5 comments about Thomas Guide 2006 Los Angeles & Orange Counties: Street Guide (Los Angeles and Orange Counties Street Guide).

1. If you live in the L.A. area or spend significant amounts of time here, you need this book. Sure, you can get free maps from yahoo, mapquest or google, but when you're heading through El Monte and the 10 is blocked up, no website is going to help you find an alternate route.
   
   It's also handy for locating a nearby post office, or most significant landmarks (the major stores at malls are identified by code, even, which helped my wife find a nearby Sears when she needed to make an exchange).
   
   My only complaint is that the included CD-ROM version of the maps is Windows-only. They're considering a Mac version, but it'll likely be a year or two before we see it.



2. I bought this product 99% for the guide as I've used previous versions in the past and have liked very much. As I've just moved to Orange county and found that the area I live in doesn't exist in prior guides (1999) I needed an upgrade. 2005 seems to have it all.
   
   Only problem, I tried installing the software from the CD on 2 of my computers running WinXP and it was a no-go. Ended up installing all these funky .dll's and then the program wouldn't even boot when executed. Bummer as I was excited to have the guide available on my computer.



3. I just spent two weeks in L.A looking for places to live. This street finder quickly found all the addresses I was looking for. And I could easily navigate from one place to another, even when crossing several cities.



4. Since I started driving many years ago, I have always had a Thomas Guide. Even with the advent of GPS technology (a bit too expensive for me now), the Thomas Guide is invaluable. The latest version of the LA-OC guide has all the latest updates, which is very important with all the new construction in the OC. My 2001 guide was getting outdated, so I bought a new one.
   
   One of the greatest features of the current guide is the CD included in the back. I installed it on my laptop, and it saves me time as I travel. When I need to go from one location to another and I don't have Internet access, I simply use the Thomas Guide CD.



5. This guide makes it so much easier, because in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, I would need numerous individual maps, instead of this single book.

2 comments about Downtown Los Angeles: A Walking Guide.

1. This book tells you about things people don't bother to listen to about L.A.. It's a great guide for a suprisingly delightful tour of downtown with extensive and interesting information. It's a definite must have for any interested in Los Angeles or in California.



2. Urban explorers, take note: this book is absolutely great for pointing out all the landmarks, attractions, terrific displays of art, and unique features that comprise downtown LA. And a huge added bonus are the clear directions, locations of restrooms, and an extensive list of restaurants, including prices. I've been downtown many times with friends, and never fail to take this book!

No comments about Los Angeles: Biography of a City.

5 comments about Rio L. A.: Tales from the Los Angeles River.

1. Admittedly, there aren't many books devoted to the LA river so we have to make do with what's available. Unfortunately, if you're looking for an in-depth historical biography, this certainly isn't it. Entertaining, maybe -- a big maybe. The text is so lightweight and airy, I half expected it to drift away. The Blake Gumprecht book is more thoroughly researched and thought out, and a much better choice.



2. That other review must be from a disgruntled author. Patt Morrison's book is filled with historical information about the Los Angeles River, plus wonderful anecdotes and a very readable style--I bought it because I saw it on the LA Times BESTSELLER list for six weeks and decided to see what I was missing. The people who put it on the list by buying it know what's great--I love this book. A book doesn't have to be long like Gumprecht's to be fulfilling. Plus this book has compelling photographs that tell their own incredible story. Hooray for Patt Morrison and Mark Lamonica!



3. I'm a big fan of "urban archaeology" but except for a few cool bridges (if you've ever been to the movies you've seen them) there's not much goin' on these days along the LA river. Its interesting as a story but photographicly its pretty dull, even as an industrial landscape.

   Its like books on Rt. 66. 99% of what made it interesting isn't there anymore.




4. Than this poorly written, haphazard history. The photos aren't even coffee book table quality and are often so cropped as to delete important features that the author may have actually described. This is not for a serious historical reader or for a photo composition review. It fails on all counts.



5. This book is done in a table top format and should be within reach at all times- at least for all Angelinos and natural flowing river advocates. It is not a scholarly treatment and not meant to be, rather, it is an anecdotal effort to bring awareness of the *existence* of the river and bring people up to speed via a quick overview of the history and current affairs of the river. This is accomplished with good text and photos by Patt Morrison (Los Angeles Times columnist, extraordinaire) and Mark Lamonica (a great photographer).
   
