Entries by Santa Monica Press

The Spirit of a Woman : Stories to Empower and Inspire








The Spirit of a Woman : Stories to Empower and Inspire





Terry László-Gopadze





June 2010




288




$16.95




Biography & Memoir




5 1/2 x 8 1/2




Trade Paper

Extraordinary Stories of Women’s Strength and Creativity
Combining storytelling and courageous honesty, The Spirit of a Woman: Stories to Empower and Inspire is an indispensable resource for every woman, providing inspiring stories of female creativity and compassion for those who want to lead lives full of meaning and purpose.

Consisting of approximately two dozen nonfiction essays—by authors such as Lauren Artress, Christina Baldwin, Bobbi Gibb, Mama Donna Henes, Jyoti, Dr. Gladys McGarey, Suni Paz, Hagit Ra’anan, Janet Grace Riehl, and Sheri Ritchlin—the book is a celebration of courageous women living spiritual lives in the face of challenging circumstances. Each story is unique and demonstrates the art of storytelling at its best.

The women who wrote the stories come from many nations, ages, and personal histories. They have encountered the difficulties that are part of a fully lived life, and instead of fleeing the unknown, they have honored the mystery and faced fear with faith. They see closed doors as openings to new choices and possibilities. They are spiritual optimists and activists, fighting for causes that resonate deep within their souls. Some have used the backgrounds of their cultures and traditions to lead richer, more meaningful lives. Some have moved from one faith to another or even to many other faiths. Others have left tradition behind to encounter spirituality in new and wonderful ways. And every single one of them sees life as a sacred trust.

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Terry László-Gopadze

Stan Levey: Jazz Heavyweight








Stan Levey: Jazz Heavyweight





Frank R. Hayde Foreword by Charlie Watts





March 2016




224




$24.95




50 photos




Music




9781595800862




6 x 9




Hardcover

Stan Levey is widely considered to be one of the most influential drummers in the history of modern jazz. During his extraordinary career, the self-taught Levey played alongside a who’s who of twentieth century jazz artists: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Art Tatum, Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Lester Young, Thelonius Monk, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald—the remarkable list goes on and on, and includes dozens of the most distinguished names in the annals of jazz and popular music.

Jazz Heavyweight follows Levey’s prolific and colorful life, from his childhood days in rough-and-tumble North Philadelphia as the son of a boxing promoter and manager with ties to the mob, to his stint as a professional heavyweight boxer, to his first gig as a drummer for Dizzy Gillespie at the tender age of sixteen and his meteoric rise as one of the most sought-after sidemen in the world of bebop, to his membership in the Lighthouse All-Stars and his prominent role in the creation of West Coast Jazz.

Jazz Heavyweight is one of the few books to offer a true insider’s view of some of the most pivotal events in the history of jazz. First-hand accounts of Levey’s tenure as the backbone of what jazz critic Leonard Feather called “the first genuine all-bebop group to play on 52nd Street” provide fresh insights into that ground-breaking band. Levey’s legendary trip to California with Gillespie and Parker to introduce bebop to jazz fans in Los Angeles has passed into the realm of the mythic: Bird ended up staying behind, set fire to his hotel room, and was subsequently institutionalized in Camarillo State Mental Hospital.

Coinciding with his years anchoring the Lighthouse All-Stars, Levey recorded over two thousand tracks while doing session work with such vocalists as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, and Barbra Streisand. Levey ended his music career as a prolific player on literally thousands of motion picture and television show soundtracks under the direction of such legendary composers as Lalo Schifrin, Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, and Andre Previn.

