Now Los Gatos in Spanish means The Cats. I just would like to say Waaaaasssssssssssuuuuuuppppppp to all my homedoggs. EEEYA I have learned a lot from the grate scool district. It is absolootey the best in the wurld. YA! I go to highschool and I is gettin the beest education that this here town can offer. bi guyz

I moved to Los Gatos in 1996. Before I read this book I had virtually no idea of the town I lived in. Now I understand it very well. It's actually interesting! By the way, this book was obviously created as a labor of love by someone with a genuine interest in their community.

This book displays a wonderfully compiled history of Los Gatos. The photography is beautiful, and just about every fact is historically accurate. A good section of the book is where the buildings are shown today downtown, and then their original use is displayed below the photo. Anywone who lives in Los Gatos or anywone who loves Santa Clara County history will love this book!

This book is a candid, honest, inspiring and fascinating story of one person's journey of self discovery. A synergy of the spiritual and the intellectual; a fascinating read that will move you!

SURFING RABBI: A KABBALISTIC QUEST FOR SOUL Reviewed by Evan M. Stone

"Words that come from the heart enter the heart," said the Sages. Rabbi Nachum Shifren's words will enter the heart of every reader, and if you're a surfing Jew hold on to the rails-tightly. SURFING RABBI: A KABBALISTIC QUEST FOR SOUL takes the brave reader through the white water to contend with the rip current of his Jewish soul. Recounting the highs and lows of his own life, Rabbi Shifren's autobiography shares his personal journey from assimilated Jew to Rabbi. Known as the Surfing Rabbi, Shifren's story is CPR for the soul: "Pure Stoke," to quote John Grissim.

Shifren shared the familiar Southern California middle class upbringing of an assimilated Jew. His parents, hardly religious and heading toward divorce, were not able to relate to the pre-teen Shifren. He ran away shortly before his bar-mitzvah and tells a hilarious story of his kook ride, dropping in on a local Malibu hot shot called, "The Cat." Though he returned in time for his maftir, after high school, he was off to Hawaii for college. While on Oahu, he majored in big wave riding on the North Shore rather than academics. Eventually, Shifren dropped out of college returning to Southern California to pursue his surfing dreams.

The twenty-one year old Shifren landed his dream job as a lifeguard. In top physical shape, he could swim twenty-six miles in the ocean without food. He was comfortable, so he thought. The lifeguard soon discovered rip currents exist in the soul as well as the ocean-a nagging, a yearning, a soft voice asking: "What am I? " The more he listened the stronger the voice grew. His soul searching took him to Israel where he served in the Army, lived on a kibbutz, and fell in love with a German woman whom he married.

While in living in Germany with his wife and two children, Shifren experienced dissonance in his soul as his Jewish neshama demanded attention. A war raged in his heart between his actual life and what his soul yearned for-reclaiming his lost Jewish inheritance. The conflict between his reality Germany and the budding awareness of his Jewish identity engulfed his soul. His marriage painfully disintegrated. Shifren again returned to Southern California, this time to finish his studies and earn a teaching credential. But Shifren learned more than he anticipated after stumbling into the mysterious world of observant Judaism.

The thirty-three year old Shifren met an indefatigable Chasidic black hatter named Rabbi Loschak after Shifren decided on impulse to attend a Chanukah party sponsored by Chabad. Little did Shifren know the candles he kindled that night would indeed burn longer than he expected. Shifren initially reacted to the bearded Chasid with an odd brew of mockery and respect much like any other assimilated Jew would react. Shifren's soul finally found the opportunity it sought. As he nurtured his relationship with Loschak, he chose to let his soul's rip current take him where it may. He became shomer Shabbat and soon realized his calling to study more at a yeshiva in Israel.

Shifren's journey alarmingly highlights the Jewish assimilation problem. He offers hope through his own example of teshuvah. The majority Jews living in the United States gravitate inch-by-inch toward assimilation rationalizing their behavior as they abandon their birthright. The heatbeat of the Jewish soul beats fainter as the modern day Hellenism of America shamelessly sucks each successive generation of Jews into its vortex. The spiritual entropy of the Jewish soul ultimately reduces the assimilated Jew to nothing more than a person with a vague notion of his own Jewishness and few tools to find his way home. Beyond this husk is total annihilation of Jewish identity. Thankfully, a faint heartbeat is still a heartbeat for those who are willing to listen.

