The Elusive Eden: A New History of California

Book Description

The Elusive Eden charts the historical development of California, beginning with the evolution of the landscape and climate and the arrival of the first inhabitants, the Indians, through social, political, and environmental controversies of the present and the future. The book portrays a land of remarkable richness and complexity, settled by waves of people from diverse cultures. The text is organized chronologically into 10 parts, each developing a major theme or issue for a particular period in California's history. The first chapter of each part is a narrative that spotlights and dramatizes the personal responses of significant individuals at critical moments of historical change. The authors stress issues of current importance such as: ethnic groups, women, environmental history and social and cultural history.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2007-03-22

I used this book so much in my California and Politics class. It is very descriptive and helpful. The headings make it easy to study, and know exactly what you are reading about. There are lots of interesting pictures, as well as political cartoons. It was a very helpful book in understanding the diverse and colorful history of California. Read it and check it out for yourself.

History of California.......2000-08-08

I had to use this book for a class I took at the University of California, Santa Barbara (History 177 -- Summer 1999). I thought the book was great in certain areas (prehistoric times, geography, and the native peoples), but deficient in others (water development, railroads, Bear Flag Revolt, gold rush, automobile). Also, California's history is much too complicated to be crammed into this book -- the author should have divided it up regionally, or on a time line to allow himself to get more in depth with this material. Otherwise, if you are interested in a good, yet incomplete overview of the history of the Golden State, read this book!

Elusive Eden Captured.......2000-02-15

History can be exciting, especially when the high points are rendered with such immediacy and clarity. California is both a microcosm and macrocaosm of American History. Richard Rice makes this connection resonant from the original Sutter's Mill gold rush to the current Silicon Valley "gold rush". The themes that define California are U.S. history writ large. Rice lets the reader appreciate California from a variety of personal perspectives: Henry Dana's in "Two Years Before The Mast", Leland Stanford and the other "robber barrons", Hiram Johnson and the reformers, into world war two and the Nisei internees, down through Reagan and the Brown family, and into current times. The history of water rights, which was the basis of the movie Chinatown, becomes a compelling and more accurate story here. The lucid prose is admirably supported by evocative photography. Discover California as it really was and is.

Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin

Average customer rating:

Great overview of mediterranean climates
Author's Credentials
A thoughtful, beautifully produced book
A "must" for horticulralists and gardeners.

Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin
Peter R. Dallman
Manufacturer: CALIFORNIA-PRINCETON FULLFILLMENT SERVICES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

South Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books

Australia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0520208099

Book Description

This book provides a wonderful overview of the landscapes, vegetation types, and plants of the five regions of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. This climate of mild, rainy winters and dry, warm summers is found in California, Central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa, the southwestern part of Australia and the Mediterranean Basin. The regions are widely separated and the flora of each is distinctive, having for the most part developed independently. Nevertheless, the plants share remarkably similar characteristics which allow them to thrive in these unusual conditions.
Peter Dallman's non-technical prose is complemented by numerous maps, tables, and figures, and the book is richly illustrated with photographs of landscapes, plants, and flowers. With its detailed information on some of the world's most resilient plant life, this book will serve as an excellent reference for everyone interested in growing drought-resistant plants and as a naturalist's guide to these beautiful and unusual bioregions.
For the growing number of travelers whose vacations focus on learning about and appreciating natural history, Dallman also includes a chapter on planning trips to the five Mediterranean regions.

Customer Reviews:

Great overview of mediterranean climates.......2005-09-19

This book is great. It has plenty of pictures, diagrams and drawings. Most of the pictures are not in color, however, which is its biggest downfall. It is not a detailed evaluation of mediterranean climates nor is it a good plant ID book, but provides an excellent overview for both the layman and scientist. It provides informatin on the plants that make the mediterranean climate unique and the typical plant communities that are found in them. It is great for someone who doesn't want to get bogged down with individual species and wants to see how all the parts fit together. I first checked this book out of my local library and felt it would be such a good reference book for work, play and travel that I had to have it. The book uses the most scientific and inclusive use of the term Mediterranean which means you are going to get descriptions of plant communities from San Diego to Sacramento to San Francisco. For those of us that prefer the more exclusive definitions it may come as a shock that San Francisco and Sacramento could be considered mediterranean so I'm warning you now. I am currently using this book to help plan a trip to Australia as a supplement to Lonely Planet's travel guides. This book has inspired me to visit all the world's mediterranean climates at some point in my life and I'm not even a plant lover.

Author's Credentials.......2004-09-21

Peter Dallman, a retired pediatric doctor and docent at Strybing Aboretum in San Francisco, California, spent many years
studying plants and traveling the world to see them where they grow in the Mediterranean climate areas of the world. Prof. Robert Ornduff, the late director of the Univ. of California Botanical Garden, encouraged him to write about these
plants and his travels. The result is a book giving the reader the best armchair picture of the vegetation of a very special part of the world.

A thoughtful, beautifully produced book.......2001-01-02

This book falls into a category somewhere between botany, climatology, and geography; it looks at several different types of "mediterranean climate" around the world, and describes the different vegetational types within each region, explaining (in a scholarly but accessible way) why these plant communities look the way they do.

It's beautifully produced, with both climate maps and full-color illustrations of plants and plant communities. I know of no other book that explains the relationship between geography and botanical ecology this elegantly; it's a lot of fun to browse, and I would recommend it *very* highly to armchair travellers with botanical inclinations.

A "must" for horticulralists and gardeners........2000-02-03

Peter Dallman's Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates covers plants of California, Australia, South Africa and the Mediterranean, and will prove more accessible to general audiences studying plants. Here are photos, charts, and a host of details on plant communities and plant life common to this climate, with chapters providing both individual regional details and links between plants of each area. This is a highly recommended pick not just for specialty libraries, but for general collections.

Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi

Average customer rating:

Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi
Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi
Great Companion Book
MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED
why do i need to write a title?

Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi
David Arora
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Bacteriology | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

All That the Rain Promises, and More ...: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (National Audubon Society Field Guide Series)
Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
Psilocybin Mushrooms Of The World: An Identification Guide
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

ASIN: 0898151694

Amazon.com

This is the be-all and end-all of mushroom books! Truly an encyclopedia of mushroom facts and lore, lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs, literally everything you need to know about mushrooms, edible or not. Arora has taught mycology for close to twenty years and has hunted and photographed mushrooms across the North American continent. Threaded through the book are his wry and humorous observations and comments, making what could have been a rather dull, "just-the-facts, ma'am" reference book into a really enjoyable read. The stunning photographs of the incredible variety of fungi are fascinating and eye-opening, and while the author gives clear and factual information, the mysterious allure of mushrooms in their countless shapes, sizes and colors is only increased by this huge and delightful book. --Mark Hetts

Book Description

Nothing is more elusive and mysterious than the wild mushroom. David Arora celebrates the gathering and study of wild mushrooms with engaging style, wit and simple terminology. Mushrooms Demystified includes descriptions, photographs, and keys to over 2,000 species. There is a Beginner's Checklist of the 70 most distinctive and common mushrooms plus detailed chapters on terminology, classification, habitats, mushroom cookery, mushroom toxins, and the meanings of scientific mushroom names.

Customer Reviews:

Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi .......2007-09-19

My son loves this book and has used it several times already. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in studying mushrooms.

Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi.......2007-01-19

Hands down, the best mushroom field guide available. Great pictures and excellent keys. Makes it easy to know what you're dealing with when you find a mushroom.

Great Companion Book.......2007-01-05

This hard to find book is great. Arora did a great job. The keys very good, are easy to use and the descriptions of each mushroom identified in the book are comprehensive and even entertaining. (A dicot' key can be a truly horrid thing.) The illustrations for key features also very helpful. Even for casual reading it is entertaining! The Fifth Kingdom is a great addition to this book for addl info about life cycles.

MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED.......2007-01-03

A VERY GOOD REFERENCE, BUT ALMOST TOO MUCH INFO TO PROCESS FOR THE BEGINNER.

why do i need to write a title?.......2006-11-05

THE comprehensive guide to mushrooms. I own several that I like, and this is probably the best of them. It's large size makes it unsuitable for a field guide, but it's a great resource. Just get "All that the rain promises...," or the Audubon book for a field guide.

A Natural History of California (California Natural History Guides)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Resource
a must have for naturalists!
A must for outdoor enthusiasts
Comprehensive and fascinating
Not as intimidating as one would think . . .

A Natural History of California (California Natural History Guides)
Allan A. Schoenherr
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

An Island Called California: An Ecological Introduction to Its Natural Communities, Second edition, Revised and Expanded
National Audubon Society Field Guide to California
Introduction to California Plant Life, Revised Edition
Pacific Coast Tree Finder: A Pocket Manual for Identifying Pacific Coast Trees (Nature Study Guides)
Introduction to Water in California (California Natural History Guides, 76)

ASIN: 0520069226

Book Description

In this comprehensive and abundantly illustrated book, Allan Schoenherr describes a state with a greater range of landforms, a greater variety of habitats, and more kinds of plants and animals than any area of equivalent size in all of North America. A Natural History of California will familiarize the reader with the climate, rocks, soil, plants and animals in each distinctive region of the state.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Resource.......2007-10-02

This book was an excellent resource for my research papers, and for my CA history classes. The details are wonderful! This book is a must read if you plan on majoring in History (in the state of CA) or if you are planning on teaching in California.

a must have for naturalists!.......2007-02-08

This book is a crucial reference for anyone interested in natural patterns, Southen California flora and fauna, and environmental design! Highly recommended! It should be on your shelf! How about we make it required reading for all California residents so everyone can appreciate the natural beauty and brilliance of this great part of the planet?!!

