This unusual analysis of the San Francisco way of life combines articles by ten leading social scientists with a unique 32-page photo essay by Michael Alexander and an introduction by Howard S. Becker to present a sweeping overview of what makes San Francisco unique and why people enjoy it. The essays deal with the nature and style of political decisions and programs, the mystique of the use and abuse of drugs, sex and deviance, and the relationship between blacks, whites and police. These essays point clearly to the single most important factor contributing to the quality of life in San Francisco: a culture of civility. This culture of civility, which pervades the city’s social life, comprises a tolerance for other people and other groups among the several factions of its society; a willingness on the part of all to settle for less than everything they want. No.23 in the series. Contents: Introduction (Howard S. Becker). The Culture of Civility(Howard S. Becker and Irving Louis Horowitz). Red Guard on Grant Avenue (Stanford M. Lyman).The Game of Black and White At Hunters Point (Arthur E. Hippler). San Francisco: A Photographic Portfolio (Michael Alexander). The Health of Haight-Aihbury (David E. Smith, John Luce and Ernest A. Dernburg). The Politics of Hyperpluralis (Frederick M. Wirt). Store Front Lawyers in San Francisco (Jerome E. Carlin). The San Francisco Mystique (Fred Davis).