The assimilated Jew need only listen to the little voice, constant and nagging, pulling him toward his Judaism. The voice, like a faint alarm clock that will not turn off, asks the Jew to wake up from a comfortable sleep. The sleep of the American Jewish experience though comfortable remains an historical anomaly. Shifren's story is the story of a man who woke up from the sleep of assimilation to reclaim his Judaism. A person can ignore his soul's rip current, but once he begins listening, it grows stronger. As it becomes stronger, one finds himself in an uncomfortable struggle to remain secular and unaware. Indeed, the stronger the rip current, the stronger one must fight to ignore it. The tension between the pull of the unknown and the familiar shore demands resolution. Either one fixes his sights on the shore of familiarity or allows his rip current to carry him into the vast mysteries of OMO. The surfing Rabbi followed his current and delivers the message that we can follow ours.

Rabbi Shifren's autobiography demonstrates that every Jew has the power to return. But one need only look to Abraham, to understand that every assimilated Jew has the spark of Judaism waiting to be stoked into a fire. "Lech Lecha," G-d told Abraham-and he left the comfortable idol worshipping community of his family to a land that G-d showed him. Every assimilated Jew would do well to listen to his spiritual "Lech Lecha."

Rabbi Shifren not only found his Jewish Soul, but he had the courage ride that wave to its conclusion despite the heart wrenching consequences. Rabbi Shifren, a spiritual lifeguard, defibrillates the Jewish neshama jolting the assimilated Jew out of his comatose to re-claim his identity and responsibilities as a Jew. "Words that come from the heart enter the heart." May Rabbi Shifren's words, and ultimately G-d enter yours.

Just a quick note of congratulations to Norm on his book. To consistently marry the challenge of surfing with the challenge of his religion represents a fascinating combination of stoke and faith that I've rarely seen, if ever, in my 35 years of riding waves.

As a founder of both the Surfrider Foundation and the Groundswell Society, I have always felt that surfing has to be something more than self-gratification, or else it becomes an obsessive pasttime that has no worth to anyone. Norm has been able to draw parallels between the world of riding waves with his religion that holds up under the scrutiny of long time surfers as well as Orthodox Jews.

Now that Norm has put it all in a book, his efforts, along with his Surf and Soul Magazine, have actually enriched my perspectives on surfing and what's it is worth.

Glenn Hening

I ordered this quite a long time, and don't understand what took me so long in reviewing it.

As others have said, this book is amazing. The photographs are simply timeless and beautiful. I can't quite describe the vibe that it captures or conveys, but I found myself somewhat saddened by the book. The pictures kind of struck a whole "Dead Poet's Socitey," "Carpe Diem" mood with me. At the same time, they conveyed the beauty of a time in California (or for that matter, the U.S.) that is forever lost and will never be recaptured. A time of innocence and naivete, before everything became so tainted, jaded, and overcrowded.

I don't know, maybe that's just a crock. At any rate, as a surfer of 20 years, this book really touched me. I think it will touch any fellow surfer, or for that matter, ocean lover.

Definitely pick this one up before it goes out of print (as these things so swiftly seem to do).

The faces and images have me so stoked! I have new found repect for the pre-war surfers, they paved the way, building on Duke's foundation.It also gives such a good historical perspective on the pre-war So. Cal. surf scene. It's bittersweet to see that so many of these lives and times were to be selflessly lost in the impending war. It also shows what a utopic place it must have been before the yuppies & developers destroyed so many fabulous spots. Something that magic can never last, it seems.A must for any surfer or red blooded Californian. A delight!

I've had this book for a while, and I'm ordering more for Christmas gifts.

I recently got the wonderful "Riding the Rails," about teens during the depression who hopped freights to go Huck Finning. My father did this and wound up hanging out at "The Big Rock," which wasn't in San Onofre, but in Malibu. But conditions were similar: then, you really could camp out on the beach.

