4 comments about Southern California: An Island on the Land.

1. Originally published in 1946, McWilliams describes the socio-historical and economic formations of Southern California from the "bottom up" in a way uncharacteristic for his time period. He unveils the racist, eurocentric, environmentally devastating, materialistic and otherwise ruthless basis for the area's hegemonic culture, economy, and social relations. Moreover, he adds great insight into the incorporation of California into the world capitalist system. He covers the use, abuse, and devastation of various peoples in the area including Native Americans, Californios, Chinese, Japanese, Oklahomans and Mexicans. He also offers insight into the materialism or 'fake' culture which has emerged from the area only to exploit the cultures it has destroyed. The book is a bit long winded at times, but overall is a must read for anyone intersted in the topics I've described. It would be of interest to anyone who appreciates Almaguer's Racial Faultlines, Pitt's The Californios, or even Montejano's Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas.



2. For all residents of Southern California past, present, or potential, there can be no better book about this unmatchable part of the world. Past residents (like myself) will sigh with fond remembrance, current residents will be amused, and potential future residents will be astonished. All will be entertained. The land, the geography, the history, and the weather. They're all discussed. The social outcasts, the wierd misfits, the kooks, the characters, and their schemes and dreams. It's all here, along with so very much more. Written by a longtime resident in a very entertaining style that combines dinner conversation with classroom lecture, this book will be a joy to anyone who has a love for the irreplacable experience of Living In Southern California. You will truly FEEL as though you are there. This book is one for the heart as well as the mind. Oh Los Angeles, how I miss you. Carey McWilliams, thanks for taking me back.



3. ....California historian known to me, with his pithy style, his endlessly fascinating observations, and his anecdotes, rich in history and amusing in detail, which unlike the rivers of my state flow one after the other without any damming. I'm a native of Southern California, and I have yet to find a better book on this territory even though this one was originally penned in the late 40's.

   The colonizers, the boosters, the flamboyant pillars of society who bamboozled, bulldozed, and boutiqued their way into California: they and other characters appear on the McWilliams stage in a fascinating--and at times disturbing--progression in which the land itself, that most neglected of characters, puts in appearances too. For we Southern Californians live in a land of constant paradoxes; to quote the author ("The Land of Upside Down"):

   "To their amazement"--he means tourists--"they discovered that umbrellas were useless against the drenching rains of Southern California but that they made good shade in the summer; that many of the beautifully colored flowers had no scent; that fruit ripened earlier in the northern than in the southern part of the state; that it was hot in the morning and cool at noon...here, in this paradoxical land, rats lived in the trees and squirrels had their homes in the ground." No wonder we're all a bit topsy-turvy out here.

   My one objection: I disagree with the author's description of the early Missions as "concentration camps." That through disease and, later, a mis-education that left the Native converts vulnerable to ranchero exploitation and settler genocide is beyond question; but however misguided their efforts, those early padres had no conscious agenda of wiping out a people. Nevertheless, McWilliams's detailed accounts of Mission life provide a much-needed antidote to the idealization and denial and Eurocentric bias that saturate most Mission histories.

   If you want to know Southern California better, then of course you must stand on her soil and listen to her voices; but you could do much worse for an intro-at-a-distance than this fine book, which fellow natives will find confirming and eye-opening.




4. Carey McWilliams has been called "the single finest nonfiction writer on California--ever." This book, along with *California: The Great Exception* (1949), helped establish that reputation. Drawing on McWilliams's deep insight and remarkable versatility--he moved easily between the worlds of politics, law, literature, and journalism--this book, even after six decades, still captures the spirit and energy of a region that seems to remake itself continuously. *Southern California* has influenced not only journalists and academics, but also artists. One of its chapters, for example, inspired Robert Towne's Oscar-winning original screenplay for *Chinatown* (1974).
   
   Unlike most historians, McWilliams also made history by serving in state government, arguing against the Japanese internment during World War II, and defending the rights of workers, minorities, and the unjustly accused--frequently in high-profile cases such as the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial and the Hollywood 10. In one critical area after another, McWilliams mapped the social and political territory, raised the main issues, distilled the key facts, and proposed the most practical remedies. He's probably the most versatile American public intellectual of the 20th century, and *Southern California* is one of his masterpieces. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Arizona Highways Photography Guide: How & Where to Make Great Pictures (Arizona Highways: Travel Arizona Collection).

