California Books

Even though I finished reading "The Wentworths," I'm still laughing! Kate Arnoldi's creative, well-written satire is a brilliant insider's peek at the lives of the extremely wealthy and depraved.

While each of the characters has his/her own quirks - Mr. Wentworth's philandering with women more than half his age and alcoholism; Mrs. Wentworth's narcissism and innocence-in-bliss naievete; Conrad Wentworth's misogyny and potential murderous rage coupled with his superiority complex; Becca Wentworth's drug use, anorexia and control complex from failing to live up to her mother's expectations; her husband Paul's passiveness; Little Joey's Kleptomania; Monica's drug use and hatred towards her mother; and Norman Wentworth's Peter Pan Syndrome, drug use, and oddball behavior - they are incredibly life-like and it is easy to feel empathy, especially since each of their stories are autobiographical at times.

The book is written from varying perspectives which enables the author to show-off her ability to write from many different "voices" -she is truly a gifted novelist. Additionally, the author teeters the fine line between the downright funny and the depressingly sad in such a way that the result is uplifting and the reader laughs at the family, while managing to feel empathetic towards them, which is an incredibly difficult result to achieve.

I am looking forward to readiner more from this highly talented writer and recommend this book for everyone!

Katie Arnoldi is one of my favorite writers. In "The Wentworths" she tops her impressive debut with an even better, more complex and more deftly handled narrative (and this is from someone who loved "Chemical Pink.").

Her ability to juggle POV and keep the story riveting, no matter who the focal character is makes this a memorable, wonderfully done novel, both story and craft wise. Katie Arnoldi is one of the best writers working today. Her prose has the effortless lapidary precision of Joan Didion when Didion is on her game. You should get this book. I'm going to re-read it and I can't wait for the next one.

The Wentworth's is a great book for lying on the beach and passing the time. It has short chapters, so you can just take a few moments and enjoy a quick passage and not get interrupted in the middle. It is a little too short and ends abruptly. I was left wanting to hear the next chapter in the Wentworth's lives.

A well written story weaving the voices (and craziness) of many different characters.Fun and weird at the same time. Easy to get into and easy to identify with at least one of the Wentworths. Enjoy!

It's been way too long since Katie Arnoldi gave us "Chemical Pink," but I have to say it was worth the wait. With "The Wentworths," Arnoldi widens her lens to take in much more of contemporary LA than in her first novel (and just for a little extra fun, drags along the odious Charles Worthington - apparently recovered from his inglorious fate at the end of "Chemical Pink" - and gives him a cameo). We get to peek into lots of (totally) dark and (wildly) hilarious corners of SoCal, thanks to the wanderings of the vast and depraved Wentworth family. (What do they have? Everything!! What do they want? More!!) If you've lived here long enough - and I'm just a tad ashamed to admit that I have - you're bound to know people who remind you of each member of the cast. But I doubt that you've imagined them as fully or as sharply as Arnoldi has, or could tell their stories with as much wicked delight. I've just finished "The Wentworths" - in one extended sitting - and would like to write a much longer and more laudatory review, but instead I must one-click a copy of "America's 50 Greatest Small Towns," then phone the movers. Bravo, Katie.

Where the Money Is, is a collection of true stories featuring some of the most unusual and thought provoking crimes in what is described by the author as The Bank Robbery Capital of the World - Los Angelinos, the City of Angels.

Charting the rise of street gangs, hardcore villains, down and out debutantes, sheer opportunists, muscle-bound psychopaths, and brilliantly sophisticated tunnelers, Where The Money Is, is a breathtaking rocket trip of the world of bank robbery as seen through the eyes of the former head of the FBI Bank Robbery division, William Rehder.

A hugely entertaining, dynamite whirlwind speed ride, Where The Money is, is a fascinating insight into a world that, for the majority of us, is simply the subject of movies and TV. Written in a wonderfully accessible style with the vigour, sensitivity, and passion of a man whose life's mission has been to make the world a better place, Where the Money Is is totally and utterly enthralling right down to the mind blowing final chapter.

Non judgemental in his assessment of the motives for bank robbery, Rehder's masterpiece is a comprehensive and refreshingly objective take on a world of crime and for the first time I was disappointed that the author didn't go into more detail about himself (most of these types of books seem to be screaming "ME ME MEEEE, look how great I am and how I had to struggle!!! Not the case with Where The Money Is) but of course that's because he has the humility to recognise that the these stories are about a bigger picture than just one person. I would love to meet this man. Praise too, to Gordon Dillow.