Like an idiot, I let my Dad pass on before asking him the details of those years. Now, the best I can do are secondary sources. But these help me reconstruct a picture of that world of his that ended with World War II.

Around the world, there is a stereotype of Southern California, which is immediately dashed upon visiting Hollywood Boulevard. However, the stereotype isn't so much lie as anachronism.

There really was a world that matched the current anachronism that is still the image of Southern California. Get this book, and you'll understand what I mean.

A model of the Frolic is on display at the Cabrillo Lighthouse, Mendocino, CA. Before you visit the area, read this book. The book covers the entire history of the Frolic, those who built it, the course it took for its short 6 year life -- before sinking off Pt. Cabrillo. Its history includes its involvement with the Opium War, American incursions in China and exciting trade run with opium, Chinese ceramics and silks. A must read if you're interested in international history and the ships that created commerce and connection with the rest of the world.

Oddly enough, our book group chose Voyage of the Frolic and what great fun and an education it has been. I've always dreamed of going on an archeological expedition and here, without the dirt, pan, screens and brushes, I've discovered another layer of the past. What an eclectic history California has.

The Voyage of the Frolic is a readers dream. Bostonian History, Maritime life, Chinese trade, the Coast of California and our indigenous Indians all rolled into one well written and enjoyable read. Thank you Professor Layton for unraveling the past and placing it in a wonderful china bowl for all of us to peruse and get to know.

This book is a must for anyone who loves food. Nine comprehensive chapters covering not only fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, but also meat and poultry, fish and shellfish and dairy and eggs.

The chapter on Nutrition Basics is essential for anyone who wants to come to terms with food and how it relates to good health. Appendicies include a Cooking Glossary (which describes in detail baking, boiling, braising, poaching, pressure cooking, roasting, simmering, steeping, stewing, and on and on ...), Fats and Oils, and Herbs and Spices.

Subsections of each item include topics such as availability, shopping tips, storage, preparations and serving suggestions. Nutritional information boxes are included indicating calories, fat content, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, cholesterol and sodium. Also listed are key vitamins and nutrients.

Fascinating information is also included .. for example, the fruit/vegetable argument about tomatoes is not only settled definitively (botanically a fruit, specifically a berry) but we are also informed that as the result of a tariff dispute, it was officially designated a vegetable in 1893 by the Supreme Court of the United States ... Proving that the court's having their collective head up their robes is nothing new.

If you are serious about learning how to improve your relationship with food (and who isn't?) you've simply got to have this book. I've had mine since 1995 (I got it in conjunction with a subscription to the University of California at Berkeley's Wellness Letter), and I still consult it regularly.

I think that this book, along with Julia Child's "The Way To Cook" would be an excellent foundation for anyone who is serious about health and nutrition.

Everything you need to know, and easy to use. A must for every kitchen. Anyone interested in health and fitness will love this book.

Absolutely excellent! Every food I've ever looked up has been in this book. It includes thorough nutrition information on all foods. Every food listing includes the following sections: varieties, availability, shopping tips, storage, preparation, and serving suggestions. Also nicely illustrated, well organized. Fabulous resource. Can't wait for the 99 edition.

Thank you Sr. Anita for your passionate account of the quantum leaps you made. You paved the way for other Sisters to do just what you were doing in the 1960's, only they didnt have to loose their religious status as you all sacrificed in the name of Integrity and Faith. Thanks for including the beautiful pictures of days gone by of the beautiful violet-blue "Hollywood Nuns", along with present day photos. I pray that your community continues to draw others with your passion and desire to serve our World with Integrity and Purpose.

What an awesome book. As a Catholic, Southern California native I felt very connected to this book. Anita and Susan are beautiful writers with a lovely dry sense of humour. I highly recommend this book to all Catholics.