   It is ironic that the first Europeans settled and founded Los Angeles *because* of the river, never mind the Indians that were here first and had revered the river for centuries for it's life providing qualities, yet in so many years and due to huge population growth, demands for ever increasing water volume caused people to start looking elsewhere, ie., wells, lake diversions, catch-basins, etc. The river became a nuisance from it's pesky habit of changing it's course through periodic floods and then ran dry for much of the year. Eventually, the river was channeled and turned into a huge concrete drainage ditch- not a pretty site. Access to the river was fenced-off, so it pretty much became ignored. Well, not quite.
   
   Very dedicated people (including Patt Morrison) have been drawing attention to the river and calling for it's revitalization as a river complete with native flora/fauna. "Friends of the L.A. River" is one such group and there are many more. There are significant stretches of the river that have been rehabilitated to a more natural and original condition and many would love to see this happen over the entire 51 mile run it makes from the headwaters in the San Fernando Valley all the way to Long Beach where it meets the Pacific Ocean- and this is doable! The river just needs more attention drawn to it and that is the essence of this book.
   
   If anyone wants a more scientific (hydrology, meterology, etc.), scholarly and historically fact filled book about the river, check out what most people refer to as the definitive science and history of the river: "The Los Angeles River: It's Life, Death, and Possible Rebirth" by Blake Gumprecht (Patt Morrison references it in her book). In combination, these 2 books give a compelling voice of hope to the continuing revitalization and respect for Rio L.A.

3 comments about The Santa Monica Mountains: Range on the Edge.

1. Author Matthew Jaffe and Photographer Tom Gamache have created a Valentine for Angelenos in this beautifully created and produced homage to the Santa Monica mountain range. And while the audience for this book is obviously for those who live in and around the title range in the basin of Los Angeles, the book is so well written and presented that it deserves wide circulation.
   
   Jaffe and Gamache approach the Santa Monica Mountains from three vantages: Mulholland Drive where perilous houses and more than a few mysteries cling to the canyons created by the mountains; Backbone Trail uncovers the natural flow of nature as it is graced by waterfalls and wildlife; and Pacific Coast Highway where the mountains kiss the Pacific Ocean in a love affair that is dotted with mansions and clashes with nature's raw arguments of storms.
   
   Throughout the book Jaffe's dialogue is informative and full of history as well as nearing poetry in his descriptions so well illustrated by the abundant fine photographs by Gamache. The range is captured is every form of foliage and light and some of the images here will remain embedded in the brain as rare glimpses of natural beauty that are too often overlooked by both Los Angeles outsiders and insiders. THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS: RANGE Of MAJESTY FROM THE SEA TO THE CITY is a romantic delight - an aspect of Los Angeles too seldom applauded. Grady Harp, January 07



2. If they were located nearly anywhere else the Santa Monica Mountains would be considered such a small range of mountains that they might not even be given a name. But since these forty six miles of mountains go right through the city of Los Angeles, they certainly have a name.
   
   Now they even have a book about them. And it's very, very informative. Normally we drive right by them, rarely giving them a thought. But here in a story told in a mixture of photography and text is a view of the mountains that show that beauty, wildlife, even the rugged outdoors is there, even when you need only lift your eyes to see the signs of civilization.
   
   You might consider this to be a 'coffee table' book because of its brilliant pictures and quality printing, but it's really more than that. It's a lesson on how an artist can see exactly what we see and make it into something really special. Here are views and places that are not far away, that could well be made a part of a day off.



3. This book will definitely have regional appeal. Nice written history of the area and beautiful photographs. Nice book just in time for the BioBlitz in May.

5 comments about L. A. Bizarro! The Insider's Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles.

1. I've lived in and around L.A. for almost all of my life, and I've never been to a lot of the places in this book, nor do I know many people who have been to more than a couple of these places. Having a lot of relatives in the Midwest, the South, and the Eastern Seaboard, I hear a lot about how we Californians are perceived in other parts of the country, and this little guide can only solidify our reputations of being...well...weird. It's easy to become jaded by the perversity that surrounds us all the time, so to have it stare at me from between the pages of this book is quite a jolt of reality, or unreality, or whatever you want to call it. Just think, the people with the kind of imagination that can dream up and create these landmarks have lived (or are still living) among us normal, decent folk....that kind of scares me!

