California Books

At first I thought this book wouldnt be that great because there are a lot of names that I didnt recognize when looking at the index of people interviewed. However, that is because a lot of the names are the behind the scenes people who may not be 'names' unless you study the credits at the end of movies. There are some very interesting stories here. There is one good interview where a guy indicates how he screwed people all the way to the top of his field and later himself was screwed by someone he trusted. Payback. Karma. I hated that guy, but Im glad he told the truth. Each interviwed person is shown in a photograph. This is a well crafted book, done in a simple way and it works.

Major Hollywood stars had to work hard to break into the industry and make it big, but few places chart their stories under one cover. HOW I BROKE INTO HOLLYWOOD: SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE TRENCHES gathers dozens of Hollywood's greatest successes under one cover, including not just actors but writers, directors, designers and more to provide profiles of the best and how they worked to achieve their goals. Inspirational chapters profile nearly fifty such Hollywood success stories and will appeal to any interested in learning from experience.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone interested in working in Hollywood, or to any creative type struggling to find career success. There are 67 first-person stories (from a variety of producers, actors, editors, lawyers, writers, etc.), and the interviewees have been incredibly generous in sharing not only their successes, but also their humble beginnings, self-doubts and failings. That willingness to show the true journey, warts and all, is what makes this book so inspiring, and such a gift. Many thanks to those who participated, and to the authors for making it happen.

A word to the publisher: this book has all the hallmarks of a classic, but the cover art and title don't match the contents. I almost passed it over on the shelf because the graphic design looked low rent, and it seemed to just be the personal story of the two authors, whose names I didn't recognize (sorry, guys). When it comes out in paperback (which it should--promote this baby!), how about listing some of the well-known participants on the cover, and changing the title to How I Broke Into Hollywood, 67 Success Stories from the Trenches? This book is a winner!

I thoroughly emjoyed this book, very readable, lively and interesting. The interviews flow like fascinating stories. The advice from those who made it will apply to almost any endeavor so the book should appeal to a wide audience.

If you are looking for some gossip-rag style tales of how Hollywood's biggest names got to where they are, then this isn't the book for you. There are a few big names in this book, Bernie Mac among them, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

This book, rather, is a thoughtfully introspective look at how many of the behind-the-scenes people working in Hollywood accepted crushing rejection time and time again, dealt with monetary difficulties while pursuing their dream, the tips and tricks they used to become known and well-employed in Hollywood.

Screenwriters, producers, actors, music supervisors, agents, and costume designers are featured, among other jobs, and their tales are inspiring and really helpful. Each person interviewed in this book really seemed to set aside their ego and talk truthfully about the times they doubted themselves and what could have made things go more smoothly in their journey to Hollywood elite. The advice given is really solid, and could benefit anyone in any career, but especially in the brutal film/ TV industry.

I'd definitely buy this book for any friend considering trying to make it in Hollywood. The advice and stories are entertainingly given and would be valuable and interesting even if they didn't end up pursuing that particular dream.

clear, concise...a pleasure. made my name change easy. thanks nolo!

The 7th edition of this book was my main reference as I successfully completed a legal name change. It did a good job helping me through the process without the assistance of a lawyer ("In Pro Per"). I would also suggest finding a good paralegal to help in typing up the forms.

This book packs a wallup!
It was complete, concise, and easy to follow.
I definately could not of made the change without the help of this book.
I do not recommend trying to change your name without this - it walks you through from A to Z, not missing a beat.

Excellent book.

Well written, containing all the neccessary information and forms, this book is an invaluable resource for those individuals who are interested in legally changing their name in California.

Pro's and con's are examined about Court Ordered Name Changes and Common Usage methodologies. Well thought out and written in a very readable and comprehensive style...this book answers almost any question you may have regarding the implications of changing you name.

Highly recommended....by far, the best book I have seen on the market around this issue.

