California Books

Lorrieann Russell researched her personal family tree all the way back to 1600 Scotland and discovered a character with nothing more than a footnote by his name. With this little spark of inspiration, she wove a fascinating tale of fiction laced with reality surrounding William Fylbrigge, the adopted son of Edward, Duke of Stonehaven. Most of the action of the story takes place in the village of Stonehaven, near the city of Aberdeen, in the early 1600's. The book opens with William about to marry the duke's daughter. The grisly witch trials of Europe are still ruining lives in isolated towns such as Stonehaven. As an up and coming young lord, William seeks to lead the town's rulers out of the madness and into the light. The plot thickens....

My Brother's Keeper is not just your average first novel. It is a true spellbinder of exquisite dialog and fascinating characters. The author takes the reader down the halls and through the kitchen of Drumoak Castle, while speaking personally with the castle staff along the way. You root for the intelligent kitchen staff who have been enlightened by their associations with William. You will never forget the character called the little mouse by the residents of Drumoak. The villains are somewhat predictable, but threatening nonetheless. The black-hooded, arrogant, self-righteous witch hunters will get under your skin as you realize their similarity to our current neocon theocracy.

Try to ignore the typos: they are the single bit of negativity you will find in this review. The proofreader is no longer working on Ms. Russell's books, so don't let this issue stop you from buying In the Wake of Ashes. The reviews of the sequel seem to be at least as glowing as the ones for this first book by a new author.

My Brother's Keeper deserves whatever accolades you wish to throw at it. This is an outstanding first novel by a new author. Yes, I know the book is six years old, but this is a good time to start reading. You don't have very long to get through the 1100 pages of My Brother's Keeper and In the Wake of Ashes before the third book comes out!

The characters in this book are so well drawn, you almost feel as if you know Will and Ian and Laurel and Mehlyndia as well as you know your family. Very few books have the distinction of drawing me so far into the plot and causing me to so love the characters that I actually cried while reading it. This book has such a distinction. It provides a chilling picture of the times, but it is not without William's hope for an improved world. Highly recommended!

"When I open a book, I am no longer of this time. I want to read a book into which I can become totally absorbed. This process was immediate with My Brother's Keeper. Historical writings (fiction or research) are my passion, and Miss Russell did an outstanding job, allowing me to experience the depth of her complex characters, the brutality of "Churchianity" in this historical period, and to appreciate the power of the human struggle against such adverse conditions. Her descriptive talents allowed me to envision the torments, suffering, fears, and reality of William Fylbrigge without the graphic horror of it all. One's imagination is always more powerful. I must believe that, in the long run, right will always prevail. I could not put this one down!!! Have the sequel, In the Wake of Ashes, readily available.

I have closed my eyes and relieved this story many times. Her words stimulate you to feel, to hear, to smell, to see, and to taste. Put the time aside and experience historical fiction at its finest.

Lorrieann Russell wrote a compassionate and exciting book about medieval England. She captured not only the history of the period but the flavor as well! Russell's words take you to the castles and the events as if you are there watching it as it unfolds.

Her grasp of these people is wonderfully rich and true. You picture each and every person she writes about. Russell uses not only the rich history, but also the color of that period. Her book is rich in pathoes and humor, terror and joy. She brings the reader along with her on her roller coaster ride through the pages, and like the roller coaster, the ride is much too short.

The book leaves the reader begging for more! The last chapter with its diary-like entries make you wanting more. This book is a must for those that love this period in time. It makes for a wonderful summer's reading and I recommend it to anyone! Like all great books and fine meals, it leaves you begging for more...

