Aha! So there IS a portion of California, beyond San Francisco and the wine country worthy of a visitor's exploration. Ms. Weisbrod writes of her discoveries in an entertaining fashion. She interweaves history's passages with the rugged and winding terrain of today, storytelling at it's best. Which way to go? What to see? Where to stop? Where to stay? Whether you carry along "Scenic Byways of Northern California" as a guide to your next adventure, or savor the read from the cozy cushions of your armchair, you will enjoy owning it--and giving it as a gift!

Marie Weisbrod shares from her experiences traveling the history-rich northwest corner of California, visited by few modern Californians. This is an excellent guide for those interested in exploring quiet backroads, away from vacationing crowds.

Ms. Weisbrod has written a wonderful travel book that belongs in every vagabond's library. She has traveled extensively in the Siskiyou-Cascade region, which serves to make the area spring to life through her personal observations and lively retelling of historical events. I can't wait to see more from this gifted author.

I got this book almost by accident..I live in NYC and am pretty well aquainted with these shores but when a buddy sent me this book along with a invitation to spend ten days sea-kayaking along the Pacific I could not resist. I read the book from cover to cover before I left. I was impressed with how detailed it is and delighted that the author chose to share some of her discoveries with us. I would certainly reccomend this guide to kayakers like myself who want to venture into new, expertly charted waters.

Whether your kayaking is mostly of the armchair variety or whether you're heading out to sea right now, this book will be a great resource. It's chock full of details about trips in and around northern California, easy to read and up to the minute. Descriptions are enticing, with suggested launch, picnic, and camp sites given amid observations on wildlife and scenery. Trips run the gamut between pleasant paddles for the novice and huffing-puffing challenges for experienced sea kayackers. The book looks easy to use and is clearly laid out for quick checks on a particular cove or waterway as well as for browsing through the counties you have on your list for your next adventure.

A comprehensive guide - finally - has arrived for Northern California Sea Kayaking! I took this book out with me over the holidays, and discovered several nearby paddles. I really liked the skill levels and the elements described on each trip - made trip planning alot easier and the paddles so much more enjoyable! Plus the sections on Getting Ready were very instructive, and a wonderful section in the back about the kayaking community. Well written, good drive maps, and an essential guide for Northern Cal sea kayakers.

Dave Strohmaier masterfully paints us a portrait of wildfire in the West, drawing from a palette of sensitivity to the earth, gritty practical experience, humor, and skilled writing craft. He calls attention to the beauty of many elements of nature we take for granted, its paradoxes, and draws complex associations between these and wildfire. This book is not a primer on how wildfires are fought. It is a loving and thorough philosophical exploration of the meaning of fire, nature, and humanity.

Seasons of Fire by David J. Strohmaier is a superbly written, artistic, and thought-provoking novel on humankind's relationship to fire. Like the author, I too have "engaged" the fires of summer,which stirred deep, ontological questions about human evolution's debt to fire. The author expresses such ideas in a free-flowing narrative that bursts with imagery. Deep yet accesible (I will admit to using the dictionary at least once every 50 pages, but I admire an author who can skillfully use words that I should know, but don't).

To ape the vernacular of Hollywood producers, "it's like Edward Abbey meets Garrison Keillor!" David J. Strohmaier provides beatific explorations of philosophical questions with a smooth, down-home panache. I have never had the pleasure of attacking a fire with gunny sacks, but the author makes me wish I had:

"There is pleasure in completing little tasks--sweating your way up a hill to the flank of a fire under the sun and open sky of mid-July, then, in the company of several others, swatting out flames until either you smother all movement, or cool, moist night air tucks the fire in for the evening. This genuine satisfaction does not abdicate you from the responsibility of asking why you are doing what you are doing, and why it is meaningful. And of all the seasons of the year, summer, the summer of fire, is when these questions are cured."

Descriptions of a bygone Halloween when the author dressed as Satan himself, dancing around a fire, made me laugh out loud. A truly provocative and enjoyable book. I look forward to his next work.

