This Is (Not) L.A.: An Insiders Take on the Real Los Angeles: Debunking the Cliches, Crushing the Haters, and Generally Making You Wish You Lived Here

by Jen Bilik, Kate Sullivan, Jonathan Gold

Think you know L.A.? Dive into this expert debunking that disproves myths and clichés about the world's most misunderstood city—then, like, think again.

Foreword by food critic Jonathan Gold and bitchin' cover blurb from L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti
Full of little-known factoids about the City of Angels—for example, L.A. has more PhDs than any other city in the U.S.!
By Jen Bilik (a 20-year L.A. resident) with Kate Sullivan (an L.A. native!), actually written IN Los Angeles, coincidentally where Knock Knock’s global HQ is located!
Paperback; 8.5 x 6.25 inches, 168 pages

Genres: Nonfiction

159 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2018

Reviews

[Ymar Solamo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I'm going to have to buy a book. I came close to buying a book last year but when I couldn't find We Are Legion(We Are Bob) at the Last Bookstore I gave up. Not long after I found a copy of it at the city library and thus was spared. Hey books are expensive and they take up so much space.

I aim to read 97 this year but will likely only read 80. That would cost me at least $800 and three to four shelves. As it stands I don't even display half of my books they're boxed up and in storage for lack of shelf space.

But now I'm gonna have to buy this book despite it's odd layout. I hated how I had to flip the book one way then another. Maybe I'll get two copies even, because one won't last very long what with all the juggling you go through to read it. I may even have to spend more money to maintain the book get it rebound. More likely I'll just back it up digitally. I've always wanted to learn how to make a CBZ or PDF archive.

At the least I'll spare myself the effort of explaining why Los Angeles rocks. It's a lot easier to refer to this book whenever anyone disputes the reality of living in Los Angeles. They can spend their time reading and I can spare myself the effort of argument.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Bay Area native and 20-year California expat who finds herself suddenly moving to L.A. in an act of mid-life reinvention, it seems I tick multiple “target readership” boxes for This Is (Not) L.A.
And how lucky am I—skeptic, snob, studious seeker—for this book to arrive, just in my hour of urgent need. Yes, it’s a coffee table book that travels easily to the bathroom. But more, it’s approachable, engaging, and self-assured in ways that make it hard to put down. With great layout, color, photos, and graphics, the book invites you to dive in anywhere, flip forward or backward, and follow your visual curiosity to some new “mindblower” about the city most of us love to hate. Still it’s the writing that captures your imagination and makes the book so persuasive. The author’s voice is effortlessly witty and confident, informed by her own observations and research, animated by a crusader’s love and determination to set the record straight. Can’t say I’m in love with L.A. yet, but she’s got me thinking anything is possible.

[Wendy Fontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun insider's guide to LA - it's history, its culture, its misunderstandings. I learned a few things (LA is not a desert, the migration route that turned into Wilshire Blvd., etc.) and found a few things I already knew (LA has great food). Full of great photos too. I was going to give this as a gift, but I like it so much I'm keepin' it!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, funny, inventive, honest, and vastly entertaining, this is a book that every Angeleno should have.