California Books

I loved this novel. Miller tells a poignant tale of a city and its drifting people; it's a wonderful mixture of philosophy, musings interwoven wth fascinating bits of little known San Diego history. Poetic, passionate, and transcendant, Drift is a truly unique, beautifully written book that includes art and photography--a rare, literary find.

I found this to be a lively and engaging read. The city of San Diego (sometimes viewed as America's blandest city) is as much a character in the novel as are the various people wandering through the city and through their lives - trying to make sense of the world. Various characters are always seraching for something - whether it is beauty or another fix or the capacity to forget. One of the strongest aspects of this novel is the way that it reaches out beyond the two central characters to tell of a multitude of stories - of the cities new immigrants, homeless people, suburbanites, academics. In that sense, the novel reflects that which is best about cities in general - the way different types of people are always rubbing up against each other.

I had the pleasure of seeing Jim Miller read from Drift accompanied by a jazz trumpet one night. Imagining a slow-tempo jazzy soundtrack, kind of moody and introspective, is almost impossible not to do while reading Drift. It is meditative and insightful, yet there is something on every page that makes you chuckle.

Drift is fascinating because of its expirimentation with perspective; we get to see a lot of what Joe Blake and Theresa Sanchez are thinking, stream-of-conscience-like (and without an overly self-conscious narrator that sometimes "invades" S-of-C-like books) but also other characters that subliminally inter-twine with each other throughout the narrative as well.

In a set of chapters, for example, two separate people -- an older man and an older woman -- experience the same city, some of the same places, on the same day, even crossing paths -- yet they have totally different experiences and feelings.

This book is great for procrastinating during mid-terms, reading for sobriety, remembering not to take yourself too seriously...etc.

Highly recommended.

"Drift" is Jim Miller's first novel. His previous publications include "Better to Reign in Hell: Inside the Raiders Fan Empire" (with Kelly Mayhew) and "Under the Perfect Sun: The San Diego Tourists Never See" (with Mike Davis and Kelly Mayhew).

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The central narrative of "Drift" concerns a romance between teacher Joe Blake and his former student, Theresa Sanchez. Many other narrative strands are introduced, serving to locate Joe and Theresa within a web of social (class, ethnicity, etc.) relations, and to generate the illusion of urban simultaneity. The central narrative is quite effective; the sense of these character's seeking a better life through mutually shared extremes of experience is skillfully drawn by Miller, without lapsing into overt sentimentality or pathos: the desperate nature of their social realities is presented as a concrete fact, yet it never overdetermines their autonomy and presence as individuals.

There is also a fairly long section concerning Joe's "drift" through urban San Diego that climaxes with a sublime appreciation of urban ambience via its architecture that is very well done, and is quite evocative of the sorts of guided experiential epiphanies that Situationist theory might indicate.

Also very skillfully handled is the inclusion of a Left social history of San Diego (this in italicized passages strategically located throughout the text), which provides a specific context of historical agency in which to locate these various narrative strands, and also in a sense accomidates Jameson's critique of the uniquely ahistorical nature of contemporary society, of which San Diego, a city sleepwalking through time, is an almost absurdly postmodern example.

Reading the novel does suggest some questions regarding intended audience; it would be far too easy, in my appreciation, to regard "Drift" as of a species of local novel, one in which the setting is so suggestive as to overwhelm the more universal aspect of its core themes and concerns. That said, there are some intensely felt pleasures to be found here for local readers: a pround sense of place generative of a way to "read," understand and act within these sometimes seemingly oblique, ephemeral and sun-dazed urban spaces.

This book shows photographic and published documents about global warming stemed from devastation, pollution, and careless attitude of humans concerning the exploitation of world natural resources. Photos and citations of data obtained from several publications make up a good source of information on this subject. Photos taken of the same natural locality aiming to compare the conditions of such areas after some period of time, should present specification of time of the year they were both taken (the reader supposes they were both taken in the same month or season!).This book would worth more in economical and ecological terms if it had come out in paperback!

Very important topic clearly presented. Photographs prove the losses the planet is suffering and man's wanton disregard for the deterioration. The photographs are extraordinarily beautiful, the yin and yang of this issue.

