San Francisco's Playland at the Beach by James R. Smith

It’s a rich, kaleidoscopic look at where we are now. Lodha, professor of computer science at UC Santa Cruz, outline the issues in this fact-filled, illustrated volume. Walker, a professor emeritus of geography at UC Berkeley, and Suresh K. It’s also facing serious challenges: environmental issues, overpopulation, energy and water use, poverty. Lodha (University of California Press, $24.95, 128 pages) High-tech leader, agricultural giant, home of the “California Dream” - the Golden State is rich in innovation and resources. “The Atlas of California: Mapping the Challenge of a New Era” by Richard A.Like Hallowell, who has been with her partner since 1982 but was unable to marry until after the court’s ruling, the women offer a sense of how it felt to be denied the right to wed - and what it meant to finally make it to the altar. Bay Area authors Nona Caspers and Joell Hallowell record the experiences of 20 lesbian couples in this frank and often affecting volume of oral histories. When the state Supreme Court determined that California’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, couples who had been waiting years to be legally married took to the streets - and to churches, chapels and courthouses. “Lawfully Wedded Wives: Rethinking Marriage in the 21st Century” edited by Nona Caspers and Joell Hallowell (Triton Books, $60, 315 pages) May 15, 2008, was a turning point for gay and lesbian couples in California.For anyone who ever gaped at the Crazy Mirrors, sat on a burlap sack to zoom down the Giant Slide or listened to the raucous roar of Laffin’ Sal, the book will bring back a boatload of memories. Playland closed in 1972, but this book, illustrated with hundreds of photos, maps and ephemera, is a fine reminder of its attractions. It covers Playland’s glory years, especially its enormous popularity during the 1950s and ’60s. Smith, who explored the park’s beginnings in “Playland at the Beach: The Early Years,” continues the story with this new volume.

In 1921 it officially opened as Chutes on the Beach, and in 1928, it was renamed Playland. The legendary amusement park at Ocean Beach started in the 1880s with a few food stands and entertainments. Smith (Craven Street Books, $22.95, 149 pages) From the Big Dipper to the Strato-Ship, Playland at the Beach was one of the last wild rides in San Francisco.

“San Francisco’s Playland at the Beach: The Golden Years” by James R.

It’s not too late to buy books for the holidays - these new releases by Bay Area authors would be of interest to a wide range of readers.

San Francisco's Playland at the Beach by James R. Smith