California Books

California Sizzles is a must-have cookbook. It has a wide range of dishes and contains suggestions for food combos for a variety of events. I've found that the menus produce quality results without those "oops" that you find with recipes in some cookbooks. It makes a great gift.

My husband and I both like to cook. We have quite a varied collection of cookbooks, and this is still the best all around source for reliable, tasty meals. We make notes on the pages, recording dates we tried things, and ways we may have tweaked something. Now when I give a copy to anyone (I think I am on #10), I add my own notes of favorites. Recipes are not complicated, but sure to impress. From appetizers to desserts, you will not be disappointed.

Love the balboa broccoli salad and carrot cake made with baby food! great if you don't like shredding carrots! Lots of great recipes

California Sizzles provides excellent recipes that are devoid of the blood-sweat-and tears with which many of us are too familiar.
I learned of this book at a lunch where one of the cookbook's praiseworthy recipes was served. There was almost a stunned silence when the group learned I didn't have it on my bookshelf. Well, I do now and don't regret it for a minute. American cuisine has long been extremely underrated.

Collecting and using new cookbooks has been a thiry-five year hobby. "Sizzles" is truly the book that I consult first whether I'm planning an event or a family meal. At least one half of the recipes have been tried and have become favorites at our house. I am ordering another copy of this today as a gift for a friend....this makes four that I've purchased.

The author of Operation Mind Control, Walter H. Bowart, died on December 18, 2007, according to his obituary in The New York Times and the reference page at Wikipedia.

In 1978, while living in New Hampshire, I had the opportunity of hearing a local radio interview with Bowart concerning his book. I immediately went out and purchased a copy at the cover price of one dollar and ninety-five cents.

Government censorship of the book has created a scarcity of available copies and has skyrocketed the market selling price.

Everything the other reviewers at Amazon have alluded to regarding its supression by the government is true, for Operation Mind Control is indeed a mind blower. The State could not permit anyone to disclose such damaging information.

The secrets revealed in this book openly describe a clandestine government at war with its own people, covert forces which Bowart describes as "the cryptocracy."

This is precisely the kind of dangerous information that governments fear.

Operation Mind Control is not conspiracy theory.

It is documented fact.

Governments live by lies, by bamboozling and hiding the truth from their subjects.

Accordingly, the primary task of opponents of modern tyranny, as libertarian Murray N. Rothbard pointed out, is an educational one: to awaken the public to this manipulation and propaganda, by demystifying and desanctifying the state apparatus upon which such lies are built upon.

Walter Bowart heroically accomplished this feat.

Operation Mind Control spoke truth to power as few books published in the past thirty years have done.

That is why the government tried to destroy it.

Years ago I had the opportunity to discuss these matters with John Marks, the brilliant author of The Search For The Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control. Mark's volume somehow escaped the government's relentless campaign waged upon its predecessor.

I highly recommend his book in addition to Operation Mind Control.

Two excellent documentaries tell the sordid and shocking story discussed in these books. They are, Mind Control: America's Secret War, and Bad Trip To Edgewood. Both are available at Google Video for viewing.

This is a book to be read, not to buy and put on a shelf to impress your friends. In a free society we all need to be informed. Read other reviews for more detail.

As one of the researchers mentioned in Operation Mind Control (Jim Moore - pp 262-264, orig. edition), I followed this book and its author with great interest. The book disappeared because, according to what I learned, the CIA did not want the public to know the extent and details of its mind control programs. I believe even Walter Bowart himself once described how the entire warehouse supply was bought up by the CIA. The book also began vanishing from libraries across the nation, and virtually every copy available in bookstores was suddenly bought up and disappeared into a black hole. Very few copies survived this draconian purge. Those that remain are quire rare and expensive and should be must-reading for all Americans concerned about the future of our country and how our thought processes are manipulated by the political-intelligence "experts". especially in the wake of what is being revealed about 9-11, Iraq and the NSA spying.
At one point, even photocopies were going for as much as $75-100. The book itself (1st edition) has sold for as high as $250. There was a second printing (with a different cover) that also quickly disappeared; whether it was an authorized printing or not, I don't know.
Walter Bowart reportedly wrote a follow-up, but suddenly stopped and virtually vanished. The rumor mill has it that he was threatened with "termination with extreme prejudice" - a phrase for assassination that is now outdated.
To my knowledge, he is still alive but living his life in a very low profile. From my own experiences over the years, I can't say I blame him.