This book shows people being affected by climate change now, and give them a voice in both words and pictures. Scientists give reports about how climate change impacts all aspects of our survival. You will be given ideas of how to make a personal impact about climate change. Readers with prior knowledge and those just starting out will both enjoy this book.

Did you know they've moved the lighthouse on Cape Hatteras 2800 feet back from the shore due to rising sea levels? Me neither, but this is one of a myriad of telling tales Braasch brings into play to sound the alarm about global warming. He literally circled the globe--east to west and north to south--to gather information and photos for this book. He then combines these with easy-to-read narrative in a large-format work to tell the tale of a changing world.

Braasch's research is meticulous, and he goes out of his way to note dissenting views, but the conclusions are crisp and clear as a warming Arctic winter day--the planet is getting hotter and this can only mean trouble. If you have time to read one book on the current reality and looming consequences of global warming, this is it.

Sample info from Earth Under Fire: Stand-by mode of electronic gadgets consumes 6 percent of US electricity--one coal-fired electrical generation plant produces as much CO2 as 1.5 million cars--coal power plant pollutants kill 24,000-30,000 US citizens every year--and 10 times that many Chinese.

We love to hike and found this book to be fun and easy to read. The directions to the hikes are very precise and clear. We just bought the book and have already gone on three of the hikes.

Me and my family love to hike and evey weekend we are always trying out new places. When trying out new trails we had no idea what to expect. But now with this book we are able to find great trails with beautiful backdrops, and have a good idea of whats instore for us. We always have a good idea where we are going for the weekend and we know what to expect. I hope this book will help you as much as it has helped me and my family.

I bought this book after our daughter was born, to serve as a guide to the great outdoors. The book delivered on its promise, we went on two or three hikes in Yosemite valley with our 3 year old daughter. The descriptions in the book helped us pick the hikes and the directions to the trailhead were very helpful. I have also tried several hikes in the San Franciso bay area and always found the directions to reach the trailhead very helpful.

Have you ever wanted to explore an isolated beach, or walk among towering redwoods, or experience a close encounter with wild tule elk? These things are within the realm of just about any fit person, and with far less effort than one might imagine. Ann Marie Brown's 'Easy Hiking in Northern California' is just that; a guide to fabulous wilderness experiences with minimal effort.

This book has a lot to recommend it. Ms. Brown divides Northern California into 8 separate sections and describes numerous hikes in each area. In addition to local history and natural features, Brown also provides careful directions to each trailhead and a detailed description of the route. Lots of black and white photographs accentuate the text and give the reader an idea of what to expect. An "options" heading describes how readers can further explore the trailhead area.

I just love this approach to hiking. The vast majority of trails in this guide are one to three miles long. If you want more of a workout, you can usually combine two or more of the 111 trips listed in a day. On a recent visit to Point Reyes National Seashore, I planned my day around this book. I have no regrets. My vacation was wonderful and this book will be my first resource on other trips to Northern California.

Finally - a beautifully illustrated and easy to follow guide toward even better health with weight management and corrective health measures. Everything is here, including food suggestions and even grocery lists!
Congratulations on a wonderful presentation!
MJ Franklin

All of us that want to live a healthy lifestyle are always in search of something or someone that can help us to achieve our goals.This book can really help you achieve your goals to eating and living well. I believe you will be motivated by the wealth of information that is contained in this book so you can take the necessary steps to become a more vibrant and healthy individual.

This book is a very helpful tool to use to get your body in to the best health. After incorporating Coreen's wealth of knowledge in to my daily routine, my test results have shown that my body is well on its way to the best health. Eat Right - Your Life Depends On It will become a reference book not far from your daily reach.

This book is full of great suggestions and recipes for eating healthy. It acts a lot like a "workbook" and gives you a place to enter in your daily food intake, along with new recipes for each day. The Grocery List is very helpful, as well. We have incorporated a lot of Coreen's healthy eating habits into our daily lifestyle. My favorite is a quick and delicious smoothie to start the day off right!

Excellent portrait of this facinating King. Highly recommended. Buy the paperback though....$28.00 as opposed to $60.00.

The late Charles D. Ross presents here one of the most readable and interesting presentations of of English monarch ever written. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the king or his era-I used it extensively in my senior thesis!