It's clear that there's respect there for some of these people - perhaps the ones who ended up in the criminal world through unfortunate circumstances beyond their own control, but there's also a sense of duty that is from the heart of a true hero.

My one and only criticism was that once I'd read it I wanted more. If this book was 50 times as big, it still wouldn't be enough. William Rehder's Where The Money Is is amazing. I can't praise it enough, because I was blown away by it.

Outstanding. Truly one of the best true crime books I have ever read. I felt like I was sitting having a beer with the authors and they were talking to me as a friend and sharing an inside view on bank robbery in LA. Funny, with "cop talk" and a tremendous amount of insight into the characters involved - cops and criminals. Definitely tells you about the who,how, and why, and it is FASCINATING. I was riveted after just the first few pages and looked forward to every minute I could grab to read it. And just to make sure I didn't miss a thing, I'm going to open it back to the first page and start all over again. I really can't convey what a good book this is.... I highly recommend it.

A very entertaining read on several different bank robberies in the L.A. metro area. Rehder and Dillow have a very humorous and witty tone to their writing and it makes for a fast read.

A fascinating look into the minds of the robbers as well as the F.B.I. Agents and LAPD Officers who pursue and catch them. It is trite to say, but neither I nor my wife could put this down. Having lived in LA at the time of some of these cases, I found that this book was a great look behind the scenes and headlines of some of the most riveting true crime tales in that ever seedy and sorted town. Buy this book !

in our media-saturated audio-visual age when most shows are crime dramas or reality shows (there should be a law prohibiting some of those shows), it comes as a welcome relief to read this live-action real-life tale about one very good guy (natch, the FBI co-author), and many bad guys who rob banks. You can learn more from this anecdotal-laced memoir than a years's worth of law & order episodes. I felt that I got good education about how banks operate and foil thiefs. I got an equally good education on how the FBI tracks down their sticky finger prey. All the action takes place in L.A. which is the bank robbery capital of the world. You can take that to the bank...

So, I asked a sort of pen pal of mine who lives in Scotland what people there think of my country and she recommended I check out Xenophobe's. There happened to be one more specific based on geography though so I bought this one instead. Now my friend told me that, more or less, the US is far below her and her cohorts favorite country ... big surprise. That should have set the mood for what to expect when I got to finally read this book, however, I was expecting something a bit detailed and factual, perhaps even a few hundred pages thicker. My expectations set the stage for the disappointment I got after I read Xenophobe's.

Yes, it is written by a native californian who has traveled more extensively within this state than I have. No, he does not speak very highly of my/our homeland. Yes, it is what I should have expected to read after getting the recommendation from a girl who thinks along the same lines as the author of Xenophobe's - that is to say that Californians are, in fact, the stereotype that everybody thinks we are. In that respect the book succeeds.

Perhaps it is just me but throughout this book the author seemed to be either focusing entirely on Los Angeles or succumbing to the average stereo-typical perception of what Californians are like. Almost during the entire course of reading it felt like he was writing about a land completely foreign to the one I know. To make it worst, there were constant contradictions and even worse he used words like all, most, and entirely far to frequently, and, without giving near enough reasons for the readers to want to believe him.

A good book if you want to read what outsiders think of California.

A moderately okay book if you would like to read about the dramatized and overly publicized California.

A terrible book if you would like to read about what California is like for those Californians who aren't drug induced idiots, gang bangers, movie moguls and their disciples, or who just don't live in Los Angeles.

If this is what all of the Xenophobe books are like then I don't see much benefit in reading them. Good day sir!

This 60+ page guide to the Californians is a delight! A unique combination of witty, tongue-in-cheek comments and factual information about California culture, history and geography makes for a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to natives and foreigners alike!

I began reading this book on my lunch break at work -- laughing out loud from the start! After work, I read it while walking to my car and while stopped at traffic lights on the drive home. Now, if that isn't a ringing endorsement! I've been to the Golden State a few times and I can vouch that the author describes Californians to a "T". This is a witty and insightful book that will be enjoyed even if you have no plans to visit. It's a lot of fun, give it a read!

I am a Californian, and I loved this little book that is filled with fact and wit that had me laughing out loud. The character differences between the Northern and Southern Californians were hilarious. All of the stereotypes of the golden state were well illustrated. This is a great gift for every Californian, those who visit California, or anyone who would just like a few laughs.

