Hidden San Francisco

The history of San Francisco Ive been waiting forSean Burns, writer and filmmakerA dissenters guidebookPeter Booth Wiley, publisher and author of The National Trust Guide to San FranciscoScores of sparkling vignettesfrom Mission Rock to the Haight, Balmy Alley to Telegraph Hillilluminate the city with the torch of social criticism and the sharp lens of a local sageRichard Walker, author of Pictures of a Gone CitySan Francisco is an iconic city. But beyond the picture postcards of the Golden Gate Bridge, the citys most interesting and radical history is waiting to be uncovered.Hidden San Francisco is a guidebook like no other. Structured around the four major themes of ecology, labor, transit, and dissent, Chris Carlsson peels back the layers of the citys history to reveal a storied past: behind old walls and gleaming glass facades lurk former industries, secret music and poetry venues, forgotten terrorist bombings, and much more. Carlsson also delves into the Bay Areas long prehistory, examining the lives of its indigenous inhabitants before the 1849 Gold Rush changed everything.This second edition includes new tours on the wild and natural parts of San Francisco that most tourists never visit, from Glen Canyon to Sutro Forest. There is also a new introduction examining the impact of the pandemic, as well as a mini-history of tech in the city, from the Gold Rush to AI.Chris Carlsson is a San Francisco historian and award-winning tour guide. He directs Shaping San Franciscoan impressive archive of local history, and co-founded the urban cycling movement Critical Mass. He is the author of four books. He has lived in San Francisco since 1978.