A must for outdoor enthusiasts.......2001-09-07

This well thought out introduction to the natural setting of California is a must for anyone that either lives in the state or is planning a visit. I used this book as a reference in a report I wrote on California's environment. The all emcompassing narratives about flora, fauna, geology, geography and the wonder of California, makes this book priceless! This is by far the most thorough book on California's native environment that I have seen. Augment this book with, Audobon's Guide to California, and you have a history, guide and interesting information about California to make any vacation or field trip into a journey of unfathomable wonder of California and the natural environment that most of us fail to take advantage of and appreciate. This book really is a must have for anyone who considers themselves a Californian.

Comprehensive and fascinating.......2001-08-21

If you have an interest in natural history, especially of California's natural history, this is an excellent book. The reader learns all sorts of fascinating things, practically from page one. It is very comprehensive in its breadth while not requiring high-level courses in geology, zoology, botany, etc. to understand it. The writer does buy into a couple of ideas that I think are influenced more by eco-religion than ecological science, but he attempts to maintain scientific discipline and does not harangue the reader with political axe-grinding. He writes in a readable, objective, tone that doesn't get in the way of the interesting "hard" facts conveyed in a clear, interesting style.

The book is an excellent survey text of natural history, California's in particular. I'm an immigrant to California from the Midwest, and did not have the advantage of learning about my adopted state during my school years. I have been looking for a good comprehensive book explaining the formation of the geography and an explanation of the operation of nature here in this state. This is the best book I have found on this subject since I moved here five years ago.

If you are an amateur naturalist, like myself, even just to the extent of having a fondness for programs like Discovery Channel, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, and the National Geographic Specials, you'll like this book. If you're a California parent, the book is really useful for answering the questions kids ask about the world around them.

Not as intimidating as one would think . . ........1999-12-03

Though it's authoritative and thorough, it's also entertaining and very accesible. It belongs in every outdoor enthusiast's "camping box."

Average customer rating:

Beautiful little book
Poor reproduction of photographs
Galen apparently has outdone himself.....
Buy it for the photography - keep it for a to do list of places to visit!
Awesome photography

California the Beautiful

Manufacturer: Welcome Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

Bay Area Wild: A Celebration of the Natural Heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area
Galen Rowell: A Retrospective
North America the Beautiful (Journeys Through The World)
Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography
The California Coast: The Most Spectacular Sights & Destinations

ASIN: 0941807673
Release Date: 2002-04-01

Book Description

As America stands to the rest of the world, so stands California to America - a bright shining promise of endless possibility. This exquisite celebration of "California The Beautiful" is both a portrait of the diverse natural beauty of the Golden State and through the incredible voices of its writers, a testament to the ever-renewing spirit that it has come to embody. Aldous Huxley, British author turned Hollywood resident, described the California dream as "This great crystal of light, whose base is as large as Europe and whose height for all practical purposes, is infinite." Among the other authors offering praise are Maya Angelou, Mary Austin, Ray Bradbury, Joan Didion, Gretel Ehrlich, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, M.F.K. Fisher, Robertson Jeffers, Jack Kerouac, Clarence King, Jack London, Henry Miller, John Muir, William Saroyan, April Smith, John Steinbeck, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, Nathanael West, and Walt Whitman. Land of innovation and opportunity, California is both dream and reality. California The Beautiful is a gift for all who have felt the lure of this dual promise and who have marveled at the unrivaled beauty of this quintessentially American land.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful little book.......2007-09-13

I purchased a number of these books as "thank you" gifts for various friends we are going to visit in Europe. I was so excited about finding a picture book on California, I didn't read the description thoroughly -- note that the books are only about 7"x7". Even so, their small size makes them perfect to carry in a suitcase. The pictures are quite nice and, even though the coloring is enhanced a bit, they truly show how beautiful California can be. My ONLY complaint with these books is that the price is printed on the back of the dust jacket! This means that if you're giving them as a gift, there's no way to cover up how much you paid (or could have paid) for the book. (I guess I can come up with a cute stick-on label ... )

Poor reproduction of photographs.......2007-07-31

Unfortunately, the text in this photographic essay is more inspiring than the images. The problem is not with the photography, but with the quality of the printing. The inks are too dark, and the colors are ludicrous.

Galen apparently has outdone himself............2007-03-09

This book is well worth buying, but not for Galen Rowell's photographs (as they are "printed" here)...the text is actually more indicative of the power of California's beauty and meaning.

Rowell's use of super-saturated colors, whether accomplished with filters or digital editing, only serves to show just how MORE beautiful these scenes, at these times of day, are in reality!

Subtle was not in Galen's vocabulary, apparently, yet the beauty of nature is often extraordinary AND subtle. I guess my thought really is that Galen Rowell and his 35 mm cameras, found amazing sights (and sites), and took their picture(s), but the essence of many of those sights, he lost because he wanted them to be even more "perfect" than they "really are".

