Pacific Books

Great book with lots of information for anyone traveling. My nine-year-old son is the biggest fan of the book, he can't put it down!

It was very thorough about times, content of restaurants, rides, themes.
It gave helpful hints about best hours and days to visit each area.
Even a few coupons included.

Very helpful, easy to read, great guide to add to the excitement of getting ready for the trip of a lifetime for us travelling from Australia in October 2008, but also provides you with essential information. Also brought "the unofficial guide to disneyland" which is also very good, but we keep picking up this one because of the pictures and ease of finding information.

I enjoyed reading this guide. I understand that it is written with a Disney slant but that was what I was looking for. Excellent information is provided. This is a must read for a for time visitor or someone who just wants a refresher on all that Disney has to offer.

The book is very helpful in planning a Disneyland vacation. It has information on everything to do there and in the surrounding area.

"Brittle Stars..." was the first of Lichen's "Uncommon Field Guide" series I discovered. They are all uncommonly delightful to poke into. One can read them chapter-by-chapter or just open the book anywhere and delve in. I picked up this one to add to my school's marine biology collection. After scanning it, I bought a second copy for myself. After reading part of it, I ordered the other two books in the series. Recently I showed one of the guides to a friend who is a lifelong outdoorsman. He immediately purchased a set for himself. She gives the reader the sort of understanding about nature one usually only finds in going on a field tour with a great guide. My only complaint is that there is not one of Feltner's lovely detailed illustrations with every single chapter.

What could have been a very dry, factual book about marine life turned out to be a book filled with interesting info about northwest marine life and a writing style that isn't just data. I bought the book to use with teenagers and, because of their great interest in anything sexual, I told them, tongue in cheek, the first chapter they should read is the one about dragonflies and damsels. LOL It was hilarious. This is the number one book of interest about local marine life as far as I'm concerned.

Patricia Lichen's Brittle Stars & Mudbugs truly is an uncommon field guide. Newly relocated to the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound area I have half-filled a bookshelf with the more traditional field guide. Those, with their high quality photos or detailed drawings, I use to key out the fine distinctions between hard to discern animals and plants.

When I want pure enjoyment exploring Puget Sound's natural environs I bring out Lichen's book. Her conversational writing style and twinkle-in-the-eye wit along with her obvious love for her subject matter breath life into whatever she describes. Linda Feltner's illustrations are ideally suited for this book and enhance the pleasurable reading. As soon as I finish writing this review I am ordering her two other books on the Northwest.

This delightful little book is an absolute pleasure to read. It fits nicely in the hand, the pages are easy to read, and the illustrations are gentle and lovingly drawn. The author tells you stories about these animals, plants and algae the way she would if you were walking with her along the beach and came across each specimin. It's not ordered by phylum or habitat, but apparently randomly, which ensures that you won't tire of reading all about fish, but instead will move quickly to birds and seaweed and echinoderms and back.

I live on the beach, and volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, and these stories help me tell compelling stories to audiences and friends of all ages. They bring the funny objects you see on the beach to life, and make each animal or plant that you see seem a friend, a neighbor, someone whose life you care about. This should slow your steps on the beach, so that you will see the life around you more clearly, and should increase your commitment to conservation and cleanup. It's tough to abuse a neighborhood that you care about, and Patricia and Linda bring these organisms close to you so that you will care about them.

As an earlier reviewer pointed out, this is not a field guide that will help you identify what you see -- it is one that will help you understand what you see, and that's what makes it uncommon and (in my opinion) so very special.

Thanks to the author and illustrator for such a magnificent addition to my library of field guides and books on biology. This one is a treasure.

I bought two of the books in the 3 book series. The writing is excellent, however, what good is a "field guide" if illustrations are not included for all of the featured plants and animals? If the publisher is ever going to consider a new edition, perhaps this could be taken into consideration. I will keep these books, however still look for a "Field Guide" that offers more reference material.

"For anyone who cares about what they eat when they are on the road, this is the book. It has it all from restaurants, to farmer's markets, to places to walk and see. Don't leave home without it. I can't wait for the complimentary copies on the other areas of California to come out."
C. Fels - Educational Consultant - Tai Chi for Health Instructor
www.earthwalktaichi.com

I just used Patricia's California Healthy, as I was driving down to Los Angeles. Even though I've driven the route all my life, I can tell this book is going to change how I travel up and down the state. This time, instead of just pulling into the first or second eatery that "looked okay," we followed the book's clear map to a healthy cafe destination. Comparing a couple of the book's reviews beforehand was fun, as we narrowed down our choice. Had we not consulted California Healthy, we would have had typical, high-calorie road food, but instead we had a tasty (fresh, seasoned, mouth-watering) affordable meal.

