East Bay Out: A Personal Guide to the East Bay Regional Parks

by Malcolm Margolin

Book by Margolin, Malcolm

Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: "my copy" is a library binding 1st edition with the subtitle "An unauthorized guide to hiking, camping, swimming and fishing.." That said, this is one of those books I'm kicking myself for a) not reading sooner and b) not actually buying it first (rather than checking it out at the lovely Berkeley Public Library).

This book, (the edition I have in my hands) is written so amazingly beautiful.. you'll want your own copy just for the writing.. Yes, of course you will want to find and visit the current iteration of the parks that are mentioned within, but by all means read it for Margolin's prose. Like Muir (not like Muir at all mind you, but similar, in that) you can feel the heart and voice of the author as he describes each place.. There is a playful joy in Margolin's narrative, I found myself smiling or laughing out loud as he shared personal stories as he discovered small nuances of each place he himself had visited often. I also enjoyed the histories shared behind the spaces before they became parks. Each section is so well written and heartfelt and personal.

This is definitely a 'keeper' book.. one worth the real estate on your bookshelf... but perhaps you'll want to keep it closer to you, so you can re-visit and re-read it when you need to be inspired to get out and about and discover things on your own.

[Nick Klagge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at the "friends of the Berkeley Public Library" book sale, and for $0.50, I couldn't say no. It's an out-of-print, hand-illustrated book from the '70s about some of the small parks in the East Bay near Berkeley. I'm familiar with most of them, but there were a few I hadn't visited. The book is, as the subtitle suggests, very much the author's personal thoughts and experiences with each of these parks. But I also learned some pretty interesting history! As much as I like it, I'll probably return it to the Berkeley used book circle of life so someone else can discover it!

[Zoltan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for newcomers to the East Bay. Read, and then explore your new home.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an achingly sweet set of love letters to some of my favorite public spaces in the East Bay Regional Park District.