What do you think?
Rate this book
Californians: Searching for the Golden State
An upbeat view of contemporary California and of contemporary Californians--natives and nonnatives, well known and unknown--presents a crossroads of the world-without-roots
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1982
14 people want to read
About the author
James D. Houston
42 books18 followersJames Houston is the author of 8 novels and several nonfiction books. His work includes Snow Mountain Passage and Farewell to Manzanar.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 12, 2009
Originally a current report on CA diversity, this book is now a snapshot of CA in the late 70s - early 80s. James Houston chronicles his travels through CA in search of how Californians live, and how California has changed. He tours the state by car, stopping in various towns and cities to interview and absorb some culture to write a series of essays.
First off, don't look for any of the darker side of CA here. In the spirit of the time period in which he wrote this, Houston puts a "cheerleaderly" spin on things, only editorializing on the "rah-rah" side (his description of LA traffic in the chapter "6 Reasons Why I Love LA" for example). This also means that his presentation is open, accepting, and supportive of all people that he finds. I enjoyed the book for what it was, and it's an easy read.
Some of the topics explored are the Oildorado parade in Kern county, vineyards in Paso Robles, the fight against the damming of the Stanislaus River, Luis Valdez's Teatro Campesino just before his play Zoot Suit was released on film, a farming couple living without electricity or solar power, a psychic who helps police solve crimes, the Sixth Annual West Coast Computer Faire (where Apple II interfaces are introduced), and an interview with LA mayor Tom Bradley, 3rd black mayor of a major US city.
The most interesting aspect of this book is comparison between its reports and the analogous contemporary situation. For example, Kern county still has its Oildorado celebrations and parade. Luis Valdez still operates Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista, but has greatly expanded audiences and support, partially due to the success of Zoot Suit released on film. We can only wonder about the couple living without electricity as they age--the price of solar power has come down considerably, but could they raise the money for it selling duck eggs? What changes did aging and encroaching civilization necessitate? And Apple II is of course ancient history.
I do recommend this book for a light read, especially if you enjoyed the late 70s - early 80s. You will never see smog described more poetically.
First off, don't look for any of the darker side of CA here. In the spirit of the time period in which he wrote this, Houston puts a "cheerleaderly" spin on things, only editorializing on the "rah-rah" side (his description of LA traffic in the chapter "6 Reasons Why I Love LA" for example). This also means that his presentation is open, accepting, and supportive of all people that he finds. I enjoyed the book for what it was, and it's an easy read.
Some of the topics explored are the Oildorado parade in Kern county, vineyards in Paso Robles, the fight against the damming of the Stanislaus River, Luis Valdez's Teatro Campesino just before his play Zoot Suit was released on film, a farming couple living without electricity or solar power, a psychic who helps police solve crimes, the Sixth Annual West Coast Computer Faire (where Apple II interfaces are introduced), and an interview with LA mayor Tom Bradley, 3rd black mayor of a major US city.
The most interesting aspect of this book is comparison between its reports and the analogous contemporary situation. For example, Kern county still has its Oildorado celebrations and parade. Luis Valdez still operates Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista, but has greatly expanded audiences and support, partially due to the success of Zoot Suit released on film. We can only wonder about the couple living without electricity as they age--the price of solar power has come down considerably, but could they raise the money for it selling duck eggs? What changes did aging and encroaching civilization necessitate? And Apple II is of course ancient history.
I do recommend this book for a light read, especially if you enjoyed the late 70s - early 80s. You will never see smog described more poetically.
Displaying 1 of 1 review