the Arctic, the other showing Antarctic. That way, you will get an idea of its differences. In addition, there is a separate chapter that dedicates to interesting stories regarding these regions, anything from life in Siberia, Inuit life in northern Alaska, to the South Georgia Islands & the South Pole. Last, but not least, there is also a whole section reviewing all the pictures showed in the book, including background information describing each photo, etc.

This is truly an amazing picture volume that is a MUST-HAVE for any polar fanatic. Get prepared for over 180 pages of some superb photography and much info on these fantastic regions. For the money, it was quite worth it...

I believe that third and fourth graders would really enjoy this text about this Mexican American youngster. Children would also enjoy the occasional Spanish included in the text. The only problem: Soto does not include a glossary this time. Oh well, Soto does a great job of portraying a family that understands what it means to really work for a living and teaches kids not to take everything for granted. Soto stays away from the sterotypical "lazy mexican".

The Pool Party by Gary Soto is a great story of a little hispanic boy named Rudy that gets invited to a pool party of a wealthy friend. Rudy's family is concerned that Rudy will not fit in and proceed to give him advice on what way he should act at the party. In the mean time Rudy decided that he is going to take an inner tube to the party against the wishes of his sister who told him that in a pool party, people don't actually go into the water and just chat by the side of the pool. Rudy listens to everyones advice, but at the end he does what he thinks is right and goes to the party and just does what is right for himself. The inner tube that he takes to the party is well received by everyone and he has a good time. This book is great for children in the fifth grade and on to read because it teaches them that being yourself is the right thing to do.

Gary Soto expresses the issue of fitting in and family life while using Rudy to guide us in a humorous way. This book is a great choice for young readers because they are able to relate with Rudy's dilema of fitting in and being liked by a new group of friends. One major concern was when Rudy finally goes to the pool party with his inner tube. One can't help but think of poor Rudy returning home early from the party crying and feeling dreadfull. The family unity is prevelant through out this book and it is expressed with how everyone is trying to give Rudy advice on how to act, talk and greet people while he's at the party. Over all this book is a great book that I had the pleasure of reading. I would recommend it to any student regardless of their ethnic background.

I remember being so captivated when reading this book in the fifth grade that I read it in one sitting! I had hated reading books before that. Soto is a great author and his story's will appeal to all kids.

This book can be hard going but if you grasp the theories and understand how they are linked with jurisprudence than you will enjoy the book.

This is undoubtely the most important book on philosophy of law ever written. It's the book that broke paradigms (in the Thomas Kuhn sense of expression)and brought scientific dignity to the study of law. You can divide the science of law between "before and after" the Pure Theory. Even other really important books, like "the Concept of Law", by Hart, or "On Law and Justice", by Alf Ross, would be not possible if Kelsen hadn't written this book first.

No doubts Kelsen is to be considered a watershed specially concerned to juridical thought. His efforts to break with the natural theories' tradition is of maximum importance for the basis on what the concepts of law and right were built. What is to be focused - as the importance of the works of Hans Kelsen is no new - is the impossibility of having his theory as the only one to be appliable to modern juridical dogmatics. Reading Kelsen is deffinitely a must for the ones who intend to study Law in deep. Nevertheless is to be kept in mind that his work is not and end in itself,but a solid and well structured beginning point.

"Pure Theory of Law" is a classic and a must for Law and Philosophy students. Hans Kelsen is extremly successful in building concepts and also his theory. Although this "pure theory"is extremly criticised nowadays, its reading is essential ,and help readers to understand other theories clearly.

I have read several books for survivors of rape and this one has the best ideas written most succinctly. Also, this book can be completed in one day if a person has the time.

This is the best book I have read on the subject of rape & how to survive it. Unlike so many of the books out on rape, this is not written from a statistical aspect & how to prevent rape in the first place. This book is written totally to the survivor with exercises to help you recover from rape. If you are a victim of rape & trying to figure out how to recover from it, this is the book for you! It really made me realize that my reactions are typical of the normal victim & that there is nothing wrong with me for taking so long to recover. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been the victim of rape & is trying to become a survivor!

I found this book very easy to read and helpful in the recovery process. It basically describes the process of going from victim to survivor. The shortness of the book did make it easier to read as I was in grad school at the time. I didn't have time to read anything besides my assignments. It addresses shame, guilt and anger and ends with solutions or ways to change thoughts and behavior (cognitive restructuring). It was a good introduction to survivor issues in a very manageable size.
If you are in crisis now you can call the national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. They will forward you to a local rape crisis counselor. The crisis center can give you a referral to a rape crisis counselor, a therapist, victim advocacy (for reporting to police or going to court), provide free counseling or offer a support group. This hotline is run by RAINN.org which is the leading resource on sexual assault.