Edward IV is one of the great enigmas of history. Even how he was able to become King is not self-evident. His seizing the throne was then followed by government marked by occasional brilliance and great folly. For someone who at times was keenly aware of dynastic considerations, his own marriage was the height of folly compounded by giving far too much influence to the Queen's relatives. He gave far too much trust, power and wealth to a few individuals, especially the Earl of Warrick and his traitorous brother Clarence alienating in the process much of the established nobility and wrecking in his early years the King's finances. Overthrown in the course of his reign, he nevertheless succeeded in recapturing the throne in short order and then repairing his fortunes spectacularly. Even so, this was accompanied by the strangest series of preparations for invasion of France, ending in an almost farcical procession in Northern France and a pusillanimous retreat. Lazy, debauched, perceptive and effective-many such adjectives can be applied to him - and all miss the puzzling essence of the man and his reign. What a set of stories could be woven out of this material without clearly capturing the essence of the situation! One cannot help wondering why of the adult kings between Richard II and Henry VII, Edward IV alone did not attract Shakespeare's pen.

Charles Ross wrote a fascinating book on this puzzling ruler, making as clear as the scanty and somewhat unreliable records allow the course of Edward's life and reign, and the various episodes that both fascinate and puzzle. The book (with a short introduction by R.A. Grifffiths rather than a revision by him) proceeds first by laying out the story, and then returning to give separate investigation of various aspects of Edward's rule, such as governance, his relations with the community and his finances. This latter subject is particularly well handled, as is the penultimate chapter on law and order. The story is well told, without excessive pedantry and without any attempt to hide when the record is unclear or the author has had to make large interpretations. One may not really know or understand Edward by the end of the book, but one's feeling is that it is the man himself who escapes capture by the biographer's art, not any weakness of the biographer himself. For those interested in such matters - and this is not light reading - Griffith's biography should prove highly satisfying.

Charles Ross presents an unforgettable tale of the most confusing, uneven and adventurous reign of any king in the English history. Edward IV remains the only king who was able to loose a kingdom and them successfully reclaim the crown. Possessing remarkable talents in administration and warfare, he however managed to bring the treasury to almost complete ruin by the end of his term, and botch the most impressive show of force in France any English king (including Edward III and Henry V) can ever master to assemble. Edward IV lived in the extraordinary age, full with great personalities like Richard Warwick the "Kingmaker", Margaret, the queen of Henry VI, and his own kid brother Richard, future most vilified by Shakespeare king Richard the III.

It is very easy to fell victim to novelized history when relating the events as extraordinary as the events of Edward's reign. Not Charles Ross. He is extremely well researched and versed in the records of the period, and presents the somewhat dry details of the records of the Household and Exchequer, in an interesting way and extremely well cross-referenced. Internal English sources are corroborated by continental and papal records. I would recommend this book to a serious student of history.

Also see Charles Ross's "Richard III" for a mysterious, bloody, and tragically brief concluding reign of Plantagenet dynasty. This one is also highly recommended.

Any history book by Kevin Starr is worth reading. I'm working my way through all of them. He is the greatest California historian ever!

Kevin Starr's continuing work on the history of California since 1850 continues to impress me and fill me with interesting and useful knowledge about the state. Being a resident of the state, it is relatively easy for me to keep following the thread and the meaning of names and locations. I can imagine this would be somewhat more difficult for readers not as familiar with our state. The story of the waterfront strikes in San Francisco and the farming/migrant/labor issues of the 1930s are very compelling and should be easily understood by readers regardless of where they are from. The issues dealing with our water supply and other water management issues as well as those dealing with large public works within the state, can pose a bigger challenge for those readers.

As with his other volumes, Mr. Starr doesn't just give us straight-ahead, factual history. In my view, he is especially good at giving incidental stories about some of the players involved in a way that keeps the reader more interested. Immediately after finishing the book I went to the internet to find out more about people like photographer Dorothea Lange and the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. That is what I ask of books like these: that they teach me about things I don't know much about and that they cause me to follow up and learn more about some of the topics within the book.

