California Wine Country is a most impressive guide.

In 1973, I worked in the wine industry and was given the assignment to visit every winery in California of any size. Since then, I haven't been able to duplicate the feat as the number of new and interesting wineries has expanded rapidly.

This book focuses on the highest quality winemakers in the Golden State, and gives you both an advance view and a sense of what's there before you visit. With this guide, you will vastly increase your enjoyment of touring wineries and vineyards by being able to pick from among the most interesting sites for you.

The photography represents a lot of visits to each area. I doubt if you could capture all of these views, variations in lighting and seasons in less than three years of visits. Even areas I know well I saw differently.

The book places about equal attention to the images of vineyards and the exteriors of wineries, many of which are magnificent structures to behold.

Mr. Leffingwell is not as talented a writer as he is a photographer. But his prose is more than adequate to extend your knowledge of the industry as he explains about the history of each region and winery. For detailed information on wine making, I suggest you supplement this book with other resources. There is a limited discussion of the process except as applied to super premium reds and whites. There is no mention of how sparkling wines are made.

The historical information is a little over focused on religion, Prohibition, the Depression and marketing.

I was pleased to see the extensive discussions of the microclimates in each area. Very nice!

I was disappointed not to find a better description of the wine qualities at each vineyard. Again, I suggest you supplement this book for that with one of the better wine guides.

I hope that Mr. Leffingwell will update this book quite frequently.

As a final test of how good this book is, my wife and I visited several of these areas last year around when the book was published. We used another guide, and had a wonderful time. However, if we had had this guide, I think we would have had a much better time . . . because we appear to have missed half of what we would have wanted to see.

A final word of caution: Contact the wineries directly to verify times for tours and tastings. The information here was different from what we discovered on site in July 2002 in a few cases.

Before you leave this wonderful volume, I suggest you consider where else a preview of what you are going to see adds a great deal to your enjoyment. What about a complimentary appetizer from the chef to whet your palate for what is to come?

Whether you are a claims professional, employer, or an attorney this is one of the industries best! It covers not only pre-1990 and post 1990 case law changes, but also the 1994 California Work Comp Reform. The information covered is detailed yet consice enough to aid even the busiest work comp professional.

If you think this fourth edition was good, you need to check out the SEVENTEENTH Edition of this handy reference which features up-to-date coverage of the state's revised Schedule for Rating Permanent Disabilities. This popular handbook covers clearly and concisely the operation and interpretation of the law and policies of the California Workers' Compensation Program. It contains references to statutory law, regulations, anad selected decisions of the appellate courts and the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Focusing on the major issues, the California Workers' Compensation Handbook SEVENTEENTH Edition, is an ideal resource for employers, insurance professionals, and others who do not regularly litigate workers' comp issues.

I thought this CD was wonderful; great graphics that flow easily with wonderful music throughout. Was easy to use and relaxing too! It's like taking a vacation without having to leave home and I highly recommend this CD.

I purchased this book recently while waiting to board ship to transport my family and I to Channel Islands for a much anticipated first time camping and backpacking vacation. The Islands are located off the coast of California and after 20 years of living within viewing distance of these beautiful islands, we were finally on our way to explore them. This is not a vacation destination complete with hotels and room service. On the contrary, when you visit the islands, you pack everything in and out, including your water and garbage. It is a visit that must be carefully organized and we spent considerable time loading all our gear and stuffing our backpacks to the point of exploding. We each must have been backpacking over 50 lbs, and when I saw this book in the Island Packers office, I knew another 16 ounces was the last thing I needed to carry on my back. But, it was obvious to all of us, that it was a fortunate purchase for it did precisely what it said it would do -answer questions. You can not go to the Channel Islands and not get caught up in it's incredible beauty and history and not want to know everything you can about them. As we camped and hiked, we referred often to it. The book was an easy resource, as it broke down each island and discussed in a question type format essential vital statistics pertinent to each island. It very efficiently focused on specific topics relating to the wildlife, past history, topography, weather, and plant life. The questions were answered in an interesting format which lead easily to furthur researching if needed. As a primer to the islands, I felt it succeeded very well, as it informed the first time visitor how to get to their destinations and the paperwork you need to get there. It was also accompanied by pictures and maps. I enjoyed that the book was not a typical dry travel manual, but turned out to be a nicely coordinated travel, resource and reference book to the Channel Islands. Oh, and it fit quite well in my backpack after all!

Great Read, even though he is my Grandfather

Simply an incredible book. I will never look at California's fourteeners the same way again. The daring ascents, so beautifully mapped and photographed, make for a rock-climber's delight. The lush mountain photography is only one bettered by the incisive and informative route descriptions. Having lived in California for many years, I thought that I knew these peaks well. Not so in the wake of this small gem. I recommend this book for novice and expert alike.

THIS BOOK BRINGS THE CALIFORNIA GOLD COUNTRY RIGHT INTO YOUR LIVING ROOM. THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW HOW GORGEOUS OUR CALIFORNIA REALLY IS. EVERYTIME I OPEN THE BOOK I SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IT IS A CONSTANT REMINDER WHY I ALWAYS RETURN TO THE GOLD COUNTRY ON MY VACATIONS. I HAVE VISITED MANY OF THE PLACES SHOWN IN THE BOOK, AND WAS EVEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE IN ONE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS (UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME) FEATURED IN THIS WONDERFUL WORK OF ART.

This one of the most entertaining books I've read about the region. Mr. Heintz paints a very colorful picture while introducing you to the more interesting facts concerning the areas history.

An excellent value. Beautiful photographs, with concise text on natural history, including geologic formation, human history, ecology, climate, and flora and fauna. A well balanced, informative introduction to the region. I plan on buying more from Wuerthner.