Wow!! California has been analyzed and humorized in this delightful book that will keep you laughing from beginning to end. Mr. Marais doesn't miss a beat as he rattles off one quip after another about this culture of characters that even Hollywood couldn't dream up! From pampered pooches to personal growth weekends, from smog alerts to freeway traffic jams, California has set itself up for this author's hilarious take on the "sunshine state". Enjoy!!

This is a great source for Yosemite Big Walls. It provides valuable information including strategies, ratings with relative comparisons to other big wall routes, approaches, precise topos, optimum belays and bivy locations, pitch-linking possibilities, weather/seasonal factors, and descent routes. For those interested in Yosemite Big Wall history, there is a section devoted to the pioneers of Yosemite Big Wall climbing that is quite interesting. All in all, a great book for Yosemite's Big Walls. Thumbs up!!

Yosemite's best in painstaking detail -- a truly outstnading resource !

These topos are the best on the planet!

They are so detailed they allowed me to relive most of the hard or akward sections on the wall, occasionally even describing a single move. With the supertopos you can be ultimately prepared, as they include to what extent "clean routes" depend on fixed gear and what to bring if some of it rips out.

Real wall-rats/purists might feel that it removes some of the adventure, but then again you don't have to read everything and there is still plenty adventure left. Also the stories of the first ascents and histories of the climbs make it the ultimate guide, and even a good read.

Reading it got me so psyched up that I can hardly wait for my next "Big Wall" trip.

I can only hope that the other supertopos (e.g. free climbs) will be just as good.

This is hands down the best climbing guide I have ever purchased. Not only does McNamara replace the ambiguous beta from past books with straight-up ratings and tips, he also provides entertaining history and profiles to get you psyched. I also recommend "The Road to The Nose" book that Chris sells on his site ...

This book sets new standards for climbing guides. The production values are superb, and the information contained detailed and informative. If you're even thinking of climbing a big wall in Yosemite, buy this book. If you're a guidebook author, or thinking of becoming one, buy this and imitate it.

Fun romp featuring repo men (and women) of DKA as heroes versus gypsy clans. The king of American gypsies has died, and the clans from around the US are vying to have their leader be selected as the new king. To this end, they are stealing Cadillacs left and right in order to show up in the proper style at the big gathering where the new king will be selected. Lots of fun to be had as Gores skillfully describes scam after scam after scam, both by the gypsies and the repo men. Both groups are sympathetically portrayed for the most part, and the background detail about modern gypsy life is interesting in its own right.

This book is full of heroes on all sides as DKA agents and gypsies strive to outwit each other throughout a very funny story. 32 CADILLACS is the best entry in the entertaining DKA series.

This book explores the world of gypsies, scamps and thieves and the offbeat group of Private Investigators who pursue them.

Always planning the next con, theft or bunko, a band of gypsies in San Francisco pull off a perfect crime. Using four branches of the same bank, slick tactics and phone banks, a group of gypsies manages to steal 32 cadillacs, all in the same day.
Facing a million dollar loss, the bank hires DKA, a local PI firm, to recover the stolen cars. Tipped off that a gang of gypsies was responsible, the DKA operatives, or repomen, start a chase that follows the cars across the US. Using very unconventional methods this quirky band of PIs, who are rejects and misfits, must use their wiles to "outcon the cons."

What makes this story really outstanding is the background tale of the gypsy life, description of how the cons are done and the plotting of the PIs to get the cars back. There is lots of action too including breakneck chases and escapes, including one where a DKA agent must leap into a car while his rear is filled with buckshot.

My favorite character is Ken Warren, a repoman with such a severe speech impediment that he barely communicates. But with extraordinary skills in hunting down and absconding with cars that no one else can get, he earns the respect of his fellow DKA agents.

A fun ride which I highly recommend.

... I found it to be a nice treat.

It was an interestinglook at the workings of the repoman and an enlightning look at the gypsy lifestyle.

The members of the DKA agency were wonderfully drawn characters...very Runyon-esque. The gypsy characters could not have been more colorful. The plots and sidebars were neatly tied together.

There is a lot of humor mixed in with the crime, trackdowns, deceptions, double dealings and repo procedural. This would make a great movie. The action never stops and Mr. Gores does a great job of putting the reader inside the mind of the players.

