Gold Medal, 2016 Foreword INDIES Book AwardsThe ultimate guide to nature drawing and journaling!A potent combination of art, science, and boundless enthusiasm, this art instruction book from John Muir Laws (author of The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds) is a how-to guide for becoming a better artist and a more attentive naturalist. In straightforward text complemented by step-by-step illustrations, dozens of exercises lead the hand and mind through creating accurate reproductions of plants and animals as well as landscapes, skies, and more. Laws provides clear, practical advice for every step of the process for artists at every level, from the basics of choosing supplies to advanced techniques. While the book’s advice will improve the skills of already accomplished artists, the emphasis on seeing, learning, and feeling will make this book valuable—even revelatory—to anyone interested in the natural world, no matter how rudimentary their artistic abilities.
John Muir Laws’s guide to drawing birds is itself winged, soaring between a devotion not only to art but also to the lives, forms, and postures of the birds themselves.Here, artistic technique and the exquisite details of natural history intertwine, and drawing becomes the vehicle for seeing. As Laws writes, "To draw feathers, you must understand how feathers grow, overlap, and insert into the body. To create the body, you must have an understanding of the bird’s skeletal structure. To pose this skeleton, you must be able to perceive the energy, intention, and life of the bird."This how-to guide will perfect the technique of serious artists but also, perhaps more importantly, it will provide guidance for those who insist they can’t draw. Leading the mind and hand through a series of detailed exercises, Laws delivers what he promises: that "drawing birds opens you to the beauty of the world." An Audubon Book.
With her signature, Marimekko-like portraits of each specimen, the author of An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed explores both the presence of 16 seaweeds and kelps that live in the thin region where the Pacific Ocean converges with the North American continent.
Now in paperback: A compelling and prismatic love story of one family's defiance in the face of injustice—and how their story echoes across generations."Beautifully woven together by Satsuki Ina's mother's diary and her father's haiku—through which they are both still speaking—[this] is memoir as healing, as self- and soul-determination, and as vigilance, the keeping vigil over past lives that are still becoming." —Brandon Shimoda, author of The Afterlife Is Letting GoIn 1942 newlyweds Itaru and Shizuko Ina were settling into married life when the United States government upended their world. They were forcibly removed from their home and incarcerated in wartime American concentration camps solely on account of their Japanese ancestry. When the Inas, under duress, renounced their American citizenship, the War Department branded them enemy aliens and scattered their family across the U.S. interior. Born to Itaru and Shizuko during their imprisonment, psychotherapist and activist Satsuki Ina weaves their story together in this moving mosaic. Through diary entries, photographs, clandestine letters, and heart-wrenching haiku, she reveals how this intrepid young couple navigated life, love, loss, and loyalty tests in the welter of World War II-era hysteria.The Poet and the Silk Girl illustrates through one family's saga the generational struggle of Japanese Americans who resisted racist oppression, fought for the restoration of their rights, and clung to their full humanity in the face of adversity. With psychological insight, Ina excavates the unmentionable, recovering a chronicle of resilience amidst one of the severest blows to American civil liberties. As she traces the legacies of trauma, she connects her family's ordeal to modern-day mass incarceration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Lyrical and gripping, this cautionary tale implores us to prevent the repetition of atrocity, pairing healing and protest with galvanizing power.
A charmingly illustrated nature guide to Ocean Beach and the coastal ecology of San Francisco.Grab your beach blanket and your puffy jacket (this is San Francisco, after all) and get ready to see Ocean Beach like never before. Longtime local surfer and scientist Eddy Rubin celebrates this magical sandy stretch through stories of its animals and plants and the natural and human forces that have shaped this coastal environment. From sand dollars and seaweed to the snowy plovers in the dunes, and stretching out to the seals and whales offshore, Rubin profiles twenty-nine local flora and fauna with wonder and curiosity. To explain the why and how, he also teaches readers about the weather and geological forces that have created this unique sandy ecology. Lifetime lovers of Ocean Beach and new neighbors alike will delight in Rubin's guide, brought vividly to life by more than forty full-color artworks by illustrator Greg Wright. With this guide, Rubin invites readers to explore the place where ocean and land meet, to learn from surfers and fishermen about what's out in the waves, and to protect this shared expanse of sandy shoreline.
