California Books

Other reviewers have already been descriptive. My opinion...the food is delicious. It is also what I call "clean" and "architectural"...it isn't covered with gloppy sauces. It is arranged on the plate clearly and attractively. We "eat" with our eyes and nose before our taste buds. You will be happy to have it in your library AND your purchase is supporting a good cause...a win/win situation. Rare in this era!

These recipes are for elegant, delicious dishes to serve your friends and family. They all reflect the ethnic and culinary influences that make up California cuisine, including tips from such people as Arnold Wong and Alice Waters. All of the food is fancy, but not everything is complicated: the Cambazola Apricots are an easy-to-make appetizer, while the Blueberry French Toast can be whipped up the night before for brunch. This is a must-own for anyone who loves food or who loves San Francisco.

Best cook book I ever used. it so easy to follow, you just prepare the incredients as directed and followed the directions. you can't go wrong. I tried using other cook books but only get frustrated trying to follow the instruction, but this book has simple and clrear instruction, anyone can follow it. one thing lacking limited pictures of what you are cooking, but not important.

I've had this book for over 2 years and have loved every recipe I've made from it, many of which have become standards in our house. Try the delicious and easy apple cake with hot caramel sauce, the chicken breasts with wild mushrooms and balsamic vinegar and the awesome chicken pot pie with sage biscuit topping. Easy to follow directions and nice tips from the chefs who submitted the recipes.

I concur with the other reviews on this site. This is my favorite cookbook, and I have quite a collection. The recipes are well-written, good cooking and preparation techniques are given in conjunction with the recipes, and the results always earn me kudos! Can't ask for too much more.

I have given this cookbook as a gift several times and have recommended it to my friends who love to cook.

Savvy Networking is the newest addition to the wonderful,guiding books on business networking by Andrea Nierenberg. Just when you think you have learned all you could from her prior books, out comes a new one offering you yet additional networking skills. As our unemployment rate increases skills in networking are necessary to try and keep above your competition, meet new business and personal people, and get your name and qualifications out there. The book is an easy read so it's an enjoyment not a task. Check it out. You won't be dissappointed.

Do you need to upgrade your business contact list? Do you need help learning how to make networking change your life? Well, take a couple of hours and read this 100+ page book full of amazing tips on advancing your networking game. The 118 tips presented will give you a play-by-play guide to creating a networking mindset, branding yourself, and understanding why it's important to give first. Andrea shares quotes and real-life examples from business executives with proven track records of "building relationships" and "creating connections".

Don't waste another minute of your day working alone - you should be NETWORKING. Step out of your comfort zone (use technology - social/business networking sites, text messaging and email), create a new system (business card files, customer contact forms, and handwritten notes) and update your networking skills (remember names, send a nice card and smile a lot) after reading this book. Andrea has spent years researching, establishing new relationships and honing her skills which makes her the modern day guru of networking.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Andrea continues to prove why she is the Queen of Networking. I can say without a doubt that Andrea's tips work. They have helped me be more successful in my business and I know her tips will do the same for you. Plus, Savvy Networking is a fun read that gets right to the good stuff.

This is a thin little book that is full of dynamite suggestions. So much good business sense here. It would be useful for companies to hand these out in bulk for new hires to read and then quiz them on it. From meeting folks, to salesmanship through to customer service this lady has something for everyone. Quit reading about it and go buy it!

This book is so chock full of ideas and tools to use in every facet of one's life, it's hard to believe the sub-title, "118 Fast & Effective Tips for Business Sucess". It sure felt like much more than 118. Ms. Nierenberg's advice is not only excellent, but always kind and with much consideration of people and their needs.

The symbols universal in Tarot decks are reviewed in "The Secret Language of Tarot", a book which acts as either a reference to these images or as a series of guided meditations on each Tarot symbol. Each chapter offers a set of symbols that share a common theme, with plenty of background information surveying myths, realities and research. New age libraries strong in Tarot studies will find "The Secret Language of Tarot" an absorbing analysis useful on more than one level.

This book will bring you closer to the symbols and images in your deck. Not only the symbols that they talk about in the book, but it makes you aware of all the little pieces that make up a deck. A wonderful beginning to a new way to explore.

