Golden Dreams and Leaden Realities is a travel story and an account of the man who got on a in the quest of discovering gold ship that had taken passage for California and got dragged away from the harbor. Excerpt from the Golden Dreams and Leaden Realities "It was a cold grey day; the deck of the Leucothea was sloppy with melting snow, and littered with chaotic little piles of luggage, among which the passengers wandered up and down like a hundred cats smelling about in a strange garret."

Michael Night is an aging professional student looking for a way out of a small town, and away from a loving girlfriend who increasingly wants more from him. And he's also a Doors fan with ambition. But he doesn't know how to act upon it, or even admit them to himself, until, inspired by friends who tell him he looks like Jim Morrison, and a chance meeting with Ray Manzarek he takes a chance on his dream and starts a Doors cover band. He sidetracks a band on their road to fame, and together they experience the exhilaration of being a Rock n' Roll band on tour, from the long hours, the agents, the travel, the groupies, record company executives and the growing ego of Michael Night, until they're offered the gig of their Rock n' Roll dreams. On the road Michael meets and falls in love with Caitlin Stewart, daughter of legendary guitarist Jerry Osprey, but she doesn't trust his motives, does he truly love her, or is she a career move for Michael? Or even a collectible? They're carried to the doors of stardom when the band plays in Los Angeles where Michael meets former child star Jimmy Stark who shows him the monster fame, celebrity and stardom can be, crashing studios and parties Michael assembles an entourage of has been's and wanna be's . Then Michael Night and the band meet their destines on the stage of the Whisky a-go-go! And when it's all over Michael Night is afforded the last stage he has.

A collection of essays on mining and economic development in California from the Gold Rush through the end of the 19th century. This is the second in a series of four volumes comemmorating the state's sesquicentennial.