California Books

I recently met Marcos M. Villatoro, the author of this series, and was compelled to read A Venom Beneath the Skin after hearing him speak. I was not disappointed, in either the book or the author. This book grabbed me on page one and kept me hostage until the very last word. The story and the writing are hard hitting yet compassionate, and the look into the multi-cultural layers of Los Angeles fascinating. Romilia Chacón is a true masterpiece as a protagonist. She is tough yet vulnerable, and her emotional and intellectual relationship with drug lord Tekún Umán is both titillating and bone chilling.

I love this series. After hearing a profile of this book and author on public radio, I read Home Killings, followed quickly by Minos, and now this book. Each one is better than the last. Readers of the first two books should particularly enjoy the focus on Romilia's relationship with Tekun, the compelling villain/hero/love interest in this novel. I don't read a lot of "genre" fiction, but this book demonstrates that crime fiction can have all the complexity and character development usually associated with literary fiction.

this book was AWSOME i had to read it for class but i loved it. plot was twisting and turning and had me hooked till the last word

From first page to last, Marcos M. Villatoro's A Venom Beneath the Skin is a suspenseful page-turner, but more importantly this fun book is also an intelligent feminist multi-cultural literary intervention.

Looking at the book from a feminist perspective, first, Romilia Chacon is a strong, yet realistic woman. For example, she is sexy (and there are sex scenes!) but her sexuality is truthful. She's both "hot" and matter-of-fact. Second, several other multifaceted females support Romilia's story. Detective Chacon is not presented as a female superhero anomaly. Finally, the males' stories may be secondary, but they too are diverse and sensitively portrayed in often surprising and nontraditional ways. This description may sound vague, but if I give details as to how these characters are multifaceted and nontraditional, it would give away some of the shocking twists!

As a multi-cultural story Villatoro's book is extremely effective. It teaches histories and cultures without being heavy-handed or didactic. I learned more about Tijuana Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, Guatemalans, various cities and political histories, and yet it never felt like I was being taught. Whiteness is also deconstructed and explained (through a here unnamed female character!) and African American and Asian American women make appearances that may be brief, but they're not tokens.

A Venom Beneath the Skin is excellent for anyone to read for a good time however what makes it a truly excellent read are the sensitive character portrayals and the socio-political framework. I'm a picky and easily offended reader, but I do love to read. I'm choosey with my recommendations, but I sincerely recommend Villatoro's book for pleasure, in the college classroom, and for reading groups.

After taking down Minos, Romilia Chacon, a Nashville Police Department detective is offered a job with the FBI in Los Angeles, which she accepts. In LA she has an affair with Special Agent Samuel "Chip" Pierce. The relationship ends when he wants more from her than she can give; they go their separate ways until one night he calls her to see if they can start anew since he is retiring. As much as she cares for him, she can not marry a man she doesn't love.

That night a man breaks into Chip's home and murders him. The evidence, markings on his chest and a poisoned dart injecting venom into his system, suggests that drug trafficker Tekun Uman, killed him because of the former agent's involvement with the woman he loves. After reviewing Chip's files and other evidence Romilia concludes that Tekun Uman isn't Chip's killer, but made to look like he did it. She has no idea who would kill Chip and why and how Tekun Uman fits into the scenario.

Who is behind Chip's death and the murders of several drug traffickers and why he wants them dead is the core of one of the most exciting storylines in a police procedural in the past year. It is hard to tell the heroes from the villains in A VENOM BENEATH THE SKIN because all wear masks to hide their true faces. Marcus M. Villatoro is a talented writer who hopefully will createmore Romilia Chacon novels.

Harriet Klausner

Being a native Californian, I was immediately attracted to this book. When I opened it, I fell in love with the wonderful little watercolor illustrations and personal journal format. I agree with a previous reviewer who made the comment that this is a nice little souvenir book. It's definitely a worthy addition to the bookshelf of any Californian or someone who just loves California.

