House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest

Book Description

A feat of historical detection--the most significant, andcertainly the most enthralling, book on American prehistory to appear indecades.The greatest "unsolved mystery" of the American Southwest relates to theAnasazi, the native peoples who by the 11th century converged on ChacoCanyon (now New Mexico) and built a flourishing cultural center thatattracted pilgrims from far and wide, a vital crossroads of the prehistoricworld. The Anasazis' accomplishments--in agriculture, in art, in commerce,in architecture and engineering--were astounding, rivaling those of theMayans in distant Central America. By the 13th century, however, the Anasazi were gone from Chaco. Vanished.What was it--drought? pestilence? war? forced migration? mass murder orsuicide? Craig Childs draws on scholarly research and a lifetime ofadventure and exploration in the American Southwest to pursue the mysteryof their disappearance. Considering many possibilities, he points the wayto a new understanding of how a vibrant civilization collapsed.

Customer Reviews:

Childs has done it with this book..........2007-09-11

It's been a long time since I was thoroughly captivated by a book but House Of Rain has managed to do just that. Craig Childs is arguably one of the finest non-fiction writers today. For those of us who live and breathe the Great Southwest, Child's descriptions will bring back vivid memories of Sleeping Ute mountain in the distance and standing where the Ancients stood at Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Chaco. For those reviewers who felt like they needed maps and an answer, you can get maps at the visitor centers all bound up in glossy little books with equally glossy descriptions of people and places. This is not one of those books - it's so much deeper. This book is not a souvenier, it's a vehicle that takes you to places that a relative few will ever see and even less will understand. Sometimes, there is no final answer - there's just the lingering questions. That's part of what makes it so interesting.

Excellent Read With Interesting Personal Point of Views.......2007-09-06

This is the first book by Craig Childs that I've read. I will say it is an excellent book on the Anasazi. Craig has spent his whole life in the desert Southwest and appears to be quite knowledgeable about his subject. If you are the least bit interested in knowing a bit more about the Anasazi but don't want to read a "dry" scientific book about the subject, this is "the book" for you. Craig has travelled, worked and talked with many southwest Archaeologists who study the Anasazi. His discussions on the Anasazi are not boring and dry and his writing style is superb. I have a passing interest in the subject matter and this is one of the newest books on the subject and based on reviews of his other books, bought this one. I'm glad I did. Craig covers some controversial areas in regards to the Anasazi and where they went. They didn't disappear, their ancestors are still here, spread out over the southwest. He hits on a few quite creditabal possibilities and presents material to support them. I not being an expert on the subject but none the less interested and with some of my own ideas, I think Craig is on to something in regards to some of the reasons for the abandonment of the ancient sites across the entire southwest not just the Four Corners area commonly attributed to the Anasazi. Craig's descriptions of his backcountry travels are excellent and gives the sense that you are there with him which makes it even more enjoyable to read. This one is a keeper which I know I will read over and over again.

House of Rain, A Great Read.......2007-08-16

If you'd like to take a journey into the SW United States looking for the "missing" Anasazi, you should crack open this book, and delve into Craig Child's riveting journey. Child's style of writing puts you there with him, and he's very skilled at creating images that draw you into the adventure.

House of Rain .......2007-07-07

Craig Childs and "House of Rain" took me to places I've been and most importantly, to places I've been unable to experience. As I was reading this descriptive narrative of the Southwest that I love so much, I felt I was walking right beside him...excellent!

Exception read for the non-archeologist interested in the Anasazi.......2007-07-06

I already own several of Craig Childs books which I enjoy reading so that I can vicariously explore the canyons with him. This book is Exceptional. I bought it just last week at the Anasazi Heritage Center near Mesa Verde and Canyons of the Ancients while vacationing there with my wife and granddaughter. Living in Utah, we make yearly trips to the Moab area and southeastern canyons of Utah always hopeing to find a ruin to explore and photograph. This book is great for the non-scientist but those interested in the cultures of the Southwest like me!

Average customer rating:

Great Coffee Table Book
Great book for my overseas guests
Nice Review of Past and Present
flawed but fun Chicago historical pictorial
A look at old Chicago

Chicago Then and Now (Then & Now)
Elizabeth McNulty
Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1571452788

Book Description

The latest installment in the popular Then and Now series showcases the capital of the Heartland and one of the premier cities in the nation and the world: Chicago. Chicago's change and growth over the last century is captured in this photographic history. Modern color photos sit side by side with black and white archival photographs. Every important building, avenue, neighborhood, and point of interest is documented. It covers all of Chicago's landmarks from Navy Pier to the Stockyards and from the Southside all the way up the Magnificent Mile. Take in a game at Wrigley Field, then take it all in from the top of the Sear's Tower. The Water Tower and all the other architectural features that make Chicago great are also included.

