Mark Arax's Books

The Dreamt Land

Chasing Water and Dust Across California

By: Mark Arax

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The Dreamt Land

Chasing Water and Dust Across California

By: Mark Arax

A vivid, searching journey into California's capture of water and soil—the epic story of a people's defiance of nature and the wonders, and ruin, it has wrought Mark Arax is from a family of Central Valley farmers, a writer with deep ties to the land who has watched the battles over water intensify even as California lurches from drought to flood and back again. In The Dreamt Land, he travels the state to explore the one-of-a-kind distribution system, built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, that is straining to keep up with California's relentless growth. The Dreamt Land weaves reportage, history and memoir to confront the "Golden State" myth in riveting fashion. No other chronicler of the West has so deeply delved into the empires of agriculture that drink so much of the water. The nation's biggest farmers—the nut king, grape king and citrus queen—tell their story here for the first time. Arax, the native son, is persistent and tough as he treks from desert to delta, mountain to valley. What he finds is hard earned, awe-inspiring, tragic and revelatory. In the end, his compassion for the land becomes an elegy to the dream that created California and now threatens to undo it.

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578

Publisher

Vintage

Published Date

ISBN 10

1101910194

ISBN 13

9781101910191

West of the West

Dreamers, Believers, Builders, and Killers in the Golden State

By: Mark Arax

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West of the West

Dreamers, Believers, Builders, and Killers in the Golden State

By: Mark Arax

Teddy Roosevelt once exclaimed, "When I am in California, I am not in the West. I am west of the West," and in this book, Mark Arax spends four years travelling up and down the Golden State to explore its singular place in the world. This is California beyond the cliché This is California as only a native son, deep in the dust, could draw it. Compelling, lyrical, and ominous, his new collection finds a different drama rising out of each confounding landscape. "The Summer of the Death of Hilario Guzman" has been praised as a "stunningly intimate" portrait of one immigrant family from Oaxaca, through harrowing border crossings and brutal raisin harvests. Down the road in the "Home Front," right-wing Christians and Jews form a strange pact that tries to silence debate on the War on Terror, and a conflicted father loses not one but two sons in Iraq. "The Last Okie in Lamont," the inspiration for the town in the Grapes of Wrath, has but one Okie left, who tells Arax his life story as he drives to a funeral to bury one more Dust Bowl migrant. "The Highlands of Humboldt" is a journey to marijuana growing capital of the U.S., where the old hippies are battling the new hippies over "pollution pot" and the local bank collects a mountain of cash each day, much of it redolent of cannabis. Arax pieces together the murder-suicide at the heart of a rotisserie chicken empire in "The Legend of Zankou," a story included in the Best American Crime Reporting 2009. And, in the end, he provides a moving epilogue to the murder of his own father, a crime in the California heartland finally solved after thirty years. In the finest tradition of Joan Didion, Arax combines journalism, essay, and memoir to capture social upheaval as well as the sense of being rooted in a community. Piece by piece, the stories become a whole, a stunning panorama of California, and America, in a new century.

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369

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PublicAffairs

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786741481

ISBN 13

9780786741489

The King Of California

J.G. Boswell and the Making of A Secret American Empire

By: Mark Arax,Rick Wartzman

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The King Of California

J.G. Boswell and the Making of A Secret American Empire

By: Mark Arax,Rick Wartzman

The fascinating story of a cotton magnate whose voracious appetite for land drove him to create the first big agricultural empire of the Central Valley of California, and shaped the landscape for decades to come. J.G. Boswell was the biggest farmer in America. He built a secret empire while thumbing his nose at nature, politicians, labor unions and every journalist who ever tried to lift the veil on the ultimate "factory in the fields." The King of California is the previously untold account of how a Georgia slave-owning family migrated to California in the early 1920s,drained one of America 's biggest lakes in an act of incredible hubris and carved out the richest cotton empire in the world. Indeed, the sophistication of Boswell 's agricultural operation -from lab to field to gin -- is unrivaled anywhere. Much more than a business story, this is a sweeping social history that details the saga of cotton growers who were chased from the South by the boll weevil and brought their black farmhands to California. It is a gripping read with cameos by a cast of famous characters, from Cecil B. DeMille to Cesar Chavez.