As a student of Tarot for over a decade, its unusual for me to pick up a book and find a COMPLETELY fresh approach to the cards. I was/am delighted with the Amberstone's approach and their Tarot School is like the Big Bang -- Tarot is exploding for me like never before and it's beauty and expansiveness is opening wide. After buying every book I could find, studying Kabalah, Astrology, Alchemy, Jungian Psychology and joining an Esoteric School -- I've found the Amberstones bring the living tradition of Tarot and all the above-mentioned related topics together in a completely unique, articulate, and fascinating way I've never found before. After reading through the book at a single sitting, I ordered the Minor Arcana audio series from the Tarot School website and can not speak highly enough about it.

The book is the tip of the Amberstone iceberg but indicative of what's beneath -- an extraordinary and magical depth, breadth, and clarity of the subject matter combined with clear dedication, love, reverence, and appreciation for the Art of Tarot.

I had pretty high hopes for this book--apparently too high. The Amberstones are the ones who want to separate you and roughly $800 of your cash to learn tarot, and I figured this book would be a taste of what I'd get should I decide to take their course. Apparently not too stupid a decision, since this book seems to be one of their courses merely in book format (chapters begin with some sort of 'welcome to our class on....' formula). While there is good stuff in here and I definitely like the across-the-deck approach of symbols, on the depth of information, I honestly wasn't blown away. Good stuff, yes, but not exactly mind blowing. And every chapter I ended up *filling* with marginal notes like "what about this?" "And this?" For example--they talk about the five-petaled rose as a symbol in class, erm, chapter one. While they're spot on in what they do have, they don't touch on some pretty obvious numerology--five in the Middle Ages represents *humankind*--the five senses, the four limbs & the head, five fingers, etc. It's also more closely tied to the Virgin Mary than they say--anyone saying the rosary knows of the *five* sorrows and joys of the Virgin. As for white versus red roses--any Englishman (such as Waite) would almost automatically have considered roses, red and white, with Lancaster and York. So while they're not *wrong*...they're just not as *right* as I wanted them to be. And for the columns, they completely skip over the notion of the Hebrew names possibly being further representation of gender polarity--Boaz "in him is strength" masculine, Jachin "God prepares"--hello? The Virgin Mary again? Medieval notions of the female as the fertile bed upon which the masculine seed is acted?

If I sound frustrated it's because I bought this book expecting *experts*, (on their website they boast of more than 80 years of tarot experience) not just a few neat titbits. The only way I can reconcile myself to this book is to say that I must in contrast be a Tarot Super Genius, which I most certainly am NOT!

I gave it a four because I do like the notion of analyzing SYMBOLS rather than cards, and because what they do have is good stuff--just not as much as I would have liked. It's a good book for an intermediate tarot reader, but advanced readers might not find enough (like me) to justify shelling out the money. It's definitely a 'look before you leap' book. I'd recommend either of Mary Greer's big Tarot books before, and possibly instead of, this one.

But god bless 'em for having one of the very *few* good titles to come out in Tarot in the last few years!

This book stands out sharply from all of the dozens of books in print that look at the symbolism of various Tarot decks. The other books all have one thing in common: they take the cards and dissect them into their various symbols. This remarkable work takes the symbols and integrates them with the cards.

Rather than simply go thought the Major Arcana and say "Oh, look there's a moon under the foot of the High Priestess", The Amberstones take the moon and look for its occurrences across the deck. The results can be surprising. Yes, the High Priestess does indeed have a crescent moon, but so does the Chariot, The Hierophant, The Moon and several Minor Arcana. As the author, so rightly points out, "Regardless of the card and regardless of its phase, every appearance of the moon in tarot brings with it the gift of all its meanings and references ready to the hand of the reader".

The same procedure is repeated for other common and important symbols: crowns, pillars, paths, mountains, horses, clouds and many more.

With forward by Mark Greer and afterward by Lon Milo DuQuette, two of Tarot's brightest lights join with the sterling reputation of the founders of The Tarot School to bring us a unique jewel in the crown of Tarot books.

I recently bought this on a whim at the book store and was pleased at it turning out to be one of my best purchases. Instantly one of my favorites, Amichai writes with the perfect mixture of narrative and metaphor, balancing his poetry perfectly on the line between clarity and obscurity. His metaphors are original, concise, and leave you thinking. At the same time, Amichai's poetry is not inaccesible. His writing is simple enough to grasp the first time through, but also complex enough for you to peel away the layers of meaning as you read again and again.