Take a trip to early 1600's Scotland via the mind of Lorrieann Russell. Meet William Fylbrigge, heir to the Duke of Stonehaven. Remember the difficult past that he has experienced through his flashbacks; and adventure along with the strong, capable man that he has become. While reading this novel, you will get to know each character intimately, as they are completely "fleshed out." Ms. Russell does not hesitate to describe each character's strong and weak points so that the reader feels that they are dealing with true flesh and blood people. No one is too good to be true, yet there are certain characters that will win your heart and stay in your mind forever. The descriptions in this novel will employ all of your senses. You will see the beauty of Drumoak, smell the horrors of a prison, taste Elinor's delicious recipes, hear the horses in hot pursuit of their masters' prey, feel the joy as William and Mehlyndia are reunited and prepare for their wedding; and truly experience pain, both emotional and physical, as you delve further into William's life. Be sure to set aside some time to take this journey with Ms. Russell because once you begin, you won't want it to end - even when you've reached the last page!

The images in this book are great and truly inspiring. The panoramic format really adds to the impression. Mangelsen has shot the images around the globe from Alaska to the desert in Africa.

What a beautiful display of God's wonderful creation! The books great, but there are two pages that are smudged. However, I can live with the smudging for the price I paid.

...this is the one. Tom Mangelsen was named by American Photo as one of the "100 Most Important People in Photography" and this book shows why. His work is not what one would usually expect in nature photography. He breaks through a genre that has become something of a cliche and surprises the viewer/reader with a broad, holisitic look at nature that astonishes and moves. This is my favorite book on nature, ever.

This book makes a great gift. It's big and beautiful and unusual, and the photography is spectacular. The book is bound at the top for optimal viewing of the panoramic scenery. Mangelsen is a genius with a sophisticated eye for composition, color, depth... The text is wonderful, explaining the story behind the photographs. This is the consummate coffee table book. It lives on our coffee table and everyone who sits on the couch instantly becomes mesmerized with the beauty of each page.

I was a fan of Mangelsen's photos before I bought the book, but wow! Page after page of excellent photos. it's the coffee table book that is rarely ever on the coffee table because people are oohing and ahhing over the wonderful content

The newest WriteGirl book is a collection of work done by the mentors and young girls that participate in this wonderful non-profit program. The poems especially are truly expressive and creative. The book is a great gift for any young aspiring writer, poet or creative individual. There are also helpful exercises for writing your own short stories and poems, etc.

I love all of my WriteGirl books.

Los Angeles teenage girls and their women writing mentors speak their minds on family, community, and society. Wow--these personal essays, story snippets, and poems ring fiercely true. A great read! Also, this book contains wonderful writing experiments for the reader to try. I tried them and loved them. What a terrific gift! Great to give to young girls, women, or anyone who wants to know what young girls and women are thinking!

Honest, evocative, inspiring pieces from a group of female Los Angeles teens and their mentors. Stories and poems that jump off each page, grab you by the shoulders, and say, "Listen up!" A gift.

This collection of poetry and stories is absolutely a wonderful addition to any coffee table or bookcase, and a wonderful gift for any young woman. Younger writers juxtapose their more experienced counterparts, engaging the reader in a journey of beginnings, ends, learning anew and rediscovering familiar themes and subjects. Anyone interested in the exploration writing provides will absolutely love this collection!!

WriteGirl is a great organization that brings forth incredibly smart, funny, dramatic, original, heartwrenching work from young writers. Their anthologies are a great glimpse into what's on the minds of creative women and girls in Los Angeles and beyond.

This book is the most intriguing book I have read in outlining a truly strategic system for running a business. You can call it wisdom or experience, but I assure you most business people will enjoy the read and relate to many of the topics. Illustrations are concise and creative and are designed to help visualize the concepts.

A definite winner and must read!

This book takes a very practical approach at describing the impact of market conditions on corporate strategies and provides a framework for how to deal with what you can't control - your market conditions.
The examples are crisp and clear and the methodology is practical and proven out over years of consulting practice.