I live in California and I am often asked how I can stand the crowds, traffic, smog, whatever? The fact is California is a very nice place to live and visit, and Ms Gessler catches the essence of this perfectly. You can easly read the book in about an hour, but will find yourself going back again and again to enjoy the little watercolors of plants and wildlife and special places that caught her fancy, it is a fun read.

This book is very cute and an inspiration to anyone who loves to sketch or watercolor. The artwork is well done and the accompanying notes that the author wrote are humorous. Hollingsworth Gessler's trip from north to south in California and her journaling of the trip made me want to go visit towns that I've never seen before. I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I decided to buy the other book by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler called "Very Charleston". Perhaps it is because I'm a Californian that I think this book is better than the "Very Charleston" version, the watercolors in this book seemed more appealing.

A delightful read. Not a serious word in this little book of California - absolutely adorable. The illustrations are whimsical, the text is full of humor. I was right beside her experiencing everything and that which wasn't familiar I long to visit.

Diane Gessler has written (and painted) the perfect travelogue of her trip through California. It won't serve well as a guide book, even with the maps included, but her watercolors and anecdotes capture perfectly the mood and the spirit of the places she and her husband have visited. If you have been to California, this should make a much nicer souvenir than the standard-issue t-shirt with the cable car picture, and if you live here, it's the perfect reminder why one might be willing to endure the rolling black-outs or the excessive housing costs. Aside from that, the watercolor illustrations are very, very nice and made me think of taking out again my own watercolor set. Highly recommended!

I have been looking for many years for something that helps me improve and solve problems in life -- finally I found something in my hands that really tackles problems at their root causes.
It is amazing how effective the proposed solutions are. Simple, but -- and this is of utmost importance -- they WORK!! It is the first time I found a self-improvement book that helps achieving sustainable results. This book delivers what it promises if one follows each step exactly the way it is stated. If only I had had this book earlier. This Mr Hubbard must have been an amazing man -- I do not understand what his critics complain about; I am sure they never tried the solutions he proposes! In summary: A must read!

This book is simply written so that it is easy to understand. I have used many of the principles in this book and found them quite workable. A must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about several areas of "life".

There is plenty of information in here which loads of vested interests do not want you to have. And these are answers you can understand, legal and ethical ways to get on top of life's hard problems. This is rubber meets the road stuff. I've read, understood and used it all.

I found many things in this book of use to me. What I found the most helpful was the section on assists which give several simple exercises to do if someone is ill or injured. I used the assist on my husband and my daughter and it worked well both times. Each section is relatively short and easy to read. There are exercises in the back of each section to help you learn the procedures. You learn things to help people in a variety of situations. If you like to help people, whether you are a social worker or just as a good neighbor or a parent and want to learn some new things to help, I highly recommend this book.

Over the years I have refered back to the essays and solutions compiled in this volume many times. I've used it to resolve problems with my family, improve my relationship with my wife and keep me focused on my goals. It's amazing how L. Ron Hubbard wrote so many common-sense solutions that no one else though of.

Witty and fast-paced, Vulture Capital is one fun read. Fans of The Immortal Game will be thrilled with the return of private eye August Riordan, and also the reappearance of his likeable sidekick Chris Duckworth. Newcomers and old fans alike will appreciate Coggins' vivid, stylish prose, well-developed plot line, complex characters, sparkling (and also very funny) dialogue, and the novel's San Francisco Bay Area locations depicted in the author's own photographs that introduce each chapter. I say "Hammet is a Coggins for the twentieth century."

I enjoyed the book a lot. The high tech backdrop for the story feels very realistic and provides numerous insights into how this high tech software development and funding works (or not).

The whodunit part of the mystery is very engaging and kept me turning pages rapidly. The reader gets many clues along the way, some obvious and some very subtle, but enough are false leads to keep you in suspense.