While some of the poetry is political or cultural in nature (Amichai is an Israeli and Jew), don't let that discourage you from thinking it doesn't have any application to your life. Like Chaim Potok, Amichai breathes a life into his words that enlightens you toward life's simplicities, regardless of your background. Top notch stuff.

I have other translations of Amichai's poetry but love this book, translated by Chana Bloch and Stephen Mitchell, the best.

To read Yehuda Amichai in English is to sojourn, yes, in Jerusalem, more, in Amichai's denuded heart -- but to see it all with a crick in my neck, able only to look out the left-hand side of the bus. In this translation of his Selected Poetry, the scenes pass: stone and sand architecture; crowds of workers, soldiers, family members; heaped goods and quiet meals; long loves and fleeting notice. Reading these poems is to sustain explosions of new sense memories, to be consumed with fresh details -- reading the poems in English is to know they harbor still more beauty. Not knowing Hebrew, I can't turn my head to see what incomparable, heartbreaking balance of truth and wish lies out that window.

Amichai's voice is calm, colloquial, casual. The way one might say, "Pardon me, you've dropped your pen," Amichai will say, "And in the big cities, protestors blocked the roads like / a blocked heart, whose master will die..."

So I wonder what I'm not hearing. How must one who makes easy fantastical connections, who sets single nouns and entire memory constructs equal, also play with homonym, rhythm, internal rhyme, with invented words, cousins of ancient words? This is, after all, Amichai--a poet credited with revivification, with re-knitting the bones of Hebrew vernacular. His poetry gave a country a new map into its old language.

Here's Amichai: "At the end of summer I breathe this air / that is burnt and pained. My thoughts have / the stillness of many closed books: / many crowded books, with most of their pages / stuck together like eyelids in the morning."

And Amichai, to a woman: "You had a laughter of grapes: / many round green laughs. / Your body is full of lizards. / All of them love the sun."

In these poems, the acts of watching and describing become one intention, one result. Amichai systematizes little, responds much; sees, and does not sneer; judges, not to dispose but to know. His poems are not slices of life, but core samples.

If you want to learn something about how to love a city and yet not pretend its horrors do not exist, how to cherish a person, yet not omit flawed relationship, read Yehuda Amichai. If you want to read not a declaration of love, but a proof of love, read Amichai. For to observe without flinching, whatever terrors of truth or beauty may appear, and remain steadfast, observing, is a proof of love. "I see everything about you," Amichai says to the city, the seasons, the soldiers, his woman, his father, his God, "and here I am still."

Amichai is not frightened away. He thereby makes it safe for us to look on a terrible world complete.

I suspect that in Hebrew, the one difficulty of these poems would dissipate. In weight, in flavor, the poems are like a rare, nutritive honey -- not a condiment but a dietary staple, heavy, dependable. I suspect that in Hebrew the tone dances, that the phrases don't share a single, though delicious, viscosity, as in English. But who am I to complain of manna?

What survives translation is not the full tour, not a map to Hebrew vernacular. What survives is a map through Amichai. We can navigate by these lines and points, read the poems like the knots of a safety rope -- here -- we descend into the technical truths of war, of loss, and of heretofore unimaginable love.

Amichai is the most popular and beloved poet of Israel. His language is at once understandable , and clear, deep and suggestive. He learned from American poetry the colloquial voice and he speaks to his reader in a kind of down-to- earth language which is nonetheless rich with knowledge of Hebrew traditional texts, most prominently the Bible. Amichai writes of the great themes , love and war, and he writes out of his own experience. He writes with reverence and irony both in relation to the people close to him and to the land of Israel. His connection with Jerusalem is special and he presents the many layers of its complex history and identity through his own personal daily meanderings in the city.
He is a humane and profound poetry who while confronting the most painful realities nonetheless presents a voice strongly affirming the value of life.

I was first introduced to Amichai's poetry through this collection. He is a first-rate poet in any language; the translations by Chana Block and Stephen Mitchell are wonderful.

Amichai was born in Germany in 1924, but immigrated to Israel as a boy of 12; he began writing poetry early, especially in the exuberant atmosphere of the newly proclaimed Israel in 1948. Amichai continued to write poetry throughout the twentieth century (he died in 2000), winning national and international prizes and recognition as one of the greatest poets of the age, not only of Hebrew, but internationally. As modern Hebrew is a language still emerging from the shadows of its ancient-but-still-used predecessor, Amichai was a major figure in developing the poetic nuances of the language that helped to expand the limits of meaning in words and usage.