   Anyway, even if you never plan to visit the City of Angels, this is a fascinating read. The variations of the old "is that a pickle in your pocket" line gets repetitive, but the subject matter and the authors' deliciously twisted points of view counteract that. As far as I can tell, it's pretty well-researched (I especially enjoyed comparing my own experience with the Men's restroom at the Madonna Inn with that of the authors). Be warned, though: this is not suitable reading for the rugrats, and you wouldn't want to leave it lying around the house if your strict, judgemental Baptist grandmother decides to pay you a visit.




2. I bought this book from Amazon and wound up returning it for a credit because it was totally unreadable. The very tiny, bold-faced type is, on most of the pages, set against garish green and pink blotches of color, making it a migraine-inducing read. It's probably not a bad book, but the way it is laid out makes it more of a headache than it's worth.



3. i've got a sister who's lived in LA for more than 6 years. i'm looking for a guide to help heighten her appreciation for the place and help her uncover some yet undiscovered treasures. this book appealed on the surface and many of the reviews were positive. sad to say, upon reading some excerpts, i found the book to be crass, bawdy and distasteful, given the prospective recipient.
   this book is perfect for the cynical, 'porky's revenge' type person on your list. the one who's not put off by bad taste remarks made about every 'recommended' spot. granted, i should have been warned by the title. but i wanted to be educated, enlightened and amused by what i read. not completely turned off. not for the light of heart, or those looking for positive spin on LA.



4. Looking for fun weird stuff to do in Los Angeles... then you gotta get this book. Very interesting... lot's of information. Highly recommended.



5. It was the review of Cole's P.E. Buffet (page 12) that did it. How can you NOT want to dine in a restaurant described as follows: "Once you have gotten used to the stale cigarette effluvium you'll detect a putrid sub-odor; hard to place, but something akin to the scent of the repeatedly pissed-in pants of an elderly man who's recently consumed a large plate of steamed asparagus"? Sadly, I missed the asparagus undertones, as the doggie (I hope!) doo-doo I stepped in on my way into the restaurant masked even the fragrance of my tasty, inexpensive lunch of BBQ lamb shanks. I've now eaten my way through most of the restaurants in LA Bizarro and I've never had a bad meal. Indeed, some of the places Lovett and Maranian mention--Clifton's Cafeteria, for instance--are now among my favorite places to dine on earth! I'm also working my way through the non-culinary attractions and having a helluva time doing so. I was glad to read last year that Chronicle Books plans to publish an enlarged and updated edition of this indispensable vade mecum, for time has ravaged some of the more promising-sounding attractions. For example, Broadway's Orpheum Theater, home to the Marx Brothers among others, has been gloriously restored, but the men's-room glory hole to which the authors envision Groucho resorting for some pre-curtain relief has, tragically, been remodeled out of existence. Still, ten years after it's publication, this is the BEST guide to L.A. I know. In fact, though I own many L.A. guidebooks, I own THREE copies of this one. One stays in the car, another lives in my day-pack, and a third adorns my bathroom, where its bowel-movement-length entries have beguiled many an otherwise unremarkable stool-time. (By the way, Maranian's Pad and its sequel, Pad Parties, are the only decorating and entertaining manuals any LA Bizarro lover will ever need.) Thanks, fellas!

2 comments about Mountain Bike! Los Angeles County: A Wide-Grin Ride Guide (Mountain Bike!).

1. The problem with this book is exemplified by the map on the inside cover: an overview map of the LA county rides. It has the Pacific Ocean on the right (yes, right, not left). I looked at it for a while. Flipped it sideways, but then you have to read names sideways. Weird. Then I went to check out a ride I know well(Bulldog Loop)to see if the description makes sense to me. Again, it took me a while to figure out what the author is talking about, because the ride direction arrows on the map are reversed relative to what is described in the text. "Must be a typo", I said and went to look at another ride I know very well "Sullivan ridge to Sullivan Canyon...". Here things got even more weird. The arrows are reversed again. He really describes a ride up what is commonly known as Westridge Road (properly labeled West Mandeville Fire Rd on their map), but the text refers to the Sullivan Ridge Fire Road "...the Sullivan Ridge Fire Road provides a great warm up for this ride... and "the entrance to the Sullivan ridge Fire Road" which is really ways away on Amalfi. And the funny thing is that his map does have Sullivan Ridge Fire Road, not being part of this ride. Very confusing. I wonder how screwed up the rest of the ride descriptions are.