Experience the wild beauty of birds around the Bay.Having explored San Francisco neighborhoods in three celebrated books, Dick Evans turns here to the avian species that call the Bay Area home. With his photographer's eye, he finds art and drama in the lives of birds, from the smallest sparrows to long-legged Great Blue Herons. He captures the pockets of wilderness in our cities that make the area a birder's paradise: from a marsh full of endangered birds wading in the reeds near the Oakland Airport to the isolated refuge of the Farallon Islands, home to a quarter-million seabirds and a handful of visiting scientists; from Crissy Field, flocked with egrets, to the pasturelands birds share with cattle. His vibrant images are interspersed with text by Hannah Hindley that weaves us more deeply into relationship with our avian neighbors, introducing readers to the natural history of the region, to themes of interdependence and ecology, and to the evolving challenges for birds in a densely settled urban environment. At the heart of these images and stories is love for the living descendants of dinosaurs as they soar and parade, and awe at their ephemerality and endurance. Evans's photos highlight the wonder of a world on the wing and the rich biodiversity of Bay Area birds.
An illustrated obsession, a guidebook, a kaleidoscope of life on the wing.Liam O'Brien has spent three decades chasing, learning about, protecting, occasionally catching, and always loving butterflies. Here, he shares his capacious knowledge of California butterflies through a treasure trove of stories and 700 gorgeous, hand-drawn illustrations—featuring both adult forms and caterpillars—of the 135 species that live in the greater Bay Area. This sumptuous book also shares practical tips for finding and identifying all the butterflies who call the Bay Area home. Learn which plants nurture Silver-spotted Skippers, which trail to hike to see Swallowtails flitting creek-side, and why so many butterflies cluster on hilltops. Share in the joy that O'Brien brings to the study of butterflies, and join the community scientists contributing to our understanding of Monarchs, Metalmarks, and Marbles—and what they need to survive and thrive in our busy Bay Area.
A laugh-out-loud all-ages guide to common bugs, in a pocket-size package bursting with fun facts and photos.Bugs: they are beautiful, mind-bending, adorable, strange, silly, and essential to life as we know it. These wondrous creatures are neighborhood treasures and offer endless adventure. They are also too often misunderstood, but Pat Stadille can help you make friends with them too! Bugs in Your Neighborhood introduces readers of all ages to a dazzling range of dragonflies, hoppers, flies, beetles, butterflies, and many more fun critters. Find out about the music of grasshoppers and katydids, the special senses of wasps, and the weird eating practices of giant water bugs. Featuring over 400 bugs and over 1,000 photographs and drawings, Bugs in Your Neighborhood packs a wealth of information into a friendly, pocket-size format. This book is the perfect companion for anyone who wishes to know their bug neighbors a little better.
Journey through the world of California native bees, one letter at a time.National Geographic Explorer Krystle Hickman has spent a decade capturing exquisitely detailed photographs of native bees and making exciting discoveries about their behavior in the field. In her debut book of natural history, she offers an intimate look at the daily habits of rare and overlooked bees in California: those cloaked in green and black and blue, that live alone in the ground or sleep inside flowers, that invade nests and enslave other bees like infinitesimal conquerors, or that, unlike more generalist honeybees, feed only on native blooms in wild lands. A committed conservationist and community scientist who knows all too well how precarious the wellbeing of these insects is, Hickman shares her adventures in local native plant gardens and throughout the far reaches of California to bring the beauty of our diverse ecosystems into wondrous bee's-eye view. Meant for all curious readers, this collection of bee stories—one for each letter of the alphabet, matching the first letter of a bee's scientific name—will leave you both wowed and compelled to help save these fascinating beings.
