San Jose State Books

This is one of the all time great true crime books. If you like true crime, you must read this book.

I realize this is an odd heading for a review, but one of the very first things the author points out is that the crime was as incredibly stupid as it was brutal. I don't want to spoil the story too much, but added to a long list of very stupid mistakes made by the kidnappers was an apparent failure to understand how the telephone system in San Jose worked.

The author tries to explain this, but I supect that in this day and age when many people haven't even used a rotary dial phone, his explanation was inadequate. In 1933 the telephone system in San Jose was completely "manual." Telephones had no dials or buttons. When someone wanted to make a call, he or she simply picked up the receiver. This action caused a small light to go on over a jack in the switchboard, which was of course marked with the number of the calling party. The operator then plugged in one of a pair of cords from the shelf in front of her and asked "number, please?" The caller then spoke the wanted number to the operator who used the other plug to connect to the jack of the wanted number. She then had to press a small lever to ring the wanted party's bell. Consequently, tracing a call was ridiculously simple; all someone had to do was read the numbers next to the jacks in question on the face of the switchboard.

Of course all operators would have been alerted to signal the Chief Operator when anyone asked for the number of the Hart residence. The operator could also delay a few seconds before starting to ring the Hart's phone, giving the Chief Operator extra time to alert the law enforcement officers at the Hart residence that there was an incoming call.

All this resulted in Thrumond being arrested while using a pay phone to call the Hart residence. While San Jose city police were not involved in the arrest, it should be noted that he was using a telephone something like 150 feet from the main police station, not the wisest choice of locations.

This evidence would have been crucial if the case had come to trial and if Thurmond and Holmes had recanted their confessions, or if the confessions had been ruled inadmissible, which was possible even in 1933.

In other areas the author paints a vivid picture of the local political scene, and how "bosses" controlled much of city and county government. It's also interesting to note that much of the area around San Jose was rural at the time.

The brutality of the crime notwithstanding, I cannot in any way approve of the lynching, and I'm of the opinion that the governor should have been impeached for first failing to provide national guard troops to help defend the jail, and secondly for his outright approval of the lynchings and treat to pardon anyone convicted of taking part in them.

Prosecutors in three, if not four different jurisdictions were preparing charges against Holmes and Thurmond. There is simply no way they could have gone free if the first case against them for any reason had failed.

Swift Justice is more than a story about the murder of Brooke Hart, the son of a prominent San Jose businessman in 1933. It is about vigilante justice in its worst form--lynching.

Farrell starts the book off with Brooke Hart and the events that led up to his kidnapping and murder. He points out that most of his material was gathered from witnesses and/or people who wish to remain anonymous to this day. So, he cautions the reader about the accuracy of his story. The detail in which he describes the body and the lynching is gruesome. It works with the story, though, because I got the sense why the citizens of San Jose flew into a rage at those two men and the justice system. Brooke Hart and his family were revered by many, and in their eyes, what those two men did was unforgivable. The sheriff's department started receiving anonymous threats against those men and alerted the police chief. When the threats became more severe, he brought in more deputies to secure the area while the police chief did nothing. Then a small crowd gathered outside the station house. Slowly, it grew into a large mob. At eleven o'clock that night, they stormed the jail, dragged the men out of their cells, and hung them on two trees in St. James Park.

Farrell did an excellent job in depicting this scene. I felt like I was right there in the sheriff's office while he pleaded for those men to confess to their crime. I felt his desperation and terror of the crowd outside, and the adrenaline rush when he and his deputies fled for their own lives. He was a man on his own; however one firefighter helped another prisoner escape. Other than that, nobody helped them. Then there was the mob, itself. As I read those pages, I couldn't believe how good, decent citizens turned into bloodthirsty savages. But there they were, chanting and raving as the men were dragged out by their peers. The lynching was a spectator event, and everybody who knew or heard of the Harts attended with their babies and children. It was appalling and sickening. The authorities didn't arrive until it was time to gather the bodies and clean up the mess.

The St. James Lynching of 1933 was the last to occur here in San Jose. Since then, the penal system has made several improvements; however, the system leans more toward the civil rights of the criminals than to the victims. The pendulum always swings left and right, never landing in the middle. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in San Jose's history and/or the justice system. With all terrible tragedies, there is something to learn.

I'm not ashamed to stay I stayed up all night reading this book. I thought I'd read a few chapters before bed and...well, I just couldn't put it down. Brooke's murder is particularly brutal -- I could hear his final calls for help inside my head. The description of the lynching is so vivid you feel as if you're there, shouting and manning the battering ram with the rest of them. My only complaint was that the "after the lynching" section seemed to drag a bit. All in all a wonderful book, which I would highly recommend to any fan of true crime.

