A collection of photographs of the steps, lanes, and paths of Mill Valley, California. The book includes short descriptions and reflections, as well as an account of city policy regarding the restoration and maintenance of these steps, lanes, and paths.

Since the 1800s, Mill Valley has attracted spirited freethinkers, entrepreneurs, nature lovers, rabble-rousers, and more than a few rock stars. Early Mill Valley booster Sidney Cushing encouraged tourism with a train up Mount Tamalpais called "the Crookedest Railroad in the World." Laura White, more concerned with protecting Mill Valley's natural beauty than attracting more people, brought the town its "Outdoor Art Club" and a tradition of conservationism. Vera Schultz broke the glass ceiling of local politics in 1946, and in 1973, 10-year-old Jenny Fulle's letter to President Nixon changed the future of America's female athletes. When an elementary school teacher named Rita Abrams wrote a song about why she loved Mill Valley, it became a national hit; so did a song about the heart of rock and roll, written by local boy Huey Lewis, who had attended that same school. The stories of Mill Valley's legendary locals--whether from 1890 or 1980--are sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspiring, often humorous, and always fascinating.

Walks of 2 to 10 miles in every corner of Britain.

Experience the abundant history of Britain firsthand with this scenic, thorough, and altogether superlative guide.

Until 1997, author Joseph Howard Tyson did not know that he descended from Germantown's original settlers. This realization deepened his concern for Philadelphia and his appreciation of William Penn's legacy. During the past eight years, he has tried to view the city through Penn's eyes. Penn's Luminous City is Tyson's record of that journey. A devout Quaker, William Penn believed that God's power would manifest more powerfully in a "City of Light." He chose the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers as the site for his Holy Experiment: an ideal society with a model capital city, governed by an assembly, and dedicated to religious toleration. He chose the name Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love, after the devoutly Christian Asia Minor town mentioned by Scripture. Penn regarded the blighted areas as products of human vice. However, Tyson believes that genuine urban renewal requires spiritual regeneration. Positive actions such as slum clearance, creek cleanup, Philadelphia's reconnection with the trail system, and school reformations manifest the healing actions of the "Light." The expansion of Philadelphia's green infrastructure would not only spur redevelopment but improve the city's spiritual condition. Through Penn's Luminous City, Tyson conveys Penn's prophetic vision that still inspires citizens to make the city a better place.