Now in an thoroughly updated third edition, Hill Guide Sonoma Valley : The Secret Wine Country provides an outstanding food and wine guide to California's wine country, pairing walking tours with features of restaurants and wines and even including recipes from featured chefs. The inclusion of rates and prices makes it easy to choose lodging and attractions.

My wife and I and two other couples will travel to Sonoma Valley soon, and I've been designated trip planner. I got out this book, a copy of which I had purchased on a previous trip, and found using it a great pleasure. It's extraordinarily thorough, very nicely organized, and well-written. It is, in fact, the best guidebook I've read.

Written by two longtime residents of the area, "Sonoma Valley the Secret Wine Country," is not only an indispensable guide for those planning a trip to the Sonoma Valley, it is also a great read for the "armchair adventurer" simply wishing to learn more about Sonoma's unique history and culture. This is a travel guide that one wants to continue reading long after the trip is over. The book is organized in a somewhat non-traditional format, a format that I found far superior to the familiar one. Instead of there being "restaurants" and "lodgings" sections, the book is organized by area, so that if you find yourself in say, Glen Ellen,(the tiny hamlet of Jack London and the Valley's only winery "tram" tour) you can simply open up the book and find out what attractions, be they eateries, wineries or antique stores, are in the immediate vicinity. This format, along with the detailed "insider's" information the authors have compiled, allows you to get to know the places you are visiting in a much more intimate and realistic way than a traditinal travel guide. You will never have that dreaded feeling of seeing youself as a tourist with this book. After reading about the Sonoma Valley's freindly, but sometimes strained relations with it's more famous rival, the Napa Valley, you'll know not to say something like "oh, that Cabernet is excellent-almost as good as the one I tasted in Napa last weekend!" There is also a number of little extras in each section, such as recipies from the locals, ratings for the level of rommance in each place, and brief histories on each of the places you are visiting. Again, I found this to be a really great book, not only for travelling, but simply as an entertaining read about a very interesting place. Indeed, the book prompted me to remove myself from my laurels and write my first online review. This guide definitely earns five stars, the online reviewer's highest praise.

....California historian known to me, with his pithy style, his endlessly fascinating observations, and his anecdotes, rich in history and amusing in detail, which unlike the rivers of my state flow one after the other without any damming. I'm a native of Southern California, and I have yet to find a better book on this territory even though this one was originally penned in the late 40's.

The colonizers, the boosters, the flamboyant pillars of society who bamboozled, bulldozed, and boutiqued their way into California: they and other characters appear on the McWilliams stage in a fascinating--and at times disturbing--progression in which the land itself, that most neglected of characters, puts in appearances too. For we Southern Californians live in a land of constant paradoxes; to quote the author ("The Land of Upside Down"):

"To their amazement"--he means tourists--"they discovered that umbrellas were useless against the drenching rains of Southern California but that they made good shade in the summer; that many of the beautifully colored flowers had no scent; that fruit ripened earlier in the northern than in the southern part of the state; that it was hot in the morning and cool at noon...here, in this paradoxical land, rats lived in the trees and squirrels had their homes in the ground." No wonder we're all a bit topsy-turvy out here.

My one objection: I disagree with the author's description of the early Missions as "concentration camps." That through disease and, later, a mis-education that left the Native converts vulnerable to ranchero exploitation and settler genocide is beyond question; but however misguided their efforts, those early padres had no conscious agenda of wiping out a people. Nevertheless, McWilliams's detailed accounts of Mission life provide a much-needed antidote to the idealization and denial and Eurocentric bias that saturate most Mission histories.

If you want to know Southern California better, then of course you must stand on her soil and listen to her voices; but you could do much worse for an intro-at-a-distance than this fine book, which fellow natives will find confirming and eye-opening.

For all residents of Southern California past, present, or potential, there can be no better book about this unmatchable part of the world. Past residents (like myself) will sigh with fond remembrance, current residents will be amused, and potential future residents will be astonished. All will be entertained. The land, the geography, the history, and the weather. They're all discussed. The social outcasts, the wierd misfits, the kooks, the characters, and their schemes and dreams. It's all here, along with so very much more. Written by a longtime resident in a very entertaining style that combines dinner conversation with classroom lecture, this book will be a joy to anyone who has a love for the irreplacable experience of Living In Southern California. You will truly FEEL as though you are there. This book is one for the heart as well as the mind. Oh Los Angeles, how I miss you. Carey McWilliams, thanks for taking me back.