Customer Reviews:

Great Coffee Table Book.......2007-04-11

Great pictures on every page of this wonderful book. Only Chicagoans will appreciate it however. The photos are large and grand, and the author has tried hard to recreate the original angle mostly. That's my only complaint. Lovely book.

Great book for my overseas guests.......2004-11-20

I have purchased this book for my departing aupair's for the past several years. While they certainly take pictures themselves they would never have a collection of photographs this large and they also get to see a bit of the history of Chicago. There are a lot of good pictures that will certainly spark many happy memories. For this purpose I would recommend it.

Nice Review of Past and Present.......2003-09-15

I enjoyed this book. Some of the pictures do not compare well because they were taken at different angles or from a different side of the street. Nevertheless, this is a great book. I found lots of stuff to compare. Native Chicagoans, who take an interest in the city, will like it. I purchased it for my brother for Christmas...liked it so much I purchased one for myself.

flawed but fun Chicago historical pictorial.......2003-02-13

I have several of these "then and now" books, and I would say this is the weakest of the bunch. I dearly love Chicago, and some of the old photographs were very interesting, but the book has a few problems. First, the photographic perspectives are rarely in synch, so it is difficult to compare the two pictures directly; either the angle is off to the side, or it's at a different distance. This seems rather to defeat the purpose of a "then and now" theme, which is to facilitate comparison. Secondly, a great many of the buildings and scenes are virtually identical to what they were, so one wonders why they were included. Finally, a map should have been included.

On the positive side, many of Chicago's key spots are targeted, such as the Water Tower, the stockyards and Hull House, and the paragraphs that accompany each picture do convey a lot of interesting information.

If you are interested in Chicago or urban history you will undoubtedly still enjoy this volume, but lower your expectations a bit before the book arrives so you won't be disappointed.

A look at old Chicago.......2002-01-21

An interesting look at Chicago as it appeared in the past, compared to now. More than just a picture book, it also gives some historical perspective for each location. If you're a Chicagoan, this is a must have. There are two problems that keep this from getting a top ranking. First, the focus of a "then and now" book should be to compare and contrast, so we can see how much has changed. There's several locations shown here that haven't really changed, and you wonder why they were included. Also, the "then" and "now" pictures should be shot from roughly the same location, showing the same perspective. That's not always the case here, and you may have to spend some time figuring out how to get things lined up. Still, it's a good way to see how the city used to look, and a rare look at some of the now-missing architectural treasures.

Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition

Average customer rating:

Take the trip!
Route 66
A Class Act!
Tulsa Author Does Good!!
Excellent front to back historical coverage of Rt. 66.

Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition
Michael Wallis
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312281617

Book Description

The bestselling Route 66: The Mother Road sparked an unprecendented revival of the forgotten towns, diners, and motels along Route 66, transforming the road from a distant memory into a vibrant, internationally recognized destination in its own right. In this 75th anniversary edition, filled with colour and b/w photos, Wallis revisits the people and places that make Route 66 what it is.

Customer Reviews:

Take the trip!.......2007-09-22

Everything you would like to know about Route 66. This book and it's author served as the main source of infromation & inspiration for the Disney/Pixar classic animated movie "Cars". A must have for the motoring history buff.

Route 66.......2007-08-09

As we get older we appreciate memories from our youth more and more. I can remember riding in my parents car on trips along Route 66. This book is full of memories and interesting information about this historic road. We plan to take the Lincoln Highway from California to New York and come home on Route 66. We bought this book as our travel guide home and plan to visit many of the places listed in its pages. We also bought The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast for our guide book east. Both books are a must for the adventure we are planning; a cross country trip in our 1941 Oldsmobile street rod.

A Class Act!.......2007-07-19

My Ex & I traveled on 66 in the mid to late 80's. Met a lot of the Roadies, took a ton of 66 Pix(mostly ruins at the time). Went
"from Chicago to L.A." 2 full times & actually MET Michael & Suz when we were in OK. In fact, we are on page 41 of the Original book! We began a trend as, when we stopped at a 66 biz, we had the owners autograph the book! We LOVE Ramona/Angel/Bob Waldmire & are sad at the loss of Jerry Richard, Juan D. Bobby T. & other lost legends. It was a fun time in my life & I have many great memories & Road Stories.