The authors have picked one of the key aspects of a company's strategy toolkit. Strategic or market planning should give a company the ability to respond to changes in the market (e.g. customers, competition and technology). But my actual experience in strategy consulting and then marketing strategy for a large corporation has been somewhat different. Several times companies' response to analyzing market changes starts by looking out but quickly turns more and more internal. The result is usually "more of the same" strategy with some incremental refinements - of course all this is backed by impressive financial and other quantitative analysis. 2 things become a casualty in such a process - the willingness to strain outside of comfort zones and "see" what is happening. And the ability to tap your own employees (and customers and other stakeholders) who are the closest to the change and may have a good feel for what's coming! In my view marketing/product/strategy functions should develop a joint mechanism to see, evaluate and act upon the key developments in their expanse of the market.

That is exactly what this book provides. The book is easy to read and structured well, essentially taking the reader through a clear 7 step process on how to anticipate and respond to changes. The Appendix at the end that details the "Strategic Eye Exam" serves as a useful starting questionnaire.

The book will be a very good read for those who believe that the world around them changes quickly and want to develop a BU or company wide process to learn, evaluate and act on those changes, including the ability to discard the red herrings.

Highly recommended!

Day and Schoemaker have written a fascinating book on how to increase one's vigilance, all wrapped up in a larger tale of Darwinian ophthalmology. It's a book of the times. Read repeatedly, learn, and inwardly digest. You will be amply rewarded.

A decent book, I found the information to be useful and beneficial especially since I work at a firm that has little, if any "peripheral vision".

A fast and easy read that can actually significantly help both growing and mature organizations.

In Play Of Consciousness: A Spiritual Autobiography, Swami Muktananda vividly and candidly describes his spiritual initiation which awakened the hidden power known as Kundalini Shakti and the astonishing process of inner transformation that followed. Muktananda reveals many mysteries describing the rigors of spiritual practice and the mystical, metaphysical alchemy of the awakened Kundalini. He offers inspiration for all those seeking the ultimate personal and metaphysical freedom that is spiritual enlightenment. Play Of Consciousness is recommended reading for students of eastern philosophies, yoga, metaphysical studies, and personal spiritual enlightenment.

I first read this book in the `70's. It knocked my socks off. I recently recommended it to someone and thought, "Hmm. Maybe I should read it again." It blew my socks off again. Play of Consciousness is the spiritual autobiography of Sw. Muktananda, an Indian meditation master who died in 1982. In POC, he breaks Hindu tradition by talking about his experiences. He does this for one reason: To serve and guide his students. This is a handbook for meditators, in many ways a survival manual. Muktananda had many of the experiences recounted here -- some of which were terrifying-- without knowing what they were. Here, he lets his students know what to expect in advanced meditation. The book is written in sections. The book opens with a tightly written and comprehensive guide to Hinduism and kundalini yoga. Muktananda lays out the turf-- quoting many major Indian saints and scriptures. This alone is worth buying. The second part describes his spiritual experiences, his sadhana. If you ever thought that meditation was a passive, dopey thing popularized in California, this will change your mind. Muktananda's experiences were big. Explosive. Gorgeous. They read like sci-fi, but you have the sense of their utter authenticity. The final section explains what Muktananda wants from his students. How he sees the universe, and how a good yogi/yogini should live. This is a masterpiece in mystical writing. POC is not an easy read. First, it may induce culture shock. This is not a Western book. It was translated from Hindi or one of the Indian languages and written by an older man, a Hindu monk. The language sounds it-- flowery, exquisite, complex, and somewhat antiquated. Muktananda talks about gurus and disciples. The word "guru" has been maligned in the West. For thousands of years, Indian people have had gurus the way that we have accountants. "Guru" means "teacher", with the root meaning, "bringer of light, taker of darkness." The guru's function. POC is a hard read for another reason: Muktananda's experience roars through it. If you do not know what devotion and love are by the end of this book, there's no hope. His energy permeates POC. You may find yourself nodding off or falling into meditation. You may only be able to read a page to two at a time. That's fine. Just keep reading.