Amichai's poetry represented here spans most of his productive life. The first part includes poems from his collections from 1955 to 1968, from the birth of the state of Israel to the aftermath of the 1967 war. One poem, 'Jerusalem 1967', is a long and majestic play on emotions and images -- Jerusalem here is likened to Sodom and Pompeii, as well as revered as the universal city that it is; Amichai's personal experience floods the historical events he witnessed with emotion that conjures up ancient memories.

The second part includes poems from writings 1971 to 1985. The maturity of Amichai's passions and writing style match the development of world affairs, into a post-war situation, with tentative amblings toward peace. Still there are tragedies and problems, and these make appearances in Amichai's poems. The weariness of the modern world is highlighted in his poem, 'Jerusalem is full of used Jews' -- worn out by history, Amichai wrote. Still there are hopeful signs, as love in its many faces is always the centre of Amichai's world. Amichai is a patriot of sorts, in that he celebrates the place and culture of Israel, but is not blind to the problems there, and by no means a 'death to the enemy' kind of writer -- a bit ironic, given that his poetry is popular among the soldier-citizenry of Israel.

Some poems have decided biblical and religious connections, even if they are not religious in tone or direct meaning. 'Jacob and the Angel' obviously takes its title from the early story in Genesis, but beyond that, the context and content is very different. Some show the international character of modern Israeli experience. Many poems, while decidedly Amichai, could have been written anywhere, and the situations and feelings of love are universal.

Stunning poetry!

SIDEWAYS IN NEVERLAND: LIFE IN THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, CA depicts life and culture in a part of California which typically receives rare mention - the Santa Ynez Valley, midway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. In a series of essays Etling describes life as an extra on the 'Sideways' set, gathering up his bi-weekly editorial treatments of life in the Valley, blending memoir with travel and social insights. A lively series of personal and social vignettes evolves in a fun survey of stars and casual people alike.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

"FIVE STARS: For Sideways in Neverland, a collection of engaging essays on the Santa Ynez Valley by gifted wordsmith Bill Etling...covers everything from the Hollywood invasion to an eerie hike to the fog-shrouded lighthouse at the tip of Point Conception. Sideways in Neverland is perfect bedtime reading, for you, or even better, to your children."

After Michael Jackson was arraigned in a Santa Maria courtroom, the King of Weird invited hoards of strangers to party at his sprawling Santa Ynez ranch. As Etling describes it: "Middle-aged white men like myself were as unusual as the three-foot-tall gentleman walking beside me as we approached the first of an extensive network of ponds and waterfalls, including four geysers, shooting thirty feet in the air."
It gets weirder. And, fortunately, Etling (brother of Bert Etling, who edits the Cambrian, a Tribune weekly) has a keen eye for detail.
In a series of essays, Etling deftly describes life as an extra on the "Sideways" set (he was promoted from "bathroom walker" to "diner," though instructed not to eat the food), the chilly waters of Jalama Beach and the pitfalls of being a Realtor. ("I'm a Realtor. Mind-numbing boredom is my life.") The career might be boring, but some of his funniest writing is about people's reactions to housing prices in a market gone berserk.
Patrick S. Pemberton

Etling has lived in "the West of legend, with Danish pastry" since 1966; these columns from the Santa Barbara News-Press have nothing to do with wine, little to do with movies and everything to do with an enchanting landscape and its residents, past and present.

Michael Jackson, Fess Parker, Ronald Reagan and Matt LeBlanc are among those residents, but surfers, cowboys, artists, veterans and settlers get the most affectionate treatment. Etling takes us not only to Jackson's fantasy estate and the sets of "Sideways" and "Seabiscuit," but to Highway 246 on California Cleanup Day, a university lecture on gophers and numerous local festivals.

Though this is not truly a guidebook, Etling tips readers to wildflower fields, surfing spots, cave paintings and museums. Readers will forget "Sideways" and head south to eat with cowboys and celebrities at the Longhorn Cafe, watch a missile launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base and ski on Figueroa Mountain.