Jazz aficionados will relish Jazz Heavyweight for its new, never-before-published information about such hugely influential musicians as Parker, Gillespie, and Davis, while jazz neophytes will find a fast-paced, colorful encapsulation of the entire history of modern jazz. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking an up-close-and-personal look at jazz in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Frank R. Hayde Foreword by Charlie Watts

The Steamer: Bud Furillo and the Golden Age of L.A. Sports








The Steamer: Bud Furillo and the Golden Age of L.A. Sports





Andy Furillo Foreword by Tommy Lasorda





May 2016




312




$24.95




50 photos




Sports




9781595800886




6 x 9




Hardcover

For nearly sixty years, Bud Furillo wrote and talked about sports in Southern California. For fifteen of those years, he authored a popular column for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner called The Steam Room, which gave him the nickname that lasted him for the rest of his life—”the Steamer.”

As a reporter, columnist, editor, and pioneer of sports talk radio, the Steamer dished out insight and understanding to Southern California sports fans while Los Angeles grew into a sports empire. On his watch, L.A. acquired the Rams from Cleveland, the Dodgers from Brooklyn, and the Lakers from Minneapolis. He covered them all while they won championships for the city. It was the same with USC football, UCLA basketball, the horse races, and boxing matches—champions flourished, and the Steamer chronicled it all. He helped shape the Los Angeles sports scene as it achieved world-class status. Furillo brokered trades, saved coaches’ jobs, helped show others to the door, tweaked the owners, encouraged and promoted franchise moves, and even worked as a cut man for an L.A. fighter who defended his title in Madrid!

The Steamer reported on the golden age of L.A. sports, writing about events and athletes that have long since seared themselves into the memories of Southern California sports fans, from the greatest generation to its baby-booming offspring. They were the years of Sandy Koufax no-hitters, Elgin Baylor yo-yoing on the dribble, and Sam Cunningham going over the top four times for touchdowns against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

It was the roar of the Olympic Auditorium on Thursday nights, Bill Walton dropping a high lob pass into the hoop for UCLA against Memphis State, and Native Diver winning another stakes race at Hollywood Park. Vin Scully’s voice wafted from foul pole to foul pole on cool and comfortable summer nights, when transistor radios lifted his words into the Chavez Ravine sky—”Russell to Lopes to Garvey: Double play!” On winter evenings, the transistor carried the more rapid-fire style of Chick Hearn, as he described Jerry West driving left to right across the radio dial, stopping on a dime, losing his defender, and rising up and swishing a jump shot to win yet another game at the buzzer.

The Steamer spun his work with whimsy and spiced it with insight. Through his writing, he passed along the insider knowledge he gained from his close relationships with players, coaches, managers, owners, jockeys, trainers, fighters, and celebrities. He earned their trust and they gave him access, which he then turned into brilliant and entertaining columns where he was able to share his own hard-core love of sports and appreciation of athletic greatness with his loyal readers.

During a heated pennant race with the Giants, Koufax broke Bob Feller’s single-season strikeout record on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Dodger Stadium. After the game, in the dugout, Koufax sought a moment of peace to absorb his accomplishment, away from the madness; he invited Furillo to stick around awhile and share it with him.

The Lakers showcased two of the most exciting players in basketball history in Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, but L.A. needed Wilt Chamberlain to finally win a title. Along with beating the Knicks for the championship with two bad hands, the barefooted Dipper used them in the kitchen of his home in Trousdale Estates to prepare a shrimp dish for the Steamer.

Furillo regularly joined John McKay and other writers at a bar across the street from the USC campus in the years when the coach revived the Trojans’ football dynasty. The revered John Wooden didn’t gather sportswriters around him for drinks like McKay did, but the humble and intense coaching genius did introduce the Steamer to star players like Bill Walton. Furillo took Walton to lunch and reported that there was more to the kid than blocking shots and triggering the fast break, that he thought deeply about the toughest issues of his day, including America’s problem with race relations.

In The Steamer: Bud Furillo and the Golden Age of L.A. Sports, Furillo’s son, Andy, himself a long-time newspaperman, uses his father’s lens to give focus to the city’s rise as a sports empire. The Steamer is a history of a great sports town at its most dynamic, told from the point of view of a streetwise, fun-loving sports fanatic who stood at the center of it all and used his phenomenal access to reveal the inside story of the greatest athletes and teams to ever play in Los Angeles.

