Short description
This handbook focuses on two types of names: those that are well-known destinations or geographical features, and those that have problematic origins, whether Spanish or Native American. Names of the major Indian tribes are also included, as often modern names reflect their influence.
Long description
This handbook focuses on two types of names: those that are well-known as destinations or geographical features of the state, like La Jolla, Tahoe, and Alcatraz, and those that need attention because they have problematic origins, whether Spanish such as Bodega and Chamisal or Native American like Aguanga and Siskiyou. Names of the major Indian tribes of California are included, as often they have been directly adapted as place names and others have been the source of a variety of names.
Review
The definitive guide to the etymology of California's geographical names . . . updates the state's poetic vocabulary and gives compelling proof that place names are not the fixed road-map landmarks that so many assume them to be. -- Santa Cruz Sentinel