California Books

How difficult it is to write honestly about one's own family, yet on this level--and several others--Sheila Weller triumphs. Her neurosurgeon father, her show-biz-journalist mother, and her uncle Herman, owner of a once-famous nightclub all had careers that had a profound influence on Sheila and her sister Liz.

The author's careful, meticulous documentation of those three livelihoods, plus a "you are there" look at her childhood in Beverly Hills (a decade before my childhood fifteen miles away) paint a many-faceted portrait of her family and the times, with joy and pain and glamour. The untimely deaths, the splits in the family bonds, all are described unflinchingly. Weller even gives a less-than-flattering description of her own girlhood, and how hard she tried to please a reserved father who reluctantly gave her a pet name, Brooksie. She was delighted until he added, "Because you babble."

An admirable effort from Sheila Weller. And bless her and her sister, for coming out whole!

this book was so interesting because it took you back in time to a whole different era, very glamorous, even if superficial. her gossip on the stars was really nothing compared to the drama her family played out. she's a strong person and rather than feeling disgusted and sorry for her you really cheer her on for her good sense and survival instinct.

When I ordered this book I thought I was buying an exposé about life at Ciro's in it's heyday, with emphasis on celebrities. Light summer reading, you know.. But this book is not about that and I could not have been more surprised or pleased. Sheila Weller's experiences as an adolescent trying to fit in with the Popular Girls rings so true that I felt like I was in Junior High again, only with her. The painful stories she relates about her family, especially about her father, made me think she must be a wonderfully strong woman to be able to write with such honesty. And with a wry sense of humor threaded throughout, even in the painful parts of her story. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

Sheila Weller has told the story of her family lovingly and without self-pity. Although she describes many supremely painful moments - her rejection by her father is foremost - I never had the feeling she was wallowing in the past. She did her homework and the history of her parents and grandparents was more interesting than descriptions of the celebrities who visited Ciro's. We hear enough about celebrities these days. Weller maintains good tension throughout the book. Once I began reading I didn't want to put it down.

This book has affected my way of thinking and living more than any other book I have ever read. While I feel a few things in this book are outdated and can not be realistically applied to todays world the majority of what is written has made me a more accepting person and by changing my expectations I have found that I lead a more fullfilled life.

The Dao is perhaps on of the best philosophical books that I have ever read and it is something that everyone should read at least once.

Moss Roberts' fine translation of TAO TE CHING is one of several recent translations based upon the Ma-wang-tui texts of Lao-tzu's reflective book of wisdom. Those texts were discovered in 1973, preserved in the tomb of an official's son. That tomb has been dated to 168 B.C. (p. 4). Professor Roberts' translation also draws from the Guodian LAOZI, discovered in 1993 in a royal tutor's tomb. As such, Roberts' translation could be considered the most definitive translation of the TAO TE CHING presently available.

Roberts is a Professor of Chinese at New York University, and the goal of his work is to assist his reader in understanding Lao-tzu's difficult poem. His book includes a twenty-three page Introduction that offers the historical background of the TAO TE CHING. He then annotates his literal translation of the two-part, eighty-one stanza poem with his insightful commentary. His translation is just as scholarly as Robert Henricks' translation, more literal than Stephen Harrison's poetic rendering of Lao-tzu's TAO, and more challenging than Red Pine's excellent translation.

G. Merritt

Contains extensive introductory information, including discussion of recent archeoligical discoveries, and interesting endnotes (although I prefer footnotes - less fumbling with pages).

However, I found this translation to be a bit difficult. One of the reviewers on the back of the book refers to it as "poetic" - well, maybe; mostly I found it a bit of a struggle to make sense of it, and had to read through it with several parallel translations to figure out what Roberts was translating. However, in that situation, read with several parallel translations, this translation provides an worthwhile "spin". I find Mair's translation much cleaner, simpler, and more comprehensible. The two together are nice.