Andy Furillo Foreword by Tommy Lasorda

Things You Can Do While You’re Naked :  








Things You Can Do While You’re Naked :  





Jaime Andrews and Jessica Doherty





January 2007




112




$12.95




Full Color Photos Throughout




Humor




9781595800169




7 x 9




softcover

Things You Can Do While You’re Naked is a simple how-to guide for everyday tasks—except that these tasks are all done in the nude! The book is divided up into the following sections:

• For the Naked Chef
• For the Naked Housekeepers
• For the Naked Businessman
• For the Naked Sports Enthusiast
• For the Naked Handyman
• For the Naked Fitness Guru
• For the Naked Man of Leisure
• For the Naked Romantic
• Random Acts of Nakedness

You’ll howl with laughter as you look at photo collages of Naked Guy while he shares his tips and techniques for “Naked Shadow Puppeteering,” “Naked Cleaning Your Hunting Gun,” “Naked Texas Hold ‘em,” “Naked BBQ’ing,” “Naked Knitting,” “Naked Pilates,” “Naked Vacuuming,” “Naked Filing,” “Naked Tax Evasion,” “Naked Crown Molding Installation,” ‘Naked Aromatic Candle Lighting,” and “Naked Ordering Take-Out.”

Things You Can Do While You’re Naked entices readers to laugh not only at the pictures, but also at themselves. In a society filled with images of perfect-figured models and individuals obsessed with diets, the book reminds people to not take their bodies too seriously. The Naked Guy featured in the book is an “average Joe,” whose ability to be comfortable in his own skin contributes enormously to the humorous tone of the book. People of all shapes and sizes will easily laugh at Naked Guy doing everyday activities in the nude.

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Jaime Andrews and Jessica Doherty

The Third Tower Up from the Road : A Compilation of Columns from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency’s Kevin Dolgin Tells You About Places You Should Go








The Third Tower Up from the Road : A Compilation of Columns from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency’s Kevin Dolgin Tells You About Places You Should Go





Kevin Dolgin





June 2009




312




$16.95




Travel




209781595800435




5 ½ x 8 ½




Paperback

The Third Tower Up from the Road is a humorous and entertaining collection of travel essays made up of old favorites as well as new commentaries from Kevin Dolgin’s popular McSweeney’s Internet Tendency column, "Kevin Dolgin Tells You About Places You Should Go." The work celebrates the distinctive qualities of locales the world over, and each globetrotting essay focuses on a specific place, capturing the flavors and cultures through individual observations and exceptional experiences.

Funny, irreverent, and insightful, these writings eschew the bland, touristy veneer experienced by most travelers as they seek to discover what is special and unique about each destination.

Covering a wide range of places and interests, from unusual experiences and humorous traveler’s foibles to voyages that are intensely personal and moving, the selected columns include "The Best Falafel in the World: Beirut, Lebanon," "The Door to Hell: Paris, France," "Kafka’s Erotic Dream: Prague, Czech Republic," "The Nesting Habits of Roman Cars: Rome, Italy," "Of Romans and Pussycats: Provence, France," and "The Third Tower Up from the Road: Huanghuacheng, China."

Also featured is "The Corsican Swallowtail: Corsica, France," which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

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Kevin Dolgin

The Three Stooges : Hollywood Filming Locations








The Three Stooges : Hollywood Filming Locations





Jim Pauley Foreword by Leonard Maltin





December 2012




336




$39.95




Hundreds of photos




Film & TV




1595800700




11.3 x 8.6




Hardcover

Exploring the film settings of one of the most popular comedy teams in American history, The Three Stooges: Hollywood Filming Locations documents the sites of the Stooges' most famous Columbia Pictures short films made in and around Hollywood between 1934 and 1958.