Action abounds as the main characters Valmont and Riordan careen around Silicon Valley and the Napa valley wine country. There is also plenty of humor from these two very different protagonists who share little in common except a very sharp and biting sense of humor.

I really enjoyed "The Immortal Game", and I've been waiting for more August Riordan. I found him in Vulture Capital, but I also found a very interesting Ted Valmont character. The concept of Venture Capitalist as hero caught me by suprise, but I loved it. Valmont and Riordan make a great team. I hope we don't have to wait long for their return.

An extradorinarily fine and distinctive mystery. Noir updated and downloaded. And a savage morality play.
Focused writing. And it has enough secrets that it is easy to be surprised, even when you think you're ahead of the plot.
A cliffhanger, too.
Fans of Coggins' first mystery will enjoy encountering the Riordan / Duckworth team from a different perspective.

Vulture Capital is a well executed, slightly twisted and weird, but completely believable story about the dark side of Silicon Valley's start-up community.

Venture Capitalist Ted Valmont is informed that the brains behind a biotechnology start-up he's funded called NeuroStimix is missing. Without the technology guru, NeuroStimix's future is in jeopardy just as a new product designed to aid spinal cord injury victims is about to come to market. Valmont engages PI August Riordan to help find the missing man and we soon learn that the disappearance is part of a larger conspiracy to use NeuroStimix technology for dastardly purposes. To complicate matters, the missing man is Valmont's buddy and Valmont's own brother, as a spinal injury patient, would benefit from the NeuroStimix discovery.

Co-founder of a failed Internet start-up, Mark Coggins injects lots of local color into his work. Technology-types and dot-com veterans will especially appreciate the Silicon Valley photos and clever quotes, which open each chapter. Settings and situations will be familiar to industry types, but the jargon is not overwhelming. The book is even dedicated to the Pets.com Sock Puppet.

VULTURE CAPITAL is the second in a series featuring August Riordan, a private eye we first met in Coggins' well-reviewed debut THE IMMORTAL GAME (2000). THE IMMORTAL GAME received extraordinary attention for a debut title from a very small press. It was chosen as a Penzler pick and nominated for a Shamus Award. This would only happen because the book was good. Expect similar praise for VULTURE CAPITAL. According to the excellent Vulture Capital Website... we can expect more titles to come in the Riordan series

The story really has good descriptions(I know because I've been to the light house in the book)and it really makes a picture in your mind of what it would of been like back then!This is one of my favorite books so I would definitely recommend it!

The story, Walk Across the Sea, by Susan Fletcher, takes place at a town near the ocean. White people thought themselves superior to others, especially the Chinese. Chinese were often looked down upon and shunned, mainly because of their religious beliefs. The lighthouse keeper's daughter, however, was different from other white people. Believing her father's talks about Chinese people in the beginning of the story, the girl, Eliza Jane, meets a Chinese boy around her age. After the Chinese boy saves her goat, Eliza becomes interested in the boy's behavior. Soon, she learns that everyone may not be as they seemed.
This story was rather interesting in a way. The time of the story show how the characters act and think. The story also shows how different some characters are, such as Eliza's father and mother. ("Something moved inside me, like a sudden shift in the wind.") Eliza was also, in a way, different from other white people. She befriended and showed kindness toward the Chinese boy. ("`You'll do him no harm? I have your word on it?'") I was also amazed by the twist of the story when the story reveals that the father truly worries about the Chinese boy.
Of all of the stories I have read, I have never found one that was perfect. This story is no different. When the Chinese people were driven out of the village by angry white people, I could feel the same shock and anger Eliza felt. The story, however, has a few more bad parts. One boy, Amos, accidentally broke Eliza Jane's nose while trying to find the Chinese boy. Afraid that he might get in trouble, the boy lied to his father about breaking Eliza's nose. To make matters worse, Amos blames the fault on the Chinese boy! ("I had a mind to shout at him, to tell him to put her down...") On the other hand, I did not like how Eliza acted toward the Chinese boy when they first met. When the boy yelled a warning, Eliza thought he was trying to scare her off so he could steal her goat. Therefore, when the boy was holding the goat, Eliza thought that he was taking the goat from her, when what really happened was that the boy saved the goat from a wave. Even so, that was not the worst part of the story. ("`Get you from me,' he said. `I can't be near you now. Get out of my sight!'") As a father, Eliza's father was expected by me to listen and talk to Eliza about her Chinese friend, and maybe even understand why she was protecting him. As a result, I was shocked and disappointed in her father when he told her that he did not even want to talk to her! Thankfully, there was nothing worse than this part of the story.
("Terrible things can happen in this world-things you can't explain away. It's not safe here, Andrew John. I can't promise you'll be safe. But there are miracles, too-like you. And love. And glories well beyond our knowing.") The ending, where Eliza talks to her baby brother about life and the Chinese boy was my favorite part. It ties everything together and concludes the story about friendship.