Originally published in 1946, McWilliams describes the socio-historical and economic formations of Southern California from the "bottom up" in a way uncharacteristic for his time period. He unveils the racist, eurocentric, environmentally devastating, materialistic and otherwise ruthless basis for the area's hegemonic culture, economy, and social relations. Moreover, he adds great insight into the incorporation of California into the world capitalist system. He covers the use, abuse, and devastation of various peoples in the area including Native Americans, Californios, Chinese, Japanese, Oklahomans and Mexicans. He also offers insight into the materialism or 'fake' culture which has emerged from the area only to exploit the cultures it has destroyed. The book is a bit long winded at times, but overall is a must read for anyone intersted in the topics I've described. It would be of interest to anyone who appreciates Almaguer's Racial Faultlines, Pitt's The Californios, or even Montejano's Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas.

I found this was a very interesting series of interviews with Foucault by a journalist from the Italian Communist Party. His discussions about social change and marxism were enlightening. I think this kind of interview format offers a refreshing and different perspective on his work compaired reading his books.

I agree entirely with the reviewer from SUNY. There is so much secondary literature on Foucault precisely because so many are looking to appropriate the fashion of his name to any bastardized cause celebre. This clear, concise, and challenging little book presents a better introduction to Foucault's thinking than all of the secondary and tertiary literature combined.

Absolutely the best short introduction to Foucault's way of thinking and his reasons for doing so. Unfortunately, few in the "post-modern" camp really know anything about the man's work, no matter how much they read.

Great Book. We have bought many books about the Caribbean over the years, but this is one of the best if not the best. Easy to read, full of up to date info and breaks it down into catagories easy to find. Does not just refer to the large hotels or famous places to eat, but also those not so famous.
THE TIPS that are easy to see, are throughout the book that give short, to the point, info.
This is a valuable book.

An excellent new guide... replete with detailed information on every aspect of vacationing on the islands. Illustrated with maps and drawings. Focus on France

Finally! We have looked for years for a book which gave St. Barth proper coverage. We have heretofore found only books with from a few to a dozen pages. St. Martin & St. Barts Alive gives this tiny island well over a hundred pages, and it covers beaches, restaurants, hotels, villas, shopping, and considerably more. Our edition is copyright 1999, but the authors mention the damage done by Hurricane Luis several times -- do not let that dissuade you; the island had fully recovered when we visited there two seasons after Luis.

The layout uses lots of free clip art, one font used for headings is rather hard to read, and there are no photographs, but the book is well- written in plain English, without gushing -- we enjoyed it. The authors have covered the island very well, and there were lots of tips which were new to us. We will have this book with us on our next trip.

This book is recommended for all visitors to St. Barts, whether first- timers or old hands on the island.

In 1998 I'd seen a photo on a calendar of the Vermillion Cliffs in Utah, but had no idea where exactly it was located. I teach photography and my students and I had done some research to find it, but discovered it was a very large area. When I found Mr. Dykinga's book I was even more determined for my students to see and photograph the area. Needless to say, the book is truly inspirational thanks to Jack's remarkabe work.!
If you know a photographer or a traveller - this is the book for them! Enjoy the treat yourself as well.

Jeff Grimm
Bedford, TX

The number of photographic works exploring the nuances of the Colorado Plateau is seemingly endless. Many can be browsed once and left behind. This book is the scintillating exception.

Jack Dykinga's photographic work is simply exceptional, and beyond the pale. Each color photograph appears as exquisitely crafted as a piece of fine crystal, beginning with very cover of the paperback edition. One can only envy his great patience and expertise in composing each work.

Much of the photography comes from the Paria Wilderness, an area of the Plateau not usually treated to any degree in most works, and the novelty is refreshing. A particularly enjoyable facet of the book is that use of a telephoto lens has been largely eschewed, leaving a series of scenes that the enterprising tourist can find and view with his or her own eyes, just as depicted by the book.

Charles Bowden's accompanying text is evocative and hearkens a wild diffusion of images and memories of the fascinating region.
It is an apt companion to Dykinga's superb work.

If you are limited to five or less books about the Colorado plateau, let this be one of them. I enjoy it more every time I read it.

An hymn to the nature and it's landscapes, whose pictures are superb in both the technical and artistic plans.

This book is excellent. I've been reading it to my fourth graders since Marilyn Cram Donohue came to speak at our school during Children's Book Week. It is based on real events, and gives students a real feel for what it was like to make the difficult journey across America. We always enjoy the fact that they settle in San Bernardino, which is next to where my students live. This book has so many authentic details as well as romance, heartbreak, and a sense of adventure. It is always a favorite with my students!

