Carl Sandburg Award for Non-Fiction, 1992, Fire on the Prairie

Chicago Sun-Times’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year, 1992, Fire on the Prairie

California Newspaper Publishers’ Association, best writer for a non-daily
newspaper, 1993

San Francisco Bay Area Media Alliance’s "Print Journalism" prize, 1993

Society for Professional Journalists, Best Enterprise reporting, 1993

Non-fiction finalist, Pen-WEST's "Best of West," 1995, Drive-By

San Francisco Bay Area Book Reviewers Association non-fiction book of
year, finalist, 1995, Drive-By

New York Times Notable Book of the Year, 1995, Drive-By

California Bar Association’s "Gold Medallion" award, 1996

Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, magazine category, 2001.