California Books

When we lose just a part of our physical or mental being, we can suddenly feel that somehow we are not really ourselves anymore. Dr. Beisser had lost almost his whole physical self, but he shows us so eloquently how to overcome loss by changing his "point of view" both literally and mentally. I have gven a copy of this book to more than one person that I felt by their reading it, it could be of service in some way. I think anyone can benefit form this book, disabled or not and I highly recommend it!!

I'm 25 hispanic female that recently read this book. I just became fascinated for the optimistic attitude and spirit of life that this book has. No words to describe what has done in my life

This is an excellent true story. I think it would be very good for people in the medical and/or caregiving professions to read. Dr. Beisser is very inspirational in his journey to overcome his disability. The concepts in the book that were important to me are those feelings and experiences he relays about being dependent on physical care from nurses and doctors. Specifically, I learned alot from what he said he felt like when they cared for him grudgingly or with indifference; and also how he was affected when they simply would not listen to him. I have taken these words into my life and I always try to remember them when I am caring for someone who is dependent on me. Another important concept is the persistence he embodied. He simply never gave up, even when everybody was telling him to 'throw in the towel'. He did accomplish exactly what he set out to do, despite his obstacles. And finally, the concept of gratitude was BIG in this book. He was grateful even for his disability in the end. As amazing as this sounds, it is a pure and simple truth that we all must be grateful for absolutely everything that happens to us. Dr. Beisser shows the reader this lesson in a big way at the end of the book when he talks about his total acceptance of his circumstances and all the personal growth he has attained from those circumstances.

Arnold Beisser grew up with two life goals: To be a doctor and to be a national tennis champion. At 23, he achieved his first goal; at 24, his second. The year was 1950. Soon after his tennis victory, en route to basic training that would have brought him to Korea as an army doctor, he developed a high fever and was brought to a military hospital. Within 24 hours, he was paralyzed from the neck down. As Beisser puts it, one moment he was a doctor; suddenly he was a patient, requiring an iron lung to breathe. He had contracted polio. This outstanding book examines the funny, sad and philosophical aspects of life with a disability and its social consequences. Particularly fascinating are Beisser's stories of the stigma many people attach to disability. His courtship and marriage, as well as his career as a psychiatrist treating professional athletes, make for compelling reading. Anyone who has struggled in life - because of disability or any other tribulation - will be permanently enriched by this unforgettable memoir.

Having spent a lot of time looking for information on imaginative & fun (and sometimes luxury) travel with kids, I can tell you that this is a really unique book. It is comprehensive, carefully researched and well written with loads of practical tips. Some 'travel with kids' books might as well just be bland advertising copy, this one really provides good editorial content, with positive and critical comments. It is a pleasure to read and we will use it for a long time. Fodor's should publish more of these for other parts of the US/world.

I loved this book and would recommend it to any family wanting to travel in the northeastern United States. The writers offer tips and reviews on places of interest, resorts, and campgrounds in a wide range of prices. In fact, we have visited some of those places and found a brand new vacation prospect in Lake George which we will be trying out this summer! Definitely one of the most informative travel books on the market today -- entertaining even if you do not go to these places.

Very useful book for locals and visitors. We liked the way it gave us recommended age groups and prices. We can now plan ahead places to visit within and on the way to our next holiday area. We have also used it for planning field trips from the school into San Francisco. Easy to use and enjoyable to read.

I've been searching for a book like this for several years and haven't found one that fit the bill until now! I had a great time reading it - so well written - and got more useful information than I'll ever be able to use in one lifetime! Thanks so much to the writers and publishers!

My husband and I have been using this book for a few years and it's wonderful. We live in San Diego County and have done 4 of the hikes in the San Diego chapter. We had trouble finding Barker Valley Falls and Los Penasquitos Falls. We were able to find Cedar Creek Falls (in early 2008), Three Sisters Falls (in early 2007), Cottonwood Creek Falls (in late 2005), Kitchen Creek Falls (in early 2007). The area around Cedar Creek Falls was burned in the Southern California wildfires of 2007 but the waterfall was still very impressive. We drive a Toyota Prius and it was a little nerveracking driving the dirt road to the Cedar Creek Falls trail head but we made it ok.

