They say you can learn a lot about people by looking at their book and CD collections. Well, if you go to Amazon.com, you can actually search by city to see what its biggest sellers are. It’s a virtual dip into the living rooms of Danville, Pinole, and El Sobrante — places we heretofore could only imagine in our dreams. The souls of the inhabitants can be seen in the nonfiction they read, and the heartbeat of each city pulses in its music. So read on, and along the way we might just learn a little bit about ourselves in this crazy patchwork quilt we call the East Bay.
ALAMEDA
Most popular nonfiction book: The Primer of Drug Addiction: A Concise, Nontechnical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs
Most popular CDs: This Is Alice Music, Vol. 4; Bill Evans, The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings Live; Mamma Mia, Musical Based on the Songs of Abba, cast recording
ALBANY
Book: The Inner World of Trauma: Archetypal Defenses of the Personal Spirit
Music: The Beatles, Abbey Road; the Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed; the Beatles, Let It Be
ANTIOCH
Book: The Courage of Their Convictions: Sixteen Americans Who Fought Their Way to the Supreme Court
Music: The Mark and Brian Show, Little Drummer Boys; Britney Spears, Oops, I Did It Again; N’Sync, No Strings Attached
BERKELEY
Book: Models of Capitalism: Growth and Stagnation in the Modern Era
Music: Renata Scotto, Italian Opera Arias; Himalaya, soundtrack; The Art of the Prima Donna, Thomas Augustine Arne, composer
CASTRO VALLEY
Book: Bargain Hunting in the Bay Area
Music: Nneena Freelon, Soulcall; David Benoit, Professional Dreamer; Chris Isaak, Forever Blue
CONCORD
Book: Bay Area Backroads
Music: Mamma Mia Soundtrack; Brooks and Dunne, Steers and Stripes; Survivor: Official Soundtrack
DANVILLE
Book: No Matter How Loud I Shout: A Year in the Life of Juvenile Court
Music: Mamma Mia, Soundtrack; Abba, Forever; Abba, Gold
EL CERRITO
Book: The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity
Music: Jimmie Dale Gilmore, One Endless Night; Ken Burns, Jazz box; The Sound of Music, original soundtrack
EMERYVILLE
Book: The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
Music: Euphoria, Euphoria; the Supreme Beings of Leisure, The Supreme Beings of Leisure; Kruder & Dorfmeister, The K&D Sessions
FREMONT
Books (Nerd alert: we have to include at least four): Calculus of a Single Variable; Assembly Language Programming and Organization; Fiber Optic Test & Measurement; Math Steps: Level 5
Music: KKSF Sampler; Asia, Asia; Classic Williams, Romance of the Guitar
HAYWARD
Book: Diabetes for Dummies
Music: The Time, Ice Cream Castle; AC/DC, High Voltage; Mamma Mia soundtrack
HERCULES
Book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money — That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Music: Beatles, 1; Sade, Lovers Rock ; Sarah Brightman, La Luna
LAFAYETTE
Book: Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leases
Music: Mamma Mia, soundtrack; Abba, Gold; Huey Lewis and the News, Time Flies: The Best of Huey Lewis and the News
MARTINEZ
Book: Weight Watchers Simply the Best: 250 Prizewinning Family Recipes
Music: Mamma Mia, soundtrack; Matchbox Twenty, Mad Season; Wonder Boys: Music from the Motion Picture
OAKLAND
Book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Home Security
Music: Various, This Is Alice 4; Bill Evans, The Last Waltz; the Persuasions, Sing the Grateful Dead
ORINDA
Book: Memoirs of an Ex Prom Queen
Music: Mamma Mia soundtrack; Renee Fleming, Sings Puccini; America, Greatest Hits
PINOLE
Book: The O’Reilly Factor: The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life
Music: Beatles, 1; Eric Clapton and B.B. King, Riding with the King; Sade, Lovers Rock
PLEASANT HILL
Book: The Doomsday Book
Music: Mamma Mia soundtrack; Santana, Supernatural; Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas
RICHMOND
Book: To Place Our Deeds: The African-American Community in Richmond, CA, 1910-1963
Music: The Persuasions, Sing Frank Zappa; the Persuasions, Sing the Grateful Dead; Susana Baca, Eco de Sombras
SAN LEANDRO
Book: Hell’s Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger
Music: Andrea Bocelli, Romanza; Camelot soundtrack; Sade, Lovers Rock.
SAN PABLO
Book: Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and Your Life
Music: Sade, Lovers Rock; Beatles, 1; Eric Clapton and B.B. King, Riding with the King
WALNUT CREEK
Book: A New Brand of Expertise: How Independent Consultants, Free Agents, and Internal Managers Are Transforming the World of Work
Music: Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine; Abba, Gold; Ruben Gonzales, Chanchullo
Looks like the Swedish invasion has indeed hit the hinterlands, albeit via Abba instead of the Sahara Hotnights. Sounds good to me.
