Winner of the 2014 California Historical Society Book AwardSilver Medal; 2017 Independent Publishers Book Award (West-Pacific—Best Regional Nonfiction)Regional Nonfiction Finalist; Next Generation Indie Book AwardsThe latest CHS Book Award winner examines California's history through the prism of twelve elections that forever changed the state. Drawing from a wealth of primary sources; including new interviews conducted by the authors; each chapter explores one election (Leland Stanford's gubernatorial race; the initiative that mandated term limits; and the Los Angeles Aqueduct Bond Measure; to name a few); revealing the forces behind the choices made at the polls and the consequences that carry over to this day. The authors offer thought-provoking interpretation rooted in decades of experience in journalism; public-policy analysis; and political consulting at the state Capitol. Through their perspectives we better understand the intricate game played in Sacramento by contenders such as the bespectacled and brilliant progressive reformer Hiram Johnson; iconoclastic muckraker-turned-candidate Upton Sinclair; and Proposition 13 author Howard Jarvis; with his zealous oratory and machete approach to tax reform. By focusing on elections; the authors show that Californians' voices are as powerful and transformative as the tectonic forces beneath us.
#1437417 in Books New Press; The 2007-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.86 x 1.43 x 5.68l; 1.58 #File Name: 1595581197518 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. good bookBy Maggie TI bought a second-hand; but it is like new. The book content itself is good; too; recounting in details the history of Chinese Americans in the United States. Based on extensive research.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Q. HuangI have learned a great deal from this book ! Thank you !24 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Extraordinary History of the Immigrant ExperienceBy Gerard D. LaunayEvery so often a history writer gets it right. This is just such a book...what extraordinary riches about the Chinese experiencesuch as the contrast between Uptown and Downtown Chinese; the building of Chinatowns throughout the United States; the contributions of Chinese doctors to the expansion of the West; the terrible experience of the Exclusion Act; the inroads into Hollywood. Consider that the idea of California as the vegetable capital of the United States was the result of innovative Chinese farmers who understood how to use water and irrigation techniques in the West. (They also used new water techniques to mine gold in the hills; creating "Chinese walls" of stones that can still be located in the Gold Country.) Never boring; this is a wonderful book for a gift. Highly recommended.
