Winner of the Western History Associations 2009 Hal K. Rothman AwardFinalist in the Western Writers of America Spur Award for the Western Nonfiction Contemporary category (2008).The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the worlds most beautiful cities. Despite a population of 7 million people; it is more greensward than asphalt jungle; more open space than hardscape. A vast quilt of countryside is tucked into the folds of the metropolis; stitched from fields; farms and woodlands; mines; creeks; and wetlands. In The Country in the City; Richard Walker tells the story of how the jigsaw geography of this greenbelt has been set into place.The Bay Area�s civic landscape has been fought over acre by acre; an arduous process requiring popular mobilization; political will; and hard work. Its most cherished environments--Mount Tamalpais; Napa Valley; San Francisco Bay; Point Reyes; Mount Diablo; the Pacific coast--have engendered some of the fiercest environmental battles in the country and have made the region a leader in green ideas and organizations.This book tells how the Bay Area got its green grove: from the stirrings of conservation in the time of John Muir to origins of the recreational parks and coastal preserves in the early twentieth century; from the fight to stop bay fill and control suburban growth after the Second World War to securing conservation easements and stopping toxic pollution in our times. Here; modern environmentalism first became a mass political movement in the 1960s; with the sudden blooming of the Sierra Club and Save the Bay; and it remains a global center of environmentalism to this day.Green values have been a pillar of Bay Area life and politics for more than a century. It is an environmentalism grounded in local places and personal concerns; close to the heart of the city. Yet this vision of what a city should be has always been informed by liberal; even utopian; ideas of nature; planning; government; and democracy. In the end; green is one of the primary colors in the flag of the Left Coast; where green enthusiasms; like open space; are built into the fabric of urban life.Written in a lively and accessible style; The Country in the City will be of interest to general readers and environmental activists. At the same time; it speaks to fundamental debates in environmental history; urban planning; and geography.
#41624 in eBooks 2009-05-26 2009-05-26File Name: B002STNBKW
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. A must-read for anyone interested in actingBy Colleen @ Here Be BookwyrmsReferences and language that Shurtleff used in this book are now out-dated (it was published in 1978). but the information he provides is timeless...The real meat of Audition is the second chapter. in which Shurtleff has outlined his 12 Guideposts. In fact. for the acting class I took. the guideposts were the reason this book was assigned...The rest of the chapters in Audition are full of valuable information as well. but I would strongly recommend this book to actors and aspiring actors if only for the guideposts alone. but the entire book is a valuable (but inexpensive!) resource Im sure I will refer to time and again as I continue to gradually pursue acting as a hobby.(For full review. please visit me at [...])1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A MUST for aspiring actors/actresses!By StewyFor anyone searching for a book to learn all the ins-and-outs of auditioning for acting roles. then this is the book to get! The author has several years experience with auditions. and the book is written in a way that is easy to understand. "Audition" looks at the various aspects of preparing for auditions. dressing for auditions. and attending an audition. The author uses simple. easy-to-understand terms along with witty remarks to make the book light and fun. It was a quick and interesting read. even though I was required to read it for a class. It actually help me improve my acting. and helped me greatly with my courses! I would definitely recommend this book to aspiring actors who are looking for more information on auditioning. acting. and roles in theatre productions. Its also a great book for anyone who simply wants to learn and understand what actors and actresses actually do and how hard they work to get their roles. "Audition" was a great read overall and definitely makes the list of favorite required reading material!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. "BIBLE" FOR THE ACTORBy CREI studied with Michael Shurtleff in the late 80s; we used his 12 Guideposts as the basis for the work we did onstage. Everything he taught in person is in this book - truly the how-to steps in enriching any seasoned actors performance. as well as a what-to-do for the beginner. Its hands on. down to earth. and on the money. all stemming from the first guidepost: finding. exploring and using relationship. Relationship in this case means the connecting emotional life that exists. or should exist. between you and the other characters in the play. Vital stuff in easy. entertaining prose. (I would have given it 5 stars. but Im sensitive to the edgy material included.)
