In a panoramic vision that extends from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the lake encrusted, high granite peaks above the timberline of the southern Sierra Nevada, John Spivey takes the reader on a tour of the California landscape. The tour also includes the topography of our minds as it explores the valleys and peaks, the crags and meanders of the way we are. Spivey draws on his heritage as a descendent of one of the pioneer families of the Kaweah watershed of the Sierra Nevada. The book intertwines family tales of loss, Christian myth, Zen/Taoist stories, and the history of the Yokuts...

Allen Patterson's brilliant wit and writing style put readers in the middle of the insane events and questionable decisions that could only happen to him, and gives them a pun-filled look at his Libertarian political philosophy. His blog, The Whited Sepulchre, enjoyed worldwide popularity for just those qualities. This book includes hilarious stories of dead Chinese dogs, missing American dogs, missing American fingers, lost box trucks, caramel/duck explosions, daughters, typhoons, lobsters, pot-bellied pigs, songs, political machinations, and more. You will laugh out loud, possibly shed a...