Ever since she was three years old, Eliza Jane McCully has lived in the lighthouse at Crescent City, California, where her father is the keeper. Now thirteen, Eliza has many responsibilities, helping her father to keep the light burning, and eagerly awaiting the birth of her new baby sibling. One day while chasing her stubborn goat across the pathway to the island, she is caught by a wave. A Chinese boy saves her goat and warns her about the wave just in time. Eliza is confused, because her father has taught her that the Chinese are evil heathens. An unexpected tragedy causes Eliza to doubt her own beliefs as well as questioning her father's. When the townspeople run the Chinese out of Crescent City, Eliza watches in horror, unable to do anything. But when the boy who rescued her comes to her for help, Eliza must make the ultimate decision. Is she is brave enough to openly defy her father? I highly reccomend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction.

genre: historical fiction
setting: 1886, Crescent City CA and its lighthouse
1st person account of Eliza, 15 yrs, protagonist

Eliza struggles to come to terms with the contrast/mystery between a merciful God and the loss of a prematurely born sibling together with rampant community prejudice toward Chinese immigrants.

Fletcher's description of lighthouse technology and administration and tidal cycles is captivating for someone who has been landlocked most of his life.

What makes the story is the unmasking of fear and loathing toward Chinese immigrant laborers who came to America to bridge our country from Atlantic to Pacific with the building of the railroad and to incur exploitation for the sake of sustaining loved ones back home.

This is the account of the expulsion of Chinese residents from Crescent City, CA due to fears of job loss by white, Christian families. It is part of my own legacy--Chinese residents were massacred and railroaded out of Rock Springs, WY, my own native state, around the same time.

Fletcher makes good use of artifacts and dialogue of the period to firmly ground the story. The one shortcoming--Chinese characters are underdeveloped. It's an engrossing story.

* title of book chapter

18th century California was a time of prejudice. Walk Across the Sea, centers around independent Eliza Jane, a young teenage girl who lives with her parents in a northern California lighthouse. When a mysterious Chinese immigrant boy saves her goat from the California waters, she tries to find him to pay him back. She soon learns that prejudice surrounds the Chinese by the people of her town. Along the way helping her is her brave and helpful friend Sadie, her open minded and kind neighbor, Dr Wilton and her pet goat Parthenia. This story has a mix of friendship, prejudice, religion, compassion, and morality. This out of the ordinary story shows prejudice back then and gives lessons on how we can be rid of prejudice today. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested about life in general. Walk Across the Sea makes you think about things that you normally wouldn't think about in life. You learn you always have to been open minded and very conscious of other people and their beliefs. If you want to read a different story, Walk Across the Sea is for you! I also recommend ALL books in the Dear America, My Name Is America, and Royal Diaries Series.