These famous and hilarious shorts are covered in detail through a wealth of archival photographs, many of which are rare and previously unpublished. Also included are candid shots, vintage publicity stills, screen captures from films, contemporary photographs, aerial views, and maps detailing the various filming locations.

Featuring exclusive quotes from the Three Stooges' directors, supporting actors, and family members, this collection is a treasure trove of memorabilia for the Stooges fan and an important document in Hollywood's cinematic history

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Jim Pauley Foreword by Leonard Maltin

Tiki Road Trip, 2nd Edition : A Guide to Tiki Culture in North America








Tiki Road Trip, 2nd Edition : A Guide to Tiki Culture in North America





James Teitelbaum foreword by Sven A. Kirsten & cover Art by Shag





May 2007




336




$16.95




Hundreds of Black-and-White Photos




Travel, Pop Culture




209781595800190




6 x 9




Trade Paper

Exotic Natives, Passionate Potions, & Pagan Idols Await!

The 2nd edition of Tiki Road Trip has been completely updated, expanded, and globalized. The best—and only—guide to Polynesian Pop culture, written by Tiki expert and urban archaeologist James Teitelbaum, now contains even more listings and reviews of Tiki bars and Polynesian restaurants, even more photographs, and even more drink recipes. The International listings have been expanded as well, and the Hawaiian glossary is much more comprehensive. All in all, the second edition ofTiki Road Trip is a superior refinement of what was already an indispensable book for followers of the ever-growing Tiki movement.

From Tiki godfathers Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic to classic Exotica favorites Martin Denny and Les Baxter to contemporary Tiki artists Shag and Bosko, this resource covers everything Tiki in prose that is witty, entertaining, and essential for anyone who has ever stepped up to a bar, glanced up at the pufferfish hanging from the ceiling, and ordered a Singapore Sling.

In addition to the exhaustive listings, recipes for classic Tiki cocktails, a glossary of Tiki terms, and resources for buying Tiki goods and artifacts are also included. Reminiscences of famous points of interest that have closed are provided for the completist, for historical perspective, and for those seeking information on the current status of a favorite Tiki site which may have closed.

So slip on your grass skirt or Aloha shirt, because Tiki Road Trip is going to take you on a tour of the Tiki universe that will make waves from the shores of Rapa Nui to the beaches of Oahu!

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James Teitelbaum foreword by Sven A. Kirsten & cover Art by Shag

Tower Stories : An Oral History of 9/11








Tower Stories : An Oral History of 9/11





Damon DiMarco





August 2007




528




$27.95




Dozens of Black-and-White Photos




Reference & Social Sciences




6 x 9




Hardcover

Damon DiMarco's Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11 eternally preserves a monumental tragedy in American history through the voices of the people who were in Lower Manhattan and elsewhere in New York City on that fateful day.

The stories DiMarco has collected come from a diverse group of human beings: individuals who managed to escape from the Towers; the bereaved of 9/11; the policemen, firemen, paramedics, reporters, and volunteers who risked their lives to help others; eyewitnesses who stood in shock on the streets below the Towers; WTC structural engineers, political experts, political dissidents, small business owners, and, of course, children whose lives will be forever impacted by the horror and chaos they witnessed.

In the tradition of Studs Terkel, DiMarco's moving oral history chronicles the stories of everyone from the small group of people who miraculously made it safely down from the 89th floor of Tower 1 to the New York Times reporter trying desperately to fight her way through the fleeing crowds into Lower Manhattan, to the paramedic who set up a triage area 200 yards from the base of the Towers before they collapsed to the ordinary citizens of New York City who tried to get on with their lives in the days following the tragic event.

This expanded second edition of DiMarco's literary time capsule includes follow-up interviews that track contributors' lives in the years since 9/11, as well as dozens of never-before-published photographs.