This is for those wanting a more than 2-line review of Walter Bowat's "Operation Mind Control."

For whatever reason this book was not widely publicized nor advertised when it first came out during my high school years. I read a lot then and this book certainly would have been the type I'd wanted to read. OMC was published in 1978. In "the author's note" Bowart describes his book as "an excercise in citizens' intelligence" because he like many authr's Bowart cites in his bibliography [including but not in entire: John Marks ["The Search for the Manchurian Candidate"], Lincoln Lawrence["Were We Controlled?"], Donald Bain ["The Control of Candy Jones"] expressed "shock and outrage" over govenment abuse of our [US] people.

Below is a brief synopsis of the "Contents" of "Operation Mind Control"...

FOREWARD:

This was written by Richard Condon who wrote the novel [& from which the first movie titled] "The Manchurian Candidate."

CH 1. "The Crytptorian Candidate"
Discusses the concept of government mind control such as the use of drugs [including LSD], behavior modification, various frequency of sound, hypnosis and other "psycho-weapons." [Note: this book was published 2 years after both Watergate was exposed and also, the Senate's Church commitee had dredged up many ways the CIA had run afoul of the law & one part dealt with a subcommitee dealing with the MKULTRA scandal].

The author discusses how he came about to write this book & later put an ad in the mag "Soldier of Fortune" about possible military victims of gov't mind control. After sifting thru the alledgedly obvious cranks he further interwiewed those who had convincing stories. Bowart discusses the concept of possible Manchurian candidates.

CH. 2 "Only One Mind For My Country"
Discusses the case history of former Air Force "box pusher" [who scored very high in several aptitude tests]named David. David awakes in a hospital where doctors tell him he'd attempted suicide. He discusses later being involved in clandestine operations where for years he had no recall. At first all he recalled about his Vietnam experience is having fun at the beach with 2 other people & no military recall. Over time he recalls scenes that very much seem like the island scenes of the compound in the 2004 version of the movie "Manchurian Candidate." He believes the alledged "suicide attempt" [which he denies attempting] was put on record to discredit him should he later recall events.

CH. 3 "The Mind Laundry Myth"
Discusses the case hitory of Vietnam POW George E. Smith who was in the Green Berets. Also discussed is the concept of Korean/Red China/Communist "brainwashing" where the victim is broken down psychologically & once the mind is "empty" it is refilled with whatever the brainwasher wants. This is illustrated by the story of Francis Gary Powers [and others] who was allegedly "brainwashed" in Korea [others in Vietnam, Russia] Discussian of brainwashing techniques that the Communists use versus the Western Model [slow vs faster with adjunct of drugs, electoshock for example]

CH. 4 "Without Knowledge Or Consent"
Hypnotist George Estabrooks techniques of mind control thru OSS [later CIA] on unwitting soldiers & later US & other countries citizens. The various uses of hypnosis combined with uses of drugs or shock in some cases is discussed as how it is used in the concept of mind control tests on unwitting "volunteers." The "war" against Communism thru mind control now becomes "a private war within."

CH. 5 "Pain-Drug Hypnosis"
Various uses of drugs [barbituates, nonbarbituate sedatives, calmatives, amphetamines & finally "conscious expanding" LSD] use for mind control discussed. Abbie Hoffman & Timothy Leary's stories are discussed as are Sandoz lab's [where LSD was "discoverd" association with CIA. The heroin addiction of many Vietnam GI's and later the "voluntary" participation in the drug BZ[10 X stronger than LSD 25] by soldiers at Edgewood Arsenal. are discussed.

The government becomes more interested in not only the mind control of individuals but populations. Also, other biological weapons are discussed.