What the professional reviewers are saying about Sideways in Neverland:

The collected "Santa Ynez Notebook" of a Santa Barbara News-Press writer.
Etling's delightful bi-weekly editorial dishes on all things Santa Ynez Valley, an area of tiny towns near Santa Barbara, Calif.

This compilation of almost three years of work covers a wide variety of topics, including community events, regional history, locals both famous (Michael Jackson, anyone?) and not-so, and the author's personal life.

The column's buoyant tone and warm voice make for a charming read-"I still love the beach. If I had a tail, I'd wag it when I'm near the water." As a teenager, Etling moved to the area with his family, and it's clear that he has adored the area ever since.

More than just a love letter to his hometown, however, Sideways provides affecting reading for all-Etling is all over the board, from what happens when a small town kid goes to war to the peril of navigating a highway crossed frequently by deer to a Hollywood invasion, when suddenly everyone's an extra on the set of Seabiscuit.

Fruitful subject matter, a likable host and evocative writing make for an enjoyable guide to this nook of California.
-Kirkus Discoveries

Very informative. This is our 20 month old daughters favorite book. not only does she love looking at the deer in the book she also loves to watch the deer outside.

This is a gorgeous book filled with photographs taken by the author who has spent a lifetime observing and hunting whitetails. Whether you're a beginner hunter or seasoned professional, you're sure to get a lot from this well written guide to one of America's most fascinating and secretive game animals.

WHEN THEY SAY AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHY, THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL, BOTH PICTURES AND INFO. A GREAT BOOK TO KEEP HANDY TO READ EACH YEAR PRIOR HUNTING SEASON. ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

I purchased this book for my husband after he saw it mentioned in a Maine sporting journal. He was very impressed with it and is enjoying reading it very much. In fact, he has raved about it so much, just this week I had to look up my ordering information for our son, so that he could order a copy for himself. Also, I should mention that your price at Amazon was about $7 cheaper than the website I first checked.

I predict that in coming years, this book will become a classic in deer hunting, mentioned in the same sentence with Larry Koller's Shots at Whitetails, Theodore Van Dyke's The Still Hunter, and a very few others that have stood the test of time. If you want to be a better deer hunter, get Strategies for Whitetails soon, and study it before next deer season. Besides getting many tips from a master deer hunter and a healthy appreciation for America's greatest big game animal, the discussion of the five stages of a deer hunter will allow you to do some healthy self-analysis.

Strategies for Whitetails is truly a comprehensive book, and the author's love for the animal that has brought so much to his life comes through loud and clear. Excellent color photography, countless insights into the natural world, a low price for a high quality book... you'll be glad you bought it.

A wonderful romantic love story. From the moment you start reading, you become involved with the characters and feel like you know them personally. Very enjoyable from beginning to end, and I would recommend it highly.

What a great story. I enjoyed every minute of reading with this book. I recommend to anyone who is a fan of golf, rock stars, money and romance buy and read this book!!

Sweetheart was a true romance. The author really put you in touch with the characters. You felt like you really knew the characters personally. I really enjoyed reading this book. It grasped your attention and was very hard to put it done. I recommend this book to anyone. This book shows you that true love can make it through the good times and bad times.

Linda Martin has written a book that is both romantic and compelling. The story line of Sweetheart was easy to follow, and the characters were very believable. The passion that this book has will keep you turning evey page until the end, and wanting more after you finish. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author.

Sweetheart is a true romance story. Love does concur all in this book. Wonderful characters, the beautiful heroine Linda and the arrogant hero Brad. I particularly loved the secondary characters; the caretakers, Rose and Harry and Robert, Brad's butler. Overall a great story and a great read! I would recommend this book to anyone.

After my daughter was diagnosed with Autism. I searched everywhere for stories about other families and how they were coping and living. This book has packaged it all up and sorted it into catagories. Very clever.

Easy to read and I especially like these features:

1. Real stories from real families
2. Tips from the parents at the end of their story
3. Ages of children are included in the story intro
4. Well-organized catagories to easily find a story to read about

This is a great book and would even make an excellent gift to a parent of a child with autism. Excellent book!