1. This book is a must keep for all nature photographers. The books is well organized into basics,types of photography and places for photography with directions to the best photogenic locations in arizona. The portfolio section is amazing and has some of the outstanding photos one has ever seen about american southwest. The articles and photographs by outstanding photographers like Jack Dykinga,David Muench,Gary ladd,Peter ensenberger,Richard maack,Tom vezo,Leroy dejolie etc are both a visual as well as aesthetic feast to all photo enthusiasts. The experiences they have mastered over the years cannot be found anywhere else in one single place. This is a great travel guide too giving good directions to the best locations through out arizona. A jem of a book. Highly recommendable.

5 comments about Photographing the Southwest: Volume 3--Colorado/New Mexico (Photographing the Soutwest).

1. I bought all three books from the series Photographing the Southwest by author Laurent Martres. I'm preparing for 2 weeks trip to USA next year. I found these books very useful. All provide very valuable information about the best time and conditions for all the people having passion for taking fotographs at most famous places all over Southwest. Simply must have.



2. I bought this new book as it came out just in time for my photography journey through the four corners area of Colorado and New Mexico. I've seen some of the same sites before but Martres gave routes I've never known existed or was possible. Hence, I have new photos from angles I've never known I could get.
   
   This book is great and a must-have for photographers in the Southwest area!



3. This book is a fabulous guide to photographing the natural sights in Utah. Martres provided specific information on where to be for the best shots and also gives basic photographic advice. While you read, you need to remember what he says at the beginning of the book: he photographs the southwest in autumn due to the heat and light. So, use common sense when Martres says, "early afternoon is the best time to photograph..." If you are there at other times of the year, you'll need to do a little research about when the best light is available.
   loved the book and will buy more of his work!



4. If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.
   
   I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.
   
   The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.
   
   It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.
   
   All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.
   
   I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.



5. This series belongs in the library of every nature photographer traveling to the Southwest. My one complaint with the first edition was that it was so comprehensive as to be difficult to pick the great from the meerly good sites. The second edition offers a solution to this problem by having a comprehensive table in the back of the book rating every site for natural beauty and photographic value on a scale of 1-5. So with just a quick glance You can identify all the 5 star places and research them. Then all he 4 star sites and research them, and so on. In the same table he gives lots of practical information like road conditions. The color photographs are also a big improvement over the black and white in the first editions. Over all, a tremendous asset to anyone exploring the Southwest.

5 comments about Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure.

1. This book was great! I learned a lot more about baseball and Babe Ruth. In the book you found out that Babe was a really fun loving and caring guy who loved goofing off. The book is about a boy named Joe who is trying to help out his dad with his money debt. With his old saved baseball cards of Babe Ruth they are able to travel back in time to the year 1932. 1932 was the year that the Yankees played the Cubs in the World Series. When Joe and his dad travel back Joe begins to learn so much about the year, depression, and everything that went on then. He found to like the amount of money people paid also. Being pretty poor in our day was like being a millionaire in their time. Well overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was fun to learn everything. I would recommend this to people that enjoy baseball or would like to learn some more about baseball.



2. This book is about a kid named Joe Stoshack who travels back in time to 1932 to see if Babe Ruth called his shot or not. Read this book to find out if he did or not.
   
   This book was great! I really liked the book because I play baseball just like Babe.
   
   If you like baseball you will really like this book too!



3. My son was a reluctant beginning reader until his first grade teacher pulled out a copy of Babe and Me to read to his class. We went out and got it the next day, read it together, and he spent the next summer working his way through it by himself, slowly reading it aloud.
   Since then, he has read this book and the others in the series several times. This novel is multi-layered, with storylines about a boy's relationship with his father (his parents are divorced), all told in the historical context of the Great Depression and during the rise of Hitler. Every time we read this together (and there have been countless times), my son finds something else to discuss. The mystery of the book---did Babe really call the shot?---almost doesn't matter when you consider the book as a whole.
   Overall, I credit this book as jump-starting my son's love of reading and of baseball. I can't recommend this enough for anyone looking for an entertaining and interesting read, and parents will love reading it aloud with younger readers, as well.