Although this book is in lackluster black and white and not all chapters have waterfall photos, Brown's descriptions have spunk and her maps are adequate enough to get oriented (though you'll still want to supplement them with Topo! maps).

Even when we're not out in the field, I sometimes catch myself reading chapters in this book spontaneously because of how entertaining and well-written the text is. Indeed, it's easy to lose yourself and envision yourself on the trail through Brown's words eye descriptions.

My wife and I have used this book since 2000 or 2001 visiting about a third of the waterfalls listed within. And we still consult it to visit the state's waterfalls to this day.

We also own other California Waterfall books, and I'd have to say Brown's book is by far the most thorough, useful, and professionally done.

What a wonderful book! Each trail is carefully researched to lead you to an exquisite waterfall. What a treat! You can tell the care that this author takes in researching her material, in hiking each trail, in ensuring that you, too, discover the wonder of waterfalls.

A great gift! Or buy one for yourself.

Just last weekend I went to Monrovia Canyon Falls. Record rainfall this year (2005) has put an end to a multiyear drought and the streams are flowing nicely. The falls in Monrovia Canyon were stunning, and I found myself simply sitting beside them enjoying their wonderful music. This for me is the ultimate in hiking. If you feel the same way, be sure to pick up the new edition of California Waterfalls.

The author, Ann Marie Brown, is arguably the best outdoor writer in California. I have gradually adopted her philosophy that dayhikers enjoy "more smiles per mile" than backpackers as my own. Her approach is always to provide the maximum scenic return for any hike she includes in one of her many guides. And, while there are several outdoor writers producing "peak guides" she is the only one with a waterfall guide. It is a joy to read and even more fun to hike. The main change in the new edition is that hikes are organized now by the same geographic scheme used in California Hiking, a book Brown co-authors with Tom Stienstra. Photos are somewhat sharper as well. I've personally hiked to about 30 of the more than 200 waterfalls she describes and have never been disappointed. You won't be either.

Have been to Napa many times - but was unaware of the many gems this book uncovers - an incredible and fun resource for the food and wine lover! I will be seeking out these finds in the future! Highly recommended.

This book covers all the areas I was interested in learning about before our trip to Napa Valley. The reviews seem unbiased and thoughtful. We had visited Napa 18 years ago and while we already had a few ideas, reservations, etc., this guide gave us even more places to consider. I've "earmarked" so many pages and even took this guide with us. It also includes maps, addresses and phone numbers and/or websites. Some good recipes are in the back. A good companion guide.

As a regular visitor to the Napa Valley for the past 10 years, it's easy to think that one has 'seen it all.'

This book really reminded me what a special place the Napa Valley is, and how much there is to discover. Visitors and locals alike will find something new and interesting that they simply must try.

Take this book with you to the Valley, or read it before you go and find your new 'must try' discovery.

This is a must have for anyone visiting or living in the Napa Valley. Well organized and cleverly composed. I found it most useful for locating the rare-to-find places and foods that make the Napa Valley so unique. It makes a great gift for all the food lovers in your life.

The eating of food has often had a prominent place in literature because it says so much about who's doing the eating. So it's not surprising that this assemblage of well-written academic essays on cuisines and the societies that produce them captures the reader's interest so readily. The diversity of cuisines covered both in geography and time provides a real feel for the diversity of human experience at the table (or at the Neolithic hearth). Professor Freedman's book works either as a coffee table browser or a straight read. I read it cover to cover and enjoyed it all. My own preferences are the chapters on prehistory, ancient Greece and Rome, and the development of the restaurant in the 18th century. The many pictures included are great fun.

