New Books

Early Cupertino (CA) (Images of America)
by Mary Lou Lyon


2006
ISBN-10: 0738531413
128 pages
in English
Paperback

A priest with Juan Batista de Anza’s expedition in 1776 named a wild creek  where the group camped after St. Joseph of Cupertino, Italy. A village known  as Westside adopted the name in 1904 as it grew up by that stream, now Stevens Creek, near the road that is now De Anza Boulevard. Like its Italian namesake, Cupertino once had wineries, and vineyards striped its foothills and flatlands. Later vast orchards created an annual blizzard of spring blossoms, earning it the name Valley of Heart’s Delight. The railroad came to carry those crops to market, and the electric trolley extended to connect Cupertino’s first housing tract, Monte Vista. When the postwar building boom came, Cupertino preserved its independence through incorporation, but that bold move would not stop the wave of modernization that would soon roll over the valley.

African Americans of San Jose and Santa Clara County (Images of America)
by Jan Batiste Adkins,
Foreword by Dr. Steven Millner

2019
ISBN-13: 9781540237217
130 pages
in English
hardback

The rich history of people of African heritage in the Santa Clara Valley began as early as 1777, and in the 1800s, a lively black community took root. By the Great Migration in the 1900s, neighborhoods in San Jose, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara became home to many African Americans from Southern and Midwest states who were seeking new opportunities. By the 1960s, African Americans found jobs in the emerging technology industry, at Ford Motor Company, and in public service agencies. African Americans pursued degrees at San Jose State College (SJSC), the University of Santa Clara, Stanford University, and community colleges located in the Santa Clara Valley. SJSC’s athletic programs opened the door for student athletes, while Dr. Harry Edwards, John Carlos, and Tommy Smith took on civil rights challenges. The complicated history of the black community throughout Santa Clara County has mirrored the nation’s slow progress towards social and economic success. This progress is captured in the presented images chronicling individual stories of political struggle, success, and triumph.

Cupertino Chronicle
edited by Linda Sharman Schultz

2002
ISBN: none
?? pages
in English
Paperback

A collection of memoirs and details of early Cupertino history, including early agriculture, wineries, local businesses, notable individuals and families, schools, and community and religious centers.

Voices from the Railroad:
Stories by descendants of Chinese railroad workers
coedited by Connie Young Yu and Sue Lee

2019
ISBN-10: 1885864604
100 pages
in English
Paperback

CHSA’s book Voices from the Railroad: Stories by descendants of Chinese railroad workers reveals the stories of Chinese railroad workers and their descendants. These stories have never been told outside of their families: until now. Learn about Chin Lin Sou, Hung Lai Woh, Jim King, Lim Lip Hong, Lee Ling & Lee Yik-Gim, Lee Wong Sang, Lum Ah Chew, Mock Chuck, & Moy Jin Mun, workers of the Central Pacific Railroad. No longer nameless, faceless workers lost to history, their stories will shatter misconceptions about the Chinese who helped build America. This 100-page book features first-hand narratives by railroad worker descendants Gene O. Chan, Montgomery Hom, Carolyn Kuhn, Paulette Liang, Russell N. Low, Sandra K. Lee, Andrea Yee, Vicki Tong Young, and Connie Young Yu.

Toward the Golden Mountain
curated by John Handley

1997
ISBN: none
?? pages
in English
Paperback

Excerpt from Preface Chinese began immigrating to the territory of California during the Gold Rush era. What brought the Chinese here was the same thing that brought scores of people from many nations – opportunities not available to them back home. In the midst of many obstacles and injustices, the Chinese who stayed and endured during that first century realized some of their dreams. Many more simply gave up and returned to China, or died in pursuit of their dreams. The story of the Santa Clara Valley in the larger picture of California history is about the enduring work of many people over a period of some 147 years. This includes the story of Chinese Americans who immigrated here or were born here, making the Valley their home. They worked hard along side others to make the Valley a better place. These pioneers have long since died, but they left behind evidence of their lives: Chinatowns; an established agricultural base; fishing companies; canneries; mines; industries of all kinds – this is California – this is the Valley. But it doesn’t stop here because the story of the Chinese Americans in the Santa Clara Valley is hardly a dead one. It is as alive and vibrant as the Chinese Americans who make this place their home today.

The History of Cupertino High School
The First 60 Years 1958-2018
by Wes Morse

2018
ISBN: none
?? pages
in English
Hardback with dust jacket

The City of Cupertino was formally established in 1955 and one of its goals was to establish a high school in its own name. Three years later, that “dream was fulfilled.” Trusted to the hands of a young and charismatic principal, the school strove to become “#1” through achievement, community engagement, and innovation. The history of any school is the history of those people that populate it. This book looks back at the achievements of the students, staff, and community members that have all made the school what it was and is today. The book also looks at the issues that affected those Pioneers at different points in history. For most students they remember their four years very intimately, but if you were to look at your school’s history from a broader view? What would you learn?

A Poetic Portal to Chinese Culture
by Crystal Tai

2019
ISBN-10:1949736016
ISBN-13: 978-1949736014
172 pages
in English
Paperback

Poetry is the most concise and precise expression of a culture. A Poetic Portal to Chinese Culture is therefore your smartest start to learn everything deep down inside of the world’s most populated country with the longest continuous history on earth. Each chapter of the book features four or five classical Chinese poems along with elegant English translations to portray a particular theme of Chinese culture. With 12 chapters named after the months of the year, this book takes the reader through an imaginary calendar year to experience one Chinese festival after another. It will familiarize the reader with all the Chinese holidays and seasonal customs through the year while presenting breathtaking photos as illustrations. It’s definitely a delightful and insightful read!