CH 6. "The Guinea Pig Army"
Discusses how in 1975 the public [tho in reality most news sources heavily censored this info or never reported it at all] learns of what was the MKULTRA files being destroyed & how well over 100 subprojects dealt with gov't research on citizens of the US [also at least one was in Canada {not mentioned here}: the story of Dr Ewen Camereon]

CH 7. "The MKULTRANS"
Richard Helms DCI of the CIA and the various MK projects including MKULTRA, MKSEARCH, BLUEBIRD, ARTICHOKE, MKDELTA, etc are revealed but highly censored is discussed. A brief story about the California Medical Facility in Vacaville is discussed. Basically the CIA wanted to find out if & how it could control our minds.

CH 8. "The Mata Hari of Mind Control"
Discusses the story of CIA Mind Control story of "courier" Candy Jones.

CH 9. Discussion of of the CIA also mind controls their own. Discusses briefly Wild Bill Donovan of the OSS & the Dulles brothers and the concepts of the US cryptocracy & the military industrial complex & how these relate to mind control & the control the US gov't thru various types of propaganda and mis-& dis-information. The cryptocracy engages scientists to do covert research engage in covert control & create the ideal of national security to enslave the US citizens with "Operational Mind Control,the ultimate technology of secrecy and control."

CH 10. "Brave New World in a Skinner Box"
The cryptocracy meets behavior modification.

CH 11. "A School For Assassins"
The cryptocracy searches for the best killers: they look for the passive-aggressive types & desensitize them to gore & mayhem. Watson assists the cryptocracy with creating the model in a series of lectures. One of these experiments--Project Camelot--[the demise of Chile's President Salvadore Allende] is an example of creating such assassins who will kill on demand. [Allende was overthrown in a CIA sponsored coup who killed himself after his palace was set afire by recruited assassins.]

CH 12. "The Four Faces of a Zombie"
A trained "multiple zombie-state killer named Luis Castillo is discussed in one theory of the JFK assassination. The connection to the JFK is debatable but what was fascinating was the discussion of how the various zombie states were fleshed out with various word commands.

CH 13. "The Lone Nuts"
Discusses how accused killers Lee Harvey Oswald, Sirhan Sirhan, & James Earl Ray acted under various depths of hypnosis and/or truth serums is interesting/chilling. The CIA has fingerprints throughout this chapter as well.

CH 14. " The Ignored Confessions"
Jack Ruby, Dorothy Kilgallen [who interviwed Ruby in his cell] talk & die under cloudy circumstances as does Professor[former oswald friend & intelligence agent] George de Mohrenschildt's dies mysteriously & also after telling his story. de Morenschildt had also been subjected to mind control drugs and electric shock.[?]

CH 15. "Another Hypno-Patsy?"
M L King's death & cover-up.

CH 16. "Confession By Automatic Writing"
RFK's assassination by Sirhan Sirhan & the assassin's strange behavior following under hypnosis & alledged writings possibly planted in Sirhan's home?

CH 17 "The Patriotic Assassin"
First discusses how the word assassin came to be.Then how the NSA uses this model to create assassins with its black ops & how the CIA is the "whipping post" of the NSA. Chilling interview of how they use ultrasonic & electronic manipulation of the brain so the assassin remembers nothing unless cued by the handler. Discusses how Presidents will obey their handlers wishes or face the same as JFK.

CH 18. "Deep Probe"
Jose Delgado & electronic brain stimulation & his desire for a "psycho-civilised society." Remote control of the brain. Brain implants.

CH 19. "From Bionic Woman to Stimulated Cat"
Lincoln Lawrence & RHIC-EDOM: Radio Hypnotic Intra-Cerebral Control-Electronic Dissolution of Memory. The concept of sleeper assassins is discussed

CH 20. "The Engines of Security"
Summarizes the cryptocracies want/"need" to control the minds of society.
*******
Some of the book is outdated but this book is often used as background in more recent works on the subject of mind control. The book is diificult to find & expect to pay even more than $100 for a copy in any condition. It took years to find one for a little more than half that price. The book is worth reading if you can find a copy of it. Hope this helps.

This is a review of the scarce 2nd edition of Operation Mind Control, which appears for sale occasionally on Amazon, originally a subscribers only edition, with author's seal and name of the person it was prepared for on the first page. Limited to 500 copies.