I must say I was truly fortunate to receive a pre-publication copy of this exquisite volume. Editor Paul Freedman displays all the literary deftness of an M.F.K. Fisher or Calvin Trillin, without ignoring the analytic depth of gastronomic writing since Brillat-Savarin. An academic historian, Freedman treats the history of cuisine with a refreshing clarity and seriousness in his introduction. Connecting matters of food to class and taste throughout the history of the West and its influences, the editor provides ample fodder for "foodie," academic, and lay-reader alike with his lively and engaging overview of world cuisine that opens the volume and connects its essays.

Both the UC Press edition and the Thames & Hudson edition feature lavish illustrations and elegant typography. The essays are cutting-edge without ignoring the needs of the previously un-informed or merely curious, making this an ideal coffee-table volume or holiday gift as much as it could be serious reading. Ideally shelved near Harold McGee, "Food: The History of Taste" is likely to become a cross-market classic for the near future.

Replaying history in the context of food makes for a very engaging read. If you are really passionate about food this book offer tremendous insight into food trends world wide.

I don't typically purchase hardbacks - other than coffee table books, I'll wait for paperback, check out from a library, e-book, or just borrow from a friend. Reading about the quality illustrations and photos in this book prompted me to just go ahead and click "Buy."

It arrived about two hours ago, and I've skimmed through the whole book and finished reading the introductory chapter, so I admit this isn't a complete review. However, I have to say the photos and illustrations are really beautiful. The heft of this work make me recommend this purchase as a hardback and make this an example of what can't be the same with e-books or the Kindle (sorry, Amazon!). I'm looking forward to curling up with this book with some delicacies over this lousy weather weekend! Bon appetit!

Addendum: April 11, 2008 - Well, after several leisurely sit-downs, I finished this book and have to reiterate the joy I received from reading this book. Like Art History tells a story of cultures and civilizations (usually with the Elites perspective), food tells a story through time, and with greater representation across a society/culture. Loved it!

Author John Arturo Martini also maintains a web site to update informational materials and publicity for the book. It's at http://www.fortressalcatraz.com

A former park ranger stationed at Alcatraz and a military historian, Martini takes readers into the days before "the Rock" became a prison. Starting with the first mappings of San Francisco Bay by the Spanish and English through the modern day, Martini presents an amazing number of photographs of and stories about life on Alcatraz. Particularly interesting is how designs for the fort and its armaments changed over the years from the Mexican-American War through the Civil War and through to World War II. It's quite a different look at the island that the common focus on Al Capone, the Bird Man and other inhabitants of the federal prison.

John Martini's well-thought-out work gives a very readable, historically accurate look at the "fort period" of Alcatraz Island. John brings the old fort to life, and gives a visitor to Alcatraz a new perspective on the historic site. A real treasure are the numerous photographs John was able to obtain through painstaking research - most were mislabled in the Archives! As a total package, the book is very enjoyable and informative - a very good read.

For the first time, the fascinating story of the U.S. Army's nearly 90 years on Alcatraz comes to life - coastal guns, Civil War and San Francisco, army family life on the island, and tales of the military prison. John Martini describes the Rock in a lively manner and gives us an exciting history, well-illustrated with rare 19th-century photographs." Erwin N. Thompson Historian

Krovetz haas written a book that will help those involved in thinking about how to make our schools work for all children. The idea is that if we create a nurturing yet academically challenging culture, we can provide a climate in which all chiildren can flourish. Through the case studies we see how each school has encated the ideas, bringing them to life, and showing us the possibilities as well as the difficulties.

As the author, I hope that you will find Fostering Resiliency to be the book for l999 that makes you reflect deeply on the public schools you know well and that helps you ask why the schools in your neighborhood are not more like the seven schools described in this book.

