8 Post-2000 Non-Fiction Books About San Francisco

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 is the subject of Simon Winchester's book "A Crack in the Edge of the World."

This is Part II of our San Francisco non-fiction roundup, spotlighting 21st-century books that reveal the modern city’s housing battles, hidden waterways, and enduring magic. If you missed Part I (20th-century classics), you can follow this link to catch up before diving in.

1. Season of the Witch — David Talbot (2012)

A propulsive people’s history of SF’s turbulent 1967–82 transformation—from Summer of Love to assassinations to dynasty 49ers—told like a thriller.

2. Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco — Gary Kamiya (2013)

Fifty-ish jewel-box essays, each pinned to a place, that braid lore, geology, and civic soul into a love letter to the city.

3. Spirits of San Francisco: Voyages Through the Unknown City — Gary Kamiya & Paul Madonna (2020)

Kamiya’s vignettes meet Madonna’s pen-and-ink art for a lyrical, illustrated wander through iconic and hidden corners.

4. Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas — Rebecca Solnit (2010)

A mind-expanding atlas of themed maps (from butterfly routes to queer histories) that remaps what a city can mean.

5. A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 — Simon Winchester (2005)

A gripping retelling of the quake that remade San Francisco—plus a lucid tour of the restless geology beneath us.

6. The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream — H. W. Brands (2002)

Big-canvas history of the 1849 rush that catapulted San Francisco onto the world stage.

7. Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America — Conor Dougherty (2020)

Vivid storytelling from the Bay Area’s housing trenches—YIMBYs, tenants, tech, policy, and the American Dream under strain.

8. Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America’s Greatest Bridge — Kevin Starr (2010)

A compact cultural history of the bridge that became San Francisco’s global icon.

Together, these works capture the living, breathing city we know today—its seismic real estate shifts, luxury neighborhoods, and ever-renewing spirit. Whether you’re a long-time San Franciscan or a newcomer dreaming of a home here, these books invite you to see the Bay Area with fresh eyes.