California Books

To get a glimpse of Shunru through this text is very gratifying. He deftly communicates the paradoxical aspects of ji-the apparent-and ri-the unseen. The text takes the reader through subtle aspects of zen thinking mind, but without being overly analytical. When he hears himself getting too conceptual, he pulls away with humor and a very special humanness that communicates beyond words, which is actually the context of the Sandokai! I enjoy picking up Branching Streams and reading it for clarity and inspiration every day, and you will too.

I have no doubt that Shunryu Suzuki will be a great influence on American Buddhism for many years to come. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (though not "written" by Suzuki-roshi--it's edited from lectures) has been a work that I have turned to again and again through-out my years of practice, finding new levels of insight each time. Branching Streams is a deserving continuation to the publication of Suzuki-roshi's teaching (it is, of course, also based on lectures, coming almost thirty years after his death). But it is a little more slow-going than Zen Mind and probably won't be as accessible to those without some experience of Zen. But, like Zen Mind, there are some beautiful, even poetic moments in the text. If you are just getting started in Zen and haven't read Zen Mind, you should definitely start with that before moving on to this. But if you have read ZM, BM and couldn't get enough, you will enjoy revisiting the Master.

This is Shunryu Suzuki's commentary on the Sandokai. The Sandokai is a poem by Zen master Sekito Kisen on the inseparability of the relative and the absolute.

You will find this poem in many Zen and Buddhism books. I checked out 10 or 11 books from the library, and this poem was in... I think it was 4 of them. So it wouldnt be very hard to compare the different translations of the peom if one wished. They differ quite a bit. Although the core meaning is always the same.

This poem was written in response to the disagreement between the northern (more hinayana/gradual) and southern (more mahayana/instant) schools that started to distance themselve in the 7th century. Actually it started long before that and continues to this day. Also, the one school, by very nature contains the "other school." So while more and more people were sticking to one side or the other, the absolute teachings of Zen were suffering from this ignorance. Thats where the illuminating rays of Sekito Kisen's wisdom--in the form of the Sandokai--illuminate and expose a dualistic view that so easily creeps into Zen practice and jeopardizes it. Sekito shines his wisdom upon not just the troubles of the northern and southern schools, but on the perils of sticking to dualistic views in and of themselves.

While the actual poem is only a couple pages. It is powerful and very important to all of Buddhism. Suzuki gives a valuable commentary that takes the poem line for line. Each chapter takes 4, 5 or 6 lines of the poem. Suzuki explains and adds his own words of wisdom, experiences and views wich brings out the profound nature of these verses that might otherwise be to deep for most people. You cand read a line and think "yeah I see the meaning of that." Then Suzuki hits it from many angles and tells you not to stick to any point-of-view. Leaving you exposed to the futility of your quick tendency to grasp at things. You can tell Suzuki's understanding of this teaching comes from living experience.

While this book is full of valuable teachings, it suffers at times from being takin from lectures. I know Zen Mind, and Not Always So are also takin from lectures. But this being a commentary on a single poem and not just various lectures put together make it all the more noticeable.

Without the true voice (Suzuki Roshi) of this book around to help, the editors had to take the lectures and prune and shape them into this piece of literature. Editing plays a major role in making all the chapters cohesive. Resulting in a feeling at times of maybe losing some meaning and/or accent. But this isnt a major issue. Just worth noting. Otherwise this is a well presented book. The wisdom found here will be appreciated regardless of any difficulties inherent in a project of this nature.

The Sandokai has meaning far beyond the words used to write it. Suzuki Roshi gives us some very valuable commentary on this meaning "behind the words." If you are intersted in Zen, the Sandokai, or Suzuki Roshi you should read this book. If not, read it anyway.

This book is largely a well-executed editing effort of a number of talks that Suzuki Roshi gave of the Sandokai, a poem written in the early zen years. The poem, written by the Eighth Ancestor in China, Sekito Kisen, was intended to bridge a perceived (and I am hesitant to say) 'philisophical' gap between two zen schools of the time. One appealed to the 'clever', and the other appealed to the 'dull'. The Sandokai reveals that Buddha-nature transcends all such interpretations.