A galvanizing road trip across California's immense public wilderness from a beloved adventurer.It all began with a camping trip. Outdoor enthusiast Josh Jackson had never heard of "BLM land" before a casual recommendation from a friend led him to a free campsite in the desert—and the revelation that over 15 million acres of land in California are owned collectively by the people. In The Enduring Wild, he takes us on a road trip spanning thousands of miles, crisscrossing the Golden State to seek out every parcel of public wilderness therein belonging to the federal Bureau of Land Management, from the Pacific shores of the King Range down to the Mojave Desert. Over mountains, across prairies, and through sagebrush, Jackson unravels the stories of these lands. He tells of the Indigenous peoples who have called them home for millennia, of the extractivist threats that imperil them today, and of the grassroots organizers and political champions who have rallied to their common defense to uphold the radical mandate to protect these natural treasures for generations to come. For the adventurers, campers, explorers, map readers, road trippers, nature enthusiasts, and public lands lovers out there, The Enduring Wild is an indispensable invitation to know these places more deeply and to embrace our common inheritance.
Take a road trip through deep time and California history, with a friendly expert geologist at the wheel.From its epic earthquakes to its famed epithet "the Golden State," California as we know it would not exist without geology. Gary L. Prost, an expert geologist born and raised in California, embarked on a quest to better understand the state's rocky history. His road trips have culminated in Rocks and Riches, an accessible and entertaining look at the land that has shaped the lives of all Californians. With humor and abiding curiosity, Prost examines the workings of deep time, the fascinating and troubled legacies of the Gold Rush, and the ways geology continues to influence life in California today. Visiting 55 stops of geologic interest, he traverses the Marin and Sonoma coasts, the Central Valley, the Sierra Foothills, Yosemite, and the Basin and Range country, ending with an extended journey through Death Valley to meditate on the awe-inspiring intensity of California's deserts. Including dozens of illustrations and road maps, as well as guidance for fellow travelers, Rocks and Riches is both a practical handbook and an invitation to see California's landscapes with wonder.
Now in paperback: This San Francisco Chronicle bestseller and California Book Award finalist drills down into Oakland's geological history and its impacts on the city's urban present."This book has turned me into a newcomer to my own city, but has also changed the way I will view any landscape. I can think of few greater gifts than that."—Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing and Saving Time"Spending time with Andrew Alden is like giving yourself x-ray eyes." —Roman Mars, host and creator of 99% InvisibleBeneath Oakland's streets and underfoot of every scurrying creature atop them, rocks roil, shift, crash, and collide in an ever-churning seismological saga. In Deep Oakland, geologist Andrew Alden excavates the ancient story of Oakland's geologic underbelly and reveals how its silt, soil, and subterranean sinews are intimately entwined with its human history—and future. Poised atop a world-famous fault line now slumbering, Alden charts how these quaking rocks gave rise to the hills and the flats; how ice-age sand dunes gave root to the city's eponymous oak forests; how the Jurassic volcanoes of Leona Heights gave way to mining boom times; how Lake Merritt has swelled and disappeared a dozen times over the course of its million-year lifespan; and how each epochal shift has created the terrain cradling Oaklanders today. With Alden as our guide—and with illustrations by Laura Cunningham, author of A State of Change—we see that just as Oakland is a human crossroads, a convergence of cultures from the world over, so too is the bedrock below, carried here from parts still incompletely known.
