Art of the State: California

Years ago, when preparing for my 50-state road trip I'd purchased a load of travel guides to help plan what to see in each state, which satisfied me until I stumbled upon the first ART OF STATE book in Iowa and quickly purchased all the other states available. This curious book series made all other travel books pale by comparison. Deceptively small, slim, lightweight and light read, these books pack a punch of meaningful, inspirational information. Beautifully designed and written, they are thoroughly engaging and a joy to read--like finding an ancestor's scrapbook or diary in the attic and reading a fascinating family heritage while peering over images of a buried past. Each author must be a native or a deliberate transplant, for they tell each state's story lovingly, with a deep appreciation of the state--and not just its good features, but the blemishes, too, described evenhandedly. Photographs of architecture, landscapes paintings, crafts and memorabilia complement the words. Each book presents the state's history, climate, landscape, traditions, symbols, recipes, must-see destinations and a statewide calendar of events. I've purchased all the books in the series (20 of the 50 states as of 2007). If your budget won't allow you to buy all 20, at least buy two: one of your home state and one of your adopted state. You'll be amazed at what you'll discover. I apologize for raving so much about THE ART OF STATE series, but it was such a find for me, like discovering a diamond in a sea of glass. I can't help but gush. Now, about the California edition. Each book in the series has a wallpaper designed inside cover: a background color, unique to the state, dotted with a state motif. I always try to guess what the wallpaper will be before opening the book. Sometimes I correctly guess the motif, but rarely the background color. California, I'm sorry to say, is my least favorite: it looks like pajamas a 7-year old boy would wear in the 195os. That little boy blue color, dotted with brown grizzly bears. (My husband loves the wallpaper, so it could be a gender-biased thing.) That was my only disappointment. The rest of the book entertains, informs and enlightens as the others. Read about the early settlers from Native Americans, to Spanish missionaries (and their El Camino Real a road linking 21 missions), to the guitar-plucking Mexican Rancheros and lastly the ragtag group of Americans who overthrew the Mexican government and for three weeks became an independent Republic, with a grizzly bear flag (thus the motif on the book). Read about the gold rush, the mining camps, the various architectural movements, the importance of oranges, railroads, and irrigation. Read about the artists, the music, the many Expositions, innovations and various political experiments. Find out how California got its name from a fictional Queen and how early maps indicated it as an island. Don't miss the gold, silver and silver screen discoveries. From the various moun

I bought this for someone out of state, and found myself reluctant to let go of it. The people who appear in it are not the usual dull crew (i.e., Walt Disney), but folks like Harry Bridges and Emperor Norton, Ina Coolbrith and Dashiell Hammett. The prints reproduced in it are of excellent quality, from fruit-crate labels to bits of Diego Rivera murals. Instead of chattering endlessly about Hollywood, there's an entry on live theater in Los Angeles (the Mark Taper), San Francisco (the Mime Troupe) and the Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista. The slightly raunchy doggerel of the gold rush is a nice touch, and the author knows that the name California came from the Spanish novel of chivalry owned by Don Quijote, Las Sergas de Esplandian. And it's even spelled right - what a pleasant surprise! This little book is is a splendid introduction to California's richness