"Dear Alice" is a must read for anyone headed for China. It's a collection of hundreds of letters by English teachers from America, who arrived to discover China was a bit too different. Often in desperation, but usually with great wit and insight, they sought a shoulder to cry on. So they wrote barrel-fulls of letters to the person who sent them there; hence, Dear Alice .... Alice Renouf, the author, began sending teachers to China years ago and now runs a full-fledged human resources firm helping people who want to teach English in a truly different, challenging environment. Even the locals will tell you China is a crazy place -- a soviet-style bureaucracy trying to run a 3,000 year old society on a marathon of change. Some of the 1.2 runners are at 'start' and some in the 20th centruy. The route changes hourly, and the finishline is definitely "mei you." But if you want to know people who suffer awful frustration with courage, you're in the right place. The best part of the book is learning how many Americans overcome their initial shock, and why they don't flee to the nearest airport. The common strategy seems to be (1) Talk about it (2) Make friends with fellow suffers first, i.e. other Americans. This sounds a bit stand-offish considering you've gone all the way to China to meet Chinese, but it isn't, (3) Learn Chinese if you can, but failing that develop a busy schedule. China is truly ugly, but always interesting, so don't allow yourself an idle minute to examine your (usually) wretched physical surroundings, (4) Take enough money, or make enough. China isn't cheap, and a "mental holiday" in a place like China (dinner at a joint venture hotel) is many times costlier than in the US, (5) Travel and see the country. Make the experience count, and (6) Be prepared for the ultimate culture shock -- ending up where you may have started -- wiser and more tolerant perhaps, but believing your own culture makes considerably more sense.

First of all, I would like to mention that I had the opportunity to teach for one year in Xi'an, the ancient capital of China, and now the capital of Shaanxi province. I am thankful to Alice Renouf, the "Alice" of the title "Dear Alice", for making this dream come true. I went in 1992, if I remember correctly. Since I began reading this wonderful book, I have been unable to put it down. So many forgotten memories and subtle emotions came pouring into my consciousness. From the shock of the first weeks in China to standing in front of the classroom to the everday rush of life which I was part of, to eating in the nightmarket. Reading this book is a vivid and emotional experience. Second only to going to China oneself. Though, I feel it is a must read for anyone planning to go; either as teacher, student, tourist, businessman, politician. In fact, I feel it is not only important for those going to China, but also for anyone who intends to immerse themself in another culture. But even if you just want to read a good book, either while sitting on a warm and glistening sandy beach, with the waves lapping against the shore; or while sitting in your living room sipping a cup of coffee or tea; this is certainly a worthwhile, entertaining, and educational book. After all, it is about becoming sensitive to another culture, and discovering one's own, in the process. I highly recommend "Dear Alice". You will certainly enjoy it.

I just finished reading Dear Alice. I found it extremely helpful in preparing myself mentally for an upcoming trip to China. The letters were quite authentic and honest, often revealing small details about the enigma of life in China. While I can't assume that I'll have a similar experience to that of the writers, I feel comforted to know that others have dealt with China and survived. A great book if you're curious about this foreign culture and an especially illuminating book for those of you from the United States and who are interested in the ways Americans might react to "The land on the other side of the looking glass."

After buying _Dear Alice_ at the recent meeting of the Association for Asian Studies annual meeting in Washington, D.C., I read it with laughter and tears on the train back home. As someone who runs an exchange program for high school teachers between the U.S. and China, I found the letters, and the sentiments they expressed, extremely familiar.

The book will be a wonderful service for those planning to go to China to teach, and for those whose dreams take them only as far as the living room couch.

A must read.

Margot E. Landman
Director, U.S.-China Teachers
Exchange Program
American Council of Learned Societies

Set in 1931's L.A., this detective novel is narrated from the assistant's (Katherine Pangborn) point-of-view. L.A.'s press boasts that the Depression hasn't hit their city, but Katherine goes up against some unsavory charaters from the city's gangsterdom. Katherine (she hates the nickname "Kitty") makes for an engaging protagonist and her boss, P.I. Dex Theroux, is lucky to have her as his sidekick. She's observant, curious, and when the situation calls for it, tough as nails. The violence quota is kept to a minimum just as the detective books written in 1931 did. Terrific retro front cover art adds a dash of color. I also liked the cityscape described with the buildings, streets, and architecture not only in L.A., but on the sidetrip to San Francisco. Good backstory on Katherine gives her character depth. Enjoyable read on a rainy afternoon.