Trust us, Galen, they're even more perfect without all the color saturation effects....

Buy it for the photography - keep it for a to do list of places to visit!.......2007-01-17

The photography is beautiful.
The book catalogues the best of California through pictures. We take this book with us on our trips through out the state as part of our guide and potential itinerary. It makes every trip, a trip to a beautiful location.
A great coffee table book.

Awesome photography.......2005-08-03

This compact size coffee table book with outstanding photography by Galen Rowell makes a great souvenir for visitors to beautiful California. The diversity of this great state is depicted in all its spectacular beauty from the desert to the majestic mountain peaks; from minute wildflowers to the towering redwoods. Prose and verse from famous & not-so-famous Californians & visitors add pleasant reading which accompany the lovely images.

Average customer rating:

Beautiul book-full of information
Beautiful
Beautiful and useful
If you love California's oaks...
A nice book

Oaks of California
Bruce M. Pavlik , Pamela Muick , and Sharon Johnson
Manufacturer: Cachuma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Conifers of California
Trees and Shrubs of California (California Natural History Guides)
Grasses in California (California Natural History Guides)
Introduction to California Spring Wildflowers of the Foothills, Valleys, and Coast (California Natural History Guides)
Introduction to California Plant Life, Revised Edition

ASIN: 0962850519

Book Description

Oaks of California, the first book ever devoted to the state's native oaks, celebrates the unique place of these trees in California's natural and cultural heritage.

Winner of the 1992 Benjamin Franklin Award for best "Regional" book, this title continues to be the definitive popular guide to California's most emblematic tree species.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiul book-full of information.......2007-10-04

The outstanding photographs are sufficient reason to buy this book. However, Oaks of California is a compilation of information that you will find nowhere else. Nature lovers to arborists will find whatever they need. This book will not collect dust on your bookshelf.

Beautiful.......2006-01-31

Living in California oak country, I have searched for just such a book to help learn about these beautiful trees. This is the best information I've found.

Beautiful and useful.......2003-02-18

If you are used to books with line drawing of leaves that make it impossible to use as a reference, then you will love this book. It is a great study as well as a beauty. If you only have one book on the Oaks of California, this should be it. If you have many books on Oaks, this is still going to be one of the most used. Useful and beautiful!

If you love California's oaks..........2002-10-15

this is a magnificent book. I just cannot get over the glory of the native oaks and this book captures that glory well. It covers all native species with a nice amount of detail. The photographs are beautiful. What I actually found the most intriguing was the great history the authors provide on the oaks, and the incredible ecosystem that depends on their existence. The book even provides information on parks and drives statewide where mature native oaks can be visited. I have had this book for many months now and it is one I continually pick up again and again. It inspired me to plant several native oaks at home and take inpeccable care of the one large oak (treasure) that came as an added bonus to a beautiful old home.

A nice book.......2002-05-27

I bought this book, on sale no less, at the Hearst Castle gift shop. I find it to be well written and informative with many pleasing pictures of California's native oaks. For any Californian interested in the natural sciences, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf between Lanner's "Conifers of Califonia" and Dave Arora's "Mushrooms Demystified".

A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 (P.S.)

Average customer rating:

Get to the point!
Unfocused
Things I should have read in geology class
Plate tectonics for idio-dummees(R)
Tremors and digressions

A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 (P.S.)
Simon Winchester
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Earthquakes & Volcanoes | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Krakatoa CD : The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883
THE MAP THAT CHANGED WORLD
The Professor and the Madman
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire

ASIN: 0060572000
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Amazon.com

Geologically speaking, 1906 was a violent year: powerful, destructive earthquakes shook the ground from Taiwan to South America, while in Italy, Mount Vesuvius erupted. And in San Francisco, a large earthquake occurred just after five in the morning on April 18--and that was just the beginning. The quake caused a conflagration that raged for the next three days, destroying much of the American West's greatest city. The fire, along with water damage and other indirect acts, proved more destructive than the earthquake itself, but insurance companies tried hard to dispute this fact since few people carried earthquake insurance. It was also the world's first major natural disaster to have been extensively photographed and covered by the media, and as a result, it left "an indelible imprint on the mind of the entire nation."

