The Coasts of California: A California Field Atlas (The California Lands Trilogy, 2)

Lovely art work as well as informative. A truly magical part of the world.

If you are looking for a straightforward guidebook to the California Coasts this isn't for you. If you are interested in the gestalt of our coastal areas this is a marvelous introduction. I love the diversity of the natural beauty of our state and really appreciate the beautiful and sensitive way the author approaches this phenomenon. It is difficult to explain the organization of this book as it is so multi faceted. His watercolors of the creatures are delightful and his watercolor maps contain a wealth of comprehensive information. My one complaint is that the commentary written in script placed in boxes throughout the book aren't very legible. The latter part of the book addresses the present and future challenges of our coasts and nearby ocean and is very informative.This book is a worthwhile investment for anyone who wants to improve their understanding of the coasts they enjoy visiting.

The Coast doesn't belong to us, we belong to the Coast, who grew up along it and in the water. This book does it justice and encourages me to explore further afield.While young, growing up on a Southern California peninsula, I used to have overwhelming visceral (negative) responses to the cold rocky Northern coasts. But having lived and camped by many of them, and having accommodated to the weather, I have to say, there's no Most Beautiful stretch of Coast. They all reveal different wonders and are imbued with the spirits of the indigenous peoples who lived there. This book does the diversity and beauty justice.

A friend recommended this to me. Obi Kaufman's "The Coasts of California". It's illustrated with Kaufman's watercolor drawings. It's comprehensive, well written and even offers some insight into areas that are considered sensitive today. The back cover describes it as "A treasure for any coast lover, this book is a time capsule of enduring and endangered places, a geographic epic bursting with color".It doesn't disappoint.

Extraordinary images, beautiful prose, really quite extraordinary! Bought for my brother and sister-in-law. She is a CA native, and naturalist since birth and liked it! He's a transplant from Colo, an avid researcher, reader, and appreciator of quality narrative.

Beautiful

A unique field guide written in incredible detail and beautifully illustrated with the author's own artwork.

It's a rich & thorough resource with countless lovely hand painted specimens all throughout the book. But the type is quite small, so a bit of a strain for these older ehes, even with glasses. It's only 5 3/4 x 7 3/4! And that's the cover - the pages are 5 1/2 x - 7 1/2