Strohmaier captures the essense of what calls people from all walks of life to a world of flames and wild places.
As a veteran wildland firefighter for over 24 years,
it was a joy to read about the spirit that exist within every wildland firefighter. If you want to understand the
essentials of what motivates wildland firefighters, read this book.

I visit Seattle enough that I needed to know where I could get decent food at a decent price - this really fits the bill. Some of these places have nondescript exteriors, and so you would expect run-of-the-mill eats - but I tried four suggestions and found them all to be places with good food, fast food, and reasonably priced. Easily saved enough in two days to pay for the book.

My wife and I always kept the first edition of this wonderful restaurant guide in the car, and we are just as happy with this newer addition.

Although I grew up in Seattle, we've lived about 45 minutes out of town for over 20 years, and it's hard to keep up with the restaruant scene when we return "home" sporadically. We're the kind of people who prefer to avoid fast food joints and chains, and being school teachers, we're always looking for a good deal. On top of that, we're always open for something off the beaten path. This guide has never failed to tip us off to a satisfying dining experience.

We recently attended a performance in West Seattle, and checked out "Cheap Eats" for some family-friendly restaurants in that area, since we had three kids along with us. We had it narrowed down to three possibilities, but the kids decided on a delightful Italian restaurant. Good food, good price, and great atmosphere for all of us.

Fortunately, many of our favorites from the first edtion survived in the new book. One of them is The Sunlight Cafe in the Roosevelt area, where we can always count on a tasteful vegetarian meal.

This guide has two helpful indexes in the back, one for the type of cuisine--whether it be Japanese, Thai, or Italian--and the other for listings by Seattle neighborhoods. The main body of the book has the restaurant reviews listed alphabetically. The reviews do a helpful job of describing the menu, what's good and what's not, the atmosphere, hours, whether or not credit cards and checks are accepted, and if live music is available.

If you're in Seattle, get this one and keep it in the car!

This book is very comprehensive as far as cheap Seattle eats. I have yet to discover a restaurant in the book that is below average. Bon appetite!

This book has a great selection of climbs from glaciered peaks like Mt Rainier to remote rock climbs in the North Cascades. The pictures of the routes and the graphics of the rock pitches are excellent. The histories of each climb add to the total enjoyment of doing a route. It is a pleasure to read and a real asset for the climber.

This book includes a great selection of climbs in the Cascade Mountains. From classic routes up Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker to more obscure climbs in North Cascade National Park, it has it all. The descriptions are clear and contain all of the pertinent information to get you to the top! The pictures of the routes and the graphics of the rock pitches are extremely useful. The history behind each climb also adds to the overall enjoyment of the climbing experience. It is a good resource for the beginning climber as well as the advanced. Read it and hit the hills!

This guide thoroughly describes several climbs in the cascades of Washington, ranging from simple walk-ups to technical rock climbs. It gives detailed information on the best climbs. I have used it extensively on numerous climbs and find it informative, current, easy to read, and very helpful. The maps and pictures with routes are especially helpful. Almost every major climb in the North Cascades is covered and the history section preceding the description of each climb is very interesting. This is a great book and a must for any mountaineer in Washington, whether they be a beginner or a seasoned climber.

This books title sums up the story inside. Every Marine's story in this book carries a similar thread. They were scared as hell in combat but never regretted joining the core. Mr. Berry, (a WWII Marine himself, which is probaly the reason they opened up so much to him) brings a personnal story from every Marine battle during the war. The confusion and deprivation of Guadalcanal, the bloodbath of Tarawa, the Japanese suicidal frenzy of Saipan, the slaughter of Peleliu and Iwo Jima up to the conclusion at Okinawa. it is all here death, disease, and destruction. All first hand accounts told by tough Marines. It is amazing any of them survived, yet 75 of them share there memories here in short personnal histories. The only problem with the book is the length, but many did not survive to particiapte. But they are remembered here.