Ron Alexander has written a very funny, poignant and altogether great page-turner. It reads like a breeze and the characters, abetted by Alexander's sharp and flawless ear for dialog and satire, are always engrossing and immediately endearing. One loves them all-warts and all. The author has managed effortlessly to juggle the disparate themes of dog-loving, AIDS, small-town bombastic politics, opera, muscle-obsessed gym addicts, cross-dressing Divas and strippers, and has accomplished this without ever resorting to condescension or ridicule--no mean task. This is my first read of a work by Ronald Alexander. It will not be my last. A really terrific novel that I recommend without reservation.

A special "Bravo" must be awarded for the wonderfully witty illustrations by Nathan Greene that add aptly wry comments on the proceedings.

This is a big-hearted, comic page-turner with multiple layers. Among them, there's a family melodrama that would make Douglas Sirk proud. There's a send-up of local law-and-order politics. There's even a story-within-a-story, a drag cabaret take on the Wilde/Strauss opera, "Salome" (re-tooled to "Salami" in this version). The sub-plots and character arcs are interwoven in a clever structure reminiscent of Russian nesting dolls.

The three main characters open in a joyless, in-between universe of mundane, small-stakes tragedy, disappointment, and fear of ending up alone, all drifting to oblivion. Sergeant Smeltzkoff is finishing his LAPD career on dog duty, viewing himself a personal and professional failure. The Sergeant's son Bobby, HIV positive, and fleeing an unsatisfying relationship, returns to LA from NY to stage his opera Salami, while feuding privately and publicly with his inflexible father. Bobby quickly befriends his father's beautiful stripper girlfriend, Violet, who has a dark past, and a strong, unfulfilled need for stability.

Bitchy, witty dialog and multiple plot lines speed the story along, but also perform sleight-of-hand, amusing the reader, while the characters draw us in with their all-too-authentic longing for acceptance and connection. The high visibility plot lines are great fun: the Sergeant's zero tolerance policy towards dogs on Venice Beach is operatic and media-drenched, and Bobby's cock-opera literally incites a riot. But all three characters face real threats, and the danger doesn't just come from the deadly diseases that loom over them (AIDS and Cancer). They're also all infected by their pasts, which initially seem to doom them, and test the limits of forgiveness.

At key moments, the book switches tone to great effect. At the height of the story's comic absurdity, the Sergeant says, "Bobby Smelzkoff is my son." This simple line is spoken, uninflected, to a desert stranger, by a character who has mostly behaved as a likable, macho buffoon. But it comes out as both a confession and a surprisingly touching epiphany. As in all good comedy, the depth and humanity of the story sneaks up on the reader, shielded by irony. Very satisfying.

The War on Dogs is a fascinating novel that often forces the reader to enjoy and sympathize with a character that at first seems unlikeable. The depth of Smeltzkoff is especially impressive. His struggle with his son Bobby, and the issues he has with his homosexuality, is in turns amusing and touching.

Alexander's satire is a great read for those looking for an emotional, character-driven novel as well as those looking to laugh. His prose is accessible and witty in the style of Ian McEwan and William Trevor.

Ron Alexander's "War on Dogs in Venice Beach" is a great social satire that digs much deeper than a dog problem in Venice Beach,California.It is full and rich, funny and sad. It is a very intelligent and intorospective read.Enjoy!

In Venice Beach, California the owners of beachfront property are livid as the once immaculate sand and spotless parks are being destroyed by dogs. One cannot walk let alone jog without stepping on canine crap. Pet owners seem indifferent to the plight of the affluent while the wealthy homeowners demand the city takes the dogs and their owners to the pound.

LAPD Police Sergeant Smelzkoff is assigned the canine caper case. He feels this is fitting as his life has been one toilet bowl of sh*t after another. Before he begins in total earnest THE WAR ON DOGS IN VENICE BEACH, he is in Manhattan helping his gay son Bobby pack to move in with him in California. Bobby, who suffers from HIV positive, and his dad may love one another, but the continent separation was good for both of them. In Venice Beach, Smelzhoff's campaign is one of stealth and precise military operations as he and his animal control squad arrest offenders (human and dog - no prejudice with this group) who leave their dogs to wander the beach unleashed or fail to pick up after their canine takes a crap. Meanwhile Bobby finds his dad's sh**ty case amusing and with the help of his father's stripper girlfriend Violet writes an opera that satires the war on dogs.