Martin Krovetz published "Fostering Resiliency" with subtitle "Expecting All Students to Use Their Minds and Hearts Well." As a retired administrator and teacher I see his book striking at the heart of what all educators should be doing. This San Jose State U. professor gives narrative with examples of students and happening schools, and he integrates first lists and step-by-step procedures for winning over students of all ages so that they can be taught. The book has incredible import for balancing vital aspects of our children's education. No aspect, e.g. curriculum, assessment, nurturing, can be isolated in schools for students nor all other adults in students' lives. Mr. Krovetz builds the case for fostering resiliency in everyone. It could be the next handbook for restoring a full education to students, including the "basics" which is on everyone's wish list these days. It is a book to be studied. Is it on the shelves at Amazon?

Fostering Resiliency: Expecting All Students to Use Their Minds and Hearts Well, is a well written and easy to read resource for teachers and administrators. Martin Krovetz provides concrete examples of schools which have developed into resilient learning communities for both students and staff. It will leave you with a deeper understanding of what a "good school" does and hopefully, the inspiration to take on the work of making your school a more resilient community.

I really enjoyed the book Frodo Franchise. I must have because I got two of them. Actually, I was curious about how a movie got made, especially one that I loved as much as Lord of the Rings. But I don't know why I got two.

DVDs can be stamped out in seconds, while VHS tapes are slower to produce because they have to be recorded in real time. Time is money, and so the movie industry's movers and shakers acted decisively to all but eliminate the VHS format - by charging video rental stores exorbitantly high fees for the rights to offer VHS rentals and much lower fees for the rights to offer DVD rentals. Author Kristin Thompson (Honorary Fellow in the Department of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison) traces how this and numerous other profit-driven directives have permanently changed the modern film industry in The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood. Central to The Frodo Franchise is the story of Peter Jackson's celebrated three-film adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings", and the lasting impact it has had on cinematic and entertainment culture. "The Lord of the Rings" was utterly groundbreaking in that it was, from Jackson's initial vision, a commitment to three full-length movies to be released over a short period. Yet the success of the film itself is virtually eclipsed by the immense profits of the franchise label - toys, video games, movie-related books, collectibles, and countless other Lord of the Rings licensed merchandise. The Frodo Franchise examines this franchise phenomenon and its repercussions on modern cinema (where the real money to be made lies in a film that will spawn profitable sequels and merchandise, rather than one-shot stories), with especial attention paid to the construction of "The Lord of the Rings" trailblazer trilogy. Accessible to lay readers and cinema scholars alike, and illustrated with numerous black-and-white photographs as well as an inset section of color plates, The Frodo Franchise is an utterly fascinating, completely unbiased behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" movies and their effect on both the body of Tolkien's famous mythology and cinema as a whole. Highly recommended.

The Frodo Franchise is a MUST-HAVE for anyone who is passionate about: The Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson and how he and his fellow creative geniuses revolutionized the movie industry, New Zealand, the LOTR fan world, etc. It is an engaging, carefully researched and very detailed work about all aspects of the PJ/LOTR phenomenon. It includes great photos, important interviews, fascinating information about the way films are marketed and how LOTR took that to a new level, etc. The title tricked me--for some reason I thought it would be a negative book; however, it is clear Thompson is a Tolkien fan who was at first skeptical about the films but then grew to love them. This book is an in-depth look at all things LOTR and, much to this reviewer's delight, it is clear the LOTR phenomenon is not going away anytime soon. Thank you, Kristin Thompson, for this wonderful and important book!

This book is an intimate look at the creation, filming, and deployment of The Lord of the Rings movies. It discusses all the key participants, the role of New Zeland, how fans influenced the movies over the Internet, and how the film industry is fundamentally changing because of this project. It is well documented and close to the events because the author had access to everyone involved, producers, director, actors, techis, the works. The book is also a great action-packed read. Maybe the best film book we have seen this year!!

This little gem of a book should be on the shelves at every library. Aside from the likable Sarah, the wonderful social history is very absorbing for those interested in women's lives during the 1850's. Even if you are not particularly interested in the Gold Rush, you will be interested in the experiences of one of our formothers. Buy this as a gift for your daughters.