I really liked it's snapshot format of battles all across the Pacific. I even found out that the Confederate flag was used by several Marine units instead of Ol Glory; as a Southerner that made me even happier.

Henry Berry's 'Semper Fi, Mac" is an oral history of the Marine Corps in the Pacific in World War II. Berry interviewed about 75 Marines who had fought in some of the toughest battles and places in the Pacific. There is a rough chronological order to the interviews but most of the stories start on or about Dec. 7, 1941. The stories most of the men tell start with either this date or shortly before, coupled with with some background material, their training, the trip to the Pacific, and then their personal experiences in combat. There is misery and death, heroism and tragedy, but overall a sense of comradeship comes from every story. Berry sprinkles his work with humorous tidbits of Marine history and stories about famous Marines, such as Chesty Puller, the only Marine to win five Navy Crosses. Also there are sections on Marine lingo and a brief historical synopsis of the Marines' Pacific battles. Berry himself was in the Marines near the end of the war and gives a proper perspective of all events and personalities. But this book is about the men who fought and died on such places as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Its their book, their story, their history, and it should never be forgotten.

San Francisco is a very "livable" city, especially without a car to worry or pay for. "Short Bike Rides..." suggests two dozen fun routes in and around the city that allow you to make the most of living here without a car. From the fastest way to get across town, to a wonderful rides in Marin and the East Bay I have ridden nearly all of these rides, and enjoyed them immensely. Not only are the directions and maps clear, but Kingman's comments are often very entertaining. There is also a handy supplement in the back listing public transportation contacts for taking your bike on BART, CalTrain etc.. Absolutely essential for any SF cyclist - commuter, weekend warrior, out of towner, tourist entertainer. And for less than $10 I have used this book 10x as much as any of the other rides books I have.

One note: I would assume Kingman is one hell of climber, since he does tend to downplay the physical effort required to climb the "hilly terrain" of some the rides.

This is my favorite bike rides book. It's an excellent read and lets you see the best of the city.

Not only is Henry Kingman's book a great way for visitors to explore San Francisco by bicycle, it is also a handy reference guide for local cyclists looking for new or better routes. Every S.F. cyclist should have a copy.

My girlfriend and I recently took some of Ropers advice on a Mt. Conness Loop 5 day hike in Yosemite. It was an increadible trip. Roper gives just enough hints to get you there but few enough to make it still feel like exploring. Be advised however when he referes a section of your hike as 'adventurous' or 'exciting' he means it. We pushed ourselves to the physical and mental limit on this trip.

This book outlines a magnificent experience following an off-trail, higher version of the Muir Trail through the High Sierra. We have followed most of Roper's route over several years: sometimes we thought we were lost or overwhelmed, but it always turned out fine, and usually excellent. He treads a fine line between complete instructions that would allow no mistakes, and an experience that gives the hiker their own opportunity for route-finding, discovery, and growth. This is one of our favorite books, and we keep an intact copy plus another one torn apart for each journey and sometimes given away to people met along the way who need it. We still travel the trail some of the time, but genuinely value this alternative farther away from the crowds.

I made good use of this book to plan a wonderful cross-country trip in the Sierra. Roper was kind of vague at times, but I never got lost.

The route he described was breath-taking. I intend to use this book to plan next summer's trip.

As an author of a book that uses a fishing metaphor to illustrate how relationships work, I was approached by someone about this book. So I bought it and must say that it truly gives the more serious angler a better understanding about what fly fishing for trout is all about. Having read about a dozen books on trout fishing (in doing the research for my fishing analogy), I think this one is one of the very best. The pictures are beautiful and something that every California trout fisherman should have in his personal library.