Linda L. Richards' DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN provides veteran narrator Joyce Bean's smooth and compelling style as it tells of one Kitty, who needs a job and finds her hands full as a secretary to a tough PI in a challenging world. Kitty's efforts to keep her boss - and her salary - safe result in some dangerous action perfect for fans of the gritty hard-boiled detective listen.

In 1931 Los Angeles cynical private investigator Dex Theroux runs a two person office. Whereas he does the leg work and takes the beatings, Kitty Pangborn runs the office and occasionally does safe field work. Dex is unsure why Kitty remains with him, as paying jobs are infrequent and he knows he is an alcoholic though with good cause.

Wealthy Rita Heppelwaite hires Dex to report on what her married boyfriend, Harrison Dempsey is doing. Thinking this is an easy case and needing help on surveillance, Dex brings Kitty with him. However, their prey proves to be someone else's prey as the sleuth and his assistant finds the murdered corpse of Harrison. Dex wants to make money from his affluent client so he tells Kitty to say nothing about the dead body for now. Kitty is appalled by her boss' disregard of the deceased so she defies Dex and calls the cops. However, to her shock she soon learns that Harrison is alive making her wonder what is going on.

With Madeline Carter on temporary hiatus, Linda L. Richards introduces readers to a new fascinating detective team in a fine historical mystery. The story line is fun, but not so much due to the mystery of Harrison and the corpse or depression Era L.A., but instead because of the bickering relationship between unethical Dex and the moralistic Kitty. They make the tale entertaining.

Harriet Klausner

Kitty Pangborn was raised to be a prim and proper lady of the house, meant to marry well and plan the perfect party. When the stock market crashed in 1929, and her father leaped from a window leaving her broke and without real-world skills, she had to make her own way. She may now only be Girl Friday to Los Angeles private investigator Dex, but when his bungling of the job puts her salary in jeopardy, Kitty will step up to solve the case on her own. Someone has to.

I loved the voice of this book. You can almost hear one of the old silver screen actresses talking right off the page. Her wonderful first-person narrative was so true to voice as to lose those of us who aren't familiar with words like "mook" and "spondulix." But she helps us out with enough description that we can figure it out, if not exactly, in general.

This was an especially fun read. I enjoyed the strong heroine and that her boss, though bumbling, was not entirely an idiot. And I really enjoyed learning more about LA during prohibition, too. The cast of shady characters was so great as to leave me completely in the dark about whodunit until it was time to know. There are so many twists and turns in this book that I even started suspecting the good guys. Whose side was everyone on, anyway? I couldn't help but to just keep turning pages.

Even if you aren't typically into the mystery genre, I encourage you to pick up this book. Though there are many dead bodies, the book was not at all gruesome and considering all the two- and three-timing that was going on, and talk of melting lipstick, it was also surprisingly clean.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

This is quite a book: a smart, easy to read, and important study of Latinos in California from the early 19th century to the present. Specialists and non-specialists alike will find here an engaging narrative guided by impressive (even stunning) historical research. Pitti provides the first accurate and sensitive portrait of the San Jose area's development, and he does so while showing how Northern California developed in relation to Mexico and to the wider history of "race" in the United States. Moreover, THE DEVIL IN SILICON VALLEY explains the many ways in which Mexicans and Mexican Americans responded to discriminatory treatment over time. The portrait of Latinos and their politics given here will be critical reading for anyone who seeks to understand Mexican Americans, the politics of immigration, and many other aspects of the multicultural United States in the years to come. Not to be missed!

This book is an incredible contribution to understanding California and the West. The author has a good eye for detail, and he tells a vivid story. Most important, he offers incisive analysis of race, labor and community in the Silicon Valley. The book is also enjoyable to read because the author has a very nice writing style, and he knows how to use his subjects' own insights to prove his arguments convincingly. This book should give activists, public officials, and residents a lot to grapple with. Highest possible recommendation!