"32 Cadillacs" was very entertaining and my initial Joe Gores book. I feel like I have discovered a new writer and look forward to more fun reads by Joe Gores.

Why Joe Gores isn't a better known author is a complete mystery to me. Ok, Ok, he's won 3 Edgar Awards and all, but still you don't hear his name mentioned too often when asking for recommendations. His DKA Files series are full of action, humour, cons and scams and in short are pure entertainment. Well, no matter, I've discovered him now and I'm here to tell you that the series, and 32 Cadillacs in particular, is one that's not to be missed.

For the first time, the DKA Agency is pitted in a head-to-head battle with San Francisco's Gypsy community following a Gypsy scam that had netted a grand total of 31 Cadillacs. This is a once-in-a-lifetime job, recover the 31 Caddys for a nicely negotiated fat fee. But the Gypsies are crafty specialists of the long con and are exceedingly difficult to track down, so the recovery process will require the DKA team to use every resource available as well as every underhanded trick in the book.

To give you a head start, I'll introduce you to the central DKA characters. They are, Dan Kearny, Giselle Marc, Patrick O'Bannon, Larry Ballard and Bart Heslip. And two new characters are added to the staff, Trin Morales, a sleazy Latino who failed on his own as a PI, and Ken Warren, the genius carhawk with a killer speech impediment. Both bring tremendous dimension and entertainment to the DKA team.

But the real stars of the book are the Gypsies, colourful in character as well as in their various ingenious scams. Although they're such big thieves that they'd make a kleptomaniac look like a saint, you can't help but like them and hope that every now and then they'll catch a break.

Joe Gores is an author who has walked the walk, having been an agent in the real life DKA Agency. His first-hand knowledge and experience is apparent as his agents work through their cases. Rumour has it that the Larry Ballard could very well be modelled on Gores himself.

As a final word, if there are any Donald Westlake fans out there who have read and enjoyed his Dortmunder book Drowned Hopes, I would urge you to read this one too with a brilliant crossover of storylines. This book was an absolute pleasure to read and, I know it's a much-overused catch phrase but I would term it a "must read book".

I have enjoyed reading this well written book and learning about the scientists and volunteers who are working to restore the species. Science got a little short shrift, which is probably nice for many readers. I learned a lot anyway. Though I did not always agree with the author's opinions, I think this is an important book and may help reduce the general ignorance about the fate of the American Chestnut, something everyone really ought to know about.

I have read a number of books in the genre of environmental science or nature that missed the mark for me when it came to explaining the science of the problem. This book was perfect. Some books spend too much time on personalities - again perfect and seemingly balanced. My only minor complaint was that I didn't need so much preaching about why I should care about the chestnut. I do! This book exceeded my expectations and I truly learned something from it.

I work in plant pathology which sparked my interest in this topic. This book is written by a non-scientist and it is very well researched and full of interesting stories of many of the people affected by, and dedicated to saving the American Chestnut. I would recommend it to anyone interested in US history or biology or just looking for a good read.

As a biologist with an intense avocational interest in the American Chestnut, I planted nearly a hundred seeds on my property in PA way back in 1972. After 8 years of beautiful growth, the blight hit them. I joined the American Chestnut Foundation and discovered a hypovirulent chestnut on my property that I shared with professionals studying the blight fungus. But my interest in chestnuts waned, in part because of the ACF's backcrossing program, until I read Susan Freinkel's marvelous book! The people I knew only as names became personalities--Burnham, Rutter, Hebard--and she introduced me to others, such as Gary and Lucille Griffen, whose work she described finally explained to me why the hypovirulent inoculants I applied to my chestnuts back in 1980 didn't help at all. It's the combination of genetic resistance with hypovirulence that is needed. What an eye opener and what a fantastic book she has written, one that has rekindled my youthful interest in restoring the role of the American Chestnut. Her book supports the huge role natural history plays in producing good science. Passion for a species is a natural element in knowing it.

As an avid amateur botanist, it is rare when an informative AND interesting book on plants is published. But this the case here. Freinkel speaks with an informative and lyrical voice, making one ponder the tragedy of the loss of this truly magnificent tree. I'm very glad to see this lovely book published, and hope more writers follow Freinkel's example.

A considerable amount of history during the early Middle Ages was written by Middle Easterners, and their scholarship should be taken seriously, as shown in this book. There is a lot of information appropriate to the issues in the region even now. See other reviews in the resource library at civilsociety dot seedwiki

As other reviewers have noted, this book is an engrossing, highly informative text, that is (generally) quite an easy read. It can be gory and propagandistic at times, as some have noted. Overall, it's a very good digest of Muslim narratives of several key events.