I'm really enamored of Nolo Press's self-help legal guides. This one saved me $400 in legal fees. Just follow the steps outlined and it will guide you safely through even a court hearing, if you want to be able to change your passport. If, in the process, you decide you want to change any deeds your old name appears on, you can use their quite inexpensive guide to updating Deeds in California. As for typing up the forms -- neat printing does the job, too.

If you live in L.A. or are going to visit this is a must have guide.

I picked up this book after the color caught my eye, and it has come in handy much more than expected! It's got some great places that I would never have found on my own. The reviews give all the info you'd need before deciding on a place to eat, and although it doesnt cover EVERY restaurant in the city like Zagat, it gives good suggestions for every neighborhood. I highly reccommend it.

I love LA and I love these books. They're quirky, fun, and really really honest. I couldn't wait for the new edition to come out and was just about to eamil the publishers when I saw that this came out. Since I am (or try to be) a vegetarian, this book's the best yet because it has a huge selection of veggie friendly/vegan places. It also seems like they expanded their coverage of the beaches and westerly areas.

I loved the earlier editions of this food guide when I lived in the city, but now that I'm down at the beach, the older versions just didn't cut it--so I e-mailed the editors and the listened. The new Hungry?, which I just picked up today, has a TON of listings for the beaches, south bay and Torrance area which, unfortunately, I now must frequent. This book is a total must if you live in LA--forget the other guides!

First, I love food, and Los Angeles is a great place to eat. So imagine the difficulty involved in picking a great little undiscovered restaurant with thousands of eateries among the hundreds of square miles of L.A. County.

Enter Hungry? Los Angeles. Since the slim first edition came out about four years ago, I've used this book, kept editions in my glove box, and given them away to newbie neighbors. There are hundreds of listings covering a vast swath of the Los Angeles area.

Hungry? is geared towards economical restaurants, but they are not restricted to "cheap eats" places. There are plenty of higher-end eateries as well, but these are usually written about highlighting certain specialties or meal times. Reviewers note ambience, costs, and neighborhood info in addition to their favorite dishes. It's broken into geographic sections which encompass far north and west (to Ventura County), the east (San Gabriels), through the Westside and down to the edge of Orange County in the south. Special sections also break out the best night-owl spots, the best burgers, and many other eclectic sub-categories.

Obviously I like the book so much because I agree with the reviewers in a majority of cases. Most of my favorite restaurants make it into the guide. Instant validation! Plus I find new places I haven't tried yet and make a note to visit them.

This 3rd edition is not without it's minor problems; there are a lot more typoes and spelling errors in this book than in previous editions, some addressess (and indeed a few cities) are completely wrong, some of the restaurants reviewed have been closed for a few years, and I think they were late to press and rushed the book through. But these are quibbles. If you call in advance to make sure the eatery is open for business, you'll be able to count on many, many pleasant dining experiences.

I had contacted the author prior to buying the book - to use any pictures needed for my archaeology report on a site I was working. I couldn't believe the treasure I found inside. Those pictures allowed me to continue my research direction & I was able to reduce the age of my site from c.1900-1940 to c.1900-1927 & have the proof to back those dates up. I applaud Chris for this book & hope to obtain other copies for friends & associates, in the future.

I grew up near Huntiington Beach and remember the times of oil wells and derricks up and down the now-famous beach. If you drive around the town and look closely, you can still see a few derricks pumping away. What is most interesting to the reader, and should be most instructive to younger people, is the fact that Huntington Beach was part of the oil boom that attracted many, including J. Paul Getty, to southern California in the early years of the last century. Also, compared to other books in the same series, this volume has more "people shots." It's interesting especially to note what people wore in earlier times, even to the beach!

Huntington beach has changed and former residents and visitors can easly miss once popular landmarks. This book combines a pictorial history along with a collection of then and now photos. A nice book to have.

Having lived in and near Huntington Beach for the last 5 years, I found this book fascinating. Historically, you get a great perspective of what the city once was...and how it developed throughout the late 1900's. But what I found MOST interesting...was the before and after transformation. Walking the same streets the author had. Lining up the same shots at the same historical locations. Standing in the exact same spot that the pictures had been taken almost a century before. And seeing how this sleepy surfside town blossomed into the famous city we now know. I definitely recommend this book for anyone that lives in Huntington Beach. It's great reading...and great for exploring the sidewalks of HB.