As part of my doctoral research into the history of California, I've read several books on the history of Santa Clara County. Most emphasize the "pioneer" (read: white colonization) days, and the rest the technical magnificence of the Valley of Silicon Delight.

This new important work delineates the history of ethnic Mexicans in the county, particularly its East Side. From the poisonous mines of Almaden to the poisonous laboratories of the West Side, it has been ethnically based labor for low pay that has allowed the county to develop in all its prolific economic richness. The author's book provides an overview of these dynamics through research, figures, facts, and eyewitness accounts.

The "devil" mentioned in the title has to do with racism, and the book goes beyond the usual sociological and psychological explanations of racism to emphasize its classist underpinnings in a supposedly classless society. Also emphasized are the creative responses in opposition to it as ethnic Mexicans have made their voices heard and refused to be subjugated without meaningful forms of culturally enhancing assertiveness. Highly recommended.

Every Mexican American, Mexican immigrant, and Latino should read this book. Pitti lifts the lid on the Silicon Valley myth and shows that underneath is just old-time exploitation and injustice, and it's been going on for over a century. And thankfully, Pitti's a scholar who isn't afraid to call for action. My only complaint: too hard to read because the type was so small.

The book covers important aspects of Uraban Education, and the theorectical information that apply to education.


Special Education Teacher

This book explores the urban school system in a very up-close and personal way. The author has first-hand knowledge of not only the Oakland, CA school system, but also how urban schools have been adversely impacted throughout the US. She gets underneath the issue and explains in very clear terms how and why the public education system is in the state it is today.

This remarkable book evokes many emotions thanks to the way Dr. Epstein poignantly describes the people, places, events, mindsets,dedication, and determination of those, ON BOTH SIDES, who are addressing issues related to urban school reform, in general, and related to the Oakland School Board, in particular. Without unnecessary "researchese," the author discusses theories, strategies, programs, and proposals which offer possible solutions to many of the problems facing today's urban school districts.
The title of Dr. Epstein's book says it all and I commend her for providing this alternative view of American schools, especially those located in large urban cities. This is a "must-read" for parents, teachers, school administrators, and business/community leaders.

The No Child Left Behind law originated in a desire to help "at risk" kids, and, by extension, kids in urban schools, but it was applied, with disastrous results, to all public schools.
"A Different View of Urban Education" analyzes the problems of a real urban school system showing why urban schools lack teachers, how and why politicians prevent efforts to remediate problems in these schools, and when and how testing, tracking and textbooks create unnecessary difficulties.

Written in a clear and powerful style, this text goes beyond analysis to suggest "a way out" and ends with an inspiring ten point "People's Program." Those interested in the success of American public education need this book.

This is the most unique book I have ever read on gardening/landscaping. I was overwhelmed by the thought of landscaping a .44 acre lot, but she breaks the whole thing down into very manageable pieces and carefully outlines the RIGHT ORDER of doing things. Her writing style and sense of humor make this fun to read and not a CHORE like some of the others. This is one of two books I recently bought on landscaping: the other one I will likely shelve or sell!

If you are looking for a book with lush color photographs of breathtaking gardens, this book is not for you. If you are looking for good solid practical advice regarding building the structural bones of your garden, you will hit the jackpot with this engaging little book. Written in an breezy style by a person who obviously has a sense of humor, you will learn how to properly grade your dirt, design your garden, plan your irrigation system and avoid making your yard into a swamp with small patches of the Sahara here and there. She even gives advice on defeating the wiliest of deer (deer can jump high, or jump wide, but not both). What's not to love about someone who describes juniper bushes as "the vermin of the plant world"? I also particularly liked her diagram on how to properly dig a pond and put in the liner so it doesn't just look like a plastic tarp-lined hole with rocks around the rim. I sat down and read it cover to cover, and felt empowered to go out and tackle what needed to be done.