The main drawback is that I would not consider this a stand-alone book, particularly on a lot of the convoluted political arrangements - I'd suggest Wasserman's "Templars & the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven" for that - and I really don't think one can get the full understanding of the Muslim mentality in fighting the Crusaders from it. For that I'd suggest al-Sulami's "Way of Sufi Chivalry" (for those on a budget) or preferably Sabzawari's "Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry" (for those who aren't) to get into the mindset of the Muslim warriors. For while "Arab Historians" includes a lot personal commentary from the authors, these last two books were written as guides for the emirs and warriors, and once reading them one gets the feeling that "Arab Historians" was written by some military public relations officer.

Still a highly recommended, enjoyable read, though.

Once you've read the popular histories of the Crusades, and your appetite for the original source materials has been whetted by the excerpts in Payne, Runciman, etc., you will want this book. It's THE source reader for the Arab perspectives, better in many ways than The Crusades Through Arab Eyes (Maalouf). You get the flavor of the culture as well as their particular slant on the events and personalities. And the snarky footnotes can be delicious!

A very good source, especially for those who have read about the Crusades and understand the context of the writings. This book is not an overview of the crusades or of a single crusade; it is selections from the writings of Arabic historians placed in a chronological order. Easy to read, detailed and engrossing; both useful and enjoyable.

A good book. It has many parallels with accounts of the original Muslim invasions and subsequent 700 year occupation of most of the Iberian (Spain/Portugal) Penninsula. Due to this initial Muslim invasion and occupation of Christian Europe, the Christian Crusades were launched into Spain and the Holy Land. Same story in the Balkans and Anatolia with the Seljuk and Ottoman Turk invasions of those Christian lands. First hand accounts of events always make for good reading. A good book, unfortunately I lost it.

The word artificial originally meant "artful, crafty." That's an apt description of ARTIFICIAL IMAGINATION, which blends art, craft, and wit into a narrative that teaches us life lessons that we did not knew we knew.
-- Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2JQ1EBHV3YOR6 Great book, nice splash of humor--high quality photos! I specially like the love story at the end.

Here are some links to photo posters and calendars from the book and promotional T-shirts:
Scenic City and Boat Photo Poster
University of Washington Photo Poster
Seattle Secenic Sunset Photograph
Seattle Secenic Photograph
Thonging At the Beach
San Francisco Scenic Union Square Photo Poster
Pike Place Market Photo Print
Beach Hotties Poster

This book transcends genre -- it's a good collection of memoirs, entertaining style, nice splash of humor, an extremely detailed travelogue with beautiful photographs, a good description of technology, a touch of Science Fiction (since it is purportedly written by a Artificial Imagination program) and suffused with philosophical musings.

Even though it's obviously written by a Technologist, the book is very human. It is primarily about the immigrant experience, but Kalpanik is extremely observant and has an eye to look for the unusual, notice what stands out and build humorous side of people, places and his own life.

Wonderful! one can feel a touch of his bitter-sweet experiences but one is encouraged by his ability to find humor everywhere.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CJDZRIOJJIFN Kalpanik's writing is down to earth, funny, witty and smart. He chronicles his journey of self-discovery with an amazing detail and humor. His coverage of the various places he has been to--UC Davis, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and Nashville-- was informative and enjoyable, and so were his jokes around them. I recommend this book to anyone looking for light reading, specially busy professionals who do not have time to read a whole book in one straight session but want to read one entertaining a chapter at a time.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3T5IX83S8N7DX Light reading, but very engaging! Entertaining and excellent for busy professionals since you can read it chapter at a time and still enjoy it!

The word artificial originally meant "artful, crafty." That's an apt description of ARTIFICIAL IMAGINATION, which blends art, craft, and wit into a narrative that teaches us life lessons that we did not knew we knew.
-- Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3MNQP39J0TE6R Great book, will make you laugh, smile, giggle, chuckle, giggle, crack up, guffaw and generally have a good time. Extremely nice photos. And it is actually very thoughtful, one can quickly see through the pretended thoughtlessness. Here are some posters and calendars with the high resolution versions of the book:
Scenic City and Boat Photo Poster
University of Washington Photo Poster
Seattle Secenic Sunset Photograph
San Francisco Scenic Union Square Photo Poster
Nashville Tug Boat on Cumberland River Photo Poster
Pike Place Market Photo Print
"Playing Guitar" Photo Poster
San Diego Scenic Waterfront Poster

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R27056TEI8N6A9 his book transcends genre -- it's a good collection of memoirs, entertaining style, nice splash of humor, an extremely detailed travelogue with beautiful photographs, a good description of technology, a touch of Science Fiction (since it is purportedly written by a Artificial Imagination program) and suffused with philosophical musings.