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Page Count

550

Publisher

PublicAffairs

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786752793

ISBN 13

9780786752799

In My Father's Name

By: Mark Arax

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In My Father's Name

By: Mark Arax

On January 2, 1972, Mark Arax's childhood came to a sudden, explosive end when his father was shot to death at his nightclub in Fresno, California. It was one of the most sensational murders in California's heartland, and it was never solved. Mark, only fifteen years old at the time, was left with a legacy of questions: Were the rumors about his father true? Had he led a double life? Was he killed because of his dealings with the underworld? Mark Arax, an award-winning journalist at the Los Angeles Times, now writes a searing, intensely personal account of his twenty-two-year search for answers about his father's life and death, and his own identity. As the oldest child, Mark was thrust into the role of patriarch. His quest for answers began in high school, when he sought out his father's father, an Armenian immigrant. His grandfather opened a window into an old country world full of promise and heartbreak -- and four generations of eccentric family members. Two decades later, Mark uprooted his wife and baby and returned to Fresno under an assumed name to try and determine who killed his father and why. Fearing for his own life, he discovers his father was murdered just before he was going to make a startling disclosure. More than a true-life murder mystery, more than an exploration of family and culture, In My Father's Name is the poignant story of one man's remarkable journey as he uncovers long-hidden secrets about his father, his family, his heritage, and the town he once called home.

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404

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

0671010026

ISBN 13

9780671010027

In My Father's Name

By: Mark Arax

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In My Father's Name

By: Mark Arax

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404

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Simon and Schuster

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ISBN 10

0671010026

ISBN 13

9780671010027

The Dreamt Land

Chasing Water and Dust Across California

By: Mark Arax

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The Dreamt Land

Chasing Water and Dust Across California

By: Mark Arax

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578

Publisher

Vintage

Published Date

ISBN 10

1101910194

ISBN 13

9781101910191

West of the West

Dreamers, Believers, Builders

By: Mark Arax

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West of the West

Dreamers, Believers, Builders

By: Mark Arax

Teddy Roosevelt once exclaimed, ''When I am in California, I am not in the West, I am west of the West,'' and in this book, Mark Arax sets out to explain just what TR meant. His is a compelling, sometimes ominous portrait of a place and its people who are often surviving on the edge, reliving history, and losing their way in the promised land: ''The Summer of the Death of Hilario Guzman'' is a deeply-felt portrait of an immigrant family from Oaxaca, followed through harrowing border crossings and raisin harvests; ''the Last Okie of Lamont,'' (the inspiration for the town featured in The Grapes of Wrath) has only one Okie left, who tells Arax his life story as he drives to a funeral to bury one more Dust Bowl migrant; and ''Highlands of Humboldt'' is a visit to the marijuana growing capital of the U.S., where the local bank collects a sizeable daily deposit of cash, most of which reeks of marijuana.Combining hard-hitting reporting and stellar writing, Arax captures both the atmosphere of social upheaval and the sense of being rooted in a community. Once you meet the people portrayed in this book, you won't forget them.

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Page Count

442

Publisher

ReadHowYouWant.com

Published Date

ISBN 10

1459613643

ISBN 13

9781459613645

The King Of California

J.G. Boswell and the Making of A Secret American Empire

By: Mark Arax,Rick Wartzman

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The King Of California

J.G. Boswell and the Making of A Secret American Empire

By: Mark Arax,Rick Wartzman

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Page Count

550

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PublicAffairs

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786752793

ISBN 13

9780786752799

Animal, Vegetable, Junk

A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal

By: Mark Bittman

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Animal, Vegetable, Junk

A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal

By: Mark Bittman

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and pioneering journalist, an expansive look at how history has been shaped by humanity's appetite for food, farmland, and the money behind it all--and how a better future is within reach.