Joy Melcher, Civil War Lady Magazine

Sarah with husband and daughter, Mary, move to California in 1849. Trusting the God of the Bible, the Royces experience life (and almost death) on the trail to California. Second to the last party to complete the trip into northern California before winter, they eventually settle in Grass Valley. Her son, Josiah Royce, becomes the famous Harvard historian and philospher with new ideas (Royce Hall of UCLA), but his mother, Sarah, retains her faith in the God of the Bible. First hand look at San Francisco and northern California in the 1850's. Sarah is my great-great grandmother and Mary, the little girl in the story, is my great-grandmother. Easy reading and great book to take on a plane. We buy and give these books to many guests at our company ...they are very popular.

I selected this book from a list given in my college English class. The list of books were all nonfiction so I knew it would be a book based on fact. I knew nothing more. As I read, I could not put this book down. The story takes place beginning in Iowa the year 1849. "Gold fever" was born. The Royce family was on the move from their home to the great golden state of California. Sarah has more passion, faith, and drive than I've ever seen in a book. She is an example indeed of strength and inner peace throughout many challenges in a small amount of time. I was so grateful to see this book is still in print! It was first published in 1932 never meant to be a book at all. It was Sarah's gift to her son. She wrote about her journey using her journal she kept as they traveled. I will buy this book not only for my children, but for gifts as well. By the way, Sarah and her family end up living here, in the Sierra Foothills, and that is where I live! I've never read a story about the Gold Rush or the 49er's. I always thought it would be too depressing. There are sad times in this book, but as you read you can't help but believe with Sarah that they will beat all the odds.

As a historian an author of the book: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MISCELLANY, I rate this book with 5 stars for its excellent overview and in-depth look at the true lives of women who came to California during the Gold Rush. This is not a book filled with the fanciful notions of a romantic's point of view. No, this is a gut-wrenching look at the realities of pioneering California and the women who tamed the wild land and the wild men!

Ms. Peterson's book was right on target for our extensive homeschooling needs...I was very pleeased with the easy layout & cross-referencing of the book. Sooooo many things to do and never enough time. We do unit studies and have found this gem of a book to be quite the treasure that we need to guide us on last minute field trip ideas, outtings, and just all-around fun! One thing always relates to another and i usually can include both children (9 & almost 15) in the same activities/events. I truly appreciate the effort Ms. Peterson has put into this book...I got it from my AAA club...and from one resourceful homeschooler to another (Ms. Peterson), I whole-heartedly THANK-YOU!...

If you have kids and live in southern California you will be very happy you bought this book. The "Road Games" chapter alone is probably worth the price of admission and that's before you even get to the actual 'places.'

While it's impossible for this book to be as comprehensive as the ground it covers, it does a terrific job at trying. It lists all of the amusement parks, many more pay 'n play places than I knew existed, museums that are kid friendly, a selection of kid-friendly restaurants, beaches, parks and more.

While I got much more than my money's worth, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more material aimed at parents of toddlers. Fast food indoor playlands are a must for me and my two little girls, with summers too hot and winters too chilly to sit out of doors, so exploring where these are located would be a plus, as well as mentioning the moms groups that exist in most towns but don't advertise (I've discovered two in Corona only through bumping into them at a neighborhood park). But these are just hints for the author -- she's done a terrific job with this book.

I've been using this handy reference book since the first edition in 1995. My kids and I have visited many of the places contained in the book. By and large, I agree with the author's assessment of each place we visited. I found the information provided on hours of operation, special program times and fees to be very accurate. The book really helped me expand my children's horizons as well as my own because we visited some great places we probably would have never known about without it.

Wonderful fieldtrip ideas - - we have gone on at least 50 outings based on this book's suggestions. We use this book at planning meetings to organize our calendar each year. Lots of wonderful activities for school-aged children. Details from the common destinations (zoos, public museums) to less common destinations (ex: lollipop and candy cane factories, Casa de Tortuga) and private museums (ex: the Holyland Exhibition). Our homeschooling experience has been enriched by this guidebook!