I must admit, I have a biased viewpoint. As a descendant of not one, not two, but three people who were summarily executed without the benefit of due process (one was most probably guilty --- the other two probably were not), accounts such as the San Jose Lynching tend to rub a raw nerve with me.

In a brisk, wonderfully written narrative, the author sets the stage and lets the events unfold to their unsettling conclusion. Along the way, he makes some interesting points about mob mentality, vigilante justice, and the abication of moral authority that our leaders on occasion display.

Most troubling for me are the points raised at the end of the book. The abrupt dispatch of the two murder suspects meant that other leads never were followed up on by the authorities. The author makes it clear that the two men were most certainly guilty --- they confessed to the crime, and the circumstantial evidence certainly pointed towards their guilt. However --- most troubling of all --- the circumstantial evidence also pointed quite strongly to additional men being involved in Brooke Hart's kidnapping & murder. Did other men get away with murder because the San Jose mob was too impatient to wait for a trial? The author does not beat us over the head with his theories, but he correctly points out that, because there never was a trial, a lot of questions that needed answering went unaddressed.

Certainly, it is a cautionary tale for those who believe that the justice system is too sluggish, and that we should just "line 'em up against the wall and shoot 'em." Maybe some time has been saved --- maybe justice has been served fully. But you can't confidently state it as fact.

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.

This was a very professionally written account of the lives of 15 very diverse people who also happen to be professional lacrosse players. The book really makes you view these athletes as interested in their sport, valued members of their community, and very different from the multi-million dollar primma donnas who play other professional sports. I definitely recommend this book.

After the Duke Lacrosse scandal, it was refreshing to see an upbeat well-written book about lacrosse. These players truly honor their sport, and make the casual observer want to learn more. The stories were interesting, and it was a good overview of the NLL, and the players who make the league work. I really enjoyed it, and hope to see more books like it.

This book was interesting, insightful, and sometimes even funny when explaining the lives of 15 "ordinary" people who have jobs, wives, kids, and play professional lacrosse on the weekends. It makes you realize how different pro lacrosse is from other pro sports. (And I mean that in a good way.) The writing was clear and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

It was great to finally read a good book on professional lacrosse. The writing was interesting and insightful, and provided a good mix of lacrosse history combined with people who play the game. I would definitely recommend this book for the lacrosse fanatic, or even the casual observer. I enjoyed it!

This book is filled with stories of professional lacrosse players. The players are atypical from other professional sports players, who are often filled with self-admiration and greed. Yet, they are not exactly everyday people either. The players do have full time jobs and families, but many of them are in noble fields such as teaching, law enforcement, the armed forces, fire fighting... Of course, it takes a noble character to be devoted to such an underpaid and under-appreciated sport. The players sacrifice their bodies, time, and some family commitments for the love of their sport. The writing is clever, and the author gives good insight about the players' individuality, achievements, reminiscences, and dedication.

Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine October 2002 VOYA
Growing up in San Jose, California, Arturo Rodriguez and his brothers and sister endured an abusive father, their parents' unhappy marriage, and their father's absence after he returned to Mexico. Rodriguez coped as best he could, but his drinking and drug use, in the wrong place at the wrong times led to his incarceration in California's prison system for young offenders. Against all odds, he put his past behind him, married and had a family, and worked hard to overcome injustices and start a successful business. After his retirement Rodriguez began writing about his life and his family. This book is sequel to East Side Dreams (Dream House, 2001, published in Spanish as Sueños del Lado Este. In this second autobiographical book, he writes about childhood pranks and misdeeds, his mother's near fatal illness, his parent's divorce, the birth of his first child, and how his parents even eventually became friends.
The writing here is unpolished but sincere in true, and the reminiscences and descriptions are vivid and true to life. Neither how he grew to understand his father and other relatives whom he loved despite their flaws. His message for young readers is clear. It is possible to survived and overcome injustices and hardships. Rodriguez maintains a Web site at www EastSideDreams. com and invites readers to visit, view his picture alum, and perhaps send him an e-message. He will answer.-Sherry York Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine

The Midwest Book Review. May 7, 2002
East Side Dreams by Art Rodriguez is full of energy and the struggles that the author himself endured while growing up on the east side of San Jose, California in 1966.
I enjoyed reading this inspirational novel derived from the memories of a teenager who is now a mature and successful businessman.
East Side Dreams has been translated into Spanish to reach the Spanish speaking population in the United States.
As I read the troubling times of Art Rodriguez I couldn't relate to many of his predicaments, but I certainly felt compassion toward him and thanked God for my "normal" life. Mr. Rodriguez touches your heart as you read his passionate book of self-taught lessons.
As you read East Side Dreams, which captures the hopelessness of growing up with an unpleasant childhood, keep in mind that this life drove the author to his true passion-writing!
The author, Art Rodriguez has been honored by the New York Library System to be on the "2001 Books for Teenage List" for his book East Side Dreams. He was also given "The Mariposa Award-Best First Book" at the Latino Literary Hall of fame for this same book. Bravo! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and encourage young readers to read it, as there are plenty to learn from this book. It will bring tears to your eyes.

