Books by Kevin Hile

California is the country's most populous state. The home of the entertainment industry and silicon valley. It's known for its beaches, its redwood forests, and as the land of fruit and nuts. Its people, industries, politicians, climate, and allure captivates the world and draws millions of visitors each year. Exploring the states fascinating history, people, myths, culture, and trivia, The Handy California Answer Book takes an in-depth look look at this fascinating, quirky, and diverse state.Learn about the original Indigenous peoples, the Spanish explorers, the independence from Spain, the secession from Mexico, the Gold Rush, the building of the Los Angeles Aqueducts, the earthquakes, the water shortages, and much, much more. Tour landmarks, learn about famous sons and daughters, the sports teams, and the unique character of the state through a combination of facts, stats, and history, as well as the unusual and quirky. This comprehensive guide to California answers more than 1,100 intriguing questions, including How did Eureka! become the state motto? Why is a grizzly bear on the state flag when no grizzlies exist in California? Was the coast of California ever attacked by pirates? How did Silicon Valley become a center for the high tech industry?

Fully updated with the latest advances in meteorology as well as an additional section on climate change, this comprehensive reference addresses all aspects of weather in an accessible questionandanswer format. All the basic elements of weather are discussed, as are all types of weather phenomena and the science of forecasting. In addition, the relationships between weather and oceanography, geology, and space science are expertly covered. Included are more than 1,000 questions and answers such as, Has a hurricane ever struck southern California? Could our oceans have originated in space? and What is bioclimatology? This resource is an ideal reference for students, teachers, and amateur meteorologists.