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Damon DiMarco

Turn Up the Radio! : Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972








Turn Up the Radio! : Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972





by Harvey Kubernik Foreword by Tom Petty Afterword by Roger Steffens





April 2014




336




$45.00




Hundreds of Color and Black-and-White Photographs




California, Music




9781595800794




10 x 12




Cloth

Combining oral and illustrated history with a connective narrative, Turn Up the Radio! captures the zeitgeist of the Los Angeles rock and pop music world between the years of 1956 and 1972.

Featuring hundreds of rare and previously unpublished photographs and images of memorabilia, this collection highlights dozens of iconic bands and musicians, including the Doors, the Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, CSN, the Monkees, the Rolling Stones, Ike and Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Sam Cooke, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Thee Midniters, Barry White, Sonny and Cher, and many others.

But recording artists heard on the AM and FM dial are only one part of the rich history of music in Los Angeles. Turn Up the Radio! digs deep to uncover the studio musicians, background vocalists, songwriters, producers, and engineers who helped propel the Los Angeles rock and pop music scene to such a legendary status. Bones Howe, Barney Kessel, Hal Blaine, B. J. Baker, Merry Clayton, Jack Nitzsche, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Jim Keltner, Bobby Womack, Kim Fowley, Bruce Botnick, Dave Gold, and Stan Ross are just a few of the names recognized for their crucial contributions to the music created and produced in the recording studios of Los Angeles.

Finally, Turn Up the Radio! pays tribute to the DJs who brought the music of Los Angeles to fans throughout Southern California—and, ultimately, the world—including Art Laboe, Dave Hull, Robert W. Morgan, the Real Don Steele, Jim Ladd, Dave Diamond, Elliot Mintz, and Dick Clark. Their dedication to the music they played at such iconic radio stations as KHJ, KFWB, KRLA, KMET, and KLOS was critical to the development of popular music.

Packed with exclusive interviews, this one-of-a-kind keepsake of rock, pop, and roll in the City of Angels is a must-have for any music fan.

 

by Harvey Kubernik Foreword by Tom Petty Afterword by Roger Steffens

The Ultimate Counterterrorist Home Companion : Six Incapacitating Holds Involving a Spatula and Other Ways to Protect Your Family








The Ultimate Counterterrorist Home Companion : Six Incapacitating Holds Involving a Spatula and Other Ways to Protect Your Family





Zack Arnstein and Larry Arnstein





September 2007




192




$12.95




24 Black And White Illustrations




Humor




9781595800251




5 1/2 x 8 1/2




Trade Paper

We all know how our government is fighting global terrorism, but what are you doing to help? Probably not much.

The Ultimate Counterterrorist Home Companion can change that. It’s the definitive guide to how you can be a soldier in the War on Terrorism without having to leave your kitchen. This illustrated manual will expertly train you and your entire family in:

• Spying on your neighbors
• Turning common household objects into useful terror-fighting weapons
• Baking your way to homeland security
• Making your antiterrorism drills more kid friendly
• Planting booby traps and land mines in your home and garden
• Strategic mail-opening strategies
• Making your own color-coded terrorism alert chart

From the moment you get up in the morning (at a different time every day to keep attackers off balance!) to your final closet and under-the-bed check at night, you’ll want to keep The Ultimate Counterterrorist Home Companion close at hand. (In fact, if you don’t buy this book, you are acting in a suspicious manner, in our opinion!)

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Zack Arnstein and Larry Arnstein

Vanity PL8 Puzzles : A Puzzle Book Where You Solve the Vanity Plates








Vanity PL8 Puzzles : A Puzzle Book Where You Solve the Vanity Plates





Michelle Mazzulo





June 2008




96




$8.95




Humor




209781595800381




8½x5½




Trade Paper

A Puzzle Book So Irresistible We Guarantee You Won’t Be Able to Put It Down!

Unique Book Combines Vanity Plates and Puzzles!With nearly 200 puzzles to solve, Vanity PL8 Puzzles offers drivers, passengers, armchair travelers, and puzzle enthusiasts ample opportunities to sharpen their word skills while having fun at the same time.