A richly illustrated birding guide to the wetlands and developed areas of the California Delta.From Sacramento to Stockton, the Delta gathers the waters of inner California to create a lush estuary and a haven for birds. In Birds of the California Delta, lifelong birder and Delta local Aaron N. K. Haiman showcases the avian diversity found all around the shoals and sloughs where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers meet. Even though much of the Delta has been claimed for human use, Haiman rejoices in the abundance of resident birds and migratory visitors. Ibises and cranes wander through these pages, just as they stalk across the valley's farmland and the Suisun marsh. Kites hover over pastures, woodpeckers hammer towering trees, and grackles squeak and whistle in Fairfield parking lots. Experienced birdwatchers and new birders alike will appreciate Haiman's soulful descriptions, his introductory essay to the ecology of this region, and his understanding that birding can connect us not only with wildlife but with one another. Paired with vividly realized full-color portraits that offer detailed insights into identification marks and distinctive behavior, this useful and engaging guide to 25 Delta birds helps everyone get to know their avian neighbors a bit better.
The author of California Snakes and How to Find Them invites budding reptile enthusiasts into a wonderland of lizards.Lizards: they are cute, endearing, and mind-bogglingly diverse, and yet they are so easy to overlook among California’s natural abundance. Start watching them, though, and a wonderland of lizard life appears. In California Lizards and How to Find Them, lizard lover Emily Taylor profiles over 60 native and introduced species, from California's iconic Western Fence Lizard to the adorable Desert Iguana to the chonky Wall Gecko. With her expert knowledge and joyous, laugh-out-loud writing, Taylor provides tips for finding, watching, and responsibly catching lizards. She offers absorbing insights on lizard evolution, and she explains the toll of invasive lizard species on California's ecosystems. Featuring more than 100 full-color photographs, and designed for easy use in everyday life, this is the ideal guide for budding reptile enthusiasts and longtime naturalists alike.
For young readers, an inspiring story about a river, a successful Native-led movement for environmental justice, and the making of a scientist.Growing up in the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, Brook Thompson learned to care for the fish that nurtured her and her family. She knew that along the Klamath River in Northern California, salmon and lampreys are a needed part of life. But she also saw how these fish were in danger. People had built dams along the Klamath River, making it very hard for salmon and lampreys to live. Tribal people and their friends organized to have four of the dams removed, and they won. In I Love Salmon and Lampreys, Thompson tells this inspiring tale, and she shares how it motivated her to become a scientist. Featuring adorable illustrations by Anastasia Khmelevska, as well as fun facts about salmon and lampreys, this is a stirring story about stewarding nature for the generations to come.
Lauded essayist takes to the high seas in hot pursuit of elusive birds, artistic ghosts, fathers and their memories, and above all, safe harbor."Among nature writers now working, Charles Hood may be my favorite." —Jonathan FranzenCharles Hood is on a boat, wearing at least two life jackets as he scans the sky for seabirds and plumbs the depths of his—and our—relationship with the vast Pacific Ocean. Winner of the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year for his collection of essays, A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat: The Joys of Ugly Nature, Hood now brings his irrepressible curiosity to the lives of petrels, frigate birds, sea snakes, and flying fish. During our voyage, he resurrects Melville's storm-tossed journey to San Francisco, takes us into the storm-tossed minds and paintings of J. M. W. Turner and Winslow Homer, and surfaces the trauma—still reverberating—to ocean and family ecologies alike from World War II. As sharp and witty as ever, Hood also turns his scrutiny on a more personal history, navigating murky waters of harm and forgiveness, love and entrapment. Full of wonder, joy, and terror at the shared capacity of the ocean and the humans on its edges to nurture life and damage it irreparably, this book is a vessel, seaworthy and transportive.
"A humorous guide to Bay Area animal life, featuring more than sixty species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects"--
Updated for the first time in twenty years with completely redrawn birds and more, the classic and remarkably easy-to-use guide for identifying birds in the Sierra Nevada.John Muir Laws began his lifelong project of connecting people to the natural world when he noticed that novice birders often distinguish birds by color and size rather than by family, genus, and species. Inspired by his observation, he created a guide to Sierra birds that assumes no prior birding knowledge on the part of the reader. The guide became the most popular of its kind, used frequently by local birders and visitors alike. Now updated for the first time in twenty years, The Laws Field Guide to Sierra Birds—originally published as Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide—features fully redrawn color illustrations throughout.Color-coded keys eliminate the time-consuming frustration of thumbing randomly through a guide, and a cross-index is also included for more advanced birders. All this in a format that is simply organized, lightweight, and small enough to tuck inside a pocket. Featuring more than 200 species, The Laws Field Guide to Sierra Birds is a friendly, invaluable resource for anyone seeking to identify birds in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
"Part memoir and part history of the Bay Area youth musical group Los Cenzontles. Follows Rodriguez's own musical journeys, the group's connections with political and social activism, and the histories underlying numerous styles of music from Mexico"--
"Considers the long history of ecological burns, the varied ways fire behaves across the state, and the lessons that can be learned from California's largest fires of recent decades"--
"Explores the beautiful, comic, and endearing qualities of over fifteen bird species that live among California's oaks"--
"A primer on racism that offers an intersectional, anti-racist, coalition-building view of Asian American identity"--
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Winner * Golden Poppy Award Winner for Nonfiction * California Book Awards Gold Medal Winner * A Great Read from Great Places selected by the Library of Congress * A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year * American Book Award Winner * 2024 American Energy Society's Energy Writer of the Year * An Architect's Newspaper Best Book of 2023 * 2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Medal WinnerNow in paperback: a "deeply researched and reported" (San Francisco Chronicle) exploration of sea level rise in California that "breathes exquisite detail and dialogue" (Science Magazine) into the subject."Viscerally urgent, thoroughly reported, and compellingly written—a must-read for our uncertain times." —Ed Yong, author of An Immense World"When do seawalls make sense? And when is it better to give in to the tides? [...] In California Against the Sea, Xia [...] writes about the difficult realities of trying to incorporate fairness into our tally of costs and benefits." —The New YorkerAlong California's 1,200-mile coastline, the overheated Pacific Ocean is rising and pressing in, imperiling both wildlife and the maritime towns and cities that 27 million people call home. In California Against the Sea, Los Angeles Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia asks: As climate chaos threatens the places we love so fiercely, will we finally grasp our collective capacity for change?Xia, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, investigates the impacts of engineered landscapes, the market pressures of development, and the ecological activism and political scrimmages that have carved our contemporary coastline—and foretell even greater changes to our shores. From the beaches of the Mexican border up to the sheer-cliffed North Coast, the voices of Indigenous leaders, community activists, small-town mayors, urban engineers, and tenacious environmental scientists commingle. Together, they chronicle the challenges and urgency of forging a climate-wise future. Xia's investigation takes us to Imperial Beach, Los Angeles, Pacifica, Marin City, San Francisco, and beyond, weighing the rivaling arguments, agreements, compromises, and visions governing the State of California’s commitment to a coast for all. Through graceful reportage, she charts how the decisions we make today will determine where we go tomorrow: headlong into natural disaster, or toward an equitable refashioning of coastal stewardship.
"Unraveling the mysteries behind California's fog, floods, fires, droughts, and snowstorms, earth scientist William A. Selby takes readers on a journey through the seasons and across the state, exploring atmospheric science and what it forecasts for the future of California's climate. Includes more than 125 photographs, diagrams, and explanatory charts"--
"A guide to the ecosystem famously known as Los Angeles, from a field biologist and longtime San Gabriel Valley resident"--
"A photographically illustrated all-ages general reader guide to more than 40 species of native and common snakes in California"--
"Charts Dorsey Nunn's journey growing up poor and criminalized in East Palo Alto, surviving San Quentin, coming back to his community, and founding All Of Us Or None to empower formerly incarcerated people to fight for their rights as citizens"--
"A cycle of stories that take place in Northern California, featuring Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok characters, and that span the nineteenth century to the future."--
"Weaving together diary entries, photographs, clandestine correspondences, and haiku, psychotherapist and activist Satsuki Ina reveals how her parents navigated life, love, loss, and loyalty tests during World War II, and how the effects of mass incarceration echo across generations"--
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