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La Mirada began with a vision. Andrew McNally, of the mapmakers Rand McNally and Company, saw the beautiful rolling hills as the perfect place to grow olives and lemons and purchased 2,600 acres of land that would become the modern city it is today. Originally planned as a collection of country estates, the area attracted dairy farmers and citrus growers who operated alongside the McNally Ranch, well known for its olive oil. During the building boom after World War II, families flocked to the area, drawn by idyllic spaces like Neff Park, and voted to incorporate in 1960. Join authors Glen Cantrell and Raymond Fernandez as they share the story of a thriving La Mirada.

The wooden pier, tree-lined Main Street and ocean views, coupled with a prosperous and happy community, led Forbes "magazine to name Seal Beach one of the five friendliest towns in America. Getting there, however, was a bumpy adventure. Starting in the 1860s as Anaheim Landing, the first seaport in what would become Orange County, it soon became a summer retreat for squatters and illegal saloons. Despite the efforts of real estate developers to turn the town into an amusement resort and an early center for aviation and motion pictures, Seal Beach became neighboring Long Beach's tavern, brothel and gambling destination. But order and prosperity eventually prevailed to create today's quiet residential city. Join author Larry Strawther as he tracks Seal Beach's evolution from raucous port to cherished community."

University Park is one of Los Angeles's most diverse and historic neighborhoods. Beginning with the founding of the University of Southern California in 1880, the area has hosted two Olympic Games and numerous presidents and been featured as a backdrop for dozens of movies, along with countless other events of cultural and historical significance. Few areas in Southern California boast such a wide variety of historic buildings--residential, educational and commercial--dating to LA's earliest days. With USC as its anchor, University Park thrives as a microcosm of LA's culture, architecture and development from an outpost accumulating settlers into one of the world's great cosmopolitan metropolises. Join author Charles Epting on this historical inventory of University Park's significant moments and lasting legacy.