4. This was an enjoyable book. It explores one of the most thought of and talked about baseball historical events of all time. George Herman Ruth called his shot to center field on the third inning of the third game in the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. He stuck his left hand in the air and pointed to the center field bleachers and called his shot. I like how the author of this book Dan Gutman challenges the called shot it makes you feel like you are at that game it gives you a perspective the no film footage or pictures could ever give you. Reading this book made me have a stronger perspective of his called shot it shows how you can take a little known opinion and turn it into one of the most exciting cliff hanging books ever and if you've only known about the called shot for a little bit like me I suggest this book to anyone who doesn't know about the called shot or still want to know more about it. Dan Gutman gives a look at what it would be like to be one of George Herman Ruth's friend what it would be like to hold his bat be in his house and be a thought in his mind. I give credit to Dan Gutman for writing this book I enjoyed the first person look at George Ruth's life and the way he played ball. If you liked this book I also suggest the rest of the books in this series including ones that have not yet been published.



5. Book drags a little in beginning, then really picks up some momentum. This is a very good book, not only about the babe, but the way real histoy fact, is mixed with a little fiction - time travel. Fact; Joey's father has just lost his job and is down on his luck. Everyone, including his wife judge him for face value and are not very patient with him. Joey's father is really a 'good guy,' and a great father. Joey's father always seems mad about something. That something the author reveals later in the book is the fact that Joey's father who is a Polish-Catholic, lost most of his family members when the Nazi's invaded Poland. Some 3 Million Polish-Catholics were murdered by the Germans in WWII. While the Germans were bringing terror to the Polish people in Poland, they also murdered 6 Million Jews from Europe. The author is fair to mention the Polish-Catholic suffering, in what is known as The Forgotten Holocaust or the 3 Million Polish-Catolics (Joey's father's family in Lodz, Poland). This is what constantly bothered him. The divorce and not seeing his son enough only made him sadder. In the time travel part, joey's father reads about Hitler coming to power, he desperately tries to tell Roosevelt when they are back in time trying to stop Holocaust by telling Roosevelt, but roosevelt ignored him and did not believe him. Interesting fact is that: joey's father, who is Polish tried to help stop the holocaust, as did real life hero Jan Karski, A Polish courrier, who also told Roosevelt about the Holocaust, but Roosevelt didn't believe Jan Karski either(but in real life!), and did nothing about it.. The time travel does bring father and son and family back together. Did the Babe point or not is secondary to the lessons of humanity, decency and history in this book. The Babe was, like Joey's dad, in the end, a tortured soul but ultimately, a really, really great guy.

4 comments about New York Atlas and Gazetteer (New York State Atlas and Gazetteer).

1. We have come to rely on the Gazetteer series for general navigation when an Internet connection is not available. My husband purchased the New York version for a business trip and found it to provide exactly the information he needed.



2. You really cannot go wrong with the Atlas Gazetteer from Delorme. Especially if you are flying into Jackson, MS and planning to drive around half(literally) the state on all sorts of back roads trying to find streams, creeks, etc.



3. I wanted to get this atlas, especially to help us find places to go camping and hiking.. It's not always easy to find campgrounds or primitive campsites (since they're not always located in clearly identified campgrounds), so having these detailed maps is very useful for that. We recently used the atlas when we camped in the Catskill Mountains region, and I was glad we had these maps to help us out.



4. Already have an Atlas, topo CD set of Northeast, Garmin GPS Vista with topo/street maps. Once I found these Gazetteers, I bought one for every state in New England and New York. Each of the above provide different levels of information and alternative routes and access to various locations, often places with no direct road or trails. The gazatteers provide fast detail access to areas in question over the GPS or atlas and are invaluable to me while in the vehical. Although, the GPS is my lifeline away from the vehical, the gazatteers are large and not weather resistant.

5 comments about Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys.

1. The best (and one of the earliest) book by an Apollo astronaut. Very witty, with candid appraisals of other astronauts. Actually written by the astronaut himself. A must for anyone interested in the Apollo program.



2. I was reading Deke! By Donald K. (Deke) Slayton and Michael Cusset. Deke Slayton was the highly respected chief astronaut and godfather to the astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions; In this book, I noted a positive reference to Michael Collins's book Carrying The Fire so I figured this as a must read.
   Michael Collins takes the reader through the stages of astronaut training and spaceship design and his own flights of Gemini 10 and the pioneering Apollo 11 with self- depreciating humour and irony. He manages to present a great amount of technical detail in an easily understood fashion in an articulate, intelligent, flowery, almost British manner.
   With a forward by Charles Lindbergh himself, this book is nearly 500 pages but seems only half that by the man who stood station 60 miles above Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on that historic first lunar landing.