Tulsa Author Does Good!!.......2007-05-17

Michael Wallis is an excellent writer, one to be emulated by any aspiring writer.

Excellent front to back historical coverage of Rt. 66........2007-03-12

This is a great book for just kicking back and taking a virtual ride on Rt. 66. I, myself, have never been down the road as I am an East Coaster and never yet made the western trek to California. However, I always dreamed of doing such in a RV and now I know for sure what road to take.

While I have heard of Rt. 66 before, I (never prior to reading this book) knew much about the road. What got me started on Rt. 66. was the fairly recent Disney movie "Cars" (of which I highly recommend seeing). The movie touched upon what Rt. 66 means to America and it's past and also the effects of the Interstate system and I-40 on Rt. 66.

The author of the book, Michael Wallis, has a cameo in "Cars" as the voice of the police car. So it was quite obvious to me that if Mr. Wallis' knowledge is good enough for Disney...Well, this made my decision very clear on what Rt. 66 book to purchase.

Wallis's knowledge of the road is fantastic and expansive. He takes you from the road's beginnings both literally and historically. You go through each state and further to each town along the route, explaining in detail how the roads beginnings were to how they are today. After reaching California, Wallis then has a dedicated chapter on how a recent movement is presently undergoing to restore Rt. 66. highlighting those business's that remain and new and old attractions to visit.

As other reviews pointed out, this book does create a very vivid image in one's mind that does allow you to virtually go down Rt. 66. It is a great 'primer' for those who want to brush up on thier Rt.66 history and also gives you a good idea of places to visit once you plan a trip on the historic road.

Created in sections by state, you can either choose to go through the book front to back as I have or choose to reach each state in more detail. Everything is here.

The only gripe I would have with the book is that while it is an excellent historical document on Rt. 66, I was hoping that key places would be easier to find and laid out more like a reference book. This way I could easily look up attractions in each state and see how they were and how they are now. I am assuming I would get this wish by buying Russ Olsen's "Route 66: Then and Now" book.

As for traveling, I know I would want a quick reference. If you are traveling Route 66, using this book as a reference will have you fumbling through pages. So this book is best read BEFORE one takes on the trip. For the road trip itself I was recommended "Route 66 Adventure Handbook" by Drew Knowles and also the "EZ66 guide for travlers" by Jerry McClanahan. (I have still yet to read these). From what I gathered by other reviewers these two books supplemented with Wallis's book would give anyone everything they would need to know about Rt. 66.

So bottom line, for overall history and just about everything you need to know about Rt 66. while taking a virtual tour of the road, well, this is it. This is where this book shines. A fantastic book best read from cover to cover.

However for a quick reference to take on an actual Rt. 66 road trip, that is where this book falls short. There are probably better sources for that task.

Overall a great buy for the price and it would make a great addition to anyone's American history library and it would also make a great coffee table book (especially if they made a hardcover edition).

Average customer rating:

great portrait book
Excellent Photographs!
Incredible and thought-provoking
An unmissable classic
Amazing

In The American West
Laura Wilson , and John Rohrbach
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810959283

Book Description

Richard Avedon's In the American West is widely regarded as a landmark project in photographic history and a definitive expression of the power of photographic art. First published by Abrams in 1985 in conjunction with an exhibition at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the book is being reissued to accompany a 20th-anniversary re-showing of the exhibition at the same museum.

Avedon, who died in 2004, was the greatest American photographer of his generation. For In the American West, he traveled throughout five years, meeting and photographing the plain people of the West: ranch workers, roustabouts, bar girls, drifters, and gamblers. The resulting book includes 120 exquisitely printed black-and-white photographs, an essay by Avedon on his working methods and portrait philosophy, a journal of the project by Laura Wilson, and a new foreword by John Rohrbach. The reissuing of this legendary book, out of print for more than a decade, is a major event in the photography world.

Customer Reviews:

great portrait book.......2007-10-03

If you like portraits this book is for you. The images are all the same: white background and a person looking in the camera. Take your time to look at it. Focus on the faces and eyes and you will understand the power behind these images. That is what Avedon was looking for. A book with no wording, but who needs words when an image can say 1000 words?

Excellent Photographs!.......2007-05-13

I recently attended a gallery showing of some of these spectacular photographs at Stanford University. It was a real treat to be able to purchase a book to remind me of the experience. Very moving show.