I mostly found this to be a very interesting book about the so-called cryptocracy. There's a lot of startling stuff in the 686 pages of main text, and in the appendices. There do appear to be a few factual errors however. He states that B.F. Skinner's daughter committed suicide, but doesn't say where he got that information. According to the book "Opening Skinner's Box", Debbie Skinner is alive and well. He also declares that Skinner was a tool of the cryptocracy out to turn people into "obedient automatons", which is a contentious argument. All I will say is to recommend Lauren Slater's book to get both sides of the argument and also to read a balanced analysis of "false memory syndrome". Mr Bowart argues against that in the chapter "False Memory Spindrome". However, earlier in the book he mentions the case of Sirhan Sirhan, who apparently after hypnosis claimed he killed Robert Kennedy and who, according to a psychiatrist in 1973, had hypnosis used to plant ideas in his mind to make him accept that he killed Robert Kennedy. This psychiatrist is quoted as saying that a polygraph is more accurate than hypnosis. This suggests that memories can indeed be planted through hypnosis!

Most of the sheer volume of information appears to be well researched. In the interests of space I will just list some search terms that could be entered into a search engine to find out about some of the subject matter: "george estabrooks", "mary pinchot meyer", "sir william stephenson", "mark phillips mkultra", "triple dissociation", "mindwar", "dr colin ross", "franklin cover-up", "finders cia", "michael aquino", "luis angel castillo", "david ferrie", "george de mohrenschildt", "becker body electric", "consumertronics", "high power microwave technology", "gunther karl russbacher", "white phosphorus waco", "genie laborde", "col john alexander", "black hole of guyana", "dorothy burdick", "armen victorian", "mike-alpha-delta-3", "tesla generator", "alt.mindcontrol", "mkdraco", "fletcher prouty", "jacques vallee", "martin cannon controllers", "harlan girard", "p.a. lindstrom", "biotelemetry".

There's supposed to be a documentary based on this book too, according to Mr Bowart in this book.

A well composed photographic book. One of few books of it's kind which highlights Southern California's ever present but, often over-looked mountain ranges. If you have never visited your local mountains, this book will make you want to.

Olander's book is a fantastic coffee table book and at the same time a tour guide and history book. I thoroughly enjoy this book each time I open it- which is often. I have often explored and hiked these mountains and have visited many if not most of the places shown in Ms. Olanders' book. It has motivated me to seek out places I haven't been and to re-visit others with new knowledge and history guiding me. I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy nature.

This book is filled with both stunning photography and graceful prose. Call of the Mountains spans an 18 month period in which the Olanders explored their local mountain ranges. It chronicles the people that they meet along the way and the stories that the ancient mountains hold. The book concludes with the desire that these treasured mountains be preserved for future generations.

This is much more than a book with great pictures. Ann & Farley Olander show the rest of us how we can enjoy the quiet beauty and simple pleasures of the wilderness next door. Unassuming and inspiring, this book is a roadmap for nature lovers and urbanites alike.
It is truly a collection of quiet visual poetry that rhymes with wilderness.

Benoit & Kathryn Gendron, New York City

Thank you Ann and Farley Olander. My husband and I have always enjoyed the mountains, and the San Gabriel Mountains hold a special place in our hearts. It is so nice seeing California mountains so lushly photographed with important prose. Our friends pick it up to look at the photos, but always end up reading it as well. It is truly an inspired partnership that created this work or art.

MY WIFE AND I READ ALOUD TO EACH OTHER (THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, WITH PRINTED BOOKS). MRS. MURPHY'S CAT WORKS ARE GREAT FOR THIS USE.

WE BOTH RECOMMEND STARTING WITH "CATSWOLD PORTAL", THEN BEGINING WITH THE FIRST IN THE SERIES AND PROGRESSING FROM THERE. THIS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO GAIN SOME BACKROUND, BUILD ON THE DELIGHTFUL JOE GREY CHARACTERS AS WELL AS THE MORAL AND SOCIO-POLITICAL COMMENTARY AS WELL AS COMMON SENSE ADVICE WHICH ENRICH THESE WORKS.

