Florida Books

This book is great if you want to be successful at the test. I read other books and I failed the test.This book is well organized and easy to understand. All the information needed for the test are in it.

Just took the Prof Ed Exam. I'm totally new to teaching so I was pretty worried. This book is the only thing I used to study. Passed it on the first try. I've tried the XAM books and the Cliffs Notes books on a few of my certifications and I've found the XAM books to be helpful (despite some nasty reviews on Amazon), but I find the Cliffs books to be slightly more helpful and, more importantly, they are WAY CHEAPER. The price is probably due to the amount in circulation as it seems they only publish the major tests (I can't find one for most of my SAE's). For the price, this book was solid. I studied it for about a week, took the practice tests and then studied those and passed first try.
If they had books for all of the exams I need to take, I'd use them exclusively, but for now I shell out more $$ to get the XAM books which are a slight step down in quality.

This book (another classic CliffsTestsPrep) covers the latest information needed by Florida teachers. Read this book cover to cover, take the 2 120 question practice exams and you're ready to pass. All questions have detailed analysis of why multiple choice answers are correct and why incorrect responses are faulty. You can't go wrong with this book.

I took and passed this exam in March of 2008. I passed on my first attempt. I used this book and the XAM book. Let me first say that the XAM book is NOT GOOD.

Overall, this book is a good review. It comes with 2 practice tests. I have no background in professional education. I majored and have a career in a non-related field. Therefore, I needed the content of the book to be very comprehensive in teaching the material. The material in the front of this book was very good for preparation for the test. It is a large amount of information that probably needs to be read a number of times to fully ingest, but it is good. The only area that it seemed lacking after taking the test is that it doesn't seem to cover more recent updates like school vouchers and school choice.

The two tests are fairly representative of the actual test. If you can pass the practice tests, you should have the requisite knowledge to pass the real test, but don't expect the actual test to be exactly the same format. Similar enough, though.

This is a good book. Save your money on the XAM version. Good luck.

Luanne Fogarty and her hunky boy friend, Vernon, are at it again! The Florida swamp, the heat, the crocodiles...and nature's raw beauty...plus a carnival. Can't wait for the next one, High Water Hellion.

Once again Glynn Marsh Alam has provided us with realistic, tantalizing and exciting adventures of Luanne Fogarty. I feel like I know this woman who tries to juggle so many aspects of her life as she solves mysteries. I continue to be fascinated by her cabin in the swamps and her swamp friends who help her and keep her safe. If you have not read all three of the Fogarty mysteries, you are missing an opportunity to feel what life is like near the caves and swamps of north Florida. I can't wait to read the next novel from this author.

Once again, Glynn Marsh Alam captivates the reader with her third mystery following Luanne Fogarty's continuing adventures in North Florida's swamps and sinkholes. Luanne juggles her "day job" of teaching linguistics at the local University with scuba diving for bodies and evidence in mysterious waters. This time, rather than the sticky heat of Florida summers, which Alam made palpably humid to the reader in previous books, Luanne contends with the cold of approaching winter - cold enough (so locals say) for lizards to crack. This is definitely not the Florida one typically reads about - in many ways.

The story unfolds during Fair week, as a ragtag carnival with a very odd assortment of performers and workers sets up for business. The patterns of a serial killer emerge, a seriously large snake is lurking about, and twists along the way hold the reader until the very end.

I especially enjoyed the way that Alam portrays Luanne's attempts to balance her professional, professorial duties and interactions with her University colleagues with her diving and detective work and interactions with the police and swamp people - some friendly and some not so friendly. All of this makes for another very entertaining time in swamp country.

Luanne and Pasquin are on their way to pick up alligator meat for the sheriff department’s booth at the local fair when they discover a woman’s body floating in the shallows. The coroner makes the connection with several other murders in various locations, including a skeleton that Luanne found while working another case two years earlier. Then a traveling carnival worker in the area for the fair is found murdered in the same manner. What was his connection with the women killed? Why did the killer change his or her pattern? Will Luanne figure out the answer before the fair leaves town?

This is the third Luanne Fogarty mystery, and it’s just as great as the others. The characters have grown and continue to develop in this story. I’m very interested to see where the author goes with a couple characters. And I loved watching Tony fight his pride whenever Luanne provided a good direction to go. The story moved along well with a couple sub-plots weaved expertly throughout. And the writing is still top notch. This book is set during the beginnings of winter, and Ms. Alam expertly brings the changing warm and cold weather and the changes to the swamps to life.

This series is wonderful. The mysteries are intriguing and the writing is outstanding. I just finished this book and already I can’t wait for the next. Don’t miss out.

for all of us laymen to see. If you're interested in Civil War history, Confederate history, or Florida history, this complete account of the events leading up to the Battle of