As a therapist and survivor of rape, this book has been an essential resource for myself and so many others. This is the first book I recommend to all clients who have been raped. It can be read immediately following the rape and for years after, each time offering meaning and hope. This book may also be a guide for family and friends affected by this event, helping them better understand what the victim may be experiencing. This is a great place to begin and continue a healing journey.

This isn't your ordinary coffee table book. Jim Goldberg delves into the lives of homeless kids living on the street, cataloging and following two kids through his collage of pictures and stories. Although it's hard to resist just leafing through it's pages, the real message and story is in reading the book from cover to cover. Jim Goldberg ties the pictures together with stories, giving you a real sense of what these kids go through, what their motivations are, what their daily lives are like.

I volunteer helping out homeless kids in Seattle, and from what I've seen this book does a good job of accurately protraying these children, including why they're on the street. He's unbiased and uncensored in his view, I think echo's review reflecting this (one of the kids followed in the book) only stands as a testament of this.

This is an eye-opening book full of amazing photographs that will leave you FEELING what these kids and adults are and have gone through living on the streets of San Francisco. Not too often are you experiencing so many emotions as you will when you flip page through page through this book. I can't say much more but it is worth the money...you will experience something that many of us are fortunate to have not experienced.

Accurate and thourough- Jim Goldberg told our stories truthfully, and lets you draw your own conclusions. - echo

Goldberg documented street kids of San Francisco and Hollywood over the course of ten years. His work reflects the effort and emotion of that period. Unlike previous attempts to document homeless youth, Goldberg never sensationalized or objectified the kids he worked with. The text maintains individual voices, never judging, never interpreting, simply transmitting narratives that mainstream society would otherwise never hear. His photography radiates relationships of trust: he allows kids to illustrate their issues and amplify their voices, sharing their stories, artwork, and writings, without ever speaking for them. Such justice is rarely provided to an oppressed population. "Raised by Wolves" incites the reader's tears, anguish, and outrage - but also joy, that someone was able to successfully provide a platform for such truths to be heard. Goldberg more than did his part in attempting to educate America. The greater issue is, will we listen?

As this book comments, "Donors Sign Checks, Arnold SIgns Bills." It is a thoroughly researched look at how Arnold raised money for his campaigns, and the favors that he did for his contributors.
I was quite amazed that this book was written while Arnold is still in office- usually a book like this would take many years to research and assemble.
I enjoyed it because I am interested in California politics and also campaign finance reform, and corruption.

This was an incredibly thorough and well documented book on how big money continues to dominate politics on both sides of the aisle, always to the detriment of ordinary citizens. The non-partisan approach was rare and refreshing for a book of this kind. If every citizen read this book, we might just get our democracy back.

Consultant and founder of the nonpartisan watchdog organization TheRestofUs.org Derek Cressman offers his unvarnished insights in The Recall's Broken Promise: How Big Money Still Runs California Politics, a no-nonsense denouncement of the increasingly blurry ethics of California's partisan politics. Chapter cover the events of California's historic recall election, Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise to power, and the ultimate disappointment as big money politics continued as usual. A bitingly insightful look at the corruption weakening California's governmental system, and the reforms that are needed immediately.

For anyone interested in California politics or campaign finance reform, this is a great read. Cressman approaches a complex topic in a very readable way. I was fascinated to learn more about how our campaign finance system really works, along with all the problems that accompany it. The author makes a great pitch for why we need some real reform, and he concludes the book with some practical ideas of how to fix the system.

This book gives a fascinating glimpse into the minds and hearts of newspaper reporters. The section of how reporters covered the Black Dahlia murder case was interesting, if not a little disturbing. Very thorough look at L.A. and its newspapers.

Rob Wagner has performed a great and long overdue service. He has chronicled the history of L.A. newspapers in the first half of the 20th Century---a "Front Page" era when L.A. had a half-dozen dailies, with many editions per day. Wagner is to be particularly congratulated for recounting the rise and fall of the original L.A. Daily News, a peach-colored oversized tabloid much revered in its day. The DN, at one time the circulation leader, hosted an array of great writers, from the legendary Matt Weinstock (THE L.A. columnist of his day)to Jack Smith and Jim Murray. The book is painstaking in its research of circulation figures and union struggles---spiced with rollicking anecdotes about great newspapermen (and women) of the day. This is the definitive history of Los Angeles newspapers.