Though the epicenter of this marvelously constructed book is San Francisco, Winchester covers much more than just the disaster. He discusses how this particular quake led to greater scientific study of quakes in an attempt to understand the movements of the earth. Trained at Oxford University as a geologist, Winchester is well qualified to discuss the subject, and he clearly explains plate tectonics theory (first introduced in 1968) and the creation of the San Andreas Fault, along with the geologic exploration of the American West in the late 19th century and the evolution of technology used to measure and predict earthquakes. He also covers the social and political shifts caused by the disaster, such as the way that Pentecostalists viewed the quake as "a message of divine approval" and used it to recruit new members into the church, and the rise in the local Chinese population. With many records destroyed in the fire, there was no way to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants, and thus many more Chinese were granted citizenship than would have otherwise been. Filled with eyewitness accounts, vivid descriptions, crisp prose, and many delightful meanderings, A Crack in the Edge of the World is a thoroughly absorbing tale. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Unleashed by ancient geologic forces, a magnitude 8.25 earthquake rocked San Francisco in the early hours of April 18, 1906. Less than a minute later, the city lay in ruins. Bestselling author Simon Winchester brings his inimitable storytelling abilities to this extraordinary event, exploring the legendary earthquake and fires that spread horror across San Francisco and northern California in 1906 as well as its startling impact on American history and, just as important, what science has recently revealed about the fascinating subterranean processes that produced it—and almost certainly will cause it to strike again.

Customer Reviews:

Get to the point!.......2007-10-11

This book, "A Crack in the Edge of the World," by Simon Winchester, professes to be about the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. But is it?

The whole thing reads like a series of hesitations, digressions, and backstories, as if it's almost afraid to get to the event itself and talk about it. As more than one other reviewer has pointed out here, it's not until halfway through the book that the earthquake itself is first described, and by that point we've been treated to so many (often interesting, I'll admit) digressions, that we're not even sure anymore if the story of the 1906 quake is even the one most worth telling. I mean, why that one? Why not the 1960s Alaska one? Why not the big Asian tsunami of recent headlines? Why not a more general story of San Francisco? Why not a history of the earth itself?
This book defines anti-linear--is an antonym incarnate for chronological. Another author could probably have pulled it off better, and maybe Winchester could have himself with some more time to work on this, but this just made me jittery that any second the story was going to be yanked out from under me so that I could hear about how the sun affected the creation of the earth's geologic plates several billion years ago.

It reminded me of this guy I knew who used to tell this story about making a machine for automatically roasting and peeling green chile. It was an okay story to hear once, maybe, but the way he told it was worse. Not only did he repeat the story almost every time I saw him, but as soon as he got to "...and they never even paid me," I would think, "Oh thank you Lord, it's over," and then he would start telling me the story's prequel! Or a digression about one of the people who worked on the machine. Or something about the atomic makeup of chile. It was vicious, and it would go on for literally hours sometimes.

Anyway, this book reminded me of that. It was all over the place.

Even just putting these events in chronological order would have helped the story's lucidity immensely, but even then there's way to much peripheral stuff here and way too little focus on describing the event itself and its effects. It's really frustrating at times, and not at all as streamlined as say, the same author's "The Map that Changed the World."

All that said, it's obvious that this is written by a man brimming with excitment for his subject, and I admit there are a handful of topics that obsess me so much in their every detail that if I were to ever attempt to write about them, they might turn out seeming pretty sprawling as well. Also, the book is generally interesting, and I do feel that I have a better understanding now of the event and its contributing geology, as well as a nice supply of related anecdotes.

Three stars for this rambling wunderkammer of a book.

Three stars and a coin.

There's got to be a better book about this subject, though.

Unfocused.......2007-10-10

Simon Winchester's book on the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 is a disappointing study. There is a good deal of discussion of plate tectonics in the first half of the book. His presentation makes this highly technical information understandable to the general lay reader, and will probably seem superficial to specialists in the Earth sciences, but there is a good of repetition and more data than a general history designed for mass consumption requires.

The biggest problem, though, is that he rambles and goes off on all sorts of tangents. Somehow he manages to discuss Neal Armstrong and Albert Einstein, then when he mentions Amarillo, Texas, we get more information than we need or want about this West Texas city. The earthquake and narrative does not really get going until halfway to two-thirds of the way through the book. My gut instinct is that Winchester simply lacked enough material to sustain a book length account of the incident, which is the reason for the unfocused nature of the text. As a published author, I am very surprised that his editors accepted this manuscript and agreed to its publication.

Things I should have read in geology class.......2007-09-24

A considerable amount of time was exhausted by Mr. Winchester in the research, writing and editing of this bestseller. If my geology course in college, which was a very long time ago, had a book of this substance, I may have spent more time reading and preparing for class.

The book does not lead right in to the California earthquake of 1906. You must read a few hundred pages from the creation of the world, the movement of the continents, the history behind the chosen name for San Francisco and other cities, the gold rush days, the segregation of the Chinese, then the climactic earthquake.

The book is more of a history and geology lesson than a book with a plot and characters that are followed from beginning to end. This is the book you want to read for that one up on everyone else when earthquakes are the topic at the dinner party (humor emphasized).

Plate tectonics for idio-dummees(R).......2007-09-02

(Trying not to infringe on any copyrights with the title up there)

Simon Winchester's book is an excellent, concise easy-to-read, summary of many disparate but inter-related topics: the development of San Francisco in the late 19th/early 20th Century; the history of white settlement in California; the birthing of the new science of geology; and, most importantly, the science of plate tectonics and the reasons why, when and where earthquakes occur.