3. Of all the astronaut bios & autobios this one is the best. Michael Collins' style is natural and funny.



4. My father gave me his copy of CARRYING THE FIRE in 1975 when I was eleven. His recommendations were rare, so I knew the book was special--I was not disappointed. Mike's narrative is beautifully delivered, poignant and funny as hell. This is a personal account that lets the reader enter the world of Apollo from Mike's point of view. The complexities of the Apollo 11 mission (and spaceflight in general) are presented in a flowing, readable style--you won't want to put this book down. Reading it again after all these years, I enjoyed the experience even more. He was a young man on that flight, but his insight, intelligence and humor reveal him to be a deep thinking, passionate, brave human being who helped change the history of mankind forever. As a high school English teacher, I can honestly say that this book is more than a good read, it is a must read for anyone interested in knowing what it was like to fly to the moon on the adventure of a lifetime! FIVE STARS--read it!
   



5. Collins writes a richly detailed and intelligent account, laced with smart-alecky humor, of what it was like to join the astronaut corps, the training and planning that go into a mission, and what it's like to go into space. His description of his anxiety during the period that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon really puts you in the moment and makes you realize that making it back was no foregone conclusion.
   
   It makes me sad to see how this book has become dated. We as a nation gave up on manned space exploration 35 years ago, and the shuttle has been a dead end. While I reading the book, I felt a sense of futility that Collins, who wrote the book in the '70s, could never have anticipated.
   
   Carrying the Fire is an excellent astronaut memoir; maybe one day there'll be a reason for somebody to write some new ones.
   
   Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"

2 comments about Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Planner.

1. This is the first book I bought when I decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. Very informative book. Almost everything you want to know about the trail, preparing to hike the trail, etc... Must have book for newcomers to the AT.



2. This is an interesting planning guide for ATC Thru-Hikers. I don't know that it is a necessity for experienced hikers or outdoorsmen.
   
   There is a section on recommended mail drops that is helpful, but this book recommends that you cross check the information with the current year Thru-hikers companion. I haven't read the thru-hikers companion yet, and I had the feeling that the books may be somewhat redundant.

5 comments about Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast.

1. This book is a must read for all politicians, Louisianians, environmentalists, engineers and concerned citizens. The author does an exceptional job in portraying the life of families inhabiting Louisiana's coastline and the devastating impact the leveeing of the Mississippi river has had not only on the people who earn a living fishing these waters, but the devastation of this ecologically fragile zone. The loss of land to the ocean is staggering! The solutions are simple to implement (let the mississippi overflow its banks) but phenomenally costly. Do read this book and come to Louisiana to see a vanishing world.



2. Sitting in a Plantation-Roker chair, on a wrap- around pourch ten-ft. off the groung below, gentile motion and the incoming sea-breeze's off the Gulf Coast at the edge of Biloxi Beach,Mississippi. Looking across the blue water of the bay so far till it touches the sky, framed in silhouette, the ever moving of fishermen and their shrimp-boats and small skiff-sails, darting back-n-forth. The Ole-House is post-war period 1800's southern design, with quarters in the back yard, and a rear entrance for delivery's. Our Bedroom is just behind me through a screen shuttered door's, with the orignal guillotine window's next to a Bolster- canopy bed. Full private bath to the side claw foot tub and pedistal sink's, window looking to our west onto the courtyard below and limbs extend up from the three-hundred yr. old oak tree...Aug.10,2004;Just-a-memory now!!! Thank's,Sully 08'.



3. I flew through the book in about 2 hours. The author offers no real depth into the causes of the problems related to the sinking eroding bayou country. This is mostly a personal uninteresting account of travels through the area. If you want accurate well researched information related to the Mississippi and it's flood plain and delta, read Rising Tide by John Barry.



4. Last year, I went down to Houma, Louisiana, to help with hurricane relief. Entering bayou country was a US experience like none other I've seen. I came back and read this book. Tidwell's reporting paints a detailed picture of a unique American life fading every day into history. Wetlands the size of Manhattan are disappearing daily. Tidwell vividly explains why that matters as much as the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest or ANWR -- both environmentally and culturally.
   
   The language, food, family life and environment are all captured dead on in this book. Often, it is a depressing read, especially when you remember that this book pre-dates hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There also is very little here about New Orleans, which I appreciated. If you can look past the bright white light of New Orleans, you'll see that Southern Louisiana is so much more than party beads and booze.