Red Ink, White Lies is an impressive and informative chronicle of the successes and failures of six Los Angeles daily newspapers during an era of the city's fiercest newspaper wars and competitions. Author Rob Wagner (who is a veteran of more than 26 years as a reporter, city editor, managing editor, and night editor) interviewed dozens of newsman and women, resulting in a vivid and candid portrait of prewar and postwar newspaper reporters, including their lifestyle, ethics and professionalism. From celebrity journalism to mob era police corruption, reportage of ethnic minority communities and the "red-baiting" 50s, Red Ink, White Lies is a thoroughly fascinating, insightful contribution to the 20th century history of journalism.

I love to read about Los Angeles history, and I thought I've studied just about everything on this city. But this book just blew me away. It's a totaly different take on early 20th century Los Angeles told by the men and women who lived it and reported on for the city's daily newspapers. It is filled with anecdotal accounts of L.A.'s most sensational crimes, mobsters, and bad cops. It tells the history of the city not from the scholarly ivory tower but through the eyes of the newspaper reporter, editor, and photographer who witnessed these actual awesome events. A real wonderful read. It's well-sourced. I got a kick out of the who's who at the end of the book that lists and provides bios of nearly 200 L.A. journalists of the day.

AMAZING BOOK, IF YOU LOVE YOUR ANIMAL COMPANION OR ANY ANIMAL THIS IS A MUST READ

Having a better understanding of the role of our animal companions, as this book has given me is wonderful. Ms Smith has given me a never before insight that has lifted me into a whole other realm of love for animals everywhere. I recommend this book to anyone who has animals. Feel the power of love with each story told. Imagine, a mirror to help guide us through our lives, in an unexpected source. Excellent!

This is a fascinating book to read. Many people are curious to know how closely some humans can communicate with animals and Sharon Callahan seems to have a very special gift. Luckily for the reader, Deborah Demoss Smith has a special gift as a writer because she really makes this story come alive. The stories of animals and their people are great reading and will help you understand your animal better.

This moving account of how our animal friends become so interrelated with our lives also has a strong message: the power of love to conquer obsticals in our daily lives.

So not only is this a great read about some incredible stories between folks and their animals but a lesson on more gracious ways to live.

It comes highly recommended.

A lovely book, plenty of inspirational photography and sufficient detail to inspire the intended pool builder or professional. Coffee table interest

The photography is fabulous. Many of the pools were designed by the author, but this does not detract from the book. It is well balanced. The chapters include: the natural pool, lap pools, infinity edges, indoor pools, historical pools, among others.

Detailed analysis of a few each of several different types of pools: lap pools, "natural" pools, indoor pools, famous pools, etc., all in California. Not a construction manual, but full of details worth considering when designing a pool. A must for anyone considering getting a pool on a difficult or very special piece of land.

This excelent book is focused exclusively on design. Very inspiring and unique. Do not expect to find anything about maintenance, it is a book meant for designers. A must for landscape designers and architects.

I suppose this review may be a bit biased since I have been a Riata Girl for 32 years and am prominently featured in the book. The most impressive part of the book is not the photographs but the life lessons and philosophy skillfully articulated and paired with the physical activities of ranch life and western performance. Our founder, Tom Maier was a visionary and on the cutting edge of teaching and pairing life lessons and horsemanship for students young and old. Since his passing in 2002, I have continued to present the Riata program and up hold the teachings and life lessons found in "Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls, Life Lessons on the Back of a Horse"

All the Best,
Jennifer Welch Nicholson
Riata Ranch International

My niece loved the book and got it in time for her birthday!

Thanks!!!

This book trails one of the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls in her education about riding and horses. I had heard of the stunt team before and recently saw them featured in the 2004 Rose Parade on their Appaloosa horses but never really knew anything about them. After reading this book (suitable for anyone 10 and up I would say due to reading level) I have a hearty respect for the stunt team and their dedication to the advancement of horsemanship.

Although this is not a how-to book about riding, I think that it is a good addition to a horse or cowboy-lovers library because of its matter-of-fact exploration into what it takes to trully be a champion in horsemanship. Additionally, the story flows well and is very well illustrated with photos from Riata's heritage.

The story of Tom Maier and the Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls is a remarkable one, and should be an inspiration to anyone, whether they're interested in horses or not. For years, Maier has worked with children and horses, and the Cowboy Girls are world reknowned. The girls who are part of his program excel in all aspects of thier lives, thanks to the training and discipline they learn as part of this team. The story is very well written, and the photos are lavish. This book would make a great gift for anyone interested in horses, western culture, or successful models for inspiring greatness in children.