Truly this is the greatest work of liter- ature of any kind I have ever been exposed to. The immense power of Swami Muktananda's state of realization seems to have infused each word with an amazing spiritual force, so that I can usually only read a paragraph or two before I have to put the book down and revel in the presence of his Shakti (spiritual energy). If I were to be left on a deserted island, I often reflect, I would only need this book with me to be completely happy for all time. This is not really a book, it is a doorway God has opened into the mystical realm of His Presence. I have heard of people reading it, and becoming immediately transformed beyond measure...

Orginally published and edited undr the title GURU in the 1970's , this work must be on any seeker into Eastern wisdom. this work plus Autoboigraphy of a Yogi, and the Gita are must reads. We are given a detailed look inot the world of Kashmir Shaivism and the potential of that mysterous force barely known to psycholiogists called Kundalini. The only danger in the presentation is that it may casue the reader to seek out a teacher to place full dependency upon and we have learned well from the past thirty years that this can be a great error as most teachers are subjected to human flaws such as rock star syndrome READ THIS BOOK

A must read for anyone seeking spirituality. It changed my view on life and took my meditation to a new level. Startling secrets, which I have not seen anywhere else, were revealed.

that follows the Tauchman family on an exuberant bildungsroman full of hammer-your-knee-off funny tour de force comedy. A great read for any family looking to strengthen the bond experienced only through world travel.

Wow- What a wild ride!!! I'd like to come back as a Tauchman in my future life... Here is a man and his family dreaming a seemingly impossible adventure and making it a reality. And all the while maintaining a composure that his teen-age kids will still hang out with him- anywhere in the world! A riveting, well-told story coupled with a wild sense of adventure. Bravo!

I haven't seen or talked to Roger in probably 15+ years back on Kenneth Ave. and was very pleased to know that he wrote this book! Roger was of those "older" Tauchman boys (older than me anyway) that I sort of idolized with their wit and athletic abilities. I am almost finished reading Ramble On, which I read exclusively on the train to work. It is very entertaining, educational and sometimes very colorful (bullfights & French hotels). I hate to admit that his teenage children write better than me! I still have to look up some words that Alex used..
A must read for any wannabe worldwide traveler - these guys are the real thing! Nice job, Roger and family.
It was good catching up with you Roger, even though it was a one-way dialogue.

Ever dream of taking your family on a trip around the world ? If
yes, then Ramble On by Roger Tauchman may be the book for you.

Easy to read, it is filled with useful information and is written in a highly entertaining style. Try it' You will like it.

What a great experience to share in! This family takes you through their highs and lows through the pages of this entertaining book. I was tickled as they trompted through jungles and across deserts -- with each of them having a perspective.
Super book!

This book was great! I shared the stories with some of my students. It is so nice to hear the nice things people do.

This book does not need a long review. It is simply about the very best of what human beings are capable of doing. Random Acts of Kindness is simply the most important book I have ever read. -- Sam Yulish, author of WHERE HAVE ALL THE HIPPIES GONE? and THE HESITANT PSYCHIC.

Basically this is a wonderful idea for a book. The world does need more kindness. And Kindness , being kind to others not only makes us better people it also enriches our lives and gives them meaning. To give is often the greatest form of helping oneself possible.
Nonetheless I could have wished some of the stories here were more 'tough and complicated ' stories. I also could have wished that there was more deep thought about kindness. For kindness too has its qualification in the Jewish wisdom, " He who is kind to the cruel will end up being cruel to the kind"
Kindness is important.We should all be kind as we can. But there is a time and place for everything.

"Imagine what would happen if there were an outbreak of
kindness in the world," notes Daphne Rose Kingma in the foreword
to RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS by the editors of Conari
Press . . . you'd bring "delight and goodness
to yourself and others."