This book is an Excelent resours for Parents just learning an Autism Diagnosis because it shares what other parents and children have already lived thru and lets them say they are not alone .Autism really isnt the end of the world .It hurts but it but it also teaches us so much and in that we grow as people and as parents
Angela AKA Codys Mom

I found that this book helped me in many ways. Ideas for correcting problems with my autism spectrum child as well as encouragement and the acknowlegement that we are not fighting this battle alone. I highly recommend this book. It is easy and fun to read. I have marked several of the pages for later reference and frequently pull it out to quote to a friend.

So I purchased a couple copies (of my own book) to give to friends. I reread the 1st couple of stories and I was crying by the third. Lots of personal accounts. Helps you feel like you aren't the only one dealing with some really hard stuff.

I am a teacher and summer residential camp director who has the pleasure of working with children, adults and their families on the autism spectrum. This book was a great read and provided me with much insight that I have already shared with my coworkers at school and plan to share with my staff at camp this summer. It provides a real down to earth outlook. Thank you!

The beauty of this book is that so many letters, reviews, interviews etc. about/by so many artists are conveniently gathered in one place. On the whole, there isn't anything in here that you can't find elsewhere, such as in biographies of the individual artists. For example the letters contained in the opening section on "Post-Impressionism" from both Cezanne and Van Gogh are included in just about every biography on them.

The over-riding reason for buying this book is that so many are collected together. So, even for an artist that you might not like enough to go out and buy their biography, atleast you get an insight in to their thoughts/motives etc. In some cases this may spark your interest in a previously less favoured artist and appreciate their works from a new perspective.

Chipp covers all the main "isms" of modern art from Post-Impressionism (Cezanne) onwards. Each movement opens with a treatise detailing the main theories/artists/concepts/techniques that made it unique. This is followed by a comprehensive selection of articles/letters/interviews etc. concerning the main players i.e. the section of Expressionism includes writings from Nolde, Kandinsky, Kokoschka, Kirchner, Marc, Klee and Beckmann. One of my favourite pieces is by Stuart Davis. He's responding to a critic's recent review..."in your review you speak of your enthusiasm for my work and call me a "swell American painter". This attitude on your part I heartily approve, but you further state that my style is French and that if Picasso had never lived I would have had to think out a style of my own. Now is that nice Mr. McBride?" and off Davis goes in his defence. Superb.

Rather than reading about these various "isms" via the well meaning but often biased views of a expert art historian, here you get the views from the artists themselves.

For any art historians dealing with the modern art period this book has to be essential. And for general appreciators of art, as well as artists themselves, this book contains a wealth of information, and pays dividends to both intense study or just random browsing.

Since it's first publication in 1968 this book has formed the foundation of any respectable art library. I just checked the bibliography of more recent books on art history - this book is referenced extensively. In my opinion, if anyone is looking for an interesting and enjoyable introduction to the world of "Modern Art" they could do a lot worse than start here. And given the way that any one "ism" owes it's existence to the "isms" that came before it*, this almost reads like a novel.

*Regardless of Dali's utterances about Surrealism being a unique movement, unfounded by anything that came before, just go and have a look at the works of Hieronymous Bosch to see that wasn't the case.

Recommended!

Even if you are not interested in the arts but simply in thought process- I think you will find this book very interesting. You could say this is the history of modern art without pictures (although there are some pictures)- bringing the reader facinating insights into how different types of artists came to their philosophies of art, and of course, the world. Documented through personal letters, manifestos, and articles, the varity of different thoughts and beliefs catapolts just what art can be. To me it shows that art is a never ending universe of ideas- all connecting but all very individual just the same.

I just wanted to respond to the person before me. It sounds like contemporary art is way over your head. Please do not waist our time with long reviews about things you clearly do not understand.

How often had I looked at a painting of Van Gough and wondered what exactly was this great man thinking when he conceived and painted such a picture. Now by reading thru this excellent book, I can claw into the mind of artists themselves.

Not only educational, but inspiring. I not only learned about each artist and what when on during their time of certain artworks, but I was able to get inside their head. The words of the artist's in their letters were captivating. I was caught up in the reading. I especially enjoyed Matisse and Kandinsky. Kandinsky is very spiritual about his writing and gives a deep explanation of colors. Anyway, it is a great read. It was required for my history course, but I enjoyed it. Not very many in my class could understand what they were reading. I guess you not only need intellect, but sophistication. I liked it!