MAKE NO MISTAKE. WHEN READING THESE BOOKS, ONE IS IN THE HANDS OF A WISE MASTER STORYTELLER! WE ARE BUSY ASSEMBLING HER PAST WORKS, WHICH ARE PLENTIFUL. IT'S OUR ONLY CHOICE, AS WE'VE READ ALL 12 OR 13 JOE GREY MYSTERY WORKS AND ARE WAITING FOR THE FEB, 2009 RELEASE ON A NEW ONE.

WE READ AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, WHO MENTIONED "...CROSS THEIR GRAVES" AS PERHAPS HER FAVORITE. WE WOULD AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY...IT IS OURS ALSO.

HAPPY READING!

For any cat or mystery lover I highly recommend this book. It is written very well and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You won't want to put the book down. And when you are finished reading this book you will crave more of the Joe Grey Mysteries written by the delightful author Shirley Rousseau Murphy. She has a way of making you visualize the town and its delightful scenery and the mystery just wraps around you. If you have a cat you may find yourself looking at him or her in a completely different light as Ms. Murphy brings the cats in her stories to such believable life. And the other characters involved are charming and real weaving you right into the story right along with them.Cat Cross Their Graves: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries)

This is one of the better Joe Grey mysteries. The action keeps moving along and the characters are starting to expand their personalities. The story line has interesting twists and surprises.

It starts with a murder: Kit, the youngest of the three talking cats of Molena Point, discovers the body of a former film star in the stairwell of the hotel she owns. But there's more going on in the arty little California town. Joe Grey's long-time friend and partner Dulcie has a secret that's affecting their relationship: a young girl is hiding out in a hidden room in the basement of the town library, and Dulcie doesn't feel free to tell anyone about her. Then Cora Lee French, one of three senior ladies living in a recently-purchased old house on the edge of the canyon, finds a grave in the back yard. Worse, it's one of several--and even worse, the remains are those of children.

To the police, each of these things is a separate case. But Joe and his friends know there's a connection. And so there proves to be, but only a cat could draw together the threads and bring this complex affair to a satisfactory conclusion. Meanwhile, Dulcie unexpectedly learns something of her own roots. And readers who are especially fond of little Kit will be pleased to find that she plays a large part in the ultimate success, although her role begins more or less by accident. This may be the best Joe Grey mystery to date (although hints about the upcoming one suggest it will top them all). As always, there's an excellent "sense of place" in the vignettes of the town, and all the familiar cast members--Clyde Damen, Wilma Getz, Max and Charlie Harper, Dallas Garza, Ryan Flannery--reappear as well. No fan of cat mysteries should miss it.

If you love cat mysteries, read this book. It's a great page turner, and you'll be sorry when it ends. Murphy keeps you guessing, and you'll be eager to know what happens. If you've never read her before, this is a good one to start with. This is my favorite book in her series (I have read all of them) and it follows the footsteps of some of my favorite cat mystery author, Lilian Jackson Braun's books. Murphy will surely keep her audience entertained and coming back for more.

This is a great book in the Joe Grey series. Joe, Dulcie and Kit find the clues that prove Chief Max Harper did not murder anyone. Great way to introduce the Garza family into the series. I just wish my cat would talk to me!

If you appreciate cats, love mysteries and just want a relaxing and fun read...then read the entire Joe Grey series. Excellent!

Joe Grey, the talking tomcat, is furious. Two women, a mother and her grown daughter, have been savagely murdered while out riding, and the younger girl who was with them at the time has disappeared. What's worse, Molena Point Police Chief Max Harper is the only suspect. While Joe and his feline partner Dulcie have often tricked and manipulated Harper in their previous investigations, and he's not yet aware of their secret, they like and respect the veteran cop, who is a longtime buddy of Joe's human housemate, Clyde Damen. Joe can't believe that anyone would think such an upright law-enforcement officer capable of murder and worse. Naturally, he and Dulcie and their new sidekick--"the Kit," another gifted feline--set about to prove Harper's innocence. While the resolution of the murders isn't unexpected--the motive was simple revenge--the means the three cats employ to prove it are, as always, clever and suitably feline, and their rescue of young Dillon is full of thrills.