Excellent pictorial history of "Surf City." We've lived here for years and never knew all that had gone on here. Incredible selection of rare historic photos, which we've always been on the lookout for. Well worth the price of admission.

Great reference, and the only of its kind. Sadly it is out of print though still readily available for an elevated price moast of the time. The only "substitute" is Dr. Hogue's other California Insects book for the whole state. If you see either cheap buy it and donate it to your local High School Biology teacher!

If you want to know more than just the names and habitat of Southern California insects, then this is the book for you. If the insect is non-native, what is its origin and when was it introduced? If it stings or bites, what does it feel like and does the toxin affect the nerves like a black widow or just dissolve the local tissue like a brown recluse? Do they jump or dart? Why is it always showing up in a certain room or part of the yard? "Insects of the Los Angeles Basin" will answer these questions. Read this book and become the lone rational mind in a roomful of hysterical screaming humans recoiling from the sight of one of these magnificent little creatures.

A magnificent book. Hogue details all of the more important insect species, and some the of the lesser known, as well. Did you know that L.A. is home to 3 species of fireflies? There are numerous photos, black and white, and color, along with several line drawings.

There are pictures of every insect (and spider) featured, and this makes it very useful in identifying the critters in the yard.

My wife knew I wanted this book as a reference guide to the insects in our house and yard, so she surprised me with it on our anniversary. It made a wonderful gift! When I'd seen it at the bookstore, I hadn't had time to do anything but skim the pages, and so I was pleasantly surprised to find it's actually a readable book. I never thought I'd read a book on insects cover to cover, but this one I finished in a few days (even the chapter on Ticks and Mites).

Most reference books -- you know, the North American Guide to Seashells or whatever -- are dense and hard to use, with keys and indices and all the pictures collected onto the fewest number of pages possible, to save printing costs. But this book has pictures or drawings of every insect listed, right next to its listing. And while it doesn't cover every insect of the LA basin -- no book could -- I've yet to find one that isn't in this book.

But what really sets this book apart is the writing. Charles Hogue was the entomology curator at the LA Natural History Museum until his death in 1992. Surely, he had hundreds or thousands of people bring in pictures or specimens, asking, What is this? And he's written a book for that type of people, those who would never study entomology, but would notice and wonder at some unusual bug.

As you wend your way through the chapters, Hogue anticipates what you might find interesting, what you might ask, and he's right there with some details or answers. He'll mention how Belkin's Chigger played a role in a murder investigation in Ventura County, or recount how Black Witch moth (with a wingspan of 6 to 7 inches) was common around the Coliseum during the 84 Olympics, even though you won't find its caterpillars in the basin.

It's fun reading about dragonflies and whatnot. It's fun learning that the daddy longlegs in your cupboard isn't a daddy longlegs at all, it's a cobweb spider. It's not so much fun reading about earwigs. But telling your friends that earwigs can fly, and that the tubular lawn furniture on their patio might be housing large populations of them? That's great fun.

After reading this book, I knew I had to get on Amazon and give it a five star review. How nice that so many other people beat me to it!

A friend of mine had this guide for NYC during a trip together and I loved it!
Before traveling to San Francisco I decided to get it as it is very easy to use and has everything you need!
I traveled by myself and I did get lost once but it was my own fault. With the attached compass is very easy to find your way, specially when the guide even has bus routes! By following the guide I was able to enjoy most major attractions in only 3 days!
It also comes with a pen and a light in case you find yourself in need of those. Great little (it's tiny!) book that I'll definitely look for everytime I travel.

I've purchased several Inside Out maps in the past, and finally picked up the San Francisco one. I'm a San Francisco resident, and know my way around this city fairly well, so didn't really need it. However, I find it is a timesaver. I keep it handy just in case friends from out of town visit, and I need to take them sight-seeing. Instead of having to think of places to go, I just lend them this guide, and let them pick their own destinations!