2. Edgy, humorous, and detailed, this a fabulous book. Another reviewer has noted that the Pacific Ocean was on the right side of the map. The reviewer, though, did not bother to mention that if you turn the map so that the north arrow is pointing up (common sense), the Pacific Ocean magically reassumes it's correct position. This book is the most up to date and thorough book on LA mountain biking available.

5 comments about Los Angeles: People, Places, and the Castle on the Hill.

1. This book offers an outsider's perspective on the city of Los Angeles, and all the things that make "LA" what it has come to represent culturally and geographically to the rest of the country. The interviews provided insight into the fabric of the city and introduced us to a variety of memorable personalities. I enjoyed looking at LA the way a novelist would approach a character in a story --> what makes the city tick?



2. I am a huge fan of Homes' fiction and it's really nice to see her branch out--what I like about this book is that it has some of the same characteristics as her novels and stories, a really unique point of view, and the people she selected to intervew are smart, interesting and end up telling the reader a lot not just
   about LA, but about human behavior and the need to need to be seen/noticed.



3. Don't waste your time and money on this piece of excrement. Ms. Homes HATES L.A. and lets the reader know it all the time. She knows nothing of the history of Chateau Marmont. She also has an ego so huge it wouldn't fit into Arrowhead Pond. No dear, it's not REALLY a pond! The writer refers to herself more than once as an "intellectual from the East." Usually when someone speaks so highly of themselves it's frequently because no one else does. Ms. Homes is like the one irritating girl in class that knows EVERYTHING and lets you know she knows everything all the time. If you want to read a truly splendid book about the Chateau Marmont pick up "Life at the Marmont" and don't waste any time and money on this one. My copy will be on the garbage truck in the morning. If I could have chosen NO STARS I would. A.M. Homes you are a disgrace.



4. but it ain't no great shakes either. OK, Homes doesn't like LA, and for the same reasons many don't. But she's the novelist, and she's the one who got asked to write the book, OK? That's no reason not to like it. What's far more revealing, though, is that Homes apparently had no idea of where to go in this book or how to organize it, so she just kind of jumps all over the place, even going to a first-person interview format in places, which is pretty disjointing to the reader. The other thing is that, upon reading this, you understand that Homes is nearly as neurotic (some would merely say nuts) as a lot of the characters in her books. Her abberations and just plain weirdness are right out there, and, unfortunately, they're nothing to be boastful of.
   She talks about the hotel as if it's a sacred place, when all it is is another exorbitantly overpriced LA hotel that has a tad more charm than some others.
   AM, stick to fiction. And maybe some therapy?



5. A.M. Homes is an otherwise respected fiction novelist, and National Geographic magazine asked her to particpate in a series of non-fiction books, each one being an author's take on a particular city around the world. Ms. Homes requested Los Angeles.
   
   In all fairness, I have not read the other books in the series (there are about 20 or so). But "Los Angeles: People, Places, and the Castle on the Hill" is a thin book (175 pages, in a small format) and is thinly written. It smacks of something written because the author had already accepted an advance and furthermore, was living high on the hog in the lavishly expensive Chateau Marmont hotel, so she had to produce SOMETHING. This is a pretty poor excuse for SOMETHING.
   
   Ms. Homes has relied pretty heavily on the far better book about the Chateau, "Life at the Marmont", although she does not credit that book. (She does manage to...errr...capture numerous stories and quotes directly from it.) Although the Marmont is an interesting hotel, steeped in Hollywood history, A.M. Homes has nothing very interesting to say about it except how utterly comfy she was staying there....imagine how truly dull it would be to read about someone's vacation, and have the entire story be about the Holiday Inn or Ramada that they stayed in. Now just adjust the daily room rate upwards by about 10 times.
   
   Bored and disinterested in LA (making the reader puzzled as to why she chose it as a subject), Ms. Homes narrative wanders and stumbles. At leat a dozen pages are devoted to why the author doesn't like flying...how choosy she is about what hotels she is willing to stay at (she often picks up and leaves if the "ambience" isn't just perfect) and so on. None of this is remotely related to the topic of Los Angeles.
   