An excellent story about a group of families traveling for new opportunities in San Bernardino, California. Told through the eyes of 14 year old Luann, it gives a detailed description of the hardships encountered by just about all pioneers, from famine, greedy travelers, sickness and the long hard winters. An excellent story for ages 8-?. I also recommend the sequel, "The Valley in between" which continues the family saga, as seen through Luann's sister, Ellie.

I read straight along a crooked road in 8th grade, it was the best book i ever read. I also went out and read the sequal. I'm a little upset that they have stopped publishing this book, cuz that means that you can not buy it anywhere.

Read this if you enjoy school like I do.. Or if you are the type who likes to play tricks on substitutes...

I recommend everyone this book because it tells us about we should not be bad to a teacher even if it's a substitute. We should not play tricks on them. And we should not listen to Uncle Jesse and Joey.

This is one of my favorite Michelle books. If you have never read a Michelle or Full House book before, you should read this one first.

Burnham began his career in political activism as a Trotskyite communist and became a very committed anti-communist. Like Buckley, Burnham, in the sixties and seventies particularly, provided intellectual fortification for the conservative movement.

        First published in the early sixties, Suicide of the West is a withering indictment of liberalism. Far from serving as a bulwark against communism, liberalism, Burnham shows, is the ideology of Western suicide, communism in its preliminary stage. Though Soviet communism has collapsed, liberalism remains, and as long as it does, Suicide of the West should be read by conservatives.

This book was written in 1964 but is as relevant (if not more so) today than it was when first published. Since that time, modern liberalism has moved further leftward and worldwide Communist revolutionary impulses have only marginally declined, notwithstanding the collapse of the Soviet Union. Red China is becoming the new Red menace and Russia is in the midst of potentially dangerous changes.

The very premise of this book has played out on the world scene since its writing. The liberal approach towards Communism (i.e. appeasement) in the 1970s had weakened the Western resolve to contain Communism just as Burnham predicted it would. On the other hand, the 1980s demonstrated the efficacy of the opposite approach, namely mustering the will and resources to rollback Communism. And the 1990s served to remind us all once again how ill-equipped liberalism is in containing Communism as the Red Dragon raised its ugly head and the Bear grew restless.

Burnham spends the first two-thirds of the book describing the liberal worldview in intellectual and moral terms. He begins by first outlining the major tenets of liberalism and shows from whence they arose. He then demonstrates how some of these tenets are intellectually weak due to their internal inconsistency, mutual incompatibility, and failures in application.

Burnham then shifts to the moral/psychological aspect of liberalism, specifically the role of values in liberal ideology; and the priority that liberals give to those values. He also explains the sentiments that drive the commitment to liberalism and explains how, in many cases, those sentiments are inconsistent with the intellectual tenets of liberalism. He also describes the powerful role guilt plays in the liberal impulse towards egalitarianism.

Especially enlightening is Burnham's contrasting of the modern liberal with the classical liberal of the 19th century. He makes the comparison by showing that many of the intellectual tenets of modern liberalism are absent from the 19th century laissez-faire version. He also describes how and why values have been inverted - namely that the modern liberal now esteems peace/security above freedom/liberty.

With the intellectual/psychological analysis of liberalism complete, Burnham then proceeds to evaluate the threat of Communism to Western Civilization. His explanation of Communism's inherent demand to achieve world dominance is superb. There is no mistaking the fact that co-existence with capitalism is simply not an option for the Communist.

But because modern liberalism shares similar egalitarian impulses with Communism, it is intellectually and morally weakened before the Red menace. In short, it is difficult to oppose Communism from the Left. There simply is too much in common to come out in direct opposition to its ideology. This is not to say that liberals support Communist tactics, although they have been among the Kremlin's chief apologists at various times (e.g. 1930s, 1960s).

Because liberals share many egalitarian goals with Communism, they become "useful idiots" for the world revolutionaries, whose interest it is to create instability in non-Communist countries. For example, it is now known (vis-à-vis post-Cold War Archives) that the Soviet Union incited and exploited much of the American civil unrest (1930s, 1960s) that liberal ideologues created in their pursuit of egalitarianism. In essence, because of an overlap in their common goals, the Communists found the modern liberal to be a useful tool for hastening the world revolution of the proletariat.