Even though it's obviously written by a Technologist, the book is very human. It is primarily about the immigrant experience, but Kalpanik is extremely observant and has an eye to look for the unusual, notice what stands out and build humorous side of people, places and his own life.

Wonderful! one can feel a touch of his bitter-sweet experiences but one is encouraged by his ability to find humor everywhere.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3HI11PJUYIZVJ Kalpanik's writing is down to earth, funny, witty and smart. He chronicles his journey of self-discovery with an amazing detail and humor. His coverage of the various places he has been to--UC Davis, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and Nashville-- was informative and enjoyable, and so were his jokes around them. I recommend this book to anyone looking for light reading, specially busy professionals who do not have time to read a whole book in one straight session but want to read one entertaining a chapter at a time.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2K9BD305H2ISE Very entertaining and engaging. Author is able to take a relatively mundane topic and make it interesting. Excellent for busy professionals looking for light reading since you can read it a chapter at a time and not lose the thread.

This book has everything a casual offroader or overlander would want (this book does not cover the hardcore break stuff, tear up your rig trails). Great descriptions of the trails and the road surface you be riding on. Great turn bu turn directions to each trail with GPS coordinates! Also explains some of the history and highlights of the trail and rates all trails for remoteness and beauty. Interesting book just to read for fun. There is no better off road book available!

After being transplanted to Southern California from the Northwest, I felt hemmed in, separated from all things natural. Backcountry Adventures has helped to change that. It's a wonderful guide to exploring the region.

The hefty book begins with a historical, botanical and geographic guide to the region, highlighting Southern California's explorers, settlers, missionaries, bandits, flora, fauna and more. It then moves into the individual descriptions of off road routes.

The book is geared towards exploring Southern California's outdoors with a 4WD and might disappoint the Glamas crowd who is focused doing awesome things in their trucks. But, for those of us looking to justify the excess of our SUV's with some exploration, it's perfect.

Each route guide begins with a simple rating guide which rates the trail on a number of qualities like driving difficulty and remoteness, then moves into a description of its history and the history of the region it explores. Next comes a description of the route itself, and then a detailed turn by turn guide with GPS coordinates.

The only real complaint I have with this book is that sometimes routes can be difficult to find without reading through the entire guide. It does contain a few "20 most scenic routes" and whatnot lists, but includes no way to find, say, the most remote routes in the book.

The other thing I'd suggest to improve the book is an accompanying website with downloadable GPS coordinates and user comments. Typing in the coordinates for a route is needlessly time consuming, and being able to download them from the internets would be wonderful. Hearing feedback from other drivers would also be great.

All in all, this book has helped to liberate me from the urban sprawl of Southern California, and for that I'm very grateful.

Tons of info, loads of great photos show you clearly what to expect on each trail. I'll be buying the Northern Cali book next.

I've been using this book for close to a couple years now. While I don't consider myself a novice to off-roading, I definitely don't fall into the rock-crawling group, preferring to use my 4x4 to simply get me to new and out-of-the-way places when time permits. Thus far it has proven to be an excellent resource for quick weekend off-roading getaways and for reading up on new trails to explore. In fact, I've enjoyed this book so much I wound up buying two others as gifts for family and friends. The photos and overviews of each trail definitely help give a good feel for what to expect. If you're a techno-geek like me, being able to plot a computer-generated map using the detailed GPS coordinates will prove highly invaluable (though I have discovered a few critical--though easily identifiable and correctable--errors in the coordinates), and with a handheld GPS I don't need to worry about the often-unusual orientation of the printed maps. For those of us who love exploring, this book will make a fantastic resource.

I bought this, and another book about place to go off-roading in so-cal. This book is like the bible of southern California.
Not only does it have extensive trail location and info, it is a virtual encyclopedia of So-Cals towns, cities, how they got their start. In addition it has extensive info on native species, of plants and animals, important founders of California, and much more. I would definitely recommend it.