Incredible and thought-provoking.......2007-03-24

I, like another reviewer, saw this exhibit in the 80's in San Francisco and was awed by it. The images have never left me. Now, as a teacher, I use the images as part of an exercise and educational tool (I have a poster of the exhibit I show to students.) It really helps put other's lives in perspective for my students and opens their eyes to a world of people they might never meet (or will overlook)thereby doing exactly what Avedon set out to do with this work.

An unmissable classic.......2006-06-17

In 1978 glamour photographer Richard Avedon shot some portraits in the MidWest. The Amon Carter Museum in Forth Worth, Texas, asked him to follow up on those, and Avedon set out for the American West to portray what amounts to the reverse side of the American dream. The project ran until 1984. By then, Avedon had photographed 752 people in 17 states; a selection of 123 portraits constituted the eventual exhibition and the collection in this book. The illusion of equality and great opportunities for all, and the Hollywood-slash-John wayne dream of the good old pioneering West - a dream shared by a surprising lot of westerners themselves - are effectively shattered by these haunting portraits of barmaids, drifters, ranch-hands, prisoners, mental patients, Hutterites, coal miners, slaughter house workers, 12 year old girls looking twice their age, (sub) teenage boys handling guns and snakes, oil-rig workers, and many others alongside them. There is hardly a face here that is not marked by toil and hardship, the stark black-and-white detailing every crevice, freckle, rimple, mole and scar. As one commentator noted, the West is often represented by its landscape; here the faces are the landscape of the West, and, one might well suspect, its true landscape. Of course, similar portraits of ordinary people living under harsh conditions could be taken in many places in the world; the portraits in this volume take a significant part of their impact from the fact that they come from that "greatest nation on earth", a land associated with glamour, enterprise, success and outward appearances, that we are used to seeing represented rather differently than we find it here.

Here, the great heroic cowboy dream is reduced to a shiny, oversized rodeo buckle worn by a skinny boy. Yet there is nothing condescending or patronizing about these images, on the contrary. The facial expressions mostly speak of deep earnestness and dogged determination, rarely of sadness, and most of the people we meet in this book exude an extraordinary power and pride despite their often dishevelled looks and sweat- and dirtstained clothes (others, however, have donned their best finery). But there is anger, threat, and undisguised, at times overwhelming machismo too, as well as an occasional subject who seems on the verge of tears, like oil field worker Bubba Morrison. The portraits are painfuly candid, often moving, and always artistically well-considered and visually beautiful. They engender instant curiosity about the stories behind these faces - only a very little of that is satisfied in the Background section at the end of the book; we are given a little more in Laura Wilson's delightful volume "Avedon at work in the American west", which is worthwhile considering in addition to the work itself. The subjects are all portrayed against an anonymous white background; nothing is romanticized, nothing is allowed to divert our attention from the sitter him- or herself. At times, the brutality of life in the spare, rough country where these people live is heart-wrenchingly palpable. Richard Wheatcroft, a handsome young Montana rancher was photographed twice two years apart, and it is harrowing to see the hardening of his features over such a short timespan (his portrait of 17 years later that's in Laura Wilson's book, comes as a downright shock, the 41 year-old looking at least in his mid-fifites, a sad, worn out look in his eyes, his face notched by the many blows life has dealt him). More dark portent comes with the highly arresting shots of skinned steer-heads and slaughtered sheep that appear later in the book. Here, the black and white takes away any sense of shock or revulsion, and lends a melancholy beauty even to these stark subjects.

The book itself is beautifully produced: large size, with a cloth cover protected by a thick, transparant plastic dustwrapper. The matte paper is thick and opaque, preventing show-through. It includes a large fold-out group portrait. (My copy unfortunately has a few pages where surplus ink has splattered onto the photograph, but I assume that is the exception, not the rule). In all, a possession to cherish, and highly recommended.

Amazing.......2006-03-10

One of the most important books in photography history. I strongly recommend this book.

Average customer rating:

Havana: Autobiography of a City
Alfredo Jose Estrada
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1403975094
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

Havana: Autobiography of a City takes readers from the Plaza de Armas, the tree-lined square where Havana was founded by conquistadors in 1519, to the Malecón, the elegant boulevard along the shore where Fidel Castro rode a Russian tank in triumph. Estrada portrays the adventurers and dreamers who left their mark on Havana, including José Martí, martyr for Cuban independence; and Ernest Hemingway, the most American of writers who became an unabashed Habanero. The book is a deeply personal account of a love affair with a city, as well as an entertaining portrait of a place not easily forgotten.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Series of Books
A great book
Beautiful
A Yenne for the past
See for your self

San Francisco Then & Now (Then & Now)
Bill Yenne
Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1571451560

Book Description

The natives call it simply "the City." This is the story of the changing face of San Francisco, and how it has become one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Seventy modern color photographs are compared side-by-side with seventy archival photographs from the 1850s to the 1950s. While focusing on famous vistas and familiar landmarks, it also explores well-known neighborhoods. The Then and Now series includes: New York, Washington, Boston, and San Francisco.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Series of Books.......2007-09-25

These are a great series of books, I own each of my Favorite cities in the US. Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. It is really cool to see old pictures of the cities compared to current pictures.