I thought this book was extremely enjoyable. Women are often neglected in the historical narrative. So, it was nice to read a book that told the story of these women of the gold rush through their own words and through a colorful narrative by Jo Ann Levy. My only criticism is that minority women are rarely mentioned in this book, which gives an incomplete picture of the history of California women during the gold rush.

In her book, They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush, Jo Ann Levy weaves letters and journal entries into a picture of the lives of women during the California gold rush.
Coming by covered wagons or ships these women wrote about their journeys' across mountains, deserts, oceans, and jungles. The excitement of an adventure and the beauty of the land was not the whole story however; misery and death joined them on their journey. Inadequate provisions, brutal storms and sickness were common themes. And once these women reached the promise land of San Francisco, the streets were not paved in gold as they dreamed, but littered with trash.
The belief that there were only prostitutes or actresses was also not true; many women ran boarding houses or mined for gold. Some left after the gold ran out, but many women stayed in the cities that they helped create.
Though this book it is not organized in to one story, it is an insight into the women who came to California during the gold rush. You will be amazed by their bravery as they left their comfortable lives and uprooted their families for adventures unknown.

This book is great!
A person wouldn't even need to be interested in history of the gold rush days to thoroughly enjoy reading this book. I don't have alot of free time to read, so when I pick a book it has to be worth my while. This certainly was. And it's an easy book for reading a few pages at a time, like I do just before going to bed. I love how it organizes the accounts and groups the stories into chapters of a particular theme. Fascinating!

In They Saw The Elephant, Jo Ann Levy has combined women's journals and letters with newspaper articles of the gold rush era into an articulate, shining gem of historical writing. Her purpose was to dispel many of the common assumptions and general characterizations made in earlier histories about the women who participated in the California gold rush. A number of the early twentieth century histories of this monumental American event imply there were few women in California, and that a majority of those women were of questionable social standing. Levy's placement of her chapter on prostitution is wisely situated in the second half of her work. She admits there is little written record concerning the lives of these women, particularly those of Chilean and Chinese descent who came to the gold fields. The author does not fill in the blanks with supposition or fiction. By the time the reader gets to the chapter on prostitution, it is already clear that women were contributing far more to the Gold Rush than physical pleasure for males.

The Oregon Trail opened in 1847. Levy includes some of the women's stories from this trek even if their final destination was not the gold fields. This is a plus. The reader understands that women had started emigrating west for reasons other than gold and the journals and letters used to demonstrate life on the trail were vivid.

The variety of women discussed in this book was a cross section of society at the time. I laughed out loud while reading about how some of the highbrow, educated women reacted to the primitive society of San Francisco. These women adapted, and most made a good living as boarding house keepers and cooks.
Levy does an excellent job showing us the ingenuity of the women who went west. Living aboard abandoned ships in the bay, renting out rooms in, and using wood and goods from those ships are details about day-to-day life often lost in the telling of the human experience of the gold rush.

Perhaps the strongest statement Levy makes in her book is found in the Postscript. Women who went west during the gold rush continued their lives long after the three- year bonanza. Most didn't stay in San Francisco. Most didn't even stay in California. Their toil was but another blip on the radar screen of their lives. They didn't crawl back east to their families as broken women. They had seen the elephant, but had no desire to own the circus.

Several of the accounts made me chuckle and realize how little life has changed. One letter describes how quickly houses were being built in San Francisco. It goes on to describe the shoddy workmanship including gaps in the walls large enough to see through. I live in the fastest growing metropolitan area in the country. Houses go up over night here, literally. We joke about housing developments growing as quickly as mushrooms in the forest. The only reason the cracks in the walls don't allow light in now is chicken wire and stucco. Little has changed in the last 150 years.

Women civilized the wild California gold rush society. Some used the money they had made from the miners and started churches, schools, and hospitals. Others became heavily involved in various societies. In general, they went west with their husbands, to support their husbands in search of a better life, and they brought their civilized mindset with them.

This is an excellent book, appropriate for all audiences. It flows well, and contains a great deal of authentic information

As a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, I found tremendous value in "They Saw The Elephant." For the general reader of non-fiction, this book reads like a novel! The stories of these valiant women grab the reader and never let go. You feel that you are with them, as they face the unknown perils and triumphs of the Gold Rush in California of the mid-19th Century. The words of these wonderful women have the special ring of Truth to them. I cannot overstate my admiration for the author and her work in presenting this important book.