Bay Area Books As with all things of great beauty, the Bay Area has inspired libraries full of books over the years -- novels, histories, guidebooks, poetry and more. Following is a sampling of some particular favorites. Environment History and Culture | Environment | Outdoor Activities | Fiction and Poetry Natural State: A Literary Anthology of California Nature Writing   Edited by Steven Gilbar This anthology celebrates the most geographically diverse state with a stunning diversity of writing. Selections range from Indian creation myths to diary entries to excerpts from novels, from authors as varied as John Muir, M.F.K. Fisher, and Jack Kerouac. This is a book not just for nature lovers, but for anyone who savors fine writing. --NRDC Staff Wild California: Vanishing Lands, Vanishing Wildlife   by A. Starker Leopold, Raymond F. Dasmann (editor), Tupper Ansel Blake (photographer) This beautiful coffee table book captures the state's vanishing lands and vanishing wildlife in soul-stirring prose and unforgettable color photographs. The contents are testament to the richness and variety of the Californian landscape and the amazing array of wildlife it supports. Bay Area readers may be surprised by the biological wealth just outside their front doors. --Dwight Holing Dwight Holing is a Bay Area writer who specializes in environmental, natural history, and travel topics.