California State Assemblymember and Speaker Pro Tempore Josh Lowenthal spends a lot of time poring over legislation in order to create jobs, help at-risk children and alleviate homelessness. On his plane rides back and forth to his office in Sacramento, however, he squeezes in time for pleasure reading. A book he has enjoyed recently is The Mighty Six-Ninety (690) by Alexander Hamilton Cherin, a fictionalized version of a real-life radio station which created a treasure hunt and gave daily clues to its listeners in the early 1980s.
Josh grew up in Long Beach in a family of public servants. After attending Long Beach public schools, he worked as a local teacher and owned restaurants before stepping into public service himself. “Both my mom and dad modeled the importance of reading. They read to me when I was young. Maybe that’s why I still prefer paperbacks to on- line books.”
Title of book: The Mighty Six-Ninety (690)
Author: Alexander Hamilton Cherin
The Mighty Six-Ninety is a choice steeped in nostalgia for Josh. “This book, written by my friend and Long Beach local Alex Cherin, brought back memories of our youth growing up in Long Beach—listening to the radio and the excitement around the real-life contest.”
“Just like in the times that the book describes, California continues to be at the forefront of societal change. We still set the trends for the nation, and we still hold an outsized place in our culture’s imagination as a place where anyone can dream of a better life.”