Kate does an amazing job of sharing the hard lessons she's learned doing landscaping over the years. She also writes in a style that is very enjoyable to read. Even if you aren't in Northern California there are lots of great tips related to design, drainage, irrigation and planting. I found this book a real gold mine of tips and tricks, guaranteed to make any landscaping project go easier.

If you're embarking on your own northern California landscape installation project, this book will pay for itself very quickly. Author Kate Anchordoguy shares time- and money-saving landscaping advice in a casual and often opinionated manner. Having landscaped hundreds of yards, Kate reveals herself to be a seasoned pro who's learned...often the hard way...what to do and what not to do. She says, "If wisdom is measured by the mistakes we've made, I am very wise." Chapter 1 focuses on planning, shopping, and working efficiently (i.e. how to save time and money). Chapter 2 covers basic landscape design. Chapter 3 discusses construction projects and their timing. Chapter 4 addresses the all-important (and often ignored) subject of drainage. Chapter 5 teaches you how to prep and improve your soil. Chapter 6 covers irrigation. Chapter 7 teaches you how to "plant like a pro". The final chapter tackles lawn installation and renovation. Also tells you when it makes sense to hire out!

Hodagneu-Sotelo's poignant look at the lives of Latina immigrants in Domestica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of Affluence, can be a source of enlightenment as well as a sort of "how-to" manual for any employer or employee in the nanny/housekeeper and house cleaning fields. The author argues that the women in these types of work continually battle for basic employee rights: adequate pay and set hours free from discrimination, harassment, and substandard working conditions. She addresses issues of long hours, unreasonable demands, alienation, and the reasons that the workers stay in these situations; fear of retaliation from employers and deportation.
Although a bit verbose, this book is packed with valuable information and resources that the reader is sure to use or be able to pass along to someone else. It is a meritable attempt at expressing the angst felt by Latina immigrants and the unresponsive attitude of the employer. It does tend to come across as a bit one-sided, due partly because not many employers or employees were willing to participate in her research efforts, but is still a great and easy read.

In Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo's Doméstica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadow of Affluence, readers explore, along with the researcher, an oft overlooked element of domestic labour in America. In examining this particular manifestation between the haves and have little, Hondagneu-Sotelo has provided a "scholarly" treatment where Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed fell short. This is by no means an indictment of Ehrenreich's work, quite the contrary. Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed is approachable by the many levels of readers that seek to understand the phenomenon of the working poor and their interaction with affluent Americans (here, I speak specifically of Ehrenreich's chapter two titled "Scrubbing in Maine"). However, in Doméstica, Hondagneu-Sotelo has opted to focus her research on immigrant domestic workers, specifically Mexican and Central American women in Los Angeles. In so doing, her research provides insight into the minds and worlds of both parties who engage in what can easily be termed a "love hate" relationship; one where, out of necessity, both the employer and employees are in need of one another. In addition, Doméstica serves to highlight some of the struggles of members of America's largest "minority" population (be they documented or otherwise). While Hondagneu-Sotelo relegates her analysis and interviews to women in the Los Angeles area, this reviewer is of the opinion that her research may well be duplicated in other cities with similar populations and yield like outcomes.

Reading this work, I began pondering the future of work and workers and four questions came to mind: (1) As America becomes more diverse, will the question of immigrants holding less than desirable positions along the socio-economic margins become of increasing interest to researchers and politicians such that worker-friendly policies emerge? (2) If so, what forms will later policy manifestations assume? (3) What will such a shift mean for the future of economic relations between these two disparate groups? (4) Also, will America continue to marginalize employees that hold the critical job of caring for our young such that we ensure a future of troubled youth due to attachments to caregivers and the familial realities of economic and social stratification? History has shown if we ignore questions not unlike these, problems are sure to result.