This book was utterly delightful with Joe Grey's deep respect for the Chief of Police, Max. By proving Max's innocence, Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit all provided bits and pieces of the puzzle, including a daring rescue of the 13 year old girl who witnesses the murder. The story definitely kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen next...Now I wish the next book of Ms. Murphy's would come out even sooner than January so I can start reading it...

I think this is certainly one of the best Joe Grey books, if not THE best. Joe and Dulcie are joined by their new sidekick called "The Kit", a tortoiseshell kitten who has an insatiable craving for adventure and danger. There has been a murder of two women on a bridal path and the third rider, the cats' friend Dillon has disappeared, maybe murdered too or kidnapped. Joe's greatly admired friend, Max Harper, the Molina Point chief of police is the one and only suspect in the murders. Joe is spitting mad that people will believe his friend Max could do such a thing. Naturally, Joe "knows" that Max is innocent. The Kit has witnessed the end of the murders and been scared witless by all the violence but she was too scared to know what she saw or to recognise anyone. The three cats run afoul of Joe and Dulcie's old nemesis, Lee Wark who knows their secrets about understanding human language and having high intelligence. He would absolutely love to put a permanent damper on their crime solving shenanigans. He thrives on killing cats anyway. Kate Osborne, who can change to a cat and back to a human is back on the scene and terrified because three convicts have escaped, including Lee Wark who knows her secret also. She seems to have a "thing" for Joe's human housemate, Clyde Damen while Clyde's old girl friend, Charlie seems to be sweet on Max Harper now.

How Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit thread their way through this maze of tangles, car chases, and a haunted house that's home to a cougar makes a fine story. It's also amazing that three small cats could get through all the perils without losing one or more lives. Ms. Murphy only gets better! She adds more polish and finesse to the stories every time. I'm anxious to read "Cat Laughing Last"

I travel to San Francisco once or twice a year to get away from LA. Saw the book on Amazon and figured it would probably be a humorous read but didn't really expect any practical advice. To my surprise it was actually both. It's a smart funny read but it also REALLY DOES have the low down on free food, fun, and frolicking. My boyfriend and I went up a few weeks ago and planned the whole weekend using the book. Found plenty of art, parks, and music to keep us busy and hit some cheap and/or free happy hours and food joints. Probably the most fun I've had in the City and definitely the least expensive weekend ever! Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated!!

This book is packed with great facts and activity suggestions for both locals and tourists, and for those, like me, who go to SF often as a day trip.

It covers pretty much every interest a visitor might have. Plus it's a slim volume, reasonable to stick in your backpack.

The book contains a number of
cheap/free ideas for those visiting
the city, including terrific suggestions
for shopping. Definitely recommended
for both parents and singles.

An essential read for cheapskates and big spenders alike. Written with a knowledgeable and detail oriented style. Even if you have never set foot in SF, it is an entertaining study of the city's culture.

Being the gourmand that I am, I especially liked the section on eating for cheap, and sometimes for free. Good cheap tips and witty banter make for an amusing read.

Now I need to find a book like this for London.

My dad was one of these depression era Okie kids and this book helps me understand him. On the way to California in 1937 they found work (50 cents a day and a quart of milk) in New Mexico and ended up staying there.

My 10 year old daughter was required to read a non-fiction book and create a project for her 5th grade English class. She is an avid reader of fiction, but was not enthusiastic about reading non-fiction. This marvelous book by Jerry Stanley has changed my daughter and her reluctance in this area. She was moved by the story of these Dust Bowl migrants who came to California to find a better life and their struggle to move forward from adversity. Mr. Stanley's book is excellent. While written for young readers, he does not write down to them. Instead he brings the young reader to his level. The photographs by noted artists bring further dimension to this stellar work. My daughter could not put it down.

The book appeared to be new, no marks, and sent immediately.

This book is a beautiful testiment to the human spirit, and the resilancy of the American spirit.
It is also the story of taking a chance on people that other's find useless.
A beautiful book and a beautiful story.

this book is an excellent companion to the historical ficiton book "Bud, Not Buddy." By reading aloud sections of Children of the Dustbowl, teachers could build some of the background knowledge that would help children understand how the daily lives of the average person changed as a result of the Great Depression and the 5-year drought in the Midwest.
Given the devastation of Hurriicane Katrina, this book also offers insight on what can happen when large numbers of people must migrate because of weather-related disasters.