Methinks that could well be possible; i.e., if everybody took
the time to read this short but oh-so-powerful book . . . it is
packed with practical ideas that can be applied to work
situations, such as the following:

I had a client who owed me a good deal of money.
Eventually she stopped seeing me, but each month
I would send her a bill and receive no response.
Finally I wrote to her and said, "I don't know what
difficulty has befallen you that you are unable to pay
me, but whenever it is, I'm writing to tell you your debt
is forgiven in full. My only request is that at some point
in your life, when your circumstances have changed, you
will pass this favor on to someone else."

By the same token, there were perhaps an equal number
of things that could be utilized if you wanted to make
your home life more enjoyable, including this one:

There was a time in my life when everything was working
so smoothly, I found myself sitting at home one Saturday
with all my work done, all my household chores completed:
dishes washed, laundry folded and put away, house dusted,
grocery shopping completed, and that delicious feeling of
having nothing to do. Then I thought about a friend from
work who was a single mother of two small children and
never seemed to have the time for anything. I jumped into
my car, drove over to her house, walked in and said, "Put
me to work." At first she didn't really believe it, but we ended
up having a great time, cleaning like mad, taking time out to
feed and play with the kids, and then diving back into the
chores.

I also liked the quotes sprinkled throughout the book . . . what
caught my attention was the fact that many had not been
seen by me previously, including:

* Do every act of your life as if it were your last.--Marcus Aurelius;

* I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community,
and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever
I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the
harder I work, the more I live. Life is no "brief candle" to me.
It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a
moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible
before handing it on to future generations.--George Bernard Shaw; and

The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live.--Joan
Borysenko.

Lastly, I appreciated the thought-provoking suggestions presented
throughout RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS . . . among the ones
that caught my attention were these:

* As you go about your day, why not pick up the trash you find on
your sidewalk?

* Buy a big box of donuts or chocolates for the office next to yours
Or the kids who hang out on the street corner. Or the UPS person
or the mail carrier.

* If you have an infirmed person living near you, offer to do the grocery
shopping for him or her.

In 1982, California peace activist Ann Herbert wrote on a placemat at a restuarant "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty." A fellow diner was impressed by these words, and wrote them down. Gradually they spread and inspired conversation and thought. This international bestseller greatly accelerated the process. Today there is a World Kindness Movement and many organizations spreading the concept of kindness throughout our country.

Bestselling author Dapne Rose Kingma writes the forward, and there is an introduction by Dr. Dawna Markova. But about 63 others participated in stories and ideas for this book. It is a group project than transcends anyone author.

The concept of random of kindness is an antidote to the concept of random acts of violence. Random of kindess are far more common than random acts of violence, and the more they are encouraged, the more they should dominate.

Random acts of kindness can be both as simple as talking to strangers, as inconspicuous as allowing people in a hurry to get ahead of you in line, as generous as doing unsolicited chores for people in need, as philanthropic as paying for a stranger's dinner or sending books to a sick child.

Random acts of kindness can be as fulfilling as climbing a tree after a runaway child, and then leading the child down, or as planting a tree that others will enjoy decades letter. They can be forbearance in the case of a minor traffic accident or of a personal debt. They can be meaningful advice given, compassion and empathy shared. They can be tips given in appreciation of the server instead of the value of the service. They can be the willingness to let others act on misunderstandings despite some element of personal sacrifice by the actor.

The endless examples of the ways people can treat others with random kindness are well sampled in this book. So are inspirational quotes.

Pennsylvania founder William Penn says "If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do, let me do it now, and not dter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." Martin Luther King describes the concept of agape as "understanding, create redemptive goodwill toward all men...and overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. When you rise to love on this level, you love all men not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, but you love them because God loves them."

The Dalai Lama says "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." Jesus says "If you bring forth what is inside of you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don't bring forth what is inside of you, what you don't bring forth will destroy you."

Herman Melville says "We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among these fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects." William James says "I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time, will rend the hardest moments of pride."