James A. Cox
Editor-in -Chief
The Midwest Book Review.

East Side Dreams is the debut book and memoir Art Rodriguez, of a Latino American who survived growing up on the rough side, at odds with a dictatorial father, and once an inmate of the California Youth Authority -- a prison system for young lawbreakers. Reflections on both happy and miserable times of his childhood, growing up, learning maturity and finally making a comfortable life for himself fill this heartfelt and revealing personal testimony. Highly recommended reading for young adults, East Side Dreams has justly earned the distinctions of being named the "Best First Book of the Latino Literary Hall of Fame", and has been honored as one of 200 Best Teenage Books in the United States by the New York Public Library System.

My son who is 21 came home with this book and said Mom you have got to read this book it is so good. So I said o.k. mejio let me read it! When I started to ready it it brought back so many memories (I grew up in the East Side of San Jose) and most of the things he was talking about I lived it. I laughed and cried and could not put down the book. This is a great book for all ages. After I got done reading it I gave it to my Father to read and he enjoyed it too.

Art Rodriguez takes us to jail with him so that we never need to go. He sits us next to him in his cell with nothing left to do but sit and remember. We try with him to connect the memories to being imprisoned, but there is no connection at all.

Although Art had an abusive father, he never once cites this as a reason for his violent behavior. He was a kid that made poor choices and got what he deserved. He blames no one but himself, and it is with this realization of responsibility that Art turns his life around. He went from street punk to a successful business man, a supportive father and an award winning author. He shows us that people can change and that bad mistakes are not the end of your life unless you allow them to be. Art Rodriguez is the silent roll model all troubled children are looking for.

This book is a great experience for audiences young and old. Buy it and read it.

This is a great little book. I love the way it's organized and love that it includes web addresses for everything, as well as days, times, and seasons for events, information on public transportation routes and free parking, etc. I'm traveling a long distance to spend just less than a week in SF on a small budget, and I've got my days entirely planned out because of the information in this book. It's well worth the small expense. When I'm done with my little trip, I'm gifting this book to my son who lives in the Bay Area, and I'm sure he'll use it until it falls apart!

I've grown up in the Bay Area and there are so many things in this book that I've always wanted to do. Now that I know they are FREE I will do them! I'm always looking for fun stuff to do with my 2 young boys and I now have a long list of activities to look forward to (like the SF Firefighter Museum). The book is super easy to use too, which is a bonus since I don't have a lot of time to research things. I'd recommend this book to both visitors and natives.

Troy Corley, the "Free and Frugal Fun Expert" from Corley Guides, publishes a series of pocket travel guides to free fun in major metropolitan areas. Free San Francisco is the newest guide in the series, which also features titles on Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and New York. As a bonus, the California titles also include Thomas Guide map coordinates for all guidebook entries.

Free San Francisco covers not just SF proper, but also Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Marin, The Peninsula, and Wine Country. Attractions by the bay include bridges, public beaches, visitor's centers and landmarks like Telegraph Hill, Chinatown, the Haight, Nob Hill, and the cable car interchanges. Golden Gate Park and Gold Gate National Recreation Area each warrant their own chapter, and with dozens of attractions each, one could spend the better part of a year having fun for free near the Golden Gate. One can imagine spending a few tourist dollars at some of these sites (riding the cable cars, for instance), but it would be possible to enjoy all these landmarks for free.

I recommend Free San Francisco not just for the budget-conscious or family-oriented traveler. This is a must-have guide for locals, too! I know I couldn't take advantage of a fraction of these opportunities during a San Francisco vacation, but fortunately I visit from Southern California, so I can make some repeat trips to take advantage of all the bargains.

As someone who has been criss-crossing the country for six years (see my book Cheap Motels and a Hot Plate: an Economist's Travelogue), I am always looking for good travel guides. This books is one of the best I have seen. It is well-conceived, organized, and written. I had no idea that there were so many great free and cheap things to do in the Bay Area--from concerts, to museums, to art walks, and hikes. I will definitely check out the other books in the series. And I'll be keeping this one, since we are planning to move to Berkeley next year. Michael D. Yates

I have gotten all of these books, Free L.A., Free Orange County... These make perfect gifts, stocking stuffers, or just given on a whim. I got a copy for neighbor who lived in San Francisco for the first part of her career, and who goes back often. And I got another copy for a gal in our office who travels twice year up there to visit family. And, why not, I got one for myself for when I visit the Bay Area. Great concept and well done.

The Newcomer's Handbook for Moving to and Living in the San Francisco Bay Area covers just about every aspect of living in and around San Francisco. I mean everything! Including "Moving and Storage," "Getting Settled," "Children and Education," "Sports and Recreation," "Transportation" and everything in between, this thick book answers almost any question about San Francisco.