One learns reading this particular volume that the current quirkiness of California (governor recalls, liberalism, social diversity) is not something that just developed in the 1970s. We had recall movements back in the 1930s as well and some ugliness comes through regarding racism and discrimination in this state that sometimes thinks so highly of itself in that area. It is truly shameful how we discriminated against all migrant workers, whether of color or the Oakies that came to us from the Dust Bowl. The stories of abuse of power by the police and other government entities were very interesting.

I would love to have every Californian---especially our politicians---read Mr. Starr's work. Most history is slow to read, and this is no exception, but the amounts of knowledge one will get about California, make it worth the while.

This fourth chapter in Starr's "Americans and the California Dream" is the best yet. I was paticularly interested, in what Starr sees as the States battle between the forces of communism and fascism. The text reads like an account of a some great war, following each battle and skirmish throughout the State. I would recommend this work to anyone who is seriously interested in California or Labor history.

I finally got around to reading "The Grapes of Wrath" and was ashamed to realize that the context of the story was all new to me. Right about then, Kevin Starr's book came out and was reviewed in my local paper. He's done a great, steady job of illuminating the rise of the unions and the treatment of the Okies. The only major flaw I found was the lack of a map of California included in the book. I'm from the east coast and found it difficult to keep the place names straight without a ready reference.

This was a great mystery -- kept me entertained all the way through. But I have one question for the author. She referred to the different colors of Monopoly playing pieces: "He sat in the chair that was usually his and placed two pieces on Go. Purple was his father's favorite. He took it for himself and gave his father the yellow." Isn't Monopoly played with the well-known "tokens" -- hat, dog, race car, etc.?

This is a good mystery which is very easy to read. My one dissapointment was Jesse Drake. I'm tired of reading about gorgeous women cops that all the fellow officers harass in some way. I still have to find one book about women on the force which weren't harassed in some ways by the male species. Very tiresome. Still, this book is worth a read.

A friend lent me this book, and thought I would enjoy the plot. I am, I admit, a lover of thrillers and read this in one day.

A strange killer is on the moves (pun intended), and a woman detective (Jessie Drake) must identify him before it is too late. Will Jessie save her sister's marriage, and will she find the Curare Killer before he strikes again... Romance can not be avoided, as in most thrillers, but it at least is plausible and believable. Of course, the inevitable happens, the plot does get a little predictable, nevertheless the suspense is there all the way. Definitely deserves five stars.

I ran across this book and decided to give it a shot even though I wasn't familiar with the author. I was not disappointed. The characters are wonderful and by the end of the book, you feel like you know them all as friends. There are nice twists throughout the book and it never bogs down. It's a great read. I highly recommend it.

So useful for boys who have no father figure in their lives. Almost a guide to identify willing candidates and make sure you have that vital male role model in your life! Even though I have a real, live father, (thanks Dad!) this still tugged at my heartstrings no end, especially the initial scenes when Sweeney's father is dying and he describes his sister's grief about not kissing him goodbye on the fateful day - incredible.

This account of a young man's search for someone to teach him the lessons and values that his dead father could not is a beautifully written, thoughtful book. His style of writing is straightforward and candid, as the struggles of his large, financially-strapped family are detailed. Especially well-drawn are the three men he chooses as father figures, and his strong yet vulnerable mother. It would make a good book to give to a man who may have served this function in your life, or someone in need of a father figure.

Following the devastation of September 11, 2001, the author of the remarkable new memoir, "Father Figures," wrote an online essay to remind Americans of one of the grim realities of that day: the thousands of children who were suddenly left without a parent, and what others could do to help these kids as they made their way from grief to growing up. The response felt by many to that first essay led to the writing of "Father Figures."

Kevin Sweeney knows an unfair amount about this sad subect. His own father passed away when he was three, leaving a loving but now nearly destitute mother to raise six children alone.

The Sweeneys, without a father, husband, provider, faced a grim challenge, but the young boy named Kevin was determined to work his way through the loss.

Each child who loses a parent must inevitably come to terms in his own way, but Sweeney, by some quirky inspiration that only an innocent youth could summon, came up with a novel solution. He would adopt a father; in fact, three. Secretly. Without their knowing it.

His plan was simple: without a father of his own to guide him, he knew something was missing, so to fill in the chasm he would select the best, the wisest men in his small world, watch them, learn from them, but never tell. And bask in their glow when he was brought into their gentle orbits.