Each talk addresses a different section of the poem. Each chapter begins with the section of the poem that will be discussed. At the end of each talk there is discussion, consisting of questions from the students followed by the Roshi's response.

While superficially, bridging the gap between the "northern school" and the "southern school" was the impetus, we learn from the Roshi the poem's many deeper meanings. By reading the talks one begins to realize the great import of this poem as a primary and essential work.

Anyone who has read Suzuki's first book can attest to the Roshi's keen ability to impart the most complex subjects on a simple and understandable level. He does so in a way that also recognizes the limitations of such talks.

While this text was clearly not intended to be an introduction to practice, those who regularly practice will find it an invaluable work, and those, such as I, who have worn out the covers of 'Zen Mind Beginner's Mind' over many, many years won't be disappointed. The Sandokai is addressed by the Master in a most refreshing, sometimes humorous, and most enlightening way.

I look forward to wearing out this book as much as the first.

This is an excellent little book. It is based on the a series of talks that were given by Shunryu Suzuki in a sesshin lead by him, as it happened near the end of his life. The book in my view would be suited to a more advanced practitioner rather than a beginner. However all would benefit by reading it.

The book gives a line by line explanation of the "The Identity of Absolute and Relative" sutra. This sutra along with the "Heart Sutra" are the two main sutras chanted in Zen Buddhist services.

As practitioners we hear this sutra over and over again and it is easy to think of it as just a simple and poetic piece(even dare I say it, tune out to some extent with our own familarity), which it is. Suzuki's explanation of the sutra shows that considerably more can be gleaned from studying/meditating on this important zen work.

Ms. Freudenheim has provided us with a very well-written book about how new and developing architectureal styles happen, using the SF Bay Area and the development of the Arts and Crafts style as a perfect example. Ms. Freudenheim's excellant research and engaging style shows, in words and photos, how a web of people and buildings continually interact and thus result in a new style. In this greatly expanded edition of a now hard-to-find great original book, we learn about these people, their interactions, and how this resulted in a new archtectural style. This book will be enjoyed by anyone interested in the Arts and Crafts style, either as a home owner, collector, scholar, or as a total observer of the Arts and Crafts movement and it's recent resurgence. Enjoy!

Leslie Freudenheim has captured an era that has given great beauty to our lives. With grace and wisdom she has presented the San Francisco Bay Area as a landscape filled with the richness of the architectural geniuses who gave the area their distinctive creations. The beauty of the arts and crafts buildings complements nature, and bonds our living spaces into it. The author has, with a great deal of style, significantly enriched our experience of this fine period in our history.

Building With Nature, when first published in 1974, brought attention to Bay Region Architecture as a tradition, as the progenitor of simple homes, grounded on the philosophy of Bernard Maybeck and Charles Keeler among others, and as an influence on residential architecture of subsequent generations. In this new and significantly expanded book, Leslie Freudenheim broadens the inquiry toward a wider appreciation of indigenous forms of California architecture, and an understanding of the relation of natural building and environmental sensitivity to the international Arts and Crafts Movement. The book is a must for any Arts and Crafts devotee and architectural history, personal, or professional library.
Robert M. Craig [author, Bernard Maybeck at Principia College The Art and Craft of Building]

This is a very important reexamination of the American origins of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the major contibutions of a small group of Bay Area designers. The central role is occupied by the Reverend Joseph Worcester who created one of the true landmarks of the movement with the Church of the New Jerusalem in San Francisco. The author provides new context and a great amount of new reseach. This book is a major accomplishment.

This is the first book to truly explore the origins of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. A group in San Francisco began constructing simpler buildings and furnishing them with what eventually was called Mission furniture. This lead to the nationwide popularization of Craftsman homes and furniture by Stickley and others. If you have an interest in Architecture or the "Arts & Crafts" you should read this book.

This is a book full of plot twists and turns. I love the style of the narration. The narration is mostly third person, but every so often, the narrator offers an explitive that seems to come right from the gut of the main character, Art.

Schow includes a good deal of wit and attention to detail in the plot. Art's dog, Blitz is a german shepherd, who flunked out of police K-9 school, and now serves as Art's main companion. Schow's description of everyday dog behavior, intimating at the dog's underlying motives, is something any dog owner will instantly recognize and laugh along with.

