The nation's third largest state sprawls over 163,707 square miles and boasts 58 counties, from gigantic San Bernardino to tiny San Francisco. This former Los Angeles Times columnist focuses on what makes each unique. A remarkable patchwork of out-of-the-way places and everyday people. "[He] has the skills of a Paul Harvey, Charles Kuralt, or Charles Osgood in being able to spin stories that grab one from the first sentence."—Library Journal