His powers of observation as a child serve him well as an adult. Sweeney has rendered wonderfully a world that is so quaintly American, so hopeful, that one wishes to step back into it, if only for a sweet neighborhood picnic, or a summer pick-up baseball game with the kids. A time when an entire suburban block came out to cheer the neighbor girls on their way to the prom. That was all in the outdoor world of youth. Inside was a different story.

They were tough times growing up, and Sweeney brings alive an almost Dickensian tale of the private sacrifices his family endured for years after his father died. Nor does he pull punches when, growing up, he begins to discover some of the flaws of hiw own beloved dad. Refreshingly, Sweeney tells this story without a hint of bitterness. The optimism of a boy who is determined to survive and flourish is alive and well in the grown-up who set out to record his past.

Sweeney has done a remarkable job in showing us how a child navigates, poorly at times, the shifting tides of growing up, the yearnings and fears and disappointments. But also the joys and thrills of the little victories, like learning to hit a curve ball. He is funny, honest and blunt and does not spare even himself from his critical eye, not even when it comes to reliving those inexorably dumb decisions adolescent boys seem driven to make.

Above all, he is a gracious and grateful memoirist, and that spirit rubs off on his readers. He is grateful for these three remarkable men and how they, chosen secretly by a bright, fatherless boy, helped him steer his way. It is a wonderful tribute to them, surrogate fathers who deserve a pat on the back from all of us who read Sweeney's memoir.

Kevin Sweeney has created a whole world in Father Figures, giving us not only a strong portrait of what it is like to grow up without a father, but also of a modern Catholic childhood. His writing and insights are strong and often simply beautiful. He's a wonderful story teller and will keep any reader turning pages long into the night.

I have another, older, copy of this book and have read it several times. This was a replacement for the old one, which is worn out! If you've ever been to Baja, you will totally love hearing Jack and Denny Smith's experiences with purchasing a home there. If you haven't, you will still love hearing the story AND you will want to go there and find your own adventure.

I have traveled to Mexico for over 25 years, and own a home there. This story is only too familiar. I am buying a copy for all of my Mexico loving friends and family.

"God and Mr. Gomez", while not a recent book by a long shot is a timeless read. It is written in the hilareous style that only Jack Smith can pen. You blend in with the characters and it being a true story makes it all the more interesting and satisfying. A great read for summer, or anytime

Both Jack Smith and Mr. Gomez have passed on from this life. Thanks to Jack's gifted writing ability, you can experience the culture, beauty and patience pace still to be found in Baja California. I have been there and seen the house, the road, the federalli check point, the cliffs and the fishing village. I have had the good fortune to have stayed in a home near Jack's and met others who followed Jack's column in the LA Times during those years of construction of his "mansion". I have searched used book stores and bought on-line used copies while new books have not been published since 1997. I am so glad it is back in print so I can recommend it to my friends. Great reading and funny too!

Personally, I think the Peterson Guides are far more helpful than the Audobon publications. As mentioned in other reviews, Peterson uses illustrations organized by color and flower configuration. The illustrations are very well done. Audobon uses photos. The idea is that you match your specimen to the photo it most closely matches and follow further identification from there. The books are complimetary and work well together; however, if you can only choose one-- get the Peterson book. Overall, I have had much better success keying out plants with Peterson and repeatedly have found the plant I am looking for overlooked in the Audobon text. The truth be known, I doubt I will ever buy a Audobon plant book again-- perhaps they are better with birds.

I take this guide (and the Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers-- west) on all my field trips to identify wildflowers. Though Peterson has fewer real photos, it does have better aids to identify specific wildflowers, as it is organized by color, as well as number and types of petals. The sketches help me do a preliminary id on the wildflower.

I like the book and the topic, however the binding is is such bad shape that the book is useless in the field or for a more robust usage. Can this be fixed?

Though this title may be a little pricy, it is a must have for residents of California, Oregon, and Washington. At any rate, any family within which there is a flower collecter, should have a copy of this excellent resource. Though my family originally purchased this title because of a biology project assigned to my daughter, it has since opened up an interesting world of the natural plant life of this area and even those farther away.