Great pictures and information in an easy to carry guide. The author is worth listening too, if you get an opportunity.

This is really a great little book on a specialized but interesting area of insect identification. Although considered primitive insects (since they undergo incomplete metamorphosis) dragonflies are just cool because they're so big and conspicuous and such strong fliers, and can maneuver at lightning speed, almost like hummingbirds. During the Carboniferous period or Coal Age 340 million years ago, there were dragonflies with 3 foot wingspans, according to the fossil evidence.

They also know how to "play the game." I've watched them many times patrolling the edge of ponds since they know that's "where the action is," during their hunts for prey.

This is an excellent book on indentifying these important insects. If I remember right, 30 or 40 species get covered, which is a good number, and the photos and descriptions are excellent. I found it an excellent guide to learn from and to improve my knowledge of this area, my main interest being in botany, and in identifying flowers, trees, and fungi. This is the best book I've seen on this specialized topic.

As a beginner in the study of these fascinating and beautiful creatures, I found this book clear, concise, and easy to understand and use. The text is simple and complete, and the illustrations are excellent. The small size of the volume makes it fit easily into your pocket for quick reference. Anyone interested in dragonflies will find the book an absolute MUST!

This is really nice field guide to have. The photographs are great. Each entry is succint and includes one or two photographs together with a bold line the length of the dragonfly and printed in one of the dominant colors of the dragonfly. There is a checklist in the back so that you can keep track of what you see, and the introductory information in the front of the book is well-written. Though I bought this book for myself, I think that it also would make a great field guide for a child since the book is small, easy to use, and the photos are clear and attractive. It is well worth the price.

Common Dragonflies of California is an uncommon book. Full of sound advice and chock full of excellent color photos, this book will be of great interest to any California nature lover. I am the kind of person who loves to know the name of every tree, shrub, flower, reptile, bird and fish that I see. Now that I have this little jewel, I'm going to learn how to identify the dragonflies too. The more we learn about nature, the more enjoyment we get from it. I highly recommend this fine book! I expect it would make a great present too, for the right person. Tom Ogren, author of Allergy-Free Gardening

I love this book! Everything was beautiful from cover to cover on glossy paper. Each species of conifers (including pines, redwoods, cypresses, and firs) has a fantastic botanical illustration, photographs, and a map of range. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a love for trees and especially a must have if you live in California!

For me, the conifers are the trees that really make a difference. Each one is such a unique and majestic statement on the landscape.

Ronald Lanner's book is a fine natural history book full of artistic drawings, photographs, and a key to help you identify these beautiful trees. It belongs on any naturalists bookshelf.

Conifers grow old, big and tall in California. What better book for discovering the coniferous bounty that the state has to offer. Second only behind Mexico in native conifer species, the conifer elevates the landscape and become an indelible symbolic reflection of all that is natural in California, from the Sierra rich in yellow, sugar and Jefferey Pine to the isolated groves of heavy sequoia, magnificent in their collosal staure. High in the White Mountains of Eastern California, living at seemingly impossible heights the bristlecone pine lives long and prosperous in stauesque poses in an inhospitable environment. The redwood defines the Northern coast, living lavishly in mist shrouded groves. The mighty Tahoe National Forest displays a rich blanket of fine firs as far as the eye can see...

This is a great reference book for anyone wanting more information about confiers than what you basic field guild provides. This book helps sort out California's hard-to-id confers with it's beautiful watercolors and photographs. The range maps are very helpful and make it easy to plan a trip to see some of California's amazing trees.

Well written, beautiful pictures and artwork and informative; that sums it up. My brother, who is accustom to seeing much more academic books on my desk, commented that it did not look "too technical". For technical, I recommend Dr.Grossnickle's excellent "Ecophysiology of Northern Spruce Species: The Performance of Planted Seedlings," but for a good education on the distribution and range of California's conifers then I recommend this book heartily.