My only complaint would be that this guide doesn't do the city of San Francisco justice. There are just too many jewels to list!

I bought this book for my girlfriend for Christmas when she first mentioned that she wanted to go to San Francisco some day. She loved it. I did too. The quality is great - crisp white paper, eye-popping color in the photos and handy gadgets builtin to the book - a small but working compass is built into the spine of the book. A pen slide neatly down the inside. And, coolest of all, a tiny LED flashlight is built into the other end of the pen. We used every one of the features of this book in the 3 days we were there. When we got turned around in Chinatown, the little compass pointed us in the right direction. The pen came in handy for making lists of what we wanted to see. And the tiny flashlight was the most useful of all when I was taking some pictures of the Golden Gate after dark and couldn't see the settings on the camera. So cool!
Of course, who buys a guidebook for the free pen? You want pictures. They're here. You want maps - the book is published by The Map Group and the maps are as good as you'd expect. Probably the neatest thing is the origami folding job that fits a 8 inch by 12 inch map behind the cover of a book that fits in your back pocket. It's really wild to see it pop out at you when you tug on the corner.
I own a whole shelf of guidebooks and this one really stands out for the small size, paper and photo quality and the cool gadgets and maps. The content is good, plenty of ideas to browse looking for one that grabs you. Of course it is limited by the small size of the book so if you're looking for city history or a comprehensive list of attactions, you'll need to supplement with a larger companion guide. But take this one with you as you walk. You'll be happy you did.

I bought this pocket sized guide while visiting San Francisco for the first time and it has been the most helpful useful map i have ever used. The popout maps are convenient and easy to read and understand. The overall size of the book is perfect for my small pockets and I used the included pen to write out the details of a fabulous Chinese restaurant i found in the city, using the notepages in the back. The guide part of the book includes some interesting facts about the city as well as a selection of the most popular tourist sites and a selection of restaurants and buisnesses. I would say this is a must have for any city it is available for. Especially for people like me who have no sense of direction.

This guide is great. Now whenever we go somewhere, I look for the InsideOut Guide for that city. The suggested itineraries and restaurant recommendations were right on target. The maps are easy to read and nice and small. The whole book fit in my smallest purse - so handy. This book made exploring the city seem more manageable.

Even if you live in Napa, have ever visited Napa, or some day would like to travel to the beautiful Napa Valley this latest book by renouned
photographer BRAD PERKS is a stunning showcase of why so many people
Love Napa.I highly recommend you share this book with your family and
friends that appriciate the most beautiful places on earth.

If I had to describe this book in one word, I would say PHENOMENAL! The photographs are breathtaking; the poems and verses are both soothing and inspirational. Brad Perks truly created a masterpiece with his innovative vision and soul-searching heart. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to anyone who strives to experience beauty, emotional growth, and spiritual awareness.

Wow! When I first saw this book I was in awe. My first instincts were to ask myself, who else can I buy this great book for besides myself? Of course the answer was simple, my wine lover friends. I also know that my Christmas shopping has just gotten a lot easier for my business clients. There is a lot of bang for the buck with this book. The photographer, Brad Perks seems to have an exceptional eye for every aspect of creating the perfect picture.

Sometimes we just take all the amazing beauty of this world for granted. Brad Perks wonderful pictorial of the Napa Valley seasons is so much more than just another pretty book. His combination of quotes that inspire and pictures to back them up make a true keep-sake. I am not a wine afficianado, but that didn't keep me from buying a copy for every member of my family. I will be ordering more for Christmas. The world needs more of Brad and his combination of heart and art. Kathy Johnson

If you live in the Bay Area, you need to have this book on your living room table. The crisp and colorful pictures make it an instant winner with our guests and the wine country quickly becomes a must see on their to-do list of places to see.

It also makes a great gift. I gave one to my father-in-law for his 70th birthday last month. Being a wine connoisseur, he loved the book and quickly started paging through and appreciating the pictures.

If you live in the Bay Area, buy one for yourself and a couple more to have around as a handy gift item. And no, I'm not getting commissions on these books :)

Typographic inspiration at its best. Effortlessly combines interviews and stories with images of Venezky's work...every graphic designer should own this book.

If you are looking for experimental and intiguing imagery this is the book for you! I don't understand how Martin got looked over so bad? His work is from the school of Cranbrook. If you like collage work and fun typography buy it!!!

Martin is brilliant, this book is beautifully designed and his work is amazing. Definately a very inspirational book for all graphic designers out there, especially for those experiemental typographers.

this book is the most beautifulest, gorgeousest, most awesome kickass book EVAR. it is heartily recommended. keep a lookout for martin's cat, "baby girl", who makes frequent appearances. WORD.

-fish

Martin Venezky's It Is Beautiful Then Gone (1568984561, $40.00) provides an unusual artistic approach: Venezky hones 'Slow Design', using raw materials and old design tools of collage and cut-and-paste to create an artwork which will intentionally age and decay over time. By this process, Martin Venezky maintains, the art evolves and changes and the artist develops a closer connection with the tool over the machine. It Is Beautiful...then Gone provides his commercial design work plus new graphics created just for this book: some 700 images in all.

This volume is just as good as all the other Steinbeck volumes within the Library of America series -which is to say that this collection of stories and novels is second to none. Steinbeck was a force and the guy will change your life. Read this and people will actually smell you becoming smarter.

It is surely a shame that Mr. Steinbeck forever will be confined to the archipelago of socio-economico-political literature. Too often a smug reviewer writes of Steinbeck's "moving" portrayal of the Joad family and their struggle against a growing America. "Oh, how I can 'identify' with the Preacher!" HUMBUG. Mr. Steinbeck wrote words, not ideas. His art is exquisite and melodious and stock-full of imagery. His structure, even in the volumunious Grapes, is compact and economical. His style, even in the scientific Log, is artistic and exact. And his ideas, even in the idea-ed Harvest, are irrelevant. Buy this book. But don't buy it because the blurb on the back says something about the Joads being an American archetype of the twentieth century; instead, buy it because it is literature - American literature - at its finest. Every sentence. Every word.

Political statements are always dangerous: one either completely convinces a reader of one's argument or forever alienates them. And, unfortunately, the end result is rarely dependent upon the quality or force of argument made by the author, but rather entirely dependent upon the notions with which the reader entered the "discussion".

Knowing this, it seems that one has to be of a particular mindset in order to enjoy the novels collected in "The Grapes of Wrath and Other Writings 1938-1941". The novels of this compilation attack many of the ideals upon which this country was founded -- and they do so by looking closely at those who have never really benefited from those ideals. This attack is carried out most effectively in the most prominent of the packaged novels: Steinbeck's classic "The Grapes of Wrath."

At an abstract level, this particular novel is an impassioned plea for change ... one that left many readers at the time of its publication both angry and frightened, and resulted in the book being placed on many academic "Banned" lists, and caused Steinbeck himself to be branded by some as anti-American.

That said, it is my opinion that "The Grapes of Wrath" is one of the best novels ever written, because it tells the story of those most affected by the Great Depression - those who never had much in the first place. In particular, it focuses on the Joad family as they are forced to relocate to California, to try to find enough work to put food on the table. Along with thousands of other displaced sharecroppers they are lured by colorful handbills advertising great jobs for all. California becomes Mecca to the families, many of whom have literally been forced out of their homes. Desperate, the families sell all of their belongings, buy cheap cars, and begin the arduous journey. Many do not make it, and those who do find to their dismay that all is not as promised.

This is an extremely powerful novel. The reader comes to know the members of the Joad family and their friends as people, not just as characters in a story. We are able to identify with them as they suffer hardship after hardship. Written in an accessible style, and spellbinding throughout, this novel is certainly a deserving classic, and it dominates this excellent new collection of Steinbeck's fiction.

grapes of wrath is a great book. it is about a family that goes through ups and downs every chapter. and a man who wats to get his family back on track, cause his father lost his farm land in Oklahoma. So they head to California to find new jobs but there new jobs arn't the same as having there own land, cause when they had there own land they had no boss but when they head to Cali. they are not happy cause they are bossed around.