But the real thrill in this book is in trying to unravel Art's story. Art is a recluse, living in a custom designed home on the northern California coast. The loss of Art's spouse figures prominently into Art's near total detatchment from the outside world. Art has vitually no human contact. Schow considers the possiblity that human contact for many is limited to a trip to the mall.

The book is a fairly quick read. Schow seems to have threaded the needle of keeping a fast-paced plot moving, while at times describing places and events in exquisite detail. He captures the vertigo feeling of drunken, drugged, and schizophrenic confusion in few words, yet the reader completely "gets it."

Like a drive along the northern coastal California roads near where the story occurs, you should buckle up, pay attention, and hang on--this book is a heck of a ride.

I seem to fall into this trap a lot: I pick up a book expecting one thing, and get another. Usually, I knock off at least one star when this happens, because the "preview" on the back of a book, coupled with the first chapter or two is (in my opinion) a promise to deliver something. Often, it does NOT deliver. The only reason I expected gore and such in Bullets of Rain is simply because I've read Black Leather Required, also by Schow. However, Bullets of Rain does not promise to include such, and so: my bad. Let me just say that Bullets of Rain is one of the most exciting novels I've read in a long time. It has great character development, and you THINK that you know the characters. But as you soon will find, nothing is always what it seems. I will not spoil the book, and thus, will take it no further than that. Something that the previews do advertise is suspense. And let me tell you this; this book has some serious suspense. It's very complex, yet very easy to read. Confused? It isn't easy trying to articulate what this book is all about without giving away too much. You like gore? You won't find it here. You like extremely talented writing with suspense that will keep you up way past your bedtime? Do yourself a favor and pick this book up at the first chance you get. You won't regret it.

Every now and then I'll let myself be led to a writer by way of another writer's reviews. I had seen David Schow's name several times before, mostly in horror anthologies, but I had never read any of his works. Schow is billed as the father of splatterpunk, but don't let that deceive you. He may be the father of that sub-genre, but let me tell ya, he's a lot better--and a lot smarter--than any of that. I last encountered Schow's name in S.T. Joshi's "The Evolution of the Weird Tale," where Joshi (another of my favorite authors) wrote admiringly of Schow's work. So, based on Joshi's recommendation, I went looking for Schow's works. The only book of Schow's that I could find in the local used/new bookstore was Bullets of Rain, so this became my introduction to him. Bullets of Rain is billed as suspense, and that it is. Schow kept me locked in with his highly charged, action-packed story line. There's more here than meets the eye, though; much of the book is slam bang, but there's more going on beneath the surface. For one thing, the characters have some very interesting and poignant things to say about human relationships--so much so, in fact, that I took out my notebook and wrote down a few key phrases. What more can I say? Schow is a very bright light in what is often a dim field of literature. Check him out.

First off, David is a major talent with a vicious intelligence. With that in mind, do yourself a favor and pick up Bullets of Rain. The expanse of this novel is mindblowing, whether it be the complexities and intimacies of his characters, the atomic action, or the jaw dropping denouement. Imagine a literary Palahniuk, a violent and depraved Delillo...California's answer to Harry Crews. Drugs, guns, sex, and storms! And that's only the beginning of this face-punching novel. David's the real deal, the original Bad Guy Hat. So lock the doors, crack the seal on that fifth of whiskey, put on some Slayer, and jump into Bullets of Rain.

As a selective reader of dark fiction, I was looking forward to Schow's return to the full length novel. I normally nurse his prose, absorb the characters, and take the time to speculate where this dark path goes. I've never been disappointed, and rejoice in his logical twists.

With BULLETS OF RAIN, I was captivated by the rich detail, character complexity, and storyline. Adding yet another facet to the scope of his expertise (a suspense novel), Schow skillfully transcends his genre reputation and hopefully will attract a broader audience with this offering.

I found myself reading this novel at a frantic pace.Unfortunately, the one break I took was to see if any reviews were posted on Amazon.