Yes, the geology and earth sciences is not covered at a PhD level. It wouldn't be readable if it were. And the history of California is not examined in sufficient depth (no pun intended), but then the book would have to be 10,000 pages. The book strikes the right balance between breadth and depth, the personal and the historic, the academic and the understandable. If you've read Winchester's excellent "Krakatoa" book -- and if you haven't, what are you waiting for? -- you'll enjoy this similiarly-styled treatment of another geologic event.

Tremors and digressions.......2007-08-29

Many of the reviews here seem upset that the author "rambles", which frequently is code for not compressing a story into easily digestible quanta. If you have any patience at all, you'll enjoy this book. I honestly find Mr. Winchester's "digressions" enjoyable, and find they add color to what could be a dull narrative. The geology of earthquakes, the reaction of a city to a disaster, the technology that had recently been developed to detect earthquakes being put to the test (and found wanting) - these stories, while fascinating, are natural stories. This book manages to make even that insurance claims made after the quake and fire interesting and even a vital part of the story.

Hiking the Big Sur Country: The Ventana Wilderness

Average customer rating:

Big help for Big Sur hikers
Torturously organized, severely out of date
Enough information to be dangerous
Great but needs updating
Many changes to the wilderness...

Hiking the Big Sur Country: The Ventana Wilderness
Jeffrey P. Schaffer
Manufacturer: Wilderness Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur: A Complete Guide to the Trails of Big Sur, Ventana Wilderness, and Silver Peak Wilderness (Hiking and Backpacking)
Big Sur Recreation Map: Ventana Wilderness
Day Hikes Around Big Sur: 80 Great Hikes
The Natural History of Big Sur (California Natural History Guides)

ASIN: 0899970834

Amazon.com

Think of Big Sur and you most likely conjure images of sea-swept cliffs and expansive ocean views, the hideout of Beat poets and dropouts. To the east, however, is a surprisingly bountiful landscape of forests and mountains traversed by hiking trails. These trails follow cool canyon streams or switch back up sun-baked peaks. It's a beautiful region that sees far less use than other more publicized areas. Jeffrey Schaffer's guide to the Big Sur country, complete with trail descriptions and topographic maps, can help you discover this more remote territory of a fabled land.

Book Description

Opportunities abound for hikers and equestrians in Big Sur Country, its adjacent state parks, coastline, and public beaches. Here is the guide to exploring 260 square miles of wilderness. Contains 25 accurate, 2-color topo maps.

Customer Reviews:

Big help for Big Sur hikers.......2007-06-08

I bought this for my son and his wife who live in Colorado and when they come out here always have to take in the Big Sur area. There are few pictures, but if you google Big Sur Bike Rides you will find great photos taken by bikers.

Torturously organized, severely out of date.......2003-11-03

I purchased the recently updated version of Shaffer's book, but having recently hiked in the Big Sur area, I can confirm the book is still riddled with basic mistakes. These mistakes aren't of a rudimenary nature, but significant misstatements of fact, such as where to locate a trailhead, how far each hike is and where to park your vehicle. On several hikes, Schaffer describes a "locked gate" which hikers must traverse... oops, sorry... there is no gate there anymore and no access for hikers. This can be extremely frustrating to plan a morning hike and rely upon this guide, only to be misled and have the hike aborted before it even begins.

In addition, the book is organized in an extremely frustrating manner. Distances are given, but no elevation gains or indication of whether the trek will be easy, moderate or strenuous. This is an inexcusable omission. The only reason to buy this guide is because good hiking books on the Big Sur region are few and far between. I use Schaffer because it's the only guide out there, but it has many serious deficiencies. Know this before you purchase it and don't expect a stellar guide. Also be aware of the errors in trailhead directions and outdated material.

Enough information to be dangerous.......2001-12-31

I just finished a weekend hike in the Ventana wilderness. Granted, I did a lot of stupid things. But I got 18 hours of rain! I was trapped between two rivers that had risen over 6 feet in 24 hours. My down sleeping bag was soaked. Temperatures were dropping into the 40s at night. I thought I was going to die. Did this book give me any hint that there was this kind of danger? No. It makes no mention of radical changes in the environment due to weather. It mentions steady-state danger conditions for other rivers (Carmel, Big Sur and Little Sur. These the are the same ones that the Forest Service mentions, btw. Here it says that they can be impassable in the winter) but nothing about other ones. At least *some* of the narrative is correct.

But for a place as rugged as the Ventana Wilderness, a book without discussion of the dangers is simply inexcusable. If this is our only source, it's no wonder there's such a high number of plaques to a "Loving husband and father" on some of the trails.