This is a terrific humorous parody on societal struggles between no compromise groups; in this case dog owners and beachfront property owners as the former claim pooping is God's natural way of fertilizing while the latter insists not for their feet. Fans will appreciate this well written satire that spoofs "ism" wars culminating with Bobby writing Salami the opera lampooning how far his once proud John Wayne like dad has fallen when he became the five star general leading THE WAR ON DOGS IN VENICE BEACH.

Harriet Klausner

I got the map and have spent hours looking at it. If there is a more detailed, current map of Baja I haven't seen it. I like that the peninsula is divided on both sides, allowing for a fantastic level of detail. The texture is also very durable, though I'm not sure that it is truly waterproof. If I could only take one publication with me to Baja, this would be it.

This is the latest of many maps I've purchased for Baja, and by far it's the best one! The things I love the most: it's basic topographic, with perennial streams and springs marked, and road-quality marked the best of any of the maps I have; the settlements and important points-of-interest (gas stations, etc.) are well- and accurately-marked; and it's waterproof (in case you spill your cafe on it). If they come out with another series that is more detailed (say a 1:250,000 scale), I'll be ecstatic!

I love maps, and getting one that is water proof is the best laminate for the fact it still folds nice an stores in the map drawer or libary shelf. This came fast and was in perfect condition.

Great map. Water resistant would be more accurate description. A must map for Baja travel. Only complaint of its functionality would be some typos in names and legend icons. Complaint of its aesthetics would be the hideous photo on the cover. Baja is a beautiful peninsula, surely there were a thousand better images to feature on the cover of this map. Get it anyway.

This is an excellent map. It helped us wander our way through Baja over spring break. It's plasticized material stands up to all kinds of abuse, and it contains an impressive amount of detail and useful information. Couple it with The Rough Guide to Baja California (Rough Guide Travel Guides) and you're ready for a guide time.



The only other map for Baja I'd recommend is the AAA one, free to members.

This book is FANTASTIC! It describes almost every stage possible in a woman's life, and humorously covers the gamut of emotions from everyday drudgery to all life's highs and lows. Get ready to laugh and cry and enjoy each of these essays. I have given Wednesday Writers as a birthday present to all my female friends/family members for the last year now, and even gave it to my mother for a mother's day gift two years ago. They all love it as much as I do!!!

What are you waiting for? Buy a copy for yourself and also buy a stack to give as gifts. You will be so glad you did.

I confess, I bought this book because a) a friend's work appears in it b) all the proceeds go to a great cause -- the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center at the U of C's San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center. I kept the book on my bedside table for a while but once I picked it up, I was amazed by how very very good it was.The book is rich in diverse, authentic voices -- it's brimming with humor and insight, sorrow and healing. Topics cover all the milestones of women's lives, as seen from the vantage point of different life stages and several cultures. Yet there's a warm, honest connectedness at the core that ties all of this together, like multicolored beads strung on one thread. I can't image that any thinking, feeling woman of any age would regret reading or buying this book. Another thing that's nice is that short pieces are mixed in with longer works, and there's poetry and travel essays too. What a rich buffet, and what a great experience it must have been being part of this writing group!

A little gem of a book which I carry with me as portable respite. The vignettes are short, but rich and soul-filling. Just this brief contact with another's world, reminds me to stay in contact with my own, and review its richness in terms of experiences, thoughts and memories.

this book has alot of different emotions,, i laughed alot and thought i was reading about myself.i find it very comforting.. and laugh alot....

This collection of stories written by women who attended a weekly writing group on Wednesdays is, dare I say, on par with Tuesdays with Morrie. It is a collection of stories that weaves the tales of these women's lives. The stories are at times moving, funny, poignant, compassionate, and resonate of the fabric with which women's lives are woven. You can pick it up, open it to a page, and start reading any story, but once you start, it will be hard to put it down.