   Apparently unwilling to leave the comforts of the secluded Chateau Marmont, most of the book is contained in five genuinely dull first person interviews: one with a Beverly Hills mailman, another with a Beverly Hills mohel (rabbi who performs ritual circumsision), etc. For Ms. Homes, there is apparently no Los Angeles that exists outside of a few very well known zip codes, immediately adjacent to (yes, again) the fabulous Chateau Marmont.
   
   If attempting to be a travelogue or a snapshot of an interesting and unique US city, this book is an embarassing failure. If I were the editor at the National Geographic, I would be pretty ashamed of handing this author cart blanche to laze around the pool, ordering room service and then turning out this kind of drivel.
   
   In conclusion: thin, boring fluff. And how can I get the National Geographic to underwrite my next vacation????

5 comments about Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles.

1. The Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles not only gives helpful advice and tips for people relocating to LA, but is also an invaluable resource for people already native to this wild and crazy city. The Handbook gives wonderful infomation about the different section of LA, the nightlife, places to go just to relax and enjoy nature (yes, LA does have natural resources), and lists the popular annual events of LA. The Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles covers everything from where to move in LA, what to do in LA, and how to accomplish all this and not stick out as tourist looking for movie stars.



2. Wow, this book was helpful. I'd only been to LA a handful of times before making the big move, so needless to say I was totally stressed out about the whole thing. A friend recommended the Newcomer's Handbook and said it would give me all the info I needed to get settled, and she was right! This book had everything--how to get my phone and cable set up, where to buy household items, even what the local radio stations are (very important to know, especially in LA traffic). The best part, though, is that there's a map for each area (which even directionally challenged people like me can figure out), and a detailed description of practically every neighborhood in the whole city, which was really helpful for figuring out where to live and how to get around. And now that I'm here, I still use it. I've discovered some really cool things that I never knew existed, like Silent Movie (the last remaining silent movie theatre in the country). Anyhow, suffice it to say that I can't recommend the book enough. I feel like an LA native now (minus the big hair)!



3. I recently decided to relocate to L.A. from the Midwest, and of the three or four books I bought on the area, this was the one I kept referring back to. The neighborhood descriptions are invaluable, and unlike "Relocating to Los Angeles and Orange County," the book provides helpful tips that are specific to L.A. ("Relocating to..." has a huge section that's generic moving information repeated verbatim in the other books in their series.) The authors of the Newcomer's Handbook tell you what you need to know. They also list a service I didn't see listed anywhere else -- Personalized Relocation Management (...) which helped me find a great place in Santa Monica within 24 hours of landing at LAX. I highly recommend both the book and the service they list. Armed with both of these tools, and a Thomas Guide, you're sure to find what you're looking for with ease.



4. ... come on, you can tell that the reviews are written by the author or the publisher or friends thereof.

   This book is pretty much a hastily put together collection of stuff you can find in the Yellow Pages or boring informational websites. Waste of money.




5. You have to be totally out of this country and dumb to find enything interesting in that book. No street map included. Better read a telephone book, more information and much interesting, and it may be free.

5 comments about Resident Tourist: Los Angeles.

1. This is a truly funny book. After living in LA for 10 years, I found some new and interesting places to visit. I never would have found some of these in a standard travel book.



2. I didn't find this funny. I thought it was superficial, sloppy and dumb. The number of places reviewed seems very slight, and their descriptions are overly long, as if they were trying to pad the book.



3. I bought this book because I am leaving LA in a few months after living here for 4 years, and wanted to get the most out of my time left. I am glad I got it. Not only is it worth much more than the price (it's so cheap used!), but the descriptions are quite entertaining.
   
   I do agree with a previous reviewer who disliked the relative paucity of items / places described; I felt there could be more. And some of the chapters read more like magazine articles than tour guides. I also was a bit offended by the first chapter, "Adult Los Angeles." Why did it have to be in the book? Why did it have to be the first chapter? But the other insights and the enthusiasm of the book are useful and compelling. I've enjoyed both reading the book and visiting the places it recommends (besides those of the first chapter, of course).



4. Perhaps all guide books should be destroyed as soon as they are six months old. I don't know, I just returned to LA after a 16 year absense, and I ordered a bunch of guide books to help me make the best out of this new adventure. This book really doesn't have much to offer.



5. This is a great sampling. I am a hotel concierge and I'm always looking for new/overlooked places to impress the guest who thinks he's done it all. This book has great listings, but doesn't give enough of them. I know things change around here, so keeping up isn't easy. I would like more options per neighborhood.