5. Yes i was very dissapointed with my purchase with Amazon.com! I ordered my book over two months ago and still have not yet received my order. I needed the book for my summer reading assignment for college. Because I did not recieve it in time to read it, I am not able to pass my college class. I will never again purchase a book i need online.

5 comments about 101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!.

1. Books that encourage one to aspire to see all the world great sites are inspiring, but it not realistic for everyone to see the Taj Mahal and Patagonia.
   
   This book brings adventure closer to home, and is wonderfully flexible and practical. Everyone can and should see a Migration Path, a Fort, a Working Farm, a Street Market and the House Where Their Parents Grew Up.
   
   Besides, who doesn't want to recapture those elementary years?



2. This is a great book for a person of any age provided that they are interested in getting off the couch. This is the second time I have purchased this book but probably not the last. This purchase is for a Christmas gift for a nephew. The last purchase was for a birthday gift for a different nephew. I'm not sure if the recipients love it as much as I do. I wish someone had given me a book like this when I was younger. Two big thumbs up!



3. I bought this book for a 9 year old girl for Christmas. She LOVES it!!! She spent quite a bit of time looking at it and placing the included stickers on the places she wants to go. Then, she and her mother sat together and talked about places to visit. It was a great gift and I highly recommend this book!



4. I bought this book so my 10 year old son and I could look through it for ideas on places to visit. It comes with stickers that you place on the pages - for example "Been There," "No Way," "Top 20," and "Awesome Adventure." We had such a fun time going through the book and remembering things we've done and talking about things we would like to do, for example visit a "Big Cave." The ideas are broad so you can find them in almost any area of the country, like "A Working Farm" or "The Home Your Parents Grew Up In" or a "Marvel of Engineering." I left a pretty poor review of "500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up," but this is exactly the type of book I was hoping to find. There are pages in the back for notes on your travels, and we plan to go back and write in where we visited. Very well done book, BRAVO!!



5. My seven-year-old and I are both pleased with the ideas of things to do in this book. O'Sullivan has selected 101 outstanding ideas of places to go to enrich a child's (or adult's) life. From visiting a lighthouse, to checking out a forest canopy to eating at a quirky restaurant (such as South Carolina's South of the Border restaurant), they are all easy-to-do and worth doing, and they create experiences your child won't forget. The stickers are great fun--my son has already posted what he has accomplished already and is ready-to-go on the next adventure. A++++ book.

5 comments about Places Rated Almanac: The Classic Guide for Finding Your Best Places to Live in America (Places Rated).

1. Even the older editions give you a lot of valuable information.
   I highly recommend it.



2. Savageau has surpassed himself. The new PRA has more criteria, more detail, and more pages. I checked his new data on my city and he's got all the new info in it, which shows his thoroughness. He actually knows more about my city than I do.
   
   I'll be reading this book 'til the next one, which I did with the previous one. Everytime I open it up I find a new category. There's nothing like it! I'm addicted now to demographics.



3. I ordered this book to give me some idea of where I wanted to move to and settled down for retirement. It was very informative with a lot of great information. It gives you a wide range of info from traffic, schools, jobs, housing, cost of living, things to do, etc. This is a very useful resource if you are moving or retiring to another area or state. Excellent research tool!



4. My family is in process of moving, and this book has been a great help in figuring out where is a good place, and where isn't based on what we think is important (crime rates, school systems, etc) and things we don't think are important. Other lists from magazines are loaded with "totals" of what they feel are most important, but that doesn't mean it's relevant or most important to us. With the breakdowns by category of the "best places" and why, it makes it easier to understand, too. And, it's nice to see that where I grew up rates so well, too. The only thing I thought that should be added or different: growing up in the Northeast, within an hours' drive, there are many other rated regions that rated better (or worse) than others. For example, it would have been nice to see that although some areas didn't have a high concentration of universities, that within a 30-mile drive, there actually were a lot, might help people who aren't as familiar with the areas as some that lived there or grew up there.



5. As long as Americans are in love with lists and insecure about keeping up with their neighbors (in some far off state in this case)...books like this will continue to prosper, regardless of whether they actually make sense.
   
   I found the weather section less than helppful as it didn't give any real information (days above 90 degrees snowfall etc) but opted for a 50 page breakdown of "regional weather environments"??
   
   Not taking into concideration that weather can change signifigantly between neighboring cities just a few dozen miles apart.
   
   I wrote them to express my dissatisfaction with this and other aspects and I was told that a new edition will be on shelves next year and that I should just buy the next one and hope for the best.
   
   I donated the book to my local library.