The Last of the Prune Pickers:
A Pre-Silicon Valley Story
by Tim Stanley

2010
ISBN-10: 098423912X
240 pages
in English
Paperback

Not long before the Santa Clara Valley of California was known for silicon, the Valley was largely covered with orchards. There were orchards of pears, apricots, cherries, walnuts and the king of them all—prunes. Most of the orchards were part of small family farms, and there were thousands of them. This is the story of what preceded those farms, how they came into being, and how they thrived. It is also the story of one of the last of those farms, of the farmer, and of some of the young boys and girls who had the privilege of working for him. We were among the last of the prune pickers.

Fields of Dreams
Women of Cupertino 1855-1925
by Laura Bajuk

1997
ISBN: none
?? pages
in English
Paperback

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From the Ground Up
How Business Grew in Cupertino
curated by Leslie Mehren

1998
ISBN: none
?? pages
in English
Paperback

description…

Poverty of Affluence
The Story of the Mariani Family in California
by David Mariani

2019
ISBN-10: 1733146156
?? pages
in English
Paperback

“POVERTY OF AFFLUENCE” is nonfiction family history in Silicon Valley. The family’s agrarian roots and perspective give the reader a view of Silicon Valley from the inside looking out rather stories about Silicon Valley from outside looking in.

From its origins as risk-takers along the Mediterranean trade routes at the time of Homer through its settling in the Santa Clara Valley, California and establishment of internationally successful fruit growing and real estate enterprises, the Mariani family’s story is emblematic of the American success story. Specifically, it is the story of the origins and fulfillment of the entrepreneurial spirit that defined Silicon Valley and continues to nurture its growth.

It is also a deeply personal story addressing the challenges of losing a patriarch, sibling rivalry, sexual abuse, pain and forgiveness, fortunes gained and lost all woven in a series of life lessons between a roller coaster of adventures behind the Iron Curtain, working in leper colonies, three-legged horses, giant earthworm, beheadings, and revolutions.

In POVERTY OF AFFLUENCE, I follow the immigrant journeys of my distant and immediate ancestors as well as my journey all the while shedding light on the major trends and movements in the growth of the world around us. It’s a story peopled not only by my family but by the major influencers such as David Packard, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Wozniak, Andy Grove, Gene Amdahl with whom we crossed paths. Embedded in these stories are different meanings behind poverty and the meaning behind affluence whether entertaining royalty, heads of state, celebrities or the gardeners and janitors. It is a universal story of the discovery of oneself through life lessons. In this way, the book provides a detailed fabric of Silicon Valley’s culture and a rare, inside, panoramic view of a place that continues to enthrall in popular media and the imagination.

The Human Touch
A History of Early Cupertino
Through the Illustrations of
A Peter Emig
by Wes Morse

2020
ISBN: none
?? pages
in English
Hardback

Reproductions of a regular illustrated weekly newspaper column on significant people of Cupertino. Artist was a German immigrant, who after many stops across America landed up in Cupertino. Clear consistent style with interesting stories.

Patchwork History
The People’s Bicentennial Quilt
by Connie Young Yu

2010
ISBN-10: 0982557701
ISBN-13: 978-0982557709
?? pages
in English
paperback

description…

Wheels of Change:
From Zero to 600 M.p.h.:
the Amazing Story of California and the Automobile
by Kevin Nelson

2009
ISBN-13: 978-1597141130
400 pages
in English
paperback

Winner of the Valentine Memorial Award for Excellence in Automotive History and a finalist for Best Book of the Year by the Los Angeles Motor Press Guild, Wheels of Change is the story of automobiles in California from the horseless carriage era of the 1890s to the jet cars of the 1960s. And what a story it is! Award-winning author Kevin Nelson brings to life the personalities that have helped shape this story, from all-time great race driver Barney Oldfield, to design marvel Harley Earle (creator of the Corvette), to Hollywood stars such as Steve McQueen and James Dean, who drove hard, lived hard, and loved fast automobiles. Nelson covers the birth and growth of hot rodding in California, dry lakes racing, automobiles in movies, motor racing on the Coast, automobile races from New York to California, George Barris, Dean Jeffries and the development of the custom car craze, “low-riding,” Californian Craig Breedlove and his “Spirit of America” land speed racer, and so much more in this wonderfully written and researched history.

The Odyssey of a Manchurian
by Belle Yang

1996
ISBN: 0-151-00175-8
305 pages
in English
Hardcover with dust jacket

Excerpt of Summary
The author recounts her father’s dramatic flight from his native village in Manchuria during China’s civil war, fighting his way amid a wave of suspicion, paranoia, and greed that arose with the imminent Communist takeover.
D.E. Perushek,
Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, Ill.

Sandlot Stories
by Marcella Parsons & Steven Hayes Young

2003
ISBN: 0-9740636-7-3
192 pages
in English
Paperback

See the international passion for baseball through the eyes of children who played. With these uniquely personal accounts, given by dozens of people from across the world, Sandlot Stories invites its readers into the lives of everyday people as they look back and remember the great American game. Each story is woven around its own place and time, whether a town, a backyard, or a street, from 1910 through the 1980’s. The stories are spread across the entire U.S. from East to West, including Alaska and Hawaii, and a few are even from Japan. Some focus on the game, the rules, or even the ball, while others are about people and their relationships. This is a book about hometowns, small and large, experienced through the game of sandlot baseball. The book is broken into three sections: Opening Pitch – stories about childhood sandlot games and the rules used; Seventh Inning Stretch – stories about childhood baseball and how baseball is part of adult life for the writer; and finally the most surprising stories in the third section, The Game That Never Ends – stories in which the writer had a profound life or spiritual experience around playing baseball.