A great book.......2007-09-09

San Francisco is by far my favorite book of the 3 that i collect in books. I had this book once before but I think I lost it but I was glad I brought it back. This is why I buy most of my stuff from Amazon because you are a speedy service and my deliveries always deliver in short time. This book shows lots of pics of SF like in the 30s and 40s. I read the book a lot. Get this book today.

Beautiful.......2007-07-21

I'm writing a book set during the Earthquake, and being able to compare current buildings with historical ones is a great help to me getting my bearings on the location. This book is simply beautiful.

A Yenne for the past.......2003-12-31

Bill Yenne's photographic essay about the similarities and differences between San Francisco's past and present is one of several "past and present" photographic themes published by Thunder Bay Press involving a number of prominent American cities.

But a pictorial retrospective and current-day snapshot (this book was actually published in 1998) of The City is particularly interesting, not only in light of San Francisco's unique history in the annals of this country, but also in light of how San Franciscans today see themselves in relation to the rest of the country.

I would have liked to have seen included a picture of old Seals Stadium, which adorned the corners of 16th and Bryant Streets in Portrero Hill for so many years as home to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League (and as home to the Giants in 1958 and 1959). But a "now" picture of the Safeway Shopping Center and Old Navy outlet that are on that corner now might have appeared too drab or too forlorn by comparison.

Otherwise, Yenne's color photographs of the present are quite beautiful, but equally impressive are the black-and-white photographs of the past taken by largely unknown photographers. A remarkable amount of detail is preserved in those old grainy-black-and-whites.

Yenne gives us a few briefly-worded captions for the purpose of pointing out some specific similarity or difference between two or more photos in a given set, but as a good human camera should, he wisely refrains from any further comment.

Included in this essay is an "old" view (circa 1935) looking east from the top of Nob Hill between Sacramento and California Streets. The Russ Building, San Francisco's tallest skyscraper (31 stories or about 400 feet high) is visible in this shot, but also clearly visible is the San Francisco Bay, including the suspension cables on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, now in the middle of construction.

When Yenne shoots his contemporary photo from the same angle, the Russ Building is now dwarfed by a number of newer structures, including the 853-foot Transamerica Pyramid and the 779-foot black granite Bank of America headquarters, and the bay is hardly visible at all. Other skyscrapers have joined the collage, and now, incredibly enough, no portion of the Bay Bridge can be seen.

Moreover, in other old pictures facing the same direction, the waterfront is, as Yenne says, "alive with tugs, ferries, and other vessels". But in contemporary photos, "the waterfront (is) now much quieter".

There are still, thank heavens, some fishing boats in Fisherman's Wharf in which commercial fisherman seek their catch with the same dogged patience that the DiMaggio family did almost 100 years ago. Moreover, Alioto's, Fisherman's Grotto, and Tarantino's restaurants adjoin the wharf in both the black-and-white "then" and the color "now" photos. But otherwise, the tugs, ferries and other vessels, sailing toward or away from the various piers have been largely replaced by pleasure craft. Gentrification anyone?

The photos also tell a story of the disappearance of most of the cable car traffic that once traversed the City, and of course, everyone knows that the remaining cable car lines are kept only for the benefit of the tourists. The City's haughtiness towards outsiders doesn't entail an aversion toward tourist dollars, after all.

But no self-respecting chablis-drinking San Franciscan would be caught dead in one of those contraptions today. The late Herb Caen or whoever has since replaced Caen as the dean of Bay Area boorishness would laugh out of town any San Francisco native uncool enough to ride one of those things.

It's hard to imagine San Francisco's "in" crowd today enjoying anything as bourgeois and middle-American as an amusement park either, but Yenne is able to locate some old photos of a Coney Island-like amusement park called Playland-At-The-Beach that once adorned Fulton and Balboa Streets during a less pretentious San Francisco era.