And thank God that Sister Anita Caspary had the health, energy, and motivation to gift us with this so thoroughly documented story of a scandalous power play in the Church. If the blood of martyrs nurtures the Church, the agony of the IHM Community and the publicity it was given enabled other religious congregations to embrace the reforms they wanted--with a minimum of hierarchical interference. To have this story laid out for those of us who benefited from their via dolorosa is to make sure that our gratitude will will not fade. Joanmarie Smith, CSJ

I would recommend this cookbook to those with some experience - this is not a recipe guide, but rather an inspiration source from a chef with well-grounded tastes. The recipes are easy to follow, are not difficult or overly time consuming in preparation, and show culinary flair and wisdom without being trendy for trend's sake. I would describe the dishes as simple food for gourmets. The book's design and photographs are tasteful.
With this praise in mind, I am disappointed in the book's production - unforgivable oversights such as: three prominent photographs throughout the book of what appears to be plates of crispy fried onion rings... but no mention or recipe. Or the recipe for a Salmon Roulade accompanied by eight very clear how-to photos - the photos show skinless salmon, butterflied and pounded, but the recipe calls for fillets with skin on, and no mention of pounding. An edit for future releases would be welcome. My opinion is this would be a logical cookbook for those who appreciate Jaques Pépin's series of books aimed at the aspiring novice, as well as for more experienced cooks who would like some inspiration for higher-end simple food. I'm keeping this one in my library.

When you visit the Napa wine region you must eat at Mustard's Grill. If that is not possible then you should buy Cindy Pawlcyn and Brigid Callinan's cookbook. The recipes for fantastic grilled food, unique side dishes, and incredible desserts found in this book will make you plan your next vacation to northern California. If you like pork you will love her Mongolian pork chops with chinese mustard sauce. Serve it with her mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage for a winning meal reminiscent of the friendly restaurant nestled among Napa's vineyards. Buy this cookbook and you will immediately understand why it won a James Beard award. And I hear that another cookbook is in the works ...

The book is a masterpiece for a handful of reasons. You will see the book as a labor of love ... 100% attention to ingredients, cooking methods, details of all kinds - no matter how small. I love restaurants that are consistent with their menu and dishes even if they stay around for 20 years, like Mustards Grill. I first dined at Mustards 12 years ago and fell in love with their burgers and soul-satisfying soups. That was also the place where I first tried the calamari with its sumblime taste that continues to haunt me to this day. And now 12 years later, I visited the Napa Valley for the first time and decided to try Mustards again. It is still as magnificent as the night I first walked in. Many of my old favorites are still on the menu ... and now with the new cookbook, I'm able to recreate the wonderful signature dishes at home 3,000 miles away from the actual restaurant. Don't be turned off by the long, long, long lists of ingredients ... the book is not meant for everyday cooking ... it's a restaurant cookbook so I'm saving the book for special occasions - whenever I need the cooking inspiration. Again, the book is a masterpiece - the photos are gorgeous, the recipes are irresistible especially the fact that the book includes just about every signature dish that makes Mustards undeniably famous.

I just returned from touring Baja and experiencing the magnificent gray whale. Serge Dedina spent a significant amount of time researching the content; he succinctly conveys the history of politics and conservation in Baja California in this book. After visiting the same places he lived, and experiencing the people, environment and Gray Whale, I can attest to the fact that Dedina's work is dead-on accurate. Reading this will save you months of research. And, if you are fortunate enough to travel to Baja, I can guarantee you will come away wanting more, and wishing you had done your homework.

(From Planeta Journal) - For the past several years, one of Mexico's most pressing environmental controversies was whether or not the Mexican government and the Mitsubishi Corporation should develop a new salt mining operation within the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, one of the world's four breeding areas for gray whales. A candid text, Saving the Gray Whale provides an engaging capsule history of whale conservation in Mexico and a timely review of environmental politics.

In fact, the timing could not be more opportune for this book. Within a month of publication, the plans for the salt operation were cancelled. For readers who are only now learning about this issue, this book is an excellent resource.

Saving the Gray Whale is a must-read book for whale watchers and readers interested in Mexican environmental issues. The candid tone stems from the author's travels and research in Baja, not to mention dizzying trips to Mexico City, where the labyrinths of political power stray far from efficiency. The author combines analysis from historical reports, planning meetings and from encounters on the road or from a kayak paddled across San Ignacio Lagoon.