Lo and behold, the sole review (Elliott Swanson/Booklist), blew the twist while summing it up as a trite attempt only to be possibly appreciated by Schow's loyal following. I call it RETARD STRENGTH from a reviewer who just wants to drop something into a little slot, with the obligatory cross reference. Perhaps he should consider pitching sit-coms, or maybe he was frightened at a young age by an original idea.

Read the book, not the review.

An outstanding resource for the home chef. Every recipe receives raves from the diners. A must on your shelf.

It is extremely easy to offer guests ( or yourself) a magnificent meal that looks like you are a great chef with very little work. Easy techniques and ingredients allow you to enjoy cooking. You will reach for this book repeatedly!

What a great cookbook! I use it frequently, particularly for the roast chicken (my family's personal favorite), shrimp salsa, the marinades and salad dressings, the chocolate truffle brownies, and an UNBELIEVABLY sinful chocolate cake! The format is attractive, the recipes are easy to follow, and the results have been uniformly consistent. If you enjoy flavorful, creative cuisine, this is for you!

I have many cookbooks, but this is one of my favorites. Every recipe that I made from this book has turned out well, which is, I think, a sign of a good cookbook. I particularly like the notes at the bottom of the recipe that tell you how far ahead and through what step you can make the dish. This is a big plus when entertaining. All of the dishes that I have made from this book have been crowd pleasers.

From salsa to chicken to rack of lamb to corn cakes to lasanga -- these recipes are fantastic. The flavors will remind you of dining out at a gourmet restaurant, although many of the dishes have a laid-back flair. One thing to remember, especially if you are a beginner cook, most of these recipes take some time to put together. If you start at 6, you may be sitting down to eat at 10! The time is well worth it -- you tastebuds, and your dinner companions, will thank you! The author also makes excellent wine suggestions.

A beautiful book. This book is fairly thin; about a half-inch, but not at all skimpy. It includes a very nice range of gorgeous cottage style homes against a sunny California theme. The homes are a nice range of styles from near-log cabin to rustic stone. Landscaping is also shown to good effect. The California title suggests a bit of Disneyland, but much of the architecture and terrain reminded me more of northern California around say, Big Sur country. A very nice book.

I never thought a design book would become one of my all-time favorites...but this book is the exception. If you're ready to curl up with a warm cup of tea, a lap blanket and an exceptionally good book, filled with wonderful photographs of charming cottages...this is your ticket. I could not put it down until well past midnight, when I had read it cover-to-cover. Even now I go back to it once a week for enjoyment and inspiration. It makes you really think about the kind of home you want to live in with the people you love most and the kind of home you want your children to remember their childhood in. [Warning: It will make the big, boxy, look-alike, "I've finally made it!", homes you see now even uglier!]

Nine different California communities of well-loved cottages through photographs are accompanied by text to reflect a time, a place, and a need for shelter, as well as available building materials, traditions and collective memories of their builders and owners in this charming 144 page book. You can understand the duel forces of the charm and challenges of cottage living from brilliant photography and text with intense vibrant historic detail.

Great coverage on all of the cottage styles.

Superb descriptive writing, delicate exposure of photography, this book is a must for those articulately inbued with historic archectural dignity. Nine prominent California style cottages are revealed with discriminating taste.

Patrick Mallon's writing style is direct, informative and entertaining. He writes with the confidence of a knowledgeable truth seeker. I found this book compelling on every level. Reading it stirred emotions from angst to disbelief. What is California thinking? It's all there, recalls; corruptive protocols; political pitfalls; soaring debt; heterosexism? I hope that Arnold has read California Dictatorship from cover to cover. This book is energizing.

I originally came across Mallon's work in the form of contributions to NewsMax.com. I was hooked. This book is a must read for everyone concerned about the future of our Nation. As Patrick so eloquently points out, "As California goes, so goes the nation".

Patrick Mallon has written a superb book on California politics. This is the book to read to understand the Gray Davis recall and the state of the State. It was a pleasure to have Patrick on my program on KGO Newstalk 810. Whenever we talk California politics, I will call Patrick Mallon.