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387

Publisher

Houghton Mifflin

Published Date

ISBN 10

1328974626

ISBN 13

9781328974624

The New Urban Sociology

By: Mark Gottdiener,Randolph Hohle,Colby King

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The New Urban Sociology

By: Mark Gottdiener,Randolph Hohle,Colby King

Widely recognized as a groundbreaking text, The New Urban Sociology is a broad and expert introduction to urban sociology that is both relevant and accessible to students. Organized around an integrated paradigm, the sociospatial perspective, this text examines the role played by social factors such as race, class, gender, lifestyle, economics, and culture on the development of metropolitan areas, and integrates social, ecological, and political economy perspectives and research into this study. With its unique perspective, concise history of urban life, clear summary of urban social theory, and attention to the impact of culture on urban development, this book gives students a cohesive conceptual framework for understanding cities and urban life. The sixth edition of The New Urban Sociology is a major overhaul and expansion of the previous editions. This edition is packed with new material including an expansion of the sociospatial approach to include the primary importance of racism in the formation of the urban landscape, the spatial aspects of urban social problems, including the issues surrounding urban public health and affordable housing, and a brand new chapter on urban social movements. There is also new material on the importance of space for social groups, including immigrants and the LGBTQ community, as well as the gendered meanings embedded in social space.

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Page Count

408

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

0429534663

ISBN 13

9780429534669

Bleating Hearts

The Hidden World of Animal Suffering

By: Mark Hawthorne

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Bleating Hearts

The Hidden World of Animal Suffering

By: Mark Hawthorne

Comprehensive and hard-hitting, Bleating Hearts examines the world’s vast exploitation of animals, from the food, fashion, and research industries to the use of other species for sport, war, entertainment, religion, labor and pleasure. ,

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Page Count

608

Publisher

John Hunt Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1780998503

ISBN 13

9781780998503

A Bone to Pick

The good and bad news about food, with wisdom and advice on diets, food safety, GMOs, farming, and more

By: Mark Bittman

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A Bone to Pick

The good and bad news about food, with wisdom and advice on diets, food safety, GMOs, farming, and more

By: Mark Bittman

Since his New York Times op-ed column debuted in 2011, Mark Bittman has emerged as one of our most impassioned and opinionated observers of the food landscape. The Times’ only dedicated opinion columnist covering the food beat, Bittman routinely makes readers think twice about how the food we eat is produced, distributed, and cooked, and shines a bright light on the profound impact that diet—both good and bad—can have on our health and that of the planet. In A Bone to Pick, Mark’s most memorable and thought-provoking columns are compiled into a single volume for the first time. As abundant and safe as the American food supply appears to be, the state of our health reveals the presence of staggering deficiencies in both the system that produces food and the forces that regulate it. Bittman leaves no issue unexamined; agricultural practices, government legislation, fad diets, and corporate greed all come under scrutiny and show that the issues governing what ends up in our market basket and on our tables are both complex and often deliberately confusing. Unabashedly opinionated and invariably thought provoking, Bittman’s columns have helped readers decipher arcane policy, unpack scientific studies, and deflate affronts to common sense when it comes to determining what “eating well” truly means. As urgent as the situation is, Mark contends that we can be optimistic about the future of our food and its impact on our health, as slow-food movements, better school-lunch programs, and even “healthy fast food” become part of the norm. At once inspiring, enraging, and enlightening, A Bone to Pick is an essential resource for every reader eager to understand not only the complexities inherent in the American food system, but also the many opportunities that exist to improve it.

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274

Publisher

Clarkson Potter

Published Date

ISBN 10

0804186553

ISBN 13

9780804186551

Flavors of Empire

Food and the Making of Thai America

By: Mark Padoongpatt

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Flavors of Empire

Food and the Making of Thai America

By: Mark Padoongpatt

One night in Bangkok" : food and the everyday life of empire -- "Chasing the yum" : food procurement and early Thai Los Angeles -- Too hot to handle? restaurants and Thai American identity -- "More than a place of worship" : food festivals and Thai American suburban culture -- Thailand's "77th province" : culinary tourism in Thai Town

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Page Count

270

Publisher

Univ of California Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0520293746

ISBN 13

9780520293748

Exploring Corrections in America

By: John T. Whitehead,Mark Jones,Michael C. Braswell

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Exploring Corrections in America

By: John T. Whitehead,Mark Jones,Michael C. Braswell

Exploring Corrections in America provides a thorough introduction to the topic of corrections in America. In addition to providing complete coverage of the history and structure of corrections, it offers a balanced account of the issues facing the field so that readers can arrive at informed opinions regarding the process of corrections in America. Each chapter is enhanced by an outline, "what you need to know," internet links, photos, boxes, "ethics focus," discussion questions, and further readings.