This book is a treasury of little-known facts ("Gray whales are not gray") and a straightforward review of environmental politics in Mexico -- at least as far as the government is concerned. The list of players is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental issues! Unfortunately, it does not have the same depth when it reviews how the conservation groups ("Non-Governmental Organizations") operate. Is the "Grupo de los 100" really Mexico's "most influential" environmental group? Likewise, what do The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund do in Mexico? Reports are kept hush and the author doesn't seem to question the lack of transparency.

This book combines a captivating portrait of the whales and the people of southern Baja with a well-documented political analysis of the challenges involved in conservation. Plus, it's a great read.

Korean-American executive protection expert Allen Choice has doubts about his failing romance with Hispanic reporter Linda Maldonaldo while concerned with his weak business. The adrenaline that fueled the beginning of his relationship with Linda (see OVER THE SHOULDER) is gone along with the thrill. The lack of executive protection clients in the Bay area has forced Allen to accept sleazy sleuthing that he knows is way below his skill level, but allows him to eat.

Adding to his depression is his feelings of guilt for not being there when Linda's brother died in a drug-related car crash. To ease his remorse Allen travels to Malibu to be there for his girlfriend. Already feeling like a fish out of water, instead of finding a family mourning a tragedy, Allen walks into a nasty Internet child pornography venture that could leave him as the next accident victim.

Readers who took delight in Allen's first tale will enjoy this story, but will quickly realize that it is not quite on a level with its predecessor. Perhaps it is the change of location, but Allen seems out of place in Malibu because he fits so well in San Francisco. Still readers will appreciate his self-deprecating doubts about himself and Linda, and enjoy his latest investigation just not the first choice.

Harriet Klausner

I'm a literature grad student, and I've had the opportunity to follow Chang's writing for some time now. His first two novels were clearly attempts to delineate the racial dynamics in America (Asian/African American as well as class issues), and with this Allen Choice series he seems to be trying to write about Korean Americans in a similar but almost subterranean way. He is writing about an Americanized Korean American man as a Private Investigator, a man who looks into the grit of American lives (Korean American lives in Over the Shoulder, and now the L.A. Underground and ecstasy scene in Underkill) all the while investigating his own life, both external and internal life. Allen Choice has no ethnic or racial ties--he's afloat and alone. He actually has NO ties (familial or relationship), which on some level echoes Chang's previous novels. The archetype of the PI is the isolated man, and here Allen Choice is isolated on so many levels it's dizzying, because family, race, profession, and now relationships have served to separate him from conventional society. Chang has taken the model of the PI and used this to exploit his other themes of alienation. This takes not only mystery fiction but Asian American fiction to new levels. I highly recommend this series for readers looking for exciting, well-written stories with a bit more substance than the usual genre entertainments.

Wow. I was up all night reading this. I loved Over the Shoulder, and found Underkill to be equally engrossing. Chang does an incredible job of writing literary fiction (his use of language is just gorgeous) that's propelled by a real, page-turner plot. I wish more books combined being this well-written with being this suspenseful.

Choice makes a great reluctant protagonist, and his thoughtful, candid narration is enough to make this book worth reading by itself (even without the raves, car chases, and gun fights!).

I liked the details and the historical background information very much.
What I missed are more color pictures on glossy paper like they are on the cover.

I have been exploring the Anza-Borrego Desert region for 15 years. The Lindsay book is an invaluble resource if you truly want to become intimate with the area. The Lindsay's include a lot of the area history in an interesting, easy reading format. I just ordered the latest edition (I have two previous editions, which are completely dog eared and very well used) to make sure I am up to date. The State Park has a way of changing every few years and some back country trails and roads are no longer accessible. If you have only one book of the Anza-Borrego desert, this is it! The map that comes with it is excellent.

If you only get one book on this area, get this one. I actually have an older copy I bought over ten years ago and it is still well used. It has a very detailed map (of which mine is tattered and well used) and the book is a great accompiament. I often use the book to determine how many miles I had walked or driven in for that day. It also gives you some advice as to camping and rules of the state park and surrounding public lands.

The Lindsays are well known in the area and Diana Lindsay is active in the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association. She and Lowell are known the be two of the foremost authorities of information of that region.