The book's color photos add note-worthy identification to the destinations' descriptions. Not only does the book guide you to restaurants, but farmers' and whole food markets, local attractions, and wineries. The recipes in the back are another "bonus" of the book, adding to the authenticity of its message: eat delicious food at home and/or on the road. Neither time-crunches nor unfamiliar environs are an excuse to treat your body poorly. The recipes are easy and quick; the directions to the food purveyors will get you in and out quickly.

We are lucky to be in California when we're traveling because we can take advantage of so many healthy-minded food enterprises. With a little direction from California Healthy, we can proudly boast of delicious, healthy choices, whenever we hit the road.

This is a wonderful book, well researched and informative. I refer to it frequently. And I have just purchased another copy for a friend.

California Healthy, Southern California Edition (America Healthy) (America Healthy)
I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK!!! IT'S LIKE BEING IN CALIFORNIA AGAIN.
This is a beautiful book with tons of pictures, mouth watering recipes (I liked the broccoli saute' the best) and lots of safe places for me and my dogs to go walking. You can't miss with this book. What an education I got just from reading it. I'll have my trip all planned out before I even get to California. Wa Hoo. Thanks to Patricia for making such a great book.

California Healthy: The Adventurer's Guide to Local Delicacies, Fine Wine, Great Walks and the Good Life is a guide for California residents as well as vacationers. What distinguishes California Healthy is its close attention to the healthy food and fitness-promoting activities. County-by-county listings give the address, telephone number, and open numbers of everything from restaurants with healthful cuisine to parks ideal for walks to art galleries, botanical gardens, artisan's markets, colleges, special holiday celebrations and much more. Full-color maps and photographs on almost every page add a splendid visual touch to this high-quality guide for anyone in the Southern California area seeking to stay in shape.

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.

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.

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.

DESERT by Jack Dykinga is published by Harry Abrams, Inc., a company that publishes high quality art books and not, for example, vacation tour guide books. DESERT is 143 pages long, and contains 83 full-sized color reproductions. Dykinga uses a 4X5 camera, resulting in a higher quality image.

Many of the images are merely of flowers or of pretty scenes. Here, there is no attempt to produce a photograph of artistic merit. However, this slight shortcoming is overwhelmed by a number of novel and creative photographs.

For example, JOSHUA TREE AT DAWN AFTER SPRING SNOW discloses a dark cloudy sky, tinged with purple, a shadowy snow-covered desert, and a grove of snow-covered Joshua trees--all cloaked with pre-dawn shadows. It is difficult to tear one's eyes away from this photograph.

DAWN ON THE PANAMINT MOUNTAINS and CRYSTALLIZED SALT FORMATIONS are two photographs that continue with the artist's experiments (successful experiments) with pre-dawn photography of the white desert. Here, the whiteness is not from snow, but from white salt.

Jack Dykinga has also focused his attention on cracked lakebeds (dried mud). CRACKED CLAY AND THE MESQUITE FLAT reveals a fascinating heart shape in a patio-like area of cracked sand. The cracked mud area abuts a region of desert that is soft sand.

Another fine shot, MESQUITE FLAT SAND DUNES AT SUNRISE, features a patio-like area of cracked sand, each pentangle of cracked mud is covered with warty clumps of earth. An open area in the middle of the cracked mud patio contains an open area in the shape of a diamond. At the center of the diamond-shaped open area is a small growing bush. The diamond-shaped area with the little round bush resembles an eye.

RACETRACK AT SUNRISE and RACETRACK AT SUNSET are fascinating images--the most unusual in this book. Each shows millions of tiny pentangles of cracked mud, stretching off into the distance. In the foreground are a couple of flattened areas resembling thick ruler-lines. The flattened areas were produced by small boulders, somehow propelled over the mud by the wind. At one end of each ruler-line one finds a boulder.

Again, if one is able to tolerate the abundance of conventional "pretty" scenes of flowers and sunsets, one should purchase this book, if only to view the seven great photographs discussed in this review.