M.C. Richards says "Compassion is an alternate perception." Albert Einstein says "A human being is part of the whole that we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical illusion of conscioiusness. The illusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for only the few people nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature."

So having demonstrated the relevance and the vitality of the random acts of kindness philosophy to both everyday situations and to the thoughts of the world's greatest humanitarians, the authors praise part of the beauty of the concept of random acts of kindness as "the turnaround from the ugliest and most frightening of all phrases: random acts of violence....It's so easy to fear. It's so easy to create an almost palpable reality out of our imagined teerror. Random acts of kindness ring pure and true to that fear, as life-confirming revolutionary acts."

"Kindness," the authors say, "is soft and bubtle. It permeates everything it comes in contact with, remains as a permanent reminder of what could and should be."

At some level, this is a book of great idealism. At another level, it is a book of great pragmatism. A world of kind people is a world that values all people and gives all people the great gift of a friendly and supportive environment.

This reviewer can think of no one who would not beneift from reading this book. At a practical, everyday level it is an invaluable guide to building up communities of hope, trust, friendship, and love. It seeks not a Utopia on Earth, but communities around the globe worthy of the best aspirations of our most profound and visionary insprirational leaders and the day to day lives of our nicest and kindest people.

This book is great! It makes me yearn for the Reagan years again...The Author,Curtis Patrick did a wonderful job of presenting intimate glimpses of President Reagan, as remembered by himself, and many of his colleagues. It is also full of many never before published photographs that give good incite into Reagan's life. It is factual, and a very enjoyable read.
This is definitely a book that every American should have. It also makes a perfect gift for anyone who admired Ronald Reagan, or for anyone who is interested in History.
I am ordering several as gifts, and I'm already looking forward to Volume II. Thank you, Curtis Patrick for such an interesting and well written book.

Innumerous times confidants and associates related Reagan's bedrock principals from earliest days of testing his candidacy throughout his gubernatorial experience. So many could not be shading the truth. His genuine humilty and obvious humor are rare combinations to posses.

As a reader I enjoyed not only learning more about a great man but the ability to get right back into the book after an interruption.

of all of the books and articles printed over the years, this book more than any other more than fills the void regarding the early years of ronald reagan and his first political efforts. for the most part books cover his days in the mid-west,hollywood,g.e. and the presidency ingreat detail. however, until this book liittle has been said about the interworkings of reagans race to become governor of california.
any student of reagan,american politics,history ,the governorship,political camaigns as they were back in the last third of the last century should look to this book.
strongly urge interested parties to add this volumne to their collection. .

Curtis Patrick with this book has brought to light an easy to read collection of personal observations and insights on the man who many regard as our greatest President, Ronald Reagan from those who knew him closely during his transition from Actor to Political Leader...and beyond.
Most of the information and observations from these various contributors to this fine book will not be found in any other source!

Curtis Patrick did a marvelous job of tracking down many of the people who played a role in the very beginning of Ronald Reagan's political career in California. As a colleague of Curtis during the first campaign for Governor in 1966 and in the Governor's Office thereafter, I was privileged to serve Ronald Reagan and now be a small part in this book.

During this early period of his political career, there clearly was an extended Reagan family that developed in the campaign and then in Sacramento when many of us made the trip to Sacramento for the Administration. Many of us were inexperienced in the affairs of government, like Reagan, but all toiled together for a cause that most of us felt was noble and necessary for the benefit of our country. The interviews Curtis conducted give a rare insight and view of the early Reagan and how we call came together to advance the cause of a man who became one of the giants of the 20th century.

The recent rash of books about Ronald Reagan tell the story of his successful presidency, but few have but a mention of the early, formative years when he learned to hit his political stride. Not only will this book give you insights on how Reagan developed politically, but you will get a picture of a wonderful man who we all loved and were proud to serve.