Maybe time, population growth, economic growth, and recovery from two major earthquakes made some change inevitable. But the old and new photographs largely tell a story of a city striving maniacally to grow faster than anyone else, often at the expense of much of the beauty and charm that it once possessed. A city whose denizens claim to be unlike anywhere else ultimately aped New York City and other metropolitan areas in the frenzy of its development and in much of its resulting physical appearance. Does San Francisco's arrogant provincialism mask a latent inferiority complex?

Maybe the most illustrative set of "then and now" photos are the two views looking west from California and Kearney Streets. In 1880, next to Old St. Mary's Cathedral on the north side of the street is a combination apartment complex/restaurant called the California House, and Yenne explains that it was one of the City's favorite eateries, noted for "fresh oysters in every style".

Old St. Mary's still rests on the north side of California Street in Yenne's contemporary color photograph, but upon the site of the California House now rests the 33-story Hartford Insurance Building.

St. Francis wept.

See for your self.......2003-12-21

When visiting S.F., one couldn't help wonder about the history of this "young city". When walking the Embarcadero, reading all the "history stands", you wish you could go back in time and see what it was really like. I did just that, when i bougth this book. It made it possible to visit some of the buildings that still exists and visit places that once was.
If you want to make your visit more interesting, you should buy this book prior to your actually visit.
The photographs is excellent and the accompanying notes helps you to imagine was it was like to live in S.F. then and to realize what it has become.

Book Description

Fly-fish the pristine waters of the Owens River. Step up to the microphone in a California honky-tonk. Surf the biggest waves California has ever seen. Mingle with ducks in an urban oasis. Roller skate through L.A.'s Union Station. See California through the eyes of 27 of the state's finest writers in this delicious travel and adventure anthology. All of the contributors to MY CALIFORNIA donated their work so proceeds of this book can benefit the beleaguered California Arts Council, an agency forced to suspend school writing and arts education programs in 2003. The arts council has earmarked money from MY CALIFORNIA for writing programs for children statewide. Join contributors Pico Iyer, Michael Chabon, Thomas Steinbeck, Dana Gioia, Matt Warshaw, Patt Morrison, T. Jefferson Parker, Edward Humes, Mark Arax, Deanne Stillman, Rubén Martínez, Percival Everett, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Mary Mackey, Gerald Haslam, Aimee Liu, D.J. Waldie, Héctor Tobar, Firoozeh Dumas, devorah major, Carolyn See, Chryss Yost, Anh Do, Derek M. Powazek, Daniel Weintraub, David Kipen, and Veronique de Turenne in a good read for a good deed!!

Customer Reviews:

For the Californian--or sociologist-- in your life........2007-01-04

A neighbor (in Long Beach, California) loaned her copy to us--my husband was born in Long Beach--and we went out and bought copies as Christmas presents for the native Californians in our extended family. It's a book of nostalgia and confirmation for them--"I remember that! Yes, it was just like that!"--and one of sociological interest for anyone who likes people and wants to be invited into the lives and homes of a broad spectrum of the ingredients in our state melting pot.

I'm not sure I'd call all the authors "great writers" but most of them were comfortable with words.

Jessica Shaver Renshaw,
Author, Compelling Interests,
Gianna: Aborted and Lived to Tell About It

Interesting and beautifully wriiten.......2006-10-24

I really liked this book! There are many essays written in it, each one about a different area of California. It's really upbeat and interesting, and the authors are top authors who write beautifully. It's fascinating to read about times and places in California that I didn't know about. All the stories are modern stories, in that they are about growing up in California within the last forty years or so.
This book flows very quickly, and before you know it, you've finished it and wish there were more!

MY CALIFORNIA:JOURNEYS BY GREAT WRITERS.......2005-09-07

This is the book selected by the City of Long Beach,CA for their 'One book read by all' 2006,or something like that.It's a GREAT choice!.

I loved this book (and I normally don't read short stories).......2005-09-01

I loved this book too, as I see others have, and this prompted me to write a review. I have tried to give it as a gift whenever possible and will continue to do so, as I think it is a great idea to benefit CAC. I wish local bookstores would display it more prominently. I grew up in California but this book allowed me a personal look at histories from different corners of the state. Fascinating, well written and truly enjoyable.

A Wonderful Book.......2004-08-24

This is an amazing collection of essays and the point of the book is not just to provide eloquent perspectives on the state. Every cent that the publisher receives in revenue goes directly to the California Arts Council,whose budgets were cut by 97%. When you buy a "used" book none of that money goes to CAC. Please think twice about saving the 40ish cents.
This book is a good read and you will feel very good about your deed!

