San Francisco Bay: Portrait of an Estuary

Rating:
Summary: The Bay I thought I knew...
Review: I bought this book as a fan of David Sanger's photography. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sanger and Hart were able to show me parts of the area I've lived in for 20+ years that I did not know existed. While San Francisco Bay is an exceedingly urban area, it also abounds in wilderness and wildlife. I was particularly taken with the descriptions of several ways of daily life in and on the bay.

The tone of the book is factual without being dry. John Hart's writing style felt like a wonderful conversation with someone I've known a long time. I learned a great deal about how the bay is changing and why those changes are occuring. There are several very detailed maps of the bay that correspond to the areas discussed and I referred to them often. The photographs are exquisite. The bay is always beautiful in those golden hours before sunrise and sunset and David Sanger must have spent a great deal of time to capture so many evocative images.

After reading through the book and spending time with the images, I felt like I wanted to participate in the restoration of this unique area. The appendicies are helpful, offering a list of 20 places to visit and a comprehensive list of agencies and organizations that are central in the preservation and restoration of the bay. All in all, a very satisfying book.