Mr.Dykinga's skill as an artist is further demonstrated by his book, STONE CANYONS OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU, also published by Harry Abrams, Inc. STONE CANYONS is especially distinguished by its focus on a park called, Vermilion Cliffs (Paria Canyon, The Wave, Coyote Buttes), a park that is rarely the subject of published photographs. STONE CANYONS also uses the style of depicting scenes just before sunset (or just after sunrise), when all but a thin line of the horizon is steeped in shadow. Stand aside, David Muench, here comes Jack Dykinga.

There is a knock at my door and here is the UPS man delivering my order from Amazon.com. Among the books: Desert, The Mojave and Death Valley Photographs by Jack Dykinga, text by Janice Emily Bowers. I barely had time to read more than a page or two of the text before it made me want to go straight to the photos to see the place she was clearly, and intelligently writing about. And I was not disappointed: It was overwhelmed with joy of at being able to share the keeness of Mr. Dykinga's fine and perceptive photographic vision of that place. This is a more subtle body of work than the previous books based around his photographs.

The Sonoran Desert had a similar effect on me years ago and expanded my sense of what ilandscape photography could be. Stone Canyons did not have as great of affect on me as the first book

More than anything else, the images in this book remind me why the large format camera is such a tremendous aid to seeing something more clearly and perceptively than you can with the naked eye. even more so than a 35mm or medium format or easily portable digital gear can. Some of the photos even have a sense of humor to them and when did you last see that in a photograph of a natural landscape? The reproduction of the images appears to be first rate and the design and typography of the book match its contents in quality.

In short there are wonderful things to be found in this book.

This book just shows how spectacular a desert can look with the magnificent photos around the Mojave desert and Death valley of emptiness, stark flowers and blooms and just superb landscapes. It'll give you some inspiration to find something to look for even in a desert.

I know I will as I will be going to Ayer's Rock (Uluru) in Australia in a few months and it's also a big desert!

This book is a beauty, some of the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen.

I spent the first week of September in southern California this year, and on Sunday before Labor Day I drove from Los Angeles up to Death Valley. I hadn't been there since I was a child and I have to say although it is a desolate and lonely place (and 114 degrees at Furnace Creek the day I was there) it is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The sand dunes at Mesquite Flat alone are worth the trip.

Everyone should see it, but if you can't buy the book. My copy came shrinkwrapped in plastic which I really like, the last thing you want is to buy a nice book like this in a bookstore where someone has spilled coffee on the pages.

As I went through this book, I kept asking myself, am I looking at the dessert or am I looking at the landscape photographs of Jack Dykinga? I've been to the Mojave and to Death Valley and I don't remember them looking so beautiful.

Dykinga's style reminded me of the work of Eliot Porter, with modern film stock. Most of his pictures have the same subtle quality, created by the use of analogous colors, that is, colors near each other on the color wheel, and varying only by tint or small changes in hue. A Dykinga picture almost always has one dominant hue like brown or tan or blue, and the hue rarely feels intense, even if it's a field of California Poppies.

It's obvious that Dykinga's work utilizes a large format camera. Everything is in sharp focus from foreground to distant mountains, thanks to small apertures and the ability to twist the light through his camera. This means that the picture is not going to immediately draw your attention to one aspect of the scene by controlled focus. More likely, the viewer will have to work his way through the picture, discovering things along the way.

The layout of the book seems to be well considered. Quite often two plates with similar subject matter will face each other and there is a synergistic effect from the comparison. For example, I delighted in examining two facing pictures of desert sunflowers. In both cases the yellow orange flowers have a hilly background, but one group of flowers is pushing up through dried-out, cracked clay, while in the other picture the flowers are growing from a small body of water collected for a brief time from rainfall. The mud and the water are both magenta in color but the textures are completely different. The thoughts that arose from the juxtaposition were not only about the variety of the desert but also about the nature of color and vision.

I suppose one reason that I never saw the dessert the photographer portrays is because most of the pictures were taken at the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. To have been that many places in the desert at just those times would have taken me months and months. At the very least, I can be a philistine and thank Dykinga for saving me a lot of time.

As to the text in the book, my feeling is that it probably has to be included for marketing purposes. Janice Bowers' essays seemed poetic and show that she loves the desert, but like most such commentaries, they do little to illuminate the photographer's work. I suppose the essays are worth reading once. The pictures on the other hand can bear many, many viewings and add something to the sense of the place each time.

I finally concluded that I was looking at the desert through Jack Dykinga's eyes when I viewed this book. I resolved to return to the actual desert again and see if I could continue to see it through his eyes.