Author Michelle Mazzulo merges the popular pastime of puzzle solving with a unique form of personal expression: the vanity plate. Together, this combination produces an irresistible concept in word puzzles.

The book features such innovative brainteasers as:

ISHLPKDS (I schlep kids)

UEEEEA (Euphoria)

AUYLOKS (Goldilocks)

HIOFSIR (Hi Officer)

Vanity PL8 Puzzles will provide hours of amusement and challenge your puzzle-solving skills.

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Michelle Mazzulo

“We’re Going to See the Beatles!” : An Oral History of Beatlemania as Told by the Fans Who Were There








"We’re Going to See the Beatles!" : An Oral History of Beatlemania as Told by the Fans Who Were There





Garry Berman





April 2008




288




$16.95




Music




9781595800329




6x9




Trade Paper

“Garry Berman does a great job of presenting the story of the Beatles—from the invasion to the breakup and beyond—through the eyes of dozens and dozens of fans who were witnesses to it all.”
—Mark Lapidos, founder and producer of The Fest for Beatles Fans

“We’re Going to See the Beatles!” presents the story of Beatlemania in America as experienced by their most devoted fans.

“We’re Going to See the Beatles!” includes anecdotes from those who cheered the group as they arrived at Kennedy Airport in 1964, who kept vigil for them outside the Plaza Hotel, and who sat in the studio audience of The Ed Sullivan Show for the band’s landmark first live TV broadcast. Other fans detail what it was like to see the Beatles in one of their rare concerts at such famous venues as Shea Stadium and Candlestick Park.

From the earliest whispers about the band to the Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and from their subsequent tours and albums to their breakup, author Garry Berman has collected stories from the fans who witnessed the hysteria firsthand. Contributors from around the United States also share photographs and mementos to help create a richly detailed and entertaining oral history.

What emerges is a highly personal account of the Beatles and their incredible impact on music and popular culture.

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Garry Berman

What’s Buggin’ You? : Michael Bohdan’s Guide to Home Pest Control








What's Buggin' You? : Michael Bohdan's Guide to Home Pest Control





Michael Bohdan





June 1998




256




$12.95




How-To & Reference




9781891661013




5 3/8 x8 3/8




softcover

From Michael Bohdan's Introduction:
"Insects have been around for millions of years, and have demonstrated time and again an incredible ability to survive and thrive in great numbers. As a professional exterminator, I can't say I'm altogether upset about this fact. After all, my livelihood depends on the reproductive powers of house and garden bugs. But I'm guessing you could care less about the sex lives of tiny pests, and are more interested in how you can rid yourself of undesirable critters invading your house and yard. In this book, I'll teach you my tricks of the trade, tell you a little bit about myself and my industry, and give you some tips and insights on the safest and most effective ways to control pests. Hopefully, we'll have some fun, too!"

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Michael Bohdan

When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care : Traditional and Alternative Healing Methods








When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care : Traditional and Alternative Healing Methods





Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith





June 2008




456




$19.95




How To & Reference




9781595800312




6x9




Trade Paper

From the Authors of A House Rabbit Primer and Rabbit Health in the 21st Century

When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care is an illustrated guide to the care and behavior of rabbits with special needs. The book provides information on topics as diverse as how to administer subcutaneous fluids to a rabbit and how sounds and color help promote healing.

Quotes from top rabbit veterinarians and alternative healing practitioners from across the country are included, as are useful tips from rabbit owners who have had experience in dealing with particular medical conditions. The text is illustrated with both photographs and drawings, making it easy for readers to follow.

Authors Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith provide pet owners with special-needs rabbits with information on basic care, pain control, digestive system problems, chronic illnesses, physically challenged rabbits, progressive disabilities causing mobility problems, dental care, elderbuns, and emotional issues.

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Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith