false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156917257m/423.jpg 423 5 In her moving and insightful new book, Joan Didion reassesses parts of her life, her work, her history and ours. A native Californian, Didion applies her scalpel-like intelligence to the state&#8217;s ethic of ruthless self-sufficiency in order to examine that ethic&#8217;s often tenuous relationship to reality.<br><br>Combining history and reportage, memoir and literary criticism, <b>Where I Was From</b><i> </i>explores California&#8217;s romances with land and water; its unacknowledged debts to railroads, aerospace, and big government; the disjunction between its code of individualism and its fetish for prisons. Whether she is writing about her pioneer ancestors or privileged sexual predators, robber barons or writers (not excluding herself), Didion is an unparalleled observer, and her book is at once intellectually provocative and deeply personal. 1371028 2003 Where I Was From (Vintage International) total:563|5:135|4:236|3:152|2:37|1:3| 563 2152 842 81 2 2 false false Tue Jun 26 10:08:37 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 23 07:31:07 -0700 2007
I feel odd reviewing a book I only read h...more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Nov 10 20:29:40 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 20:35:33 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Jul 21 17:08:05 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 15 08:13:02 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon May 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 26 10:49:41 -0700 2009 Mon May 04 18:01:51 -0700 2009 one
That said, I learned quite a bit of California history from this boo...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Apr 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 11:22:32 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 30 01:47:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 01 19:32:26 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 08 17:53:23 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Aug 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 14 11:47:14 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 17:11:01 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jan 27 03:34:34 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 27 03:34:34 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Jul 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jan 24 04:36:38 -0800 2008 Fri Jul 11 21:47:55 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Aug 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 17:22:26 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 16 17:26:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Mar 10 06:55:58 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 10 06:59:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Aug 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 11:37:15 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 11:56:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 05 01:46:35 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 05 01:51:17 -0800 2009 I gave this one to my mom. I think she'll appreciate it much more than I did.]]> 5 0 false false Sat Nov 14 10:04:08 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 14 10:05:02 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Fri Mar 06 10:07:07 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 06 10:16:27 -0800 2009 This book kicks ass.]]> 3 0 false false Fri Dec 21 06:40:16 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 21 06:41:24 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Mon Sep 14 19:32:24 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 19:32:59 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Mar 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Dec 10 13:29:49 -0800 2007 Sun Mar 16 20:05:21 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 21 07:30:58 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 21 07:33:58 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jul 08 10:31:39 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 10:32:24 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=423