Great but needs updating.......2000-08-25

Having made about thirty different trips into the Ventana wilderness over the last several years using this great guide book, I've come to appreciate the authors maps. Regular topographic maps from the USGS do not show many trails in the Ventana or inaccuratly shown. The author has plotted the trails in detail onto USGS topos (shrunk to book size which means you must look closely, but you can still discern every contour clearly). The trail descriptions are as detailed and informative as one can expect for a book this old. Fires, El Nino's and withdrawal of funds for trail maintenance inevitably change the accuracy of Schaeffers descriptions. Nevertheless there are still many useful descriptions and comments. If you are serious about exploring this rugged widerness, the book would be well worth it for its maps alone.

Many changes to the wilderness..........2000-07-29

I first purchased Mr. Shaffer's book back in '94 and have jokingly referred to it as "The Liar's Guide to Hiking the Ventana Wilderness". I found the book fairly accurate for the more popular trails (Carmel River Trail, Pine Ridge Trail, Skinner's Ridge), but somewhat misleading for the lesser-traveled trails. The book is in SEVERE need of updating to correct some of the inaccuracies and mainly, because over 100,000 acres in the heart of Ventana were scorched in the Kirk Complex/Tassajarra fires of 1999. The fires resulted in many of the trails being burnt almost out of existence or severly damaged. Despite its shortcomings, however, the book is worth it for first-timers wishing to hike Ventana.

Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster

Average customer rating:

Modern America as a Place and Myth
Great for Residents of Los Angeles
trademark Mike Davis material
You'll like parts and be bored by others...
Public Gem

Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster
Mike Davis
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Natural Disasters | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles
Planet of Slums
Magical Urbanism: Latinos Reinvent the US Big City
City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles, New Edition
The Reluctant Metropolis: The Politics of Urban Growth in Los Angeles

ASIN: 0375706070
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Amazon.com

The 1990s have not been kind to Los Angeles. As Mike Davis writes, "The destructive February 1992, January 1993, and January 1995 floods ($500 million in damage) were mere brackets around the April 1992 insurrection ($1 billion), the October-November 1993 firestorms ($1 billion) and the January 1994 earthquake ($42 billion)." But, he argues, the increasing fear about nature's reign of terror in Southern California reflected in Hollywood's preoccupation with apocalypse--L.A. has been destroyed on screen by everything from lava (Volcano) to nukes (Miracle Mile) to alien death rays (Independence Day)--is in reality a strong case of denial. Again, Davis himself says it best: "For generations, market-driven urbanization has transgressed environmental common sense. Historic wildfire corridors have been turned into view-lot suburbs, wetland liquefaction zones into marinas, and floodplains into industrial districts and housing tracts. Monolithic public works have been substituted for regional planning and a responsible land ethic. As a result, Southern California has reaped flood, fire, and earthquake tragedies that were as avoidable, as unnatural, as the beating of Rodney King and the ensuing explosion in the streets."

As in City of Quartz, his earlier book about Los Angeles, Davis reveals the deeper ideological narratives behind historical events. Whether he's explaining the motivations behind the persistent refusal of civic leaders to admit that a tornado alley runs down the middle of the region, from Long Beach to Pasadena, or discussing, as one chapter refers to it, "the case for letting Malibu burn," he outlines his arguments with a fascinating amount of detail and a subtle sense of irony. There are wonderful chapters here, such as "Maneaters of the Sierra Madre," a zoology of the wild beasts Angelenos fear, including mountain lions that descend from the hills to eat joggers and small children, swarms of Africanized killer bees making their way across the deserts, and El Chupacabra, the "goat-sucking vampire" that joined L.A.'s roster of faddish icons in 1996.

Although this book is specifically about Los Angeles, its lessons about the relationship between urban developments and natural ecosystems and about the dangerous influence of class politics on environmental safety policy are applicable to any city. Anyone with a serious interest in natural history or urban policy should make a point of reading this book. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

"Graced with a bold political and environmental vision, much splendid phrasemaking and a multitude of facts. . . . A truly eccentric contribution."--The New York Times Book Review

Earthquakes. Wildfires. Floods. Drought. Tornadoes. Snakes in the sea, mountain lions, and a plague of bees. In this controversial tour de force of scholarship, unsparing vision, and inspired writing, Mike Davis, the author of City of Quartz, revisits Los Angeles as a Book of the Apocalypse theme park. By brilliantly juxtaposing L.A.'s fragile natural ecology with its disastrous environmental and social history, he compellingly shows a city deliberately put in harm's way by land developers, builders, and politicians, even as the incalculable toll of inevitable future catas-trophe continues to accumulate.

Counterpointing L.A.'s central role in America's fantasy life--the city has been destroyed no less than 138 times in novels and films since 1909--with its wanton denial of its own real history, Davis creates a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility. Drawing upon a vast array of sources, Ecology of Fear meticulously captures the nation's violent malaise and desperate social unease at the millennial end of "the American century." With savagely entertaining wit and compassionate rage, this book conducts a devastating reconnaissance of our all-too-likely urban future.