Historically, "love labor" had been performed, initially, by captive African American women and later those under strict laws (Jim Crow) of mobility, both physical and social. With the relative ascension of African Americans into the socio-economic sphere of marginal acceptance in America, certain forms of work are left to the cheaper, and sometimes unpaid, labor force of immigrant women. Increasingly, such workers are admitted into affluent homes in America through informal networks. For this brief iteration, we consider Hondagneu-Sotelo's Part Two titled "Finding Hard Work Isn't Easy." Here, Hondagneu-Sotelo discusses the other worldly process where women in need of domestic workers and the women in need of domestic work come in contact with one another.

This "whole other world" is highlighted when Hondagneu-Sotelo writes, "most prospective employers looking for paid domestic workers in Los Angeles bypass employment agencies, newspaper ads, or other formal job announcements, which they find expensive, slow, and unreliable. Instead the majority rely on their co-workers, neighbors, friends, and relatives when they seek domestic help" (63). This in itself is telling in that it pulls from Granovetter's theory of the strength of weak ties as mentioned in Deirdre Royster's Race and the Invisible Hand. Applied to Hondagneu-Sotelo's work, there exist, in the domestic worker community, ties that allow for a potential employer in need of workers to gain access to a network of domestic workers with the ability to refer friends and/or family members to employers in need of domestic assistance. Additionally, such a process not only allows for a socially and economically unequal relationship to ensue and continue for years in some cases, it also provides the foundation for further entrenchment of unequal employee and employer relations rooted in economic exploitation.

Whereas many of these workers are not earning a living wage, some employers exercise great pains not to flaunt their affluence. In one telling moment, Hondagneu-Sotelo writes, "some employers try to snip off the price tags on new clothing and home furnishings before the Latina domestic workers read them because they fear the women will compare the prices of those items with their wages - which they invariably do. While some employers often feel guilty about 'having so much' around someone who 'has so little,' the women who do the work resent not their affluence but the job arrangements, which generally afford the workers little in the way of respect and living wages" (xi-xii). In this instance, we witness the uneasy but, to the employer, necessary relationship between the affluent employer and the unaffluent worker. Additionally, we note how workers, through Hondagneu-Sotelo's in-depth interviews, indicate that they would rather that requests come not "as a symbol of servitude and a humiliating affront" to one's dignity, but that their work is seen for what it is, essential to the functioning of the household in which they are employed (145).

In producing a work with statistical data on domestic labor in Los Angeles, coupled with the voices of women on both sides of the issue, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo has done an admirable job of broaching the subject of the uneasy relationship between affluent women who require domestic assistance and unaffluent immigrant employees that work and, in some cases, live among them. Of the many good points in this work, her in-depth interviews with employees and employers are most revealing. Not unlike the work of Ehrenreich in Nickel and Dimed and Katherine S. Newman in No Shame in My Game, Hondagneu-Sotelo allows readers to, as Newman suggested, gain a clearer understanding of the interconnections between people and networks that a purely quantitative work would not permit. That being said, this reviewer applauds Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo and her effort to provide a clearer understanding of the women we see on train platforms and in bus terminals that dot American cities and suburbs of affluence.

First let me begin by saying that this is an interesting read. You basically learn about domestic workers (live in nannies, home cleaners). The author gives you alot of information, in fact I would say that she gives you a plethora of information. As such it took me over a month to finish this book, and the fact.

Basically, the two problems I have with this book are 1. The author's monolithically leftist viewpoint (which seems to be common in books like this), 2. The hard time she has getting to the point. In particular comments like "Some feminist theorists, especially those influenced by Marxist thought, have used the term "social reproduction" or "reproductive labor"..." (Page 23) or "The United States has a long history of incorporating people of color through coercive systems of labor...slavery and contract labor systems...today, international labor migration and the job characteristics of paid domestic work" (Page 51)

Again the biggest problem I have with this book/writer is the use of a marxist/conflict theory filter in regards to analyzing domestic worker (as in us [domestic workers and their allies] vs them [middle class homeowners who employ domestic workers]). When if you actually take a moment, breath and impartially assess the facts the relationship is more of a symbiotic/functionalist/"we need each other" type deal in which two autonomous human beings are simply trying to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Now what I do like... There is some great information presented in this book. 1. Domestic workers are entitled to minimum wage like normal employees and can sue for backwages. 2 Live-in housekeeper is a common first job of immigrants to the United States and as such is very important to economic integration of immigrants (legal and illegal alike).