The History of Cuba (Palgrave Essential Histories)

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Short and Sweet

The History of Cuba (Palgrave Essential Histories)
Clifford L. Staten
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1403962596
Release Date: 2005-08-11

Book Description

Cuba is much more than cigars, classic automobiles, and Castro. This remarkable nation has had a long history of relations with larger political powers that were drawn to the island because of its valuable resources and strategic location. Ties between Cuba and the United States have been strong since the mid-nineteenth century, and the theme of U.S. dominance over the island and its people is a primary historical influence. Cubas history is told in eight chronological chapters, from its earliest days as a Spanish colony, through its wars for independence and the U.S. occupation in the twentieth century to Batista, the Cold War, and the so-called Special Period, when Cuba faced the crisis of the downfall of the Soviet Union. With special emphasis on the twentieth century, the Castro era, and U.S.-Cuban relations, this is the most accessible and current history of Cuba available.

Customer Reviews:

Short and Sweet.......2006-01-05

I walked into this book knowing virtually nothing about Cuba, and this book did an excellent job of providing a short overview of modern Cuba. The history begins with the war for independence from Spain, and proceeds through all of the revolutionary movements, through to Castro's takeover, the Soviet relationship with Cuba, and Castro's changing policies. I found it very enlightening, a quick read, and well worth an afternoon! I would have given it a higher rating if it had more unique information, but it keeps the readers interest, and gives a reasonable overview of the politics and economics of the country.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

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A favorite for all ages.
The Journals of Lewis and Clark
Great Historical/Adventure Literature
Hard to overpraise
Awesome Book

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)
Meriwether Lewis , and William Clark
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395859964

Book Description

In 1803, when the United States purchased Louisiana from France, the great expanse of this new American territory was a blank -- not only on the map but in our knowledge. President Thomas Jefferson keenly understood that the course of the nation's destiny lay westward and that a national "Voyage of Discovery" must be mounted to determine the nature and accessibility of the frontier. He commissioned his young secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead an intelligence-gathering expedition from the Missouri River to the northern Pacific coast and back. From 1804 to 1806, Lewis, accompanied by co-captain William Clark, the Shoshone guide Sacajawea, and thirty-two men, made the first trek across the Louisiana Purchase, mapping the rivers as he went, tracing the principal waterways to the sea, and establishing the American claim to the territories of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. together the captains kept a journal, a richly detailed record of the flora and fauna they sighted, the Indian tribes they encountered, and the awe-inspiring landscape they traversed, from their base camp near present-day St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River. In keeping this record they made an incomparable contribution to the literature of exploration and the writing of natural history. The Journals of Lewis and Clark, writes Bernard DeVoto, was "the first report on the West, on the United States over the hill and beyond the sunset, on the province of the American future. There has never been another so excellent or so influential...It satisfied desire and created desire: the desire of the westering nation."

Customer Reviews:

A favorite for all ages........2007-04-05

Living on the Columbia River most of my living years, Lewis and Clark are very important to me. This book has been and is still my favorite Lewis and Clark book that I ever did own. I am a Lewis and Clark enthusiast. I admire and love history especially anything to do with Lewis and Clark. They are amazing people of the past that any age group would be interested in learning about. They invoked my interest into the love and joy of learning about history.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark.......2007-01-09

This was a gift for Christmas for my husband who became interested in Lewis and Clark when the journals were published in our area paper. He was very pleased with receiving this book.