However, unlike its explicit goals, liberal sentiments are actually quite disjoint from the Communist. In fact, the differences in sentiments are what permit Communists to use liberals to further their revolutionary goals. For example, the liberal's quest for peace is not the same as the Communist's. The Communist sees peace as the calm arising out of a world free of capitalism. It does not mean peace achieved by nation's agreeing to mutual co-existence. But the Communist finds the liberal's pursuit of "peace" useful in order to weaken the security of non-Communist nations.

So willingly or unwittingly, modern liberals, especially from the West, are essentially useless when it comes to halting the Communist quest to dominate and eventually overthrow non-communist systems. Their perspective prevents them from confronting the non-rational ideological menace with the only principle it understands -- force.

Only a hard-line stance (as Ronald Reagan promoted) and proactive measures will put a check on an ideology that has world domination as its ultimate goal. This lesson has been demonstrated once as a result of the Cold War outcome. And one can only hope and pray that the lesson will not be forgotten. Because if it is, the West will indeed commit suicide and be delivered into the hands of International Communism.

I can't give this book the review it deserves. Truth is I read it 11 years ago and would mangle it if i tried to get specific. But it is absolutely a must-read for people who are vaguely certain that there is something wrong with the dominant trends in 20th century western social thought, but can't elucidate their thoughts. I read this book quite by accident the year after i finished college, and the memory of the thrill i felt is still with me. Suicide of the West will challenge and provoke, excite and inspire. It will send you to the library: you'll read 10 more books because of it. Read this book.

I'm on spring break, watching the war on tv, and just finished reading this book. I loved it. I love how poignant it is. And how funny. I love the language and how the pieces are put together. I love how I can go back and read individual pieces, and each makes its own sense. I especially love the conclusions of each piece. Many friends will be getting this book as gifts, and I hope to use it in some of my classes, as I suspect my friends will do.

If you don't know the difference between fiction and poetry, this book won't teach you. Each chapter of this novel reads like poetry and speaks those inimitable truths about love, the lack there-of, fear, and the relief one feels when they've finally understood something or stopped trying. Excellent poetry provides this, and West's prose provides it for us as well. This is not the kind of book you should breeze through in an afternoon--you will want to languish over it, read it again, write down quotes you can repeat later. _The Summer of the Sub-Comandante_ is not simply a new novel; it's literature.

-
The Summer of the Sub-Comandante by Kathleene West moves the reader physically and emotionally from Viet Nam to Latin America to Northern Europe with an uneasy home base in the United States. West's characters are peripatetic, crossing and retreating from geographical and political borders as well as the borders of the heart. They may seem elusive, but they are sharply-drawn, appearing to be more comfortable skidding through the jungles of Viet Nam on a motorcycle or advancing into a Chiapas rain forest to find a revolutionary comandante than with social encounters in living rooms, restaurants and fenced yards. Watch them advance into the no-fly zones of relationships where love and war are equally devastating.

Through her characters' observations and perceptions West establishes a wry, often-comic, ironic tone that sharply captures the fin de siècle dance of destruction and regeneration. As her characters fall-or jump-into situations ranging from the embarrassing to the perilous, West searches for truth in our confusing world. The Summer of the Sub-Comandante ultimately values truth more than comfort. Kathleene West's enactment of the most difficult, even dangerous, situations shimmer with her poetic language and inimitable humor.

Kathleene West slips handcuffs on our imagination and in exquisite language plants a smoky kiss on our chapped lips and leads us, sweaty and panting, through muddy Viet Cong tunnels into love that momentarily cools its sizzle when we emerge in Iceland. War dogs our tracks from Angkor Wat to Chicken Itzá while we seek the proper word for the spell that will stop it--the same spell that makes love stay. West is a daughter or war, wife of war, sister of war and, finally, witness to war and to love beyond borders that speaks the secret language of the spell that will bring all the world's beloved warriors home. Enter the geography of personal enlightenment--don't forget your sun block.

--Bill Ransom, author of Bum

Sunrise is a wonderful find! A terrific heroine, realistic setting and totally engaging plot. Chassie West needs to give us more Leigh Ann Warren. The personal and professional insights into Leigh Ann give this mystery a dimension not often found in the genre. I actually care what happens to this detective!

The author drew me in right away with her vivid depiction of small-town life and controversy. The character interactions are true-to-life, and I enjoyed following these people as they uncovered and confronted the ugliness in their town's history.

Chassie West is one of the brightest voices in mystery fiction! She's a winner! -Helen Chappell