I had the pleasure of going to San Ignacio Lagoon with Summertree Institute. It is a wonderful organization and San Ignacio Lagoon was unforgettable. This book will remind me of how wonderful the Lagoon and whales are and that it would be a tragedy to not protect them. I recommend the book and the trip!

What a wonderful book! I send a huge and heart-felt thank you to the author, Doug Thompson, for being such an excellent spokesperson for the friendly Grey Whales of our ocean...for writing such an important book...and at a time when their very existence is beginning to be threatened again.

Each year we watch, from our coastal town in Oregon, as these magnificent creatures make their yearly journey to and from Baja. It is a journey that we look forward to each year as they make their way down the coastline and back again.
I have had the opportunity of looking into the eyes of some of these whales and I must say, I have been changed. And now, even more so, after reading this excellent book.

It is my hope that everyone will have the chance to read this book and to learn from it. It truly needs to be in the hands of every conservationist.
'Touching the Mystery' is a thoughtful and beautiful book that not only educates folks about the wonder of these intelligent creatures and the importance of protecting them, but also about the lives of those that live near them...the keepers of the lagoons and stewards of the land and sea.

This book comes with a 30 minute DVD offering incredible footage of these Whales. Doug's many years as a film maker certainly are apparent in this documentary. It is absolutely stunning!

I am about to order several more copies (after having already purchased an armload)
Thank you again Mr. Thompson!!! You are a hero!

This book really shines a light on a world so few of us see. Doug Thompson has written one of the definitive books on whales, their history and their future. His personal connection to whales and the way he introduces us to the people and places that are so crucial to their survival takes you on a journey filled with the passion of someone who deeply cares for these amazing sea creatures. The DVD that is included adds a visual element that brings the pages of the book to life. It's also great to hear the author narrate the DVD and get a greater sense of his commitment to these smart engaging animals. Whales: Touching the Mystery is an enjoyable read and one that you'll recommend to all your friends.

Whales: Touching the Mystery entrances the reader. Complete with a DVD showing incredible footage of humans interacting with whales and whales enjoying thier ocean journeys. The book explores Gray Whales teaching us the beauty of their life and the impact of their journeys from Alaska to Baja Mexico on humans and the viabilty of ocean life. This book is for whale lovers, nature adventurous and the curious. The author tells the story of the current effords of humans to preserve the birthing lagoons of the whales, as well as the impact on the indigious folks of the area. Historical information combined with current conservation by the Mexican goverment creates an intrique of circumstances and give hopes to the future. Reading this book will have you heading towards Baja to sea for yourself and to experience the joy of our whale ancestors. READ it and Buy it for a friend or your local library.

I can't claim to be deeply familiar with the current literature about whales (my library boasts at most two or three books on the subject) but if you're looking for the one book that conveys the majesty and wonder of these incredible creatures, one that engages both the mind and the heart in ways both powerful and moving, this book and accompanying DVD is it. Mariner, naturalist and filmmaker Thompson has been leading whale watching expeditions to Baja California for 30 years--he may have been the first one to do so-- and he does an admirable job of distilling the knowledge, wisdom and deep insights gained from three decades of whale interaction into a narrative that is at once accessible, informative and fascinating.

While much has been reported about the profound, even life-changing, impact that touching a whale has on those who have had the experience, Thompson deftly steers clear of being preachy or New Age-y, leaving the spiritual experience for the reader to feel implicitly through his descriptions and the DVD. In fact, he has multiple objectives: enthrall, entice, educate, honor the stewards of the San Ignacio Lagoon, lobby, give the rich ideas for helping (and politicians reasons for voting), and gain new friends of the whale world-wide. He achieves all of these goals without losing any of his audiences. His brief history of whale hunting is especially powerful.

