Reddit reviews Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas

It may not be fitting for today's city, but it recognizes San Francisco's historical importance as a strategically located military base while still acknowledging its more well-known peaceful and progressive nature.

There's a great map, Right Wing of the Dove, that depicts "The Bay Area as a conservative/military brain trust" from Rebecca Solnit's Infinite City, which I highly recommend. Each map has an accompanying essay, and it's a great way to learn about the different layers of Bay Area history. I'm on the progressive/liberal end of the political spectrum, but I still find this aspect of the Bay Area really fascinating.

Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas by Rebecca Solnit!

She explores the area thematically — connecting, for example, Eadweard Muybridge's foundation of motion-picture technology with Alfred Hitchcock's filming of Vertigo. Across an urban grid of just seven by seven miles, she finds seemingly unlimited landmarks and treasures: butterfly habitats, queer sites, murders, World War II shipyards, blues clubs, Zen Buddhist centers. She roams the political terrain, both progressive and conservative, and details the cultural geographies of the Mission District, the culture wars of the Fillmore, the South of Market world being devoured by redevelopment, and much, much more.

Also a hoodie. Your friend will need layers. Layer her right on up.

Not a history book per se but I got great entertainment and insight out of this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-City-San-Francisco-Atlas/dp/0520262506/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334859545&sr=1-5