What more can you say about a novel other than the characters stay with you after you have finished the last page. Growing up in the seventies, made the story even more poignant as it brought back the hazy Maui Wowie times. The "Ruins" grow on you and you want to hear more of their passage into adulthood/middle age.

Inez is very understandable and likeable. I enjoyed her character; especially that she didn't feel sorry for herself and grows through the years into a remarkable young lady who truly loves her half brother. I loved their relationship. All the characters in this book are very likeable even though flawed. But then again isn't that how we are in real life? I would highly recommend to anyone.

This is such a nice read. It takes you to all the best places in California...and Hawaii. It is one of those books you wish you could read again for the first time.

Before I read The Ruins of California, my understanding of those who reached middle age in the 1970s was framed by John Cheever. Their mid-life crises involved late night drinking-and-dialing to old college pals and lovers. Getting soused and crashing your neighbors' suburban swimming pools.

With elegant writing and fine dialogue, Ms. Sherrill has produced a novel which expands my thinking about this liberating--and debauched--time in my parents' generation. The book covers familiar ground--a girl's coming of age, a daughter-father relationship--in a refreshing and highly-entertaining way.

Inez Ruin splits time between her divorced parents' lives. She lives with her est-fulfilled mother and grandmother in a house in Van Dale, a Southern California suburb, where her bedroom is pink and all her friends go to church. To visit her gorgeous, brilliant and promiscuous--and egocentric, and self-indulgent, and wealthy--father, Inez regularly flies north to San Francisco, land of afros and patchouli, "passing from mother to father, a baton of a girl flying in the distance between hands."

I lost count of Inez' father's girlfriends, as Paul Ruin pursues the intoxication of new love, over and over, all the while over-indulging his two children with expensive gifts and exhortations to lead free lives, to not sell out. When his son skips college, Paul declines to intervene, justifying his inaction with the thinking of the day: "'He's got to come to all big decisions on his own,' my father said. 'Or else he'll just blame me, or blame his mother, or, worse, he'll never learn how to make a big decision at all.'" The devastating consequences of this way of thinking are made starkly apparent by the story's end.

As the author guides us through Inez' teen years, she recreates the thrills of girlhood crushes, breaking rules, that first car, and getting high. She also relates the unlikeable selfishness of teendom, without making us permanently hate Inez.

I've read all three of Ms. Sherrill's books, and in my view this latest effort is her finest. I especially loved all the mentions of what made the 70s the 70s to a girl growing up then; bamboo back scratchers, Get Smart, Necco wafers, Corvairs, those pink, round vinyl Samsonite suitcases. What makes this book memorable is the ultimately gladdening portrait of a complex daughter-father relationship, a relationship which reaches a satisfying coda along with the decade: everybody eventually has to grow up.

Inez Ruin is about six years old when her story begins. A bright and effusive young girl, Inez lives with Consuela, her blousy, former flamenco dancing mother, and Abuelita, her Peruvian grandmother in Van Dale, a working class suburb in the San Fernando Valley. Life for Inez is pretty ordinary, at least on the Latino side of the family; Consuela is a good mother to her, but she's often lost and loud, "with a mind like a sail, her face weird and dreamy," and her grandmother is never around, a life spent instilled with the work ethic, she spends most of her time working cleaning houses.

Her father, Paul lives in San Francisco and as the novel opens, Inez is being packed off to spend the summer with him. Paul is a college educated mathematical genius, he's also the archetype of the early seventies West Coast hippy chic. Groovy and play boyishly handsome, "with inky black hair, and always wearing crisp, starched white shirts," Paul drives an MG, loves flamenco dancing, and to the reticent Inez, he is the embodiment of all that is cool and elegant.

Inez spends most of her youth gliding from one zone of life to another, from the serenity and innocence suburban of Van Dale to the glamorous and cosmopolitan cafes of North Beach, "where she drinks dark espresso with three packets of sugar," but she often feels like a fish out of water, never really feeling at home in either culture, her father living so separately from her, and in such different circumstances of climate and culture.