"Dizzying. . . . In Mr. Davis's account, the world ends in fire, and the next time is now."--The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

Modern America as a Place and Myth.......2006-11-09

This is a very, very fine book that looks at the archetype of Modern America, Los Angles and Southern California. Looking at the interaction of population growth, individualism (greed!), urban growth without planning, and the nature of the environment, this book shows how we are unwilling to acknowledge the normalcy of earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and wild animal encounters. It is extremely well-written and researched -- and hard to put down! It is social criticism that is "grounded", literally.

Great for Residents of Los Angeles.......2004-12-07

As a resident of Los Angeles I found Ecology of Fear a great and informative read. I understand those who review it and find things to quibble with. Nothing is perfect. But for someone like me, possessed before reading this with a feeling that so many things in LA were just wrong, but not having a good understanding how how and why things got to be so messed up in so many ways, Ecology of Fear is an indispensible book. Perhaps the greatest thing I took away from this book was an abiding sense of the "alternate reality" LA that perhaps exists in some other dimension-- an LA where greenbelts line the rivers, where the foothills are left undeveloped and able to burn seasonally as meant to, and where resources are more equitably distributed.

trademark Mike Davis material.......2004-03-13

Not a sequel to City of Quartz, but a look at current and historical LA from an environmental perspective instead of Quartz's sociological view. Famous for its criticism as much as its content, Ecology Of Fear compiles a staggering amount of information into an informative and compelling story. LA's dynamism is a product of its people, land, water, air, wildlife, history, and future. This is the book that can tell you what life has been and will be like, for those who choose to live in the wilderness of Los Angeles.

You'll like parts and be bored by others..........2004-02-15

"Ecology of Fear" is unfortunately a necessary book in which Mike Davis once again denounces how the United States has managed to create a completely Apartheid-like society, but has done such a good job at it that people hardly perceive that they are living in a divided world (in this book, the divisions most commonly pointed out is the one between natural areas and inhabited areas, but we are also shown how a city is divided between poor and wealthy, and nature's role in this division). Nowhere is this more acute than in Los Angeles, the epitome of social division and exploitation of every natural resource. Davis convincingly shows how the natural world is utterly obliterated, with bogus re-creations made in its place where necessary, as a blind eye is turned to all of the destruction and the special interests of the wealthy are always put before those of the have-nots.

This is the aspect of the book that I found most interesting (more sociological and political), but there are chapters for people with different tastes and interests. For movie buffs or sci-fi novel readers, there are very well-documented sections on the portrayal of disasters in the Los Angeles area (I personally found this part less fascinating, because that is not my area of interest, but to many it may be). For environmentalists the book is a must-read on how NOT to manage an urban area. For local historians, there are some great anecdotes on LA history that I had never seen or read anywhere, and my family has lived in the LA area for decades. The saddest part of the book is discovering just how short-sighted people can be when making policy decisions and that capitalism's solution of allowing the power of money and majority opinion to solve everything does not lead those who possess power and wealth to make the soundest decisions in many, if not most, cases.

And who knew that there are tornadoes in Los Angeles?!

Public Gem.......2003-09-21

Ecology of Fear is a public gem, if just, for its inquiry into fire prevention and policy in two differing socioeconomic enclaves of Los Angeles,Ca affluent Malibu and densely immigrant Pico-Union Westlake District. Why a public gem in this respect?? It is a broadly appealing insight into the intersection of 'fire' policy and human welfare. The fire related inquiries alone perhaps will equally interest busy professionals, students, politicians, et.al with a keen interest in policy awareness, yet left with little time or resources for conquering the wealth of information disseminated by Mike Davis. It is likely that a casual read of this book will land the reader into perhaps a fit of rage, or maybe a touch of shame, and possibly even numbness.
Ecology of Fear will likely capture the reader's attention and generate much deliberation.

The Natural World of the California Indians (California Natural History Guides)

Average customer rating:

AWESOME

The Natural World of the California Indians (California Natural History Guides)
Robert Fleming Heizer , and Albert B. Elasser
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Handbook of the Indians of California (Bulletin (Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology), 78.)
The California Indians: A Source Book, Second Revised and Enlarged edition
The Way We Lived: California Indian Stories, Songs & Reminiscences
Indians of California: The Changing Image
Tribes of California

ASIN: 0520038967

Book Description

This information-packed guide describes patterns of village life, and covers such subjects as Indian tools and artifacts, hunting techniques, and food.

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME.......2004-02-28

THIS A WONDERFUL BOOK FROM A WELL KNOWN AUTHOR ROBERT HEIZER.
THIS BOOK A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON CALIFORNIA NATIVE AMERICANS
AND THERE CULTURE.
GREAT TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION.
A++++

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVE AMERICAN SURVIVAL.

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