John F. Rothmann

KGO Newstalk 810 Radio
San Francisco, CA
www.kgo.com

As the voters increasingly prefer the conservative message to the liberal one that proved so successful for so many years, the most dramatic rejection of a political figure in recent times has to be the election that removed the former liberal, Democrat Governor of California, Gray Davis, from office and replaced him with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Patrick Mallon has documented why Californians took this dramatic step in California Dictatorship: How Liberal Extremism Destroyed Gray Davis [...]. As the title suggests, the author is highly critical of the liberal approach to governing, but he backs it up with a clear-eyed look at the way California legislators failed to serve citizens. A classic polemic, this book should be read by every Californian and political junky who wants to understand how the electricity crisis, immigration, the gay agenda, and other social issues undermined the tone-deaf, arrogant Davis and the crony politics that underwrote his administration. Mallon reveals that the largest "party" in California were people who didn't vote! One result, in Davis' hands was the destruction of its economy and a huge migration of people out of California. The other result was his recall by a lot of people who decided to vote to save the State. -- [...]

Patrick Mallon's "California Dictatorship" is book that shows the danger of politicians (Davis in this case) that are so beholden to extremist groups that they can't even govern. In Davis' case, Mr. Mallon explains that on several matters (English-only and immigration specifically) Davis thumbed his nose at the voters. Remember, in California, people get to vote on such things, and it's binding. But that didn't matter to Davis. This book is a perfect library item (after you've read it) because it contains the details of these and other factors leading up to Davis' demise and you will want to revisit those stories before debating your liberal friends. The lesson? Ingore the voters at your peril. Other governors should read this book, although my Governor, Rick Perry of Texas, seems to be much more in tune with voters these days. Maybe he's read Mallon.

This book is great! Patrick Mallon says it as it is. He put together a highly entertaining and very interesting read for those on the right and on the left. No matter what political party you associate yourself with, you have to read it and draw conclusions about how not to govern California.
Even if you don't agree with author's views, his writing style is great, and it's well worth the read. Anyone with a strong opinion should check it out. Thank you Mr. Mallon. Highly recommend.

The use of digital photography and the Hexachrome printing process results in a visually stunning book. The essays are insightful and thought provoking. This book is enjoyable regardless of how familiar you are with the artist's work.

This book is a must for lovers of art, especially those who are interested in the California artists! Stunning photographs show Rollin Pickfords progression of style from his early days until now. These are interwoven with an account of his personal life and the influences contributing to those styles. This combination makes for a fascinating story as well as a beautiful book for the coffee table. Uniquely beautiful!!

Nowhere in the history of our planet has one place given the world's population such a bounty of harvest like the San Joaquin Valley has. Rollin Pickfords paintings are a historical record of this place; a place where beauty may not always be apparent, but nonetheless, exists. This is not only the work of an artist, but the work of someone who truly sees the world around him. A true lesson.

Mark Arax and Joel Pickford capture the spirit of Rollin Pickford's work and the connection with that great valley. The technical information on Pickford's work is interesting, but I find the biographical and background info on the valley and how Pickford's paintings and life are intertwined with it the most fascinating. It is a life lived well. Not only is it a wonderful treat for the eyes, but a good read as well. The valley is a hard sell; this book makes me want to go back.

This astonishing book contains 120 watercolors selected from more than 12,000 Pickford works spanning 60 years, creating a painter's workshop of styles and experiments. A collaboration of owners, art lovers and even commercial photographers and printers (using digital techniques), it is professionally edited by the artist's son, Joel, himself a photographer, writer and filmmaker. The quality could not be higher. I wish I had had this book open in my house when my children were growing up.

As an organizational psychologist or consultant this book must be added to your book collection. It really does become a handbook that you begin to depend on.

Personnel Psychology, 2003: As you would expect in a comprehensive handbook, there is something for everyone: perspective, techniques, guidelines, conceptual frameworks, research findings, and comprehensive reference lists. It is a genuine portal into the vast interdisciplinary world of consulting psychology for practitioners, academics, researchers, and students. Bon appetit! Stephen Hrop, Personnel Psychology, 2003, p. 785.