Paul's life is a "foggy universe of beautiful people and rich hippies," where Inez often feels out of place, where her clothes are wrong, and where she never knows what to say. She's often overwhelmed by her father's whirlwind round of dinner parties, film screenings, museum openings, and Haight-Ashbury happenings. He organizes flamenco festivals, and throws" juergas" - flamenco parties, and shares an attitude, a sensibility, and a groovy wavelength, with his "in" crowd.

Whilst Consuela busies herself selling real estate, attending personal improvement classes, and hooking up with an eighth grade school teacher, Paul woos his daughter with heavy doses of charm and love. Just when she had decided he was a rat and a fink, it would dawn on her that he was a god and she loved him more than anybody; its as though her father makes her - and also her half brother Whitman - uncertain and off kilter, "you wanted more of him, but you weren't sure either."

Inez is constantly caught off guard by the parade of girlfriends that steadily marches through Paul's life, the stream of beauties, each one more accomplished than the last, who give him hope and make him feel alive and young and desired: there's the sweet hippy Marisa, who charms Inez by giving her trinkets from Cracker Jack boxes; there's Justine, an astonishing beauty "with a strange and unearthly elegance," who has a knowledge of Eastern religion and has a silken tent that she erects in her living room with candles inside; she totally beguiles Inez with her lovely patchouli smell and her expensive designer outfits.

Author Martha Sherrill beautifully charts Inez's growth from a wide-eyed and precocious innocent into a young woman, who sees the world as a place of enormous possibility, yet is also aware this world can be fraught with danger and indecision. As Inez matures and changes, so does the image of her father. Paul is a gloomy, difficult, sweet insightful and honest man, adoration like a drug to him; but he's also a man quick to criticize, and instruct, and at the same time lenient, constantly coddling his daughter with flattery and indulgences.

Regardless of his faults, over the years Inez grows to unconditionally love her father; part of her growth is the realization that the Ruin family are a complicated and often self-indulgent lot, who beg for attention and analysis. They're also romantics - always finding ways to feel special about themselves and better than other people; they're theatrical, and outrageous, and even provocative.

Full of ironic and fragile judgments about life, love, and the human condition, The Ruins of California is also about the legacy of familiaral love. The characters are beautifully drawn and are utterly fascinating. Paul is most memorable, because he is a complex mix of good intentions and human flaws; he's obviously a product of his free-wheeling, permissive time, but he's also a man who just doesn't want to grow up, constantly trapped in a netherworld of adolescent angst, frozen by his unremitting vanity and self-absorption.

It is obvious that Paul dearly loves Inez and Whitman, and that he will do anything that he can to help them - he encourages them to go to college, and constantly promotes the benefits of hard work - but the irony is that, when the crunch finally comes, and a terrible family crisis threatens to fracture them, it is the world-wise and newly mature Inez who provides the navigating force, and who ultimately liberates her father. Mike Leonard February 06.

The author took his knowledge and experience with the prison system and created a great story. Loved the ending!
Well written John J. Maffucci.

Well written and you can't put this one down.

I thought it was a very interesting read. It showed how alcohol and money can lead the main character to go astray. It also showed how a person can turn their entire life around after entering AA.

The author's knowledge of the prison system and psyche was impressive. It also showed how most criminals are there because of alcohol/drug related crimes. The other reason it a lousy family upbrining.

The author was well versed and made these characters come alive. The ending was also very good and I read it in a week and passed it along to a friend. Bravo to John J. Maffucci!

Nicely written in a slightly Hitchcock-like
manner. I would like to read any other works
from this author. The work depicts true
wit and wisdom in it implementation.

John J. Maffucci the author grabbed my attention in the first chapter and wouldn't let me go until i finished the last page with a surprise ending. It's a "MUST READ" for those interested in the psychology of violent criminals ans how they might be controlled in the future. This book should be a Hollywood or TV movie.