My wife Susan and I watched the 30 minute companion DVD. Like the book, it's pitch perfect and wonderfully complementary. We've both been fortunate to get close to whales in waters off Northern California, but Thompson's images of whale encounters in the San Ignacio Lagoon are nothing short of astonishing, truly powerful and moving. This is a beautifully produced video, with a quality worthy of network broadcast. Little wonder that Thompson and this book and DVD have garnered the respect and imprimatur of no less an icon than primatologist Jane Goodall. Like Goodall, Thompson is making an impact. Highest recommendation.
John Grissim, author of The Lost Treasure of the Concepcion and Pure Stoke

Norman's book is great for offering an historical account of the screenwriting trade, something that is usually overlooked in the Syd Field age. The only problem I had personally with the book is that the author seemed to become a little enamored with the auteurs of the 70s toward the end and didn't really talk about the dedicated screenwriters as much. While I think the stories about guys like Coppola and Lucas are interesting and eye-opening, it would have been nice to hear more about the trials and tribulations of the people whose names weren't above the title during those years.

Overall, a great book, though. It should definitely be on the core reading list of any screenwriting program--from the community group to the graduate level.

This exhaustively researched book starts at the very beginning then steps through each of the decades since D. W. Griffith's famous movie, all in a very entertaining manner.
Not satisfied simply with recounting the history of screenwriting and screenwriters in all their various guises, the author serves up cogent analysis about the business of movie making then comes to the conclusion that whatever else comes down the pike, in whatever form and whatever else screenwriters are called, there will always be a place for the content generator, or composer as he would prefer.
Excellent reading and enjoyable.

Academy award winner Marc Norman's "What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting" is as entertaining as a good movie. It can be studied as serious movie history--his description of the forces that moved the early movie industry from the East coast to the West is as good as any I've ever read--or perused as titillating, yet intelligent gossip. The men and women who wrote the words and stories so frequently disparaged and often disregarded by directors, producers, and heads of studios come alive in "What Happens Next" through anecdote, letters, and reminiscences.

From William Faulkner to Anita Loos (the highest paid screenwriter of her day), from Quentin Tarantino to Charlie Kaufman, this book is a delight for any movie fan or writer, or anyone who's ever enjoyed a juicy bit of scandalous gossip.

This book is phenomenal. Not only is it well-written and comprehensive, but it fills a horrendous gap in the legacy of screenwriting and its impact on movies.

Other than Ian Hamilton's terrific work on the early years of screenwriting, this book immediately becomes the cornerstone, the bedrock of the genre -- and for very good reason. It's not just a book about the writers themselves, but how the art and craft of screenwriting have evolved in the context of film. What we get is an alternate point of view that has for too long been neglected in entry-level cinema history.

Starting from Edison, Edwin Porter and D.W. Griffith, we travel the well-trodden (but freshly invigorated) path through the studio system and on into modern movie-making -- with the twist that the writer has not been brushed aside. In fact, we immediately see how crucial key scribes have contributed to the development of the art.

It's a cliche in Hollywood that the writer is abused and overlooked (ask a striking member of the WGA if you don't believe me). But other than a work stoppage, nothing can rectify the place of the writer in the public's awareness more than a historical overview with the screenwriter placed in his or her rightful place -- at the center of the creative process itself.

This is not a scree or a polemic, but a finely written, highly entertaining look at Hollywood. I find myself referring to it all the time. In fact, I've recreated my entire Netflix queue around areas of my movie history that could use some screenings. And I've become a big fan of Anita Loos! (You too will discover that at least 50% of the early screenwriters were women, with Anita being its first breakout star.)

Like a great film, this book immerses you in a world and rivets you to your chair. If you are a writer or a curious film buff, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. It will reward you with many great nights of delight and discovery -- a claim not enough movies themselves can make these days.

As a "recovering screenwriter," I can bear witness to the sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious authenticity of "What Happens Next."
It's a history that needed to be told and Marc Norman has done it with head and heart.