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Page Count

662

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

143775547X

ISBN 13

9781437755473

The New Urban Sociology

By: Michael T. Ryan,Ray Hutchison,Mark Gottdiener

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The New Urban Sociology

By: Michael T. Ryan,Ray Hutchison,Mark Gottdiener

Widely recognized as a groundbreaking text, The New Urban Sociology is a broad and expert introduction to urban sociology that is both relevant and accessible to the student. A thought leader in the field, the book is organized around an integrated paradigm (the sociospatial perspective) which considers the role played by social factors such as race, class, gender, lifestyle, economics, culture, and politics on the development of metropolitan areas. Emphasizing the importance of space to social life and real estate to urban development, the book integrates social, ecological and political economy perspectives and research through a fresh theoretical approach. With its unique perspective, concise history of urban life, clear summary of urban social theory, and attention to the impact of culture on urban development, this book gives students a cohesive conceptual framework for understanding cities and urban life. In this thoroughly revised 5th edition, authors Mark Gottdiener, Ray Hutchison, and Michael T. Ryan offer expanded discussions of created cultures, gentrification, and urban tourism, and have incorporated the most recent work in the field throughout the text. The New Urban Sociology is a necessity for all courses on the subject.

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Page Count

411

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

0429974035

ISBN 13

9780429974038

Star Trek FAQ

Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise

By: Mark Clark

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Star Trek FAQ

Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise

By: Mark Clark

Star Trek FAQ tells the complete story of Star Trek, from the before the beginning (the books, films, and TV shows that inspired producer Gene Roddenberry to create Star Trek) until after the end (when the show emerged as a cultural phenomenon in syndication), and including dramatic behind-the-scenes stories (e.g., Leonard Nimoy's struggle with alcoholism and actress Grace Lee Whitney's controversial firing) often omitted from “authorized” histories of the program. Along with in-depth looks at the pre- and post-Trek careers of the show's iconic leads, Star Trek FAQ includes profiles of guest stars and “redshirt” extras alike, as well as the many writers, technicians, and artisans whose efforts enabled Star Trek to take flight. The book also explores the show's unprecedented resurgence in the 1970s with chapters devoted to early Star Trek fiction, merchandising, and the short-lived animated series. Combining a wealth of fascinating information about every facet of the show's production with original analysis of Star Trek's enduring appeal and cultural influence, Star Trek FAQ goes where no Star Trek book has gone before.

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Page Count

564

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

1557839646

ISBN 13

9781557839640

A Revolution in Fragments

Traversing Scales of Justice, Ideology, and Practice in Bolivia

By: Mark Goodale

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A Revolution in Fragments

Traversing Scales of Justice, Ideology, and Practice in Bolivia

By: Mark Goodale

The years between 2006 and 2015, during which Evo Morales became Bolivia's first indigenous president, have been described as a time of democratic and cultural revolution, world renewal (Pachakuti), reconstituted neoliberalism, or simply “the process of change.” In A Revolution in Fragments Mark Goodale unpacks these various analytical and ideological frameworks to reveal the fragmentary and contested nature of Bolivia's radical experiments in pluralism, ethnic politics, and socioeconomic planning. Privileging the voices of social movement leaders, students, indigenous intellectuals, women's rights activists, and many others, Goodale uses contemporary Bolivia as an ideal case study with which to theorize the role that political agency, identity, and economic equality play within movements for justice and structural change.

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Page Count

195

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1478007230

ISBN 13

9781478007234

Trouble Down the Creek

By: Mark R. Littleton

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Trouble Down the Creek

By: Mark R. Littleton

While exploring Rocky Creek, a group of Christian sixth-grade children become friends with an African American brother and sister from the projects, and they join forces against a drug-dealing gang leader.

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Page Count

212

Publisher

Chariot Victor Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0781400821

ISBN 13

9780781400824

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