I, like many, first read this _The Grapes of Wrath_ in high school. Then, it piqued a great curiosity about recent (this century) American history that my teachers could never satisfy. A recent re-reading, however, has shown me the great depth that I missed the first time. Read it slowly, savor the dogged, determined hopelessness that was life for many of our immediate ancestors. From the sad beginning to the desperate ending, it will teach you, and reach you.

Beautiful book! Author does a lovely, sensitive job profiling Morgan, and her career as the first licensed female architect in the US. I also really enjoyed the socio-cultural, and artistic context of the early 20th Century. The extensive photographs are a wonderful addition - imperative in a book dealing with a visual art. One of the very richest architectual books I've seen in a long time, and a great addition to anyone's collection.

A wonderful survey of a truly great Architect. Great photos. Original drawings. A detailed career history & biography. Most of the better known masters haven't gotten this kind of treatment; Ms. Morgan deserves it. GREAT book.

This is an outstanding book on Morgan's life and work. Well written text, detailed history, biographical information, and quality photos of the many buildings are just of few of the book's strong points. Morgan designed hundreds of buildings during her over 50-year career, and the author deserves credit for covering so many of them. Of course, she is most famous for the projects she did for Hearst, such as the "Castle" and Wyntoon, the Austrian/Bavarian style estate near Mt. Shasta in northern California, but she created many other important buildings also, which get discussed in detail in this fine volume. Also included are scans of the original plans. Out of all the books on Morgan, this one is by far the best, and well worth your time and money.

A little side note here, I've done five different tours of the Hearst Castle over the years, so have had an opportunity personally to view one of her most important works. During one of the tours, the guide said that a few years ago they had a 6.4 magnitude earthquake there, but except for a few tiles that came off here and there, the castle sustained no damage. That's because despite the delicate looking surface ornamentation, underneath the building is steel reinforced concrete, with even thicker walls than necessary. As a result, the entire Hearst Castle sustained almost no damage during the quake, and no structural damage, and the only really dramatic thing that happened was the guide said that the quake shook things violently enough so that a lot of water sloshed out of the big Neptune pool. :-)

One of the guides said some interesting things about Hearst's wealth. By the standards of the time, he was certainly very wealthy, earning $50,000 a day back in the early 30s. But compared to the most wealthy people of the day, such as Rockefeller, who made one million dollars a day, this was relatively modest. Hearst was the 42nd wealthiest man in the U.S. at the time, his father, George Hearst, being 32nd, if I remember right. He spent 9 million dollars on the Castle, approximately one half a year's earnings, so percentage-wise, it was not that much money for him. But compared to the super-wealthy of the day, such as the Morgans, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, etc, apparently it wasn't much. :-)

Back in the financial panic of 1905, J.P. Morgan, one of the wealthiest men of his time, lent the U.S. government 20 million dollars of his own money, back when that was a lot more, so it could temporarily keep operating. When Morgan died, Rockefeller commented, "He accomplished a lot for a man who wasn't that wealthy."

Anyway, just a few perhaps irrelevant comments on some of the history of the wealthiest individuals of the time. :-)

I have always been interested in Julia Morgan's work but I have never been able to find enough solid and valuable information about her and her work. I own all of the Julia Morgan books, that is every book written about Julia Morgan. This, by far, is the best composition of the true character of Julia Morgan. Not only do you get an entire biography with incredible detail but you also get insight from hundreds of pictures, scans of actual plans Julia Morgan drafted and entires from other important persons. This book is a must have if you are looking for "the" book covering everything in Julia Morgan's life. This book stands alone among all the other Julia Morgan reads. I suggest that if you are looking for a book about Ms. Morgan, this is the best book, brings the greatest attention to detail that you will ever find about Julia Morgan.

Comprehensive with great photographs, this is a good place to start learning about Morgan's career.