Diesel, A Bookstore in Oakland is pleased to present David Swanson as he discusses and signs his new book, Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union, on Sunday, November 22nd, at 3 p.m.

Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood is excited to present University of California Press author Tom Kemper to the shop to discuss and sign his first-of-its-kind new book, Hidden Talent: The Emergence of Hollywood Agents, on Sunday, November 22, at 3 p.m.

Katharine Hepburn, John Wayne, Lauren Bacall — behind each of these stars was a hidden force: the talent agent. In this first-ever history of Hollywood agents, Tom Kemper mines agency archives to present an insider's view on their tooth-and-claw rise to power during the studio era. It's a tale of ambitious characters, savvy calculation, muckraking, financial ruin, and ultimate triumph, and establishes the agent's vital role in the Hollywood business world. Existing studies characterize agents as a product of the 1950s, but Kemper revises the record to show how agents emerged from the primordial film industry during the late 1920s and carved themselves a permanent niche. Through case studies of key figures like Myron Selznick and Charles Feldman, we see that the agent's character and social relationships functioned within a business structure — a good reputation and powerful connections were his most precious assets. With wit and precision, Kemper locates Hollywood agents at the crossroads of talent and profit, and captures their central and enduring role in the burgeoning film industry.

Tom Kemper is Visiting Lecturer at the University of Southern California, and a teacher at the Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.

Book Group #1 meets to discuss Natsuo Kirino's psychologically intricate thriller, Real World, on Tuesday, November 24, at 7pm.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood is excited to host Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl to celebrate the publication of their new Gothic young adult novel, Beautiful Creatures, the story of Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate and their intertwined fates amongst the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South. The launch party will be on Tuesday, December 1st, at 7 p.m.

Please stop by and make this publication party a success!

Diesel, A Bookstore in Oakland is pleased to present Claudia Pruett and Rima Barkett as they discuss, sign, and share a recipe or two from their new cookbook, Cooking Dinner: Simple Italian Family Recipes Everyone Can Make.

Earlier in the day, from 3-4pm, Claudia and Rima will be on ABC 7's The View from the Bay, promoting Cooking Dinner, so be sure to tune in and then stop by Diesel for a delicious sample and a copy of the book!

For more info, check out A Tavola Together.

We will also be accepting donations of non-perishable food items in support of the Alameda County Community Food Bank. So, bring some dry goods in and leave with a cookbook. You get fantastic recipes and those less fortunate get something to eat.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood presents Diane Leslie's Book Group with Author. This month the group will be discussing Rachel Kushner's first novel, Telex From Cuba, a tour de force set in the American community in Cuba during the years leading up to Castro's revolution on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 5pm.

And the best part? Rachel Kushner will be there for the discussion!

There is a $20 entry fee for this event.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Malibu is pleased to present local artist Fred Read to the shop in celebration of the opening of his art show Dreams.

Fred Read is an American original. A decoupage artist who captures the best and worst of the American experience with images of idyllic vistas alongside barrels of money and naked women. His work is informed by a love of sport fishing and an interest in military campaigns the world over.

Read's "Dreams" are created from photographic images culled over years of patient selection from a wide variety of print sources. Though two-dimensional in a practical sense, the works are cut and layered and also contain a subtle dimension of depth. The poster-sized reproductions bring forward details while flattening the cut edges into a more painterly whole.

Created completely by hand, the original works, analog mash-ups of mostly pop culture print ads and traditional fine art images, are brought full circle in this show through the process of digital reproduction.

Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood is very excited to present cook, food television producer, and author, JoAnn Cianciulli to the shop to discuss, sign and share samples from her most recent book, L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook: Meet Me at 3rd and Fairfax, a richly textured tribute to one of California’s most beloved culinary destinations.

L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook truly makes the perfect holiday gift for any foodie or culinary enthusiast, so stop by and celebrate the season with two of the greatest things around: food and books!

Diesel, A Bookstore in Malibu is pleased to present surfer, singer/songwriter and author Nava Young to the shop to discuss and sign her new cookbook, Surf Food: The Ultimate Surfer's Cookbook.

Come by and celebrate the holidays with a book about two of the best things around: food and surfing!

Diesel, A Bookstore in Brentwood is proud to once again host students from Laurel Ann Bogen's UCLA Extension Writers' Poetry Writing class to share their work on Tuesday, December 8th, at 6 p.m.

Come cheer them on!

Book Group #3 meets to discuss Graham Greene's Travels With My Aunt on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7pm.

This event is free and all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Just read the book and show up!

Malibu Book Group meets to discuss The Little Book by Selden Edwards on Wednesday, December 9 @ 6pm.

An irresistible triumph of the imagination more than thirty years in the making, The Little Book is a breathtaking love story that spans generations, ranging from fin de siècle Vienna through the pivotal moments of the twentieth century.

Selden Edwards began writing The Little Book as a young English teacher in 1974, and continued to layer and refine the manuscript until its completion in 2007. It is his first novel. He spent his career as headmaster at several independent schools across the country, and for over forty years has been secretary of his Princeton class, where he also played basketball. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

This event is free and all are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Amnesty International members meet to exchange ideas on action.

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign
for internationally recognized human rights to be respected and
protected for everyone.
They believe human rights abuses anywhere are the concern of people
everywhere.

So, outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a
better world, they work to improve people’s lives through campaigning
and international solidarity.

Their mission is to conduct research and generate action to
prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for
those whose rights have been violated.

Members and supporters exert influence on governments, political bodies, companies and intergovernmental groups.

Activists take up human rights issues by mobilizing public
pressure through mass demonstrations, vigils and direct lobbying as
well as online and offline campaigning.

Book Group #3 meets to discuss Theodore Dreiser's novel, Sister Carrie, on Tuesday, December 15th at 7pm.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend!