California Books

I love this series and this book is right up on my top list. I loved that this author talked about collage and what growing up is really about. I am in my Senior year and this story helprd me realize that I cant avoid growing up. I just need to hang on and scream like crazy!!!

This is a great book,and it has a great message about God,and it helps with your relationship with the Lord too. I would reccomend this book to anyone.

This book is wonderful! It's about Sierra before graduation.She goes on a trip to Southern California with her brother and a few of her best friends. She decides to go to the same place as her brother, a private christian college where her friends Christy Miller, And Todd are also going. She still writes to Paul. This is an awesome book! I recomend it!

This was one of my favourite Sierra books because she goes college hunting to California and sees her friends from England. If you're obsessed with the Christy Miller series, you'll love this Sierra instalment. Robyn Jones Gunn is my favourite author-I own almost all her books. I started reading her books in grade 5 and I still love them and am in grade 12. Anyway, this is a really fun Sierra. Peace out.

Usually i read the Robin Jones Gunn books in one night. This one took 2.It was a good book but somehow it did not have enough how do you say it to me details or maybe to much.So that is why i gave it 4 stars

Hollywood and Sunset is an absolutely splendid novel! I have been cherishing it and savoring it page by page over the past four days, and will be dwelling with it for many years.

Starting with stark details and emotions, Luke Salisbury creates almost immediately an intermixing of time and place--between generations and people and cities and times of life--that is far beyond the ability if not the perception of the transcendentalists he invokes, such as Emerson and Whitman. Everything reverberates against everything else in the novel, with Antietam providing a deep base that underlies everything until even it is lifted away to a new level in the final pages. It is a novel that moves me deeply, saddens me, and elates me. The images are stunning, and the layers of symbolism and imagism are laid one on top of another as the layers of an onion skin.

I feel as though I have been sitting in a room of shifting shadows listening to a complex discussion between Emerson, Nathaniel West, Faulkner, Fitzgerald and a few others, with Hemingway maybe nodding his head in one or twice to bark out something. Probably Doctorow is sitting there in the shadows too, though this is much more clear of image than his works. And my own darn life is in that room talking with them also. Mr. Salisbury has the ability to have made this an intensely personal reflective experience. It ends as a terribly real and uplifting experience within the electronic shades and shadows we have erected our current civilization of commerce upon. A man is a man for a' that and a' that, as Burns would have said.

I expect that he is already talking with one studio or another about having this attempted as a film as well. If not, he should do so.

Henry Harrison has made it his life's work to destroy his high-profile enemy, filmmaker D.W. Griffith.

A writer for the Atlantic Monthly, Harrison blindly risks his marriage, his relationship with his son, and the business he shares with his wife, to pursue his misguided passion. But when his wife tells him she is having an affair on the same day he is to come face-to-face with Griffith, Harrison's world is suddenly turned upside down.

A historic novel set in the early twentieth century, Hollywood and Sunset tells the dramatic story of a man who, when faced with losing everything, comes to discover that his only true nemesis lies within himself.

Luke Salisbury, author of several works of fiction and non-fiction, including The Cleveland Indian and Blue Eden, writes for a sophisticated audience with a penchant for fine detail. His characters are interesting, well-developed and extremely engaging.

Armchair Interviews says: The story is vivid, theatrical, and full of emotion--a truly brilliant literary work.

Luke Salisbury's novel utilizes the historical fiction approach typified by Gore Vidal to detail the encounter between an Eastern critic and the notorious director of BIRTH OF A NATION. The opening chapters lead one to expect another chapter in the tedious history of "Griffith bashing" whereby one film has led an over-critical evaluation of the director's other works. But, instead, the author supplies not just a recreation of 1916 Hollywood and its contemporary players but two leading characters affected by deep-rooted prejudices, one of whom will change remarkably by the end of the novel while the other will, at least, recognize his limited perspectives. HOLLYWOOD AND SUNSET thus becomes an engaging early twentieth century comedy of manners dealing with recognizable characters trapped within their own particular ideological perspectives but who, sometimes, have the chance of transcending them. This is a really interesting achievement demanding wider readership and recognition.

Have you ever read an historical novel and wondered what its protagonists were really like? Are you interested in Hollywood and how the place got its start 90 years or so ago? Then read Luke Salisbury's "Hollywood and Sunset." You'll find that D.W. Griffith and his star, the luscious Lillian Gish, were just as outrageous (and hot) as today's denizens of LaLa Land. And you will come away from this page turner wanting to put your hands on Griffith's early film classics "Birth of a Nation" and "Intolerance."

I highly recommend Salisbury's novel. But be warned, its racy in places and probably not the best gift for your maiden aunt!

I don't normally read contemporary fiction, but I went through Luke Salisbury's novel in one sitting and enjoyed every page of it. Its vivid characters -- Howard Gaye, the English actor who dresses like Jesus and behaves like Lothario; the sweetly enigmatic actress Lillian Gish; and Harry Harrison, the narrator, who tries out many roles in his life but who fears he's stuck playing a cuckold -- and rich, authentic period (1916) detail give Hollywood and Sunset its flavorsome charm. But it's Harry's pixilated, often misguided but ultimately successful quest for redemption that resonates with this reader: here's a guy who does just about everything wrong but comes out all right. There's hope for us all, I guess.

This is a great story. Does anybody know the email address of the author John Blumenthal? I want to get in touch with him. Thanks for a great book.

I thought I knew everything about Hollywood High until I read this book. It not only brought back many fine memories of my days there (1952 to 1955) but opened my eyes to the wonderful history this school has. It also brought me up-to-date on what happened after I left. The book covers the years 1903 through 1986.

I am proud to say I was a student at Hwd High, class of W'67. There are facts in this book that I didn't know even though I lived in Hollywood all my teenage life. I know there are many other alumni that would be interested in this book. I think the publishers should come out with a second printing. "Hail To Thee Our Alma Mater". Hail Shieks and who could forget the QUAD and the Sticky Buns from the HASH Lines. My class was the last to have a dress code of dresses. NO PANTS. Thanks and please try to find another copy for me, My copy has been passed around alot. Thanks.Maxine

A must for all serious HHS reunion junkies....but Blumenthal got the picture wrong on the great tree slaughter that occurred circa 1958....several trees were cut down (saw 'em myself one foggy morning upon arriving at school), not just one, so I won't mention the one famous person movie star who Blumenthal attributed this "prank" too. I am ordering several copies as gifts to my reunion junkie classmates. Bill Larson, HHS '59

It's unfortunate that students weren't taught the proud history of Hollywood High School while attending this great school. This was fascinating reading. I've always "bragged" about being a graduate of HHS. I guess I'll just have to brag more now.

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.

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!

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.