"Big Sur and the Canyon," set on California's Central Coast, is a thrilling, at times humorous tale of perhaps the most magnificent terrain in America's national forests. High adventure mix with poetic and vivid descriptions of life in the backcountry-the interior of the Ventana Wilderness. Forest fires, camping, backpacking, near death experiences, along with the spiritual intensity of what Livingstone calls his 'cathedral of the forest" dot these pages in the midst of the great freedom hikers and horsemen know in the wild and beautiful interior: redwood canyons, streams and waterfalls, to the high open dry country along the Coast Ridge a mile above the vast blue Pacific. Steinbeck referred to these mountains as 'Eden," and as the 'dark and mysterious Santa Lucias," in his great novel, "East of Eden." In this book with its many descriptions, the Ventana is the Garden of Eden. An arduous and sometimes dangerous teacher, but truly free.What they say about Best Selling Author Harrison Edward Livingstone's novels and non-fiction: 'A triumph!"-"The New York Times" about "David Johnson Passed Through Here," under the pen name of John Fairfield.About "The Wild Rose" 'A foursquare sea novel in the tradition of Herman Melville"-Prof. William Alfred, Harvard University.'Very good writing"-"Publisher's Weekly"'Monumental Investigation!"-"The Guardian"

Big Sur and the Canyon, set on California's Central Coast, is a thrilling, at times humorous tale of perhaps the most magnificent terrain in America's national forests. High adventure mix with poetic and vivid descriptions of life in the backcountry-the interior of the Ventana Wilderness. Forest fires, camping, backpacking, near death experiences, along with the spiritual intensity of what Livingstone calls his 'cathedral of the forest" dot these pages in the midst of the great freedom hikers and horsemen know in the wild and beautiful interior: redwood canyons, streams and waterfalls, to the high open dry country along the Coast Ridge a mile above the vast blue Pacific. Steinbeck referred to these mountains as 'Eden", and as the 'dark and mysterious Santa Lucias", in his great novel, East of Eden. In this book with its many descriptions, the Ventana is the Garden of Eden. An arduous and sometimes dangerous teacher, but truly free. What they say about Best Selling Author Harrison Edward Livingstone's novels and non-fiction: 'A triumph!"-The New York Times about David Johnson Passed Through Here, under the pen name of John Fairfield. About The Wild Rose: 'A foursquare sea novel in the tradition of Herman Melville"-Prof. William Alfred, Harvard University. 'Very good writing"-Publisher's Weekly 'Monumental Investigation!"-The Guardian

A poignant masterpiece of wrenching personal expression from the acclaimed author of On the Road “In many ways, particularly in the lyrical immediacy that is his distinctive glory, this is Kerouac’s best book . . . certainly he has never displayed more ‘gentle sweetness.’”—San Francisco Chronicle Jack Kerouac’s alter ego Jack Duluoz, overwhelmed by success and excess, gravitates back and forth between wild binges in San Francisco and an isolated cabin on the California coast where he attempts to renew his spirit and clear his head of madness and alcohol. Only nature seems to restore him to a sense of balance. In the words of Allen Ginsberg, Big Sur “reveals consciousness in all its syntactic elaboration, detailing the luminous emptiness of his own paranoiac confusion.”

Each year millions of people visit the area of rugged California coastline and wild mountains known as Big Sur. Finally here is a book that is both a natural history of this beautiful region and an excellent guide to its extensive public lands. The first section introduces the area's geology, climate, flora, fauna, and human history. The second section describes selected sites, trails, and features that are mentioned in Part One. Although Big Sur is world famous for awe-inspiring scenery, it is less known for its great ecological diversity and its significance as a haven for many species of terrestrial and marine wildlife. In no other part of the world do fog-loving coastal redwoods thrive on one slope of a canyon while arid-climate yuccas grow on the other. Similarly, sea otters and cormorants live near dry-climate creatures like canyon wrens and whiptail lizards. The area's staggering beauty and forbidding wilderness have inspired artists, poets, naturalists, and hikers—and also real estate developers. As increasing tourism, development pressure, and land-use decisions continue to affect Big Sur, this book will do much to heighten awareness of the region's biotic richness and fragility. Written in nontechnical language, with generous color photographs, drawings, maps, species lists, and a bibliography, it will attract both the casual and the serious naturalist, as well as anyone concerned about preserving California's natural heritage.

"Fueled by coffee and pea soup, Jack Kerouac speed-typed On the Road in just three weeks in April 1951. He'd been travelling America for the past ten years and now, at last, the energy of his experiences flowed through his fingertips in a mad rush, pealing forth on a makeshift scroll that he laboriously taped together. The On the Road scroll became literary legend, and now Burning Furiously Beautiful sets the record straight, uncovering the true story behind one of America's greatest novels. Burning Furiously Beautiful explores the real lives of the key characters of the novel-- Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty, Carlo Marx, Old Bull Hubbard, Camille, Marylou, and others. Ride along on the real-life adventures through 1940s America that inspired On the Road. By tracing the evolution of Kerouac's literary development, this book explains how it took years--not weeks--to write the seemingly sporadic 1957 novel. Through new research and exclusive interviews, this revised and expanded edition of Jack Kerouac's American Journey (2007) takes a closer look at the rise of Jack Kerouac and the beat generation, giving insight into Kerouac's family roots, his time at sea, the shocking murder that landed Kerouac in jail, his romances, and his startlingly original writing style."--Back cover.