Great Historical/Adventure Literature.......2004-01-17

This would be, if I could do it, a two-part review. To the source material itself, the journals, I would award five stars out of five--six out of five, even, spelling errors and all, for it's absolutely superb stuff. I have read a fair bit in the adventure and exploration line of literature, but nothing as good as these journals for conveying what it felt like to be on such an expedition. Often, it is the little detail at the end of a day's entry that works the magic; for example, when you read several dozen times about the mosquitoes and gnats being "verry troublesome," or "exceedingly troublesome," it tells you something. As does Lewis's quiet contentment with a bellyful of fresh meat after a long and weary hike. And, as Stephen Ambrose notes in his moving and evocative foreword to this book, the fact that these are on-the-fly journal entries--not memoirs--means that the reader sees the good and the bad choices, the discovery that went on along the way. You will probably recognize at once, for instance, that not all grizzlies will be as easy to kill as the first one the corps encounters, but they don't know that, and you are there to read of their changing opinion of these bears as they meet more and more of them. So the raw material is first rate.
The second part of my review would be for the editing, and I would give that four stars out of five. DeVoto, for all his erudition, does make something of a nuisance of himself from time to time. In the first place, he was clearly writing for the "Manifest Destiny" camp of historians--an outlook now taken with a few grains of salt. Here he is, for example, commenting on the earliest hostile encounter with an Indian tribe, "Indian bluster immediately collapsed and from then on the terrible Tetons were mere beggars. The moral of the episode was that a new breed of white men had come to the Upper Missouri, one that could not be scared or bullied. The moral was flashed along the Indian underground faster than the expedition traveled. It explains why the captains were received with such solicitous respect by the Arikaras," etc (p.34). So there's a bit of that sort of thing to put up with. Also, for reasons I cannot fathom, DeVoto inserts bridging passages, paraphrases, in certain spots rather than using actual journal entries. One of these is the death and burial of the expedition's one fatality. How did the captains and the other men react to this? I would have liked to know that. There's another such paraphrase covering Sacagawea's incredible meeting with her long-lost brother. What did Lewis and Clark think of that amazing coincidence? We're not told by this book.
All in all, however, this is a magnificent read, and my quibbles above don't detract materially from its enjoyment. If I have one suggestion for anyone looking to read this, however, it would be to view Ken Burns's extraordinary PBS documentary on the expedition first; your library should have it.

Hard to overpraise.......2003-12-16

The powerful experience of reading this book leads me to search my memory for comparisons. This was an Event in my literary life, but comparable to what, whom? Canetti's "Crowds and Power," Eliot's "Middlemarch," Shakespeare's plays? All quite different. Least Heat Moon's "Blue Highways?" Unfair to that book to compare. No, this was a singular experience, unlikely to be repeated in its, or any other, genre. I want to say it was the most moving and exhilarating tome by any NON-professional writers in memory.

Through the diurnal accounts are discerned a spectacular natural panorama, an early American mind-set, an anthropology of native North Americans, and--as unexpected as they were inadvertent--self-portraits of two temperate, honest and altogether winning protagonists. Their spelling is atrocious (though we are happy the editor left it uncorrected), but as these were, after all, early 19th century gentlemen, they are characteristically eloquent, in the best sense of that word.

All the praise for these Journals is deserved. One needn't be a particular student of history to appreciate them--they are rewarding on many, many levels.

Awesome Book.......2003-09-25

You have to read this book to consider yourself an American Citizen. This is a great book about a great time. It takes out all of the boring facts and figures and tells you the story of the greatest expedition of all time.

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2007 Saint Paul Almanac
Kimberly Nightingale
Manufacturer: Arcata Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0977265102

Book Description

They say that Minneapolis is the girl you take out if you want to have a good time, and Saint Paul is the girl you take home to meet the family. They say that Saint Paul is a working yet sleepy city, laid out in streets that confuse because they have names instead of numbers. Some think the nightlife has all but ended since the '30s when Dillinger and Ma Barker made the city their home. There are many myths about Saint Paul. Some are undeserved, and some are worth holding on to. "Like its river, Saint Paul has a strong current that pulls you in."
Whether you are a native or a newcomer, the Saint Paul Almanac has something for you. Here you will find stories, vignettes, poems, listings, resources and more about the uncommon features, hangouts, secrets, mysteries, and obvious beauties that make Saint Paul what it is.

Contributors include Mary Gardner, Moira Harris, Debbie Mongomery, Gordon Parks, Meridel LeSueur, and many more.

"Kimberly Nightingale has compiled an arresting, highly informative, and picturesque excursion of the City of Saint Paul. It is very close to a work of art. To boot, this is a useful guide, citing key places, events, and historic sites, reflecting a seamless contour of the city — enveloping its beauty, much of it, in the poetic, descriptive language of its contributors." — Mahmoud El-Kati, lecturer, educator, writer, and historian

"I love the almanac . . . it tells the city's story week by week and month by month. It is a valuable reference for anyone trying to keep track of Saint Paul's bustling agenda, with plenty of opportunities to pause and reflect on our lives." — Joe Kimball, Star Tribune, Saint Paul columnist

"This much-needed almanac skillfully encapsulates the mosaic and melting pot that is Saint Paul. While it tells me what to look for in the coming year, it also elicits fond memories of people and places from past times in our great city. I wish the Saint Paul Almanac a long and successful life. Please buy it and use it." — David Unowsky, proprietor of Ruminator Books (formerly the Hungry Mind)

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