Some of the worst cynics in the world are travel writers, people who have been everywhere, done everything...and like absolutely nothing any more. So it was quite refreshing to come upon Tom Wilmer's "California Coast Getaways," composed with what seems like genuine wide-eyed curiosity about, and sincere appreciation for 32 classic inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and dude ranches sprinkled from Santa Cruz County down to the Ojai Valley (what's often called California's "Middle Kingdom"). Wilmer offers first-person field reports that not only provide basic info, but introduce readers to the owners of his favorite old hotels and suggest some low-impact adventures--from kayaking to gliding--to keep vacationers occupied between sumptuous repasts and poachings in the hot tub. Historical anecdotes keep the narrative rolling. Did you know, for instance, that Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle built the Montecito Inn at Montecito? Or that Czar Nicholas II's last vice-counsel to the United States once owned a cabin on the Santa Cruz site of today's Babbling Brook Inn? I look forward to seeing (in some future book) Wilmer's take on the resorts/inns along the rest of California's long coastline. His book is a friendly, fascinating, sometimes funny traveling companion

An interesting and comprehensive survey of Ray's work throughout the 70's, 80's, and into the 90's. The interview with the artist is funny and informative and the reproductions of his work here are beautiful.

As the Coroner Investigator in this case, I found the work of Mr. Chen pretty thorough with a few minor exceptions. It points out the flaws in a system where entities that have specific mutual interest in a particular case don't always communicate well and don't listen to their "gut" feelings about a case. The book underplays the role of the California Department of Insurance Fraud Bureau and the hard work of the Assistant District Attorney, Al MacKenzie. It shows how vulnerable an overburdened system is to abuse and fraud. But for the checks and balances of the public and private sector, this crime would not only have been unsolved, but would never have been discovered in the first place. By the way, since the book was written, all three suspects in the murder for insurance money have been captured, tried and convicted. Two of them received life without parole, while the third received 25 to life. All are currently serving their sentences in prison.

If you are looking to research the history of the City of Watts, this is the book you have been looking for. To my knowledge, it's the only book on the history of Watts. It's relatively difficult to find a copy. They only show up once in a great while here, but it's worth the effort.

This book covers the approximately 20 year history of Watts. Originally incorporated as a "sixth class city" Watts had it's own unique culture and society. This book very briefly covers some of this history.

This book features excerpts from interviews with original Watts residents and their children. The book is approximately 90 pages long, and it has some great black and white photos of the town and countryside, way back before it was built up as the area is today.

I had one disappointment. There were no photos of actual Watts City employees (police, fire, mayor, city council, etc.) however there were lots of great photos of the residents (including a pretty diversified mix of people).

Overall the book was well worth the money I spent on it and I am glad that I purchased it.

If you are further researching this topic, you can also try the LA Public Library. They have a branch at 103rd Street (old Watts "Main Street") and Compton Avenues in Los Angeles. They have a number of related reference materials there.

Though she has a tendency to drag because she sometimes goes into unnecessary detail, this one had enough happening and interesting and sympathetic enough characters that you couldn't help but get pulled in.

"Color and Fire" is based on the collection of the exhibition at the Los Angeles in 2000. This book collected the wonderful picture of the unique clay objects that created after 1950. It introduces the development of the American ceramic from 1950 to 2000. Every one who involving in the ceramic should have the book on hand for reference. It is a good book for People who want to know the history of the modern American Ceramic.

Film director Gunnar Svan has made many enemies in his lifetime. Even his spouse, magazine owner Ai-Ling Cooper-Svan, who calls him "Top Gun", is irate with him. It is bad enough that he has affairs with half the Hollywood starlets, but the Chinese-American woman is livid because her accountants confirmed that Gunnar embezzled, cheated and conned money out of her. Other people were also taken for a ride. So it is not surprising to anyone who knows Gunnar that he is murdered. Los Angeles homicide Lieutenant Columbo, along with other police officers and forensic experts, is at the murder scene where the corpse of the film director lies. Everyone, except for Columbo, is in agreement that this is an obvious case of a robbery gone bad. The detective starts questioning his list of suspects, hoping to trap the killer in a paradoxical lie. If Columbo fails to uncover the truth, this case will go down as an unsolved robbery-murder. William Harrington is a very good mystery writer, who in his fifth Columbo novel successfully sticks to the Columbo script of telling who the killer is early in the book and allowing Columbo to match wits with the murderer. COLUMBO: THE GLITTER MURDER is an interesting tale, but like the previous four Columbo novels, the book lacks Peter Falk who is Columbo. Though the novel is well written and enjoyable, this reviewer suggests you watch the TV re-runs if you want the true flavor of Columbo. Harriet Klausner

Clark Davis's book is a fine and cogent analysis of the rise to prominence of white collar work and life, - most especially in Los Angeles in first third or so of the twentieth century. However it is more than that. The story of the "company men" is also the story of the rise to commercial prominence of Los Angeles as the emerging power of the pacific coast and the Southwest of the nation. The story is, i think, accurately and well told with much to engage the non - specialist reader. The early organisation of commercial air travel in the United States is particularly interesting in this regard.

Although, not a definite work about the great film music composers of the Golden Age (those are few and far between anyway) this one does have it's charms, particularly when the author is writing about one of his favorite artists. But the obvious disdain Palmer seems to have for Max Steiner, or that the great Victor Young is barely mentioned, prevents this book from being as useful as it could have been. Still, if you simply love the movies of the 30's and 40's then you will likely enjoy this. The point of view of the author is closely tied with how the music works in the picture, and the films that are usually mentioned as examples are those that many if not most film buffs will have seen.

Incunabula. Would you worship a goddess so named? Sara Gonzales, book restorer at the Getty Museum, has devoted her life to incunabula, a term referring to books created before the common use of the printing press. She has sacrificed love and marriage to pursue her career and has come to question this decision. Now, just as she learns that the man she has loved since her teen years, an astronaut-hopeful named Karl, has finally grown tired of their on-again-off-again romance and plans to marry someone else, she discovers a strange and compelling book.

Although it is believed to have been written by Padre Miguel Santiago de Pasamonte, a mad monk notorious for his sensual adventures and salacious novels, Sara comes to believe this book is not a novel at all; rather a memoir by the main character, an Aztec woman brought back to Europe by the explorer Cortes to amuse the Pope. The Aztec woman is known as Helen in Europe and she cuts a swashbuckling figure as she perfects her mystical juggling and bisexual seductive arts, all the while consumed with her thirst for revenge against Charles V, the ruler responsible for the destruction of her people.

The Conquest bounces between these two stories: Sara tries to decide what she really wants from her career and lost love, while Helen plays very modern games with gender and identity in order to pursue her agenda. Both women realize that the path to the objects of their desire can warp what they think they want, but the two stories haven't much else in common.

Karl is the weakest character in the book; the reader might wonder why Sara invests so much in a bland, fairly ordinary man with whom she has so little in common. Well, there's the sex, of course. The great strength of The Conquest is its sensuality. Whether Ms. Murray is describing the fine Japanese paper and Moroccan leather Sara uses in book restoration or the luxurious, decadent meals Helen discovers in the richest courts in Italy, she is contagious in her enjoyment of every gleam, every drop, every stroke. The characters often report that they are practically unconscious from pleasure, addled and woozy from their various indulgences. Their very hunger is seductive and the reader will have no trouble giving in and going along.

--- Reviewed by Colleen