Dreams and Schemes: My Decade of Fun in the Sun

by Steve López

Dreams and Schemes: My Decade of Fun in the Sun is a collection of Lopez's most controversial, irreverent, trouble-making, and heart-warming columns. He writes through the eyes of the region and its people, unflinchingly taking on the movers and shakers, and poking about in places where other reporters wouldn t dare go. This collection offers an entertaining and insightful look into the workings of modern-day life that will delight not only people who know the players and locations well, but will resonate with people anywhere because people, politics, and situation that catch Lopez's eye are universal. Whether read straight through, read at random, or read aloud to share with someone, the columns will amuse and enlighten all readers

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2010

About the author

Steven M. López (born 1953) is an American journalist who has been a columnist for The Los Ángeles Times since 2001. He is the son of Spanish and Italian immigrants.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unless you have a long memory, or live in Los Angeles, most people are unaware of this award winning journalist. In my younger days I followed Steve's columns in the Philadelphia Inquirer and was devastated that his wonderful writer moved back to his home state of California where he now works for the Los Angeles Times. He continues to have a sharp eye, tongue and wit for local matters and when I found out that he had published a book that contains many of his columns I quickly bought it.
Steve is a wonderful observer and writer, and California is a great place for stories. This book is filled with the comic, ironic, tragic, motivational and inspirational columns he has written. I am still chuckling over how he was able to use the HOV lane when needed by paying a young Hispanic man to drive along with him. He was a day laborer and he made more motoring with Steve for 45 minutes than he did in a days labor. Win, win for both parties. We also get the column about the couple who was ordered to trim their trees as directed by the Fire Department, only to later discover that according to a municipal ordinance he was not allowed to trim those trees and thus they were fine over $330,000!!!! More than their house was worth at the time. We read of Mae LaBorde who began acting at age 93!! As well as a Mexican family that used the proceeds from their Taco restaurant to pay for their two daughters college, medical and law school costs, all at $1.95 per taco. We follow his sisters battle with cancer and a homeless man he befriends who is a master cellist. It is a wonderful collection of columns, and you do not have to know the people to understand their stories. Just a great read and one that I was able to read a few columns per night. Super effort!

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lopez has a lively voice that keeps his paragraphs moving. His topics shift too, from politics to slices of life to human interest. In an early one, he hires a day laborer to fill his passenger seat so he can take the carpool lane. Several of the later ones are about the city's marginalized, including a half-dozen about the homeless musician who went on to inspire his book "The Soloist." In the concluding column, they're invited to the White House.

[Makereal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for what it is. I keep this by my bed and read one article a night! It's like chocolate but fat-free and somehow it makes me feel more connected to the city I live in. Steve Lopez is a little loopy and a little naive and that makes for a perfect muckracker. Somehow he talks the LA Times into paying for him to fly to Texas and NY when he needs to track people down. I copied 5 or 6 of these (unbalanced!)articles about Villaraigosa to bring my teenage LA loving daughter up to date for when she returns from college in a few weeks. I gave a copy to my dad in N.C. for his birthday along with the Soloist DVD so we could share a little about big city living.

[Jessica Maximo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually more interesting then I originally thought it was going to be. Granted I had to read it for my class but it was in fact very enjoyable. I will not give any details on the book but I will say it is a good read and you should definitely pick it up.