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Rating: 
Summary: This is the Bible for hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains
Review: It lists all the major hikes, with complete descriptions
of how to get to the Trailhead and how to do the hike.
It includes a nice map with altitude contours that show
every hike, as well as some general background on the
San Gabriels. (The USGS topo maps are still highly recommended.)
The book has one glaring omission - there is no table of
hikes listed by mileage and altitude gain. Also, an
updated edition is overdue (the latest edition was published
in 1990, resulting from hikes in 1989 and earlier).
See
http://sd.znet.com/~schester/angeles_mtns/index.html
for an attempt to remedy those deficiencies.
The book is still a must-have for anyone hiking in the
San Gabriels.
Rating:
Summary: Best info on hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains
Review: The 1998 edition (which has updated the trails since the 1990 edition referred to in the review below) contains 100 trails in the San Gabriel Mtns., primarily in the Angeles National Forest. While it is apparent that Robinson has not visited some of the trails in some time, most of the trail descriptions are up to date. While not an excellent map, the map that comes with the book is adequate for most purposes. An excellent resource.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the best book for getting someone started with hikin
Review: This book is da bom
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Guide To The San Gabriels
Review: This book was very usefull in getting me started hiking in the local mountains the San Gabriels and I take it with me everytime I go up ! The maps are great and directions are clear and concise.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for a Southern California hiker
Review: This is an excellent, no nonsense hiking guide. it's the one I use the most often and consult before any hike. John Robinson is one of the gurus of Southern California hiking and his guides are usually dependable, accurate and full of information that will ensure your safety while in the mountains. He provides an adequate history of each hike, driving directions and fairly precise descriptions of where to locate each trailhead. It's important to note that some of his information is outdated; for example, you always must display your Forest Adventure Pass when parking your car in a California National Forest. Robinson doesn't mention this because his guide was written before the Pass became "essential."Another strength of this book is that Robinson usually provides separate descriptions of various ways to summit, as well as three alternate treks to the peak and this is a valuable tool for the experienced hiker. He tells you how to get to mt. Wilson by the standard route and then the alternate routes. He does the same for San Jacinto, perhaps the premiere hike in Southern California (as well as the most arduous!) The guide is tailored towards seasoned hikers and if you're a neophyte, this probably wouldn't be your best choice. But if you love to hike and live in the L.A. area, the Robinson guide provides indispensible information. Highly recommended.
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