I have suffered from lower back pain off and on for a number of years. When I am regular about doing the yoga practices Robin has given me the pain inevitably goes away. This book along with the CDs gives me that and more! Great clear descriptions and explanations of the postures and why! I highly recommend it.

I found the exerecises in the book to be simple, stress-free processes for relaxing and strengthening the lower back muscles. The explanations about the physiology were straight forward and were coupled with easy to follow exercises that are not difficult or demanding. I did not work up a sweat doing the various exercise groups, yet they left me feeling refreshed at the end of each session. But the real payoff came in my ability to work at projects or chores and not have a sore back at the end of the day, or wake up with a stiff back the next morning.

After over 30 years of increasing back muscle spasms, the pain became unendurable even with medication, hot packs, ice, and yoga instruction. X-rays determined that I have some spinal deterioration from arthritis but my doctor advised me that some patients do not have so much pain with this degree of damage. It sounded like hope to me.

I called around and found Robin at the yoga barn. After three private appointments with her, I started their Senior Yoga class and then added their Yoga Therapy as well. I also do a daily yoga practice at home. I have been steadily improving, however, more sounded better.

I purchased The Essential Low Back Program a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying it very much. The short but essential book organizes the information I've learned in class and too often forget. Every word, picture, and instruction in the book and on the CD's are essential and true. Don't skip anything. My daily practice at home now has better focus and her voice inspires me to intensify my routine. It also prevents me from skipping shavasana and pranyama practice. I have had no pain during the time I have been using the set.

Even if the program does not relieve all your back pain, it will protect any injured areas by strengthening your muscles and improving your posture

Robin's Viniyoga approach to yoga is far different from anything I had tried before. Her mission is to help her students achieve comfort in body and mind. She and her instructors adjust poses to the person not vice versa.

Purchase this set and then if in the area, check out the Yoga Barn in Issaquah. The Essential Low Back Program: Relieve Pain & Restore Health (5 CDs Included)

Dear Amazon.com, I recently purchased the Essential Low Back Program by Robin Rothenberg and I wanted to go on record that I am very happy to have it! Over ten years ago I had a sudden cardiac arrest, not to be confused with a heart attack. I was clinically dead for 20 min. and the statistics say that I was "200%" dead. All of my medical Dr's. tell me it's a miracle that I survived - and without brain damage. It did leave me very weak for months after and one of the ways I built my strength up again was to begin taking Yoga classes from Robin. Since then I have had many other life challanges. The major one was losing a son in a drowning accident. A year later I had to have open-heart surgery to correct my mitral valve. Through all of this and more Robin and her staff at the Yoga Barn supported and encouraged me. My Yoga practice strenghtens my mind, emotions and my physical needs There were many times when I felt as though my Yoga practice saved
my life! I do not have lower back problems, Thank God, but the practices covered in Robin's new program are still amazingly helpful and I will share about them with my friends. Now when I travel via motor home I can take Robin with me through these tapes and book which will be a great help. I will be telling others about it who may not be able able to take classes from Robin so they can enjoy her expert guidance also. Sincerely, Rachel Wierda

I am not taking any regular Yoga classes, but my wife is and she brought the book and CD's home from Robins Yoga Barn and I began following the book and CD's. I have been on the program for a little over four weeks and I have seen significant improvement in the way I feel more limber and posture has improved along with being able to move more freely. I believe that once I finish the 5 CD's as directed I will be active with Yoga the rest of my life( I am 71 years old). Robin has written a great program and is a great Yoga instructor!!
Bill Ewing

Travelling with Michael is to say the least exhilarating, fun, adventurous and a journey of discovery. While many can only dream of actually making the trip, Michael Palins' books are the next best thing. It's not just where he goes, but how he does it and perhaps most importantly: seeing it through his mind's eye, which needless to say can make humor out of nothingness. All you need is to relax and have the urge to increase your imagination. A wild but educative ride!