NOTE TO EDITORS: DO NOT LIST STARS WITH THIS REVIEW EXCERPT. THE REVIEW DID NOT USE A STAR RATING SYSTEM AND IT WOULD BE MISLEADING TO DO SO ON LINE.

Wow! Incredibly comprehensive coverage of topics in organizational consulting. Destined to be a "classic" for years to come. Shows what works and doesn't in organizational consulting. Assessment, interventions, ethics, outcomes--it's all here!

The 31 chapters organized into 8 sections are a treasure for any one who serves in a consulting role. The text is written for psychologist but is of extraordinary value for consultants in all domains. Of broad interest are the chapters on "Assessing Candidates for Leadership Positions," "Individual Level Variables," "The Effectiveness of Executive Coaching," "Integrating Individual Assessment, Position Requirements, Team-Based Competencies, and Organizational Vision," "Successfully Implementing Teams," "Proactive Ways to Improve Leadership Performance," and two areas on Organizational Performance. Well worth both the price and the time to read it.

The value of The California School of Organizational Studies Handbook of Organizational Consulting Psychology goes far beyond what the title might indicate. This is a must read for anyone who works in the realm of organizational transformation or who works in a consulting capacity.

We have selected it as the November 2002 Featured Selection for Transforming Education Bookstore and highly recommend it.

This book is very well researched, which pays off in the fun trivia department. The author has done all the hard work here. All you have to do is enjoy the fruits -- and California is full of them! This book takes you on a fantastic journey of a place you only think you know! Great for those who live there or dream of going there. This is one for the ages -- don't miss out!

I am a buff of California facts and trivia, but this book has unusual, fun, and quirky things about the state I never knew. I send it to my friends that are not from Califoria because they love reading about Hollywood and there's lots of great informaiton about movie stars. This book is fun to read, in fact, I leave it out on my coffee table and play trivia games from it with my friends.

Calling California Home is an absolute delight! It's full of fun and interesting facts about the great state, written with a wonderful, quirky sense of humor!

This book is so very cleverly written! It is loaded with tons of fun and informative historical facts about this great state that I am lucky enough to call home. I would love to read books about other states that were this much fun! Well done!

really fun! filled with lots of trivia that was interesting, and neat personal essays.

My husband bought this book a few years back and it has been the best cookbook ever, I use it ALL THE TIME it's inexpensive to make the things in the book, my children love the things I make and I have one son who is a picky eater and he likes most everything I make, I really enjoy the cookbook. Many thanks to you for this GREAT Book

I work full time, have three small children, and a husband that works nights. These recipes are so easy, my children (ages 7, 4, and 2) help me make them--and they will actually eat them!

My teen age boys love to use this book. It is simple, they can fix meals they like, and it is a good way to start them cooking on their own.

Speaking as a non-cook who is forever looking for short cuts, this collection of recipes using Campbell's soups is ideal--and although the idea of using canned soup as a primary ingredient may cause some to roll their eyes in gastronomic superiority, the recipes in this particular collection are both easy and surprisingly successful.

The book breaks down into seven sections: appetizers and snacks, soups and stews, main dishes (with sections for poultry, beef, pork, lamb, veal, fish and seafood, and eggs and cheese) side dishes, and "Campbell's Classics." Recipes range from the extremely simple to the slightly more complicated but still extremely accesible, and few will be intimidated.

While some of the recipes harken back to the sort of thing your mother might have stepped into the kitchen to whip up as a quick meal for the kids, there are also quite a few more sophistocated recipes with international flair designed for modern tastes, including several with an Asian tone. While I doubt these dishes will ever compete with truly made-from-scratch cooking, they are surprisingly successful, quite a bit of fun to make, and offer a result that most will enjoy--particularly when you open the cabinet and are at a bit of a loss as to what to cook for that unexpected guest.

My youngest daughter owns this book and loaned it to me, I'm an experienced 'scratch' cook and this book has amazed me with it's simplicity, the recipes are easy enough for novices and presentable enough to fix for company. I highly recommend it to new brides, college kids, experienced cooks and gourmets - you just can't lose and the presentation is wonderful. Just ordered 4 for gifts. If you have an up coming wedding to buy for, add this inside a lovely covered casserole dish and the bride will thank you forever.