I picked up Cypress Point at a book store when I was on vacation and needed a book. I had never read Diane Chamberlain before.I was very happy to have chosen a book that kept my attention with every chapter.I look forward to reading more of her books.

I've loved Diane Chamberlain's work from the moment I discovered her and have bought and read all of her books. CYPRESS POINT is one of my favorites--a complex mix of mystery, romance, and family drama--the kind of book Ms. Chamberlain does so beautifully. The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking how much I wished I'd thought of this plot first, which is the highest compliment a writer can give to another writer. Diane Chamberlain is one of the very best voices in women's fiction today. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is a story of two women, Joelle and Carlynn, whose lives run parallel, yet are more intertwined than meets the eye. There are two separate stories. One traces Carlynn's life beginning in 1937 at the age of 7; the other begins with Joelle's birth in 1967. The two stories merge into one where deep rooted feelings and secrets are revealed between the two women and that of their loved ones. Diane Chamberlain is best known for underlying themes where things are not always what they seem. "Cypress Point" will not disappoint the reader in line with that theme.

When her best friend, Mara, had an anerysm (sp?) during the delivery of her son, Joelle D'Angelo was heartbroken. Not only for the little boy that would grow up without his mother, but for Mara's husband, Liam. Because she loved Mara like a sister, Joelle did all she could to ease Liam's heartbreak. She spent time with their son, Sam, and even helped find a home to put Mara in when it looked like she would not be recovering. There friendship took a drastic turn one night when they slept together. For Joelle, she was sleeping with the man she loved, while for Liam, all he saw was the betrayal of his wife.

Now Joelle is pregnant herself. Having had a hard time conceiving with her ex-husband, Joelle is estatic, even though she knows that Liam won't show her enthusiasm. Before she moves away, she wants to do one more thing for Liam and Mara. The woman tha saved her life when she was born was said to have worked miracles, and Joelle wants that miracle for the man she loves. Even if the woman he loves isn't her.

Chamberlain again delivers in this intensely emotional read. I was entralled by the story of Lisabeth and Carlynn as well as Joelle and Liam. It made my heartbreak to see what Liam was putting himself through by trying to remain faithful to a woman that simply didn't exisist anymore.

Don't miss it!

I first began reading Diane Chamberlain in 1992 with her book, Keeper of the Light. After that title I made it my business to find and read every book she wrote and then buy all of her new books almost as soon as they are published. For some reason I saved Cypress Point which I bought at a reading featuring the author in 2002. And while Keeper of the Light and the Keeper trilogy which include Kiss River and Her Mother's Shadow will remain my favorite book, I do think I saved one of the best for last since Cypress Point was a most wonderful read.

Cypress Point takes place in the beautiful area of Monterey, California surrounded by the cypress trees we all marvel at whether we live there or visit. And what better place than to tell the story of a medical healer and the young woman she saves at birth whose paths once again are about to cross.

Carlynne Shire knew she was a medical healer at an early age. And while she has always been treated special by her family her twin sister, Lisbeth, didn't possess the same gift and was virtually ignored by her mother. Growing up and treated differently, Carlynne becomes a gifted doctor while her sister only attends secretarial school. Both sisters find love although neither of them have quite as traditional marriages as one would think.

Then sometime later when Carlynn saves a young baby born on a commune, little does she know that in the future years later she would be asked to save this woman's best friend. Or how this birth at the commune would effect the life of her sister, herself or their husbands.

For Joelle reaching out to the woman who saved her years before may be both a blessing and a curse if she is able to help her. Joelle needs Carlyn to try and help heal her best friend who suffered a brain aneurysm while giving birth to a son. But if Mara regains her abilities and life, what will happen to the love Joelle feels for Mara's husband, Liam. How the medical healer and Joelle meet after more than 30 yearsprovides readers with a wonderful novel filled with romance and a bit of a mystery.

As the author Diane Chamberlain provides readers with in most of her books, this one really captivated me and I hated to see it end. I highly recommend this book as well as all of Diane's books. They are emotional stories with characters you will think about long after you finish her books. Now that I also read Diane's latest book, The Bay at Midnight, I will be anxiously waiting for her next book to arrive on the bookshelves.