The introduction to the book is just as cool: "San Francisco is the land of the 49er Gold Rush, the Great 1906 earthquake, and the missionary expeditions of the Spanish; it is the birthplace of Levi's jeans and home of the railroad tycoon Leland Stanford; it is host to one of the greatest feats of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge, and as a cultural epicenter, it fueled the hippie flower-power revolution, gave rise to Rolling Stone magazine, and played host to beat generation poets." Geez, now I want to move to San Francisco!

This guide to "America's melting pot" provides information about the local lingo, so you will not feel too much like an out-of-towner. For example, "The Haight" is the famous Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, "The City," always capitalized, "is the way natives and local newspapers refer to San Francisco" and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is "the under-and-above ground subway-style train network that connects the East Bay and peninsula with San Francisco."

This guide also provides detailed information concerning the many municipalities of San Francisco, including web sites, area codes, zip codes, post offices, police stations, emergency hospitals, libraries, public schools, community resources and public transportation. The "Cultural Life" section is also pretty cool, providing tons of information about film festivals, music, theater, ballet and dance, restaurants, nightclubs, comedy, art, museums and anything else you can think of. San Francisco is one cool town, and this book is undoubtedly the perfect guide to moving there!

My husband was recently transferred from Kansas City to San Fransisco, so when I saw this book for newcomers to the Golden Gate city, I just had to have it! It is such a great buy, as it contains all of the information that we want to know before we move there. It tells the history and atmosphere of the different neighborhoods there, along with many other pertinent facts. This well-researched and accurate book with maps is all one needs to feel at home in San Fransisco!

We found this handbook to be very accurate and very helpful in our move to the bay area. The writing style is clear and easily digestible.

Where was this book when my kids were smaller?! This is the resource I wish I'd had then. Every parent, or anyone who spends time with kids, should have one. It's complete, fun, and indispensable.

Ever wondered where to go, with or without kids, for fun in the greater South SF BAy area (San Jose / Santa Clara region, 5 counties)? This handy little book has all the answers: attractions, sports & rec, parks etc., music, b'day party ideas, beaches, free & rainy day activities...you name it! The perfect resource for teachers, GS leaders (field trips), parents, grandparents (got the kids for the weekend?), etc...anyone who likes to explore and have fun. It even tells you if you need special clothing, or reservations, or water bottles...they've thought of everything

This book gives a survey of artist Tony DeLap's journey through minimalism, from his self-contained box paintings of the 1960s, to the illusionary installations of the 1970's, and on into the coolly elegant, dimensional, monochrome paintings of the present. Published in 2000 by The Orange County Museum of Art.

Tony DeLap joined with other American artists of the mid-twentieth century to develop "minimalism" as he explored forms of painting and sculpture with meticulous attention to construction and intellectual precision. DeLap drew from a wide range of materials in his work, including wood, painted canvas, plastic, lacquer, aluminum, fiberglass, and Plexiglas. He came to prominence when his work was included in two significant exhibitions that helped to define the Minimalist movent in 1966 (Primary Structures, New York Jewish Museum) and 1967 (American Sculpture of the Sixties, Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Enhanced with an informative introduction by Naomi Vine, Bruce Guenther and Peter Plagens' Tony Delap is a complete and satisfying introduction to a major American artistic talent as well as a very highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, or community library American art history collection.

Early Tejano Ranching: Daily Life At Ranchos San Jose And El Fresnillo by Andres Saenz (Professor of History, Austin Community College, Austin, Texas) is the story of the author's family (the Saenzes and the Lopezes) who established San Jose and El Fresnillo during the 1850s and 1860s. Drawn and composed from interviews, historical records, visits to historical sites, and more, Early Tejano Ranching presents a fascinating picture of life in the past, the daily work of ranching, the labor of self-sufficient families who struggled to surviving against drought, wild animals, and even Indian attacks. Early Tejano Ranching is solid and highly recommended representation reflecting the history and heritage of Texas. Also highly recommended is Professor Saenz's earlier work, Tejano Empire: Life On The South Texas Ranchos (0890968349)

Nailed to the Wound, a collection of fourteen short stories, presents for the first time in English translation a representative collection of one of Baja California's most innovative contemporary fiction writers. Di Bella's sources of literary inspiration are manifold and cosmopolitan, such as Joyce, Carpentier, Pirandello, and Borges. To these are added the impacts of daily life on characters as diverse as seedy gamblers, adulterers, psychologists, writers, the Three Musketeers, translators, bank workers, mimes, and a host of others. An integral part of the Baja California literary Renaissance of the 1980s and following, Di Bella has long been active as an editor of various significant journals (El oficio, Trazadura), an organizer of reading series and large binational border-literature conferences, and a teacher of creative writing.