Cutter's Sierra Trout Guide is more than just a how to catch fish book. It is a lovingly illustrated and highly readable narrative about the Sierras, the varieties of trout found there, where trout feed, and on what and when, how to know what the trout are eating and what best imitates today's insect selection. Equally important, Cutter provides a compelling history of each strain of Sierra trout and how man has done his best --luckily so far unsuccessfully-- to ruin this splendid fishery. Read this book and you'll weep at what our forefathers did to the once abundant Lahontan Cutthroat. But you'll also see the Sierras and their wild trout populations with a whole new appreciation for their magnificence.

Ralph Cutter has done a superb job with his revised edition of "Sierra Trout Guide". The book was originally published in a much smaller format with only a fraction of the information contained in this edition. The ten years between editions was well worth the wait.

Ralph introduces you to the various species of trout and char that you will find in the Sierra, along with valuable information on their preferred habitat and environmental preferences. His chapter describing the fishery will help you understand why the Sierra Nevada enjoys such a wide mix of trout, and will give the history buff a load of trivia to share at the evening campfire or while moon-watching from a granite bluff.

Backpacking is a minimalist's sport and yet fly fishers have a reputation for carrying everything with them but the kitchen sink. The chapter "Into the Backcountry" gives great guidelines on what to take, what to leave, and what to expect to run into on a fly-fishing/backpacking trip. The chapter on "Trout Foods" includes information on all the major insects on the Sierra trout's menu and includes a hatch chart with some general recommendations to compensate for elevation differences. Ralph again takes the well seasoned backpacker's approach to his recommended fly assortment. You really can imitate most of the available insects in the Sierra with just a handful of flies.

The chapter "Locating Productive Waters" will enable you to make an educated guess about where to find trout by analyzing the features of the 7 1/2 minute maps of the areas you wish to explore.

As if that was not enough, the book includes distribution charts (listed by county) of all the rivers and lakes found in the Sierra that hold trout. These charts also tell you which USGS map they can be found on, the watershed they belong to, the elevation, and even the species of fish you can expect to find in the area you're considering. For example, if you want to fish lakes in the EL Dorado County area of the Sierra for Golden Trout, you can use these charts to plan your trip. My brother and I used this information to find a lake a few years ago that contained golden trout at 8100 feet of elevation and only a 6 mile hike in. The full moon illuminating the granite cliffs over the lake that night, and a sparkling jewel of a 14" golden trout the next day, quickly made me forget any soreness from the effort it took to get there.

The book is printed on top quality glossy paper and the pictures alone make the book worth buying. The 8½" x 11" pages are easy to read and handle, and the softcover allows you to easily slip it into your backpack. Don't go into the Sierra without it.

This cookbook is great. It matches wines with foods as recommended by the experts--the wine makers themselves. You can't go wrong with it, whether you're cooking gourmet or casual, it's all there.

This thoughtful collection marries an interesting recipe with an intriguing wine within the unique ambiance of an individual winery. Nicely done!

Whether you're a gourmet chef or a weekend gourmet wannabe, a wine connoisseur or, like me, someone who just knows what she likes, you'll love "Signature Dishes". Tricia Volk and Mary Tartaglione are sisters from Southern California who have studied the wineries of California's Central Coast, and have presented to us a wonderful collection of favorite recipes from wineries in the area, along with suggestions for wines and side dishes to accompany the entrees. The recipes are clear and concise, without that air of presumption that so many cookbooks leave me with, implying that I couldn't possibly manage such a complicated endeavor. The dishes range from the simple (Grilled Salmon with Shiitake Sauce) to the sublime (Paraiso Springs Duck with Pinot Noir Sauce), each expressing the individual tastes of the winery owner. Which brings me to the best part of the book: learning about the wineries. Reading the pleasant descriptions of the wineries, the owners and their wines is like reading a travel guide of a trip I'd love some day to take, driving the Central Coast and tasting the foods and wines of the many vintners along the way. Volk's and Tartaglione's style give me the feeling that I know these folks well, and keep me coming back to this book time and again, to try more of the signature dishes, and experiment with wines I probably wouldn't have heard of or tried, without this book.