Genthe's Photographs of San Francisco's Old Chinatown, by John Kuo Wei Tchen. 133 Pages. Softbound. Fascinated by a living culture totally foreign to his, Arnold Genthe began to photograph San Francisco's old Chinatown (Tangrengru) and its inhabitants. This stunning glimpse of life in Chinatown features 130 of Gunthe's painstakingly reproduced photographs, which are today the best visual documentary record of Chinatown at the turn of the century. Rich in detail and atmosphere, the photographs are complemented by historian John Tchen's moving text, which outlines the turbulent history of Chinese-Americans in California and dispels the many myths. This beautiful pictorial offers priceless glimpses of life in the district before it was leveled by the great earthquake and fire of 1906, and will be cherished by all. $20.95 (BK-1024)