Michael Palin does it again with Full Circle. Starting in Alaska Michael travels anti-clockwise around the rim of the Pacific Ocean visiting countries as diverse as Russia, Korea, Viet Nam, New Zealand, Colombia and the west coast of North American. He tells of his adventures getting to and exploring some fantastic natural wonders, visiting a Russian gulag with a former inmate, the relief of Japan, the Vietnamese reactions to a westerner, the biggness of Australia and the hardworking people of South America. The section on the United States is short and not always sweet. Palin is taken aback by the physical bigness of Americans, and rush, and loudness. By the time he reaches Canada and attends a "lumberjack" fair (no singing Mounties included!) he really "wants to go home". We also learn a bit about how the series and book were produced, his wife Helen and their children, and that being on a job for the BBC doesn't always mean smooth sailing! Michael's friend Basil Pao took the photographs - he also joined Michael on "Around the World in Eighty Days". I can highly recommend this book and not only to fans of Monty Python - it doesn't end how you might expect!

As always Palin has produced a great travel book and series... this I found better than his "80 Days". The other thing people might find interesting about this travel book is that it takes us to some places which are hard to reach even in this day and age, so this is the only way we can know them.

Also suggested- "Hemingway Adventure"

Full Circle is just as good, if not better then his othertravel/comedy books. It is simply magnificent.

I've seen the 10-part Full Circle tv series, and I had a serious addiction from the start. When it ended, I went through a withdrawl period. I silently rocked myself in a chair in my room repeating "I must get the book,... must find book...must read book." I've got it now and I'm back on a Full Circle high. The book goes into details that they never had time for on the series. It tells you everything that you would have noticed had you been in Japan or Australia or Chile.

Ahh... I can imagine myself right now on the streets of China getting a massage from a blind man.

Great overview of the valley history and key players who influenced the culture and its success. Ashley's recommendations on restaurants are eclectic and fun as well.

Highly recommended. I bought some for gifts as well.

Larry Laurich, CEO DRC Computer Corp

This book delivers as advertised. A great summary of Silicon Valley. If you've just arrived in the valley it is indispensable. Pick up this book and spend your time learning, visiting and eating through the locales mentioned. (They should hand this out to incoming students at Stanford, and at the immigration line at SFO.)

Minor quibble, the book suffers from "young journalist syndrome," where its history, anecdotes and insights are a synthesis of the bibliography in the back. However, kudos to the author for reading more valley history than 99% of other writers. He is headed for greatness when he finds his own voice.

I've been involved with the tech business for 15 years and know my way around the places and companies in the valley. I found this book hugely entertaining and informative. At first look, it seems more like a travel book or specialized city guide than anything else - which is fine and a worthy accomplishment. However, there's a whole lot more....Ashlee lays out the history of the valley and the reasons why it has developed into the technical center of the world. Along the way, he provides easy to understand explanations of the technology and how each invention and advance launched new ventures or opened new markets. Finally, he delves into the personalities of both the key individuals and companies, which, for me at least, ties everything together and makes it a much more interesting and enjoyable read. Highly recommended....

Like technology? Like history? Like good writing? OK. This is your book. A little bit travel guide, a little bit history and a lot of fun, Ashlee Vance brings his truly unique and refreshing writing style in a book that is required reading for anyone involved in the technology industry.

I suspect they will be using this as a text book for some course or another at Stanford, and then Ashlee will become a full professor and his head will get really big and, well, that will be that. But read it anyway.

This is a great little book. Part historical overview, part travel guide, it's written in the breezy, easy-going style of Vance's columns in The Register, the best of the online IT rags (except that the book has been carefully proofread, unlike a typical Register story). In less than 250 pages Vance has covered almost all of the important historic events and personalities behind Silicon Valley, and provided a great set of tips of places for visiting, dining and drinking. There's even a good list of books and web sites for further reading.

I've lived in the Valley for nearly 15 years, and yet learned a fair amount from this book, including several places to visit that were new to me. There were only a few curious omissions: e.g., Halted gets a mention, but Fry's does not; neither does Buck's in Woodside; and surely Frank Drake should be mentioned in the section on the SETI Institute? - but otherwise the text is remarkably accurate, despite having condensed many complex histories, each worthy of a book in its own right, into paragraphs or pages. Vance clearly did his homework. My only historical quibble is with his description of the demise of SGI. I thought it was mainly done in by cheap graphics chips from Nvidia and the like; Itanic was just the icing on the cake.

The book mentions his web site and claims additional information can be found there, but so far there isn't anything new. Hopefully that will change over time. Another concern is that quite a bit of the information in the book will date fast; I hope Vance and his publisher refreshes the text (or the website, or both) regularly.

If you live in the Valley, visit the Valley, or you just want to know what the heck the place is about, this book is for you. And if you're a geek too, it's a must-read.