Basically, you learn all about domestic work in all it's most interesting facets. An example being spoiled children who are hell for their domestic workers, and the situation is compounded because consciquences for bad behavior are underminded by the parents. Or usage of prozac and ritalin by parents for behavior modification of children and the avoidance of direct confrontation between domestic workers and their employees and many other interesting facts concerning the profession.

Because of how interesting this book is I'm giving it 4/5 stars (although I'm tempted to give it 3/5 because of the marxist rhetoric).

Dr. Hondagneu-Sotelo's beautifully written work takes the reader into the world of Latina nannies and housekeepers, showcasing the women's own voices and perspectives while maintaining an academic's sharp-eyed analysis. She chronicles the difficulties of domestic workers while still acknowledging their ability to impact their own work environments. One of the strengths of Hondagneu-Sotelo's book is the analysis of class inequality, particularly the ways that employers awkwardly handle their own discomfort with their priviledge. Her conclusions, rather than knee-jerk dismissals of domestic labor, suggest ways that domestic employment can be viewed as the job it is. The author's thoughts on her own position to her research subject in the preface is worth the price of the book. This book recently won five awards from different sociological organizations, and deservedly so.

Southern California private investigator Delilah West would rather confront a serial killer holding a weapon to her head than the emotional problems caused by her falling in love with developer Erik Lundstrom. Even the attack at the mall by a maniac shooting people does not affect Delilah (who anonymously took out the crazed killer) as much as her heart beating for the wealthy Orange County businessman.

Erik desperately wants to get closer to Delilah, but realizes that before that can happen two barriers must be torn down. First, his teenage daughter Nikki must accept the new woman in his life. Second, his beloved must listen to her heart. To that end, Nikki and Delilah go out together, but soon are embroiled in a kidnapping in which they are the abductees. It is up to the hard boiled detective to find a way to save not only her life, but the life of the daughter of her beloved.

Though this reviewer has not had the opportunity to read all six Delilah West mysteries (having read four of them), the series remaisn one of the better female private investigative collections on the market today. In her latest entry, DOWN FOR THE COUNT, Delilah is a beautiful conflicting mix of emotions that makes her seem so poignantly human and thereby, stir readers' interest. The story line is at time humorous and at other times very hard-boiled. The dichotomy not only works well, it adds to the humanization of all the characters. Maxine O'Callaghan continues to provide strong detective fiction that feel so real.

Harriet Klausner

"Down for the Count" is fast-paced and exciting, the kind of book that you literally won't want to put down. Delilah seems so real that you will feel as though you are experiencing her misadventures right along with her.

The book is wonderfully plotted and filled with interesting (and, in some cases,menacing)supporting characters. Men and women will enjoy this book!

I encourage readers to look for the other books in the Delilah West series, as well as the two books about Anne Menlo.

Delilah West is a PI in Santa Ana, California. She's single but involved with Erik Lundstrom, a rich, sexy man who wants her to get to know Nicky, his teenage daughter better. They take an instant dislike to each other but are forced into a lunch date.

On the way to the restaurant, Nicky and Delilah are kidnapped and they have to learn how to trust each other and work together to survive. Delilah is eventually let free but Nicky is held for ransom. Delilah knows that Nicky was left with neough food for only a few more days.

The second part of the book is about her struggle to figure out who has kidnapped Nicky and why so she can be rescued.

Delilah is a very likable character. She is honest about her shortcomings and has a sense of humor. But she is also able to be tough when she has to be and to accept the consequences.

There is very good character development between Delilah, Nicky and Erik. It has a twist at the end which makes you wish there was at least one more chapter.

This is the 6th in the series and there definitely will be a 7th.

This book is one of the best. A real page turner. Impossible to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I don't usually read P.I. mysteries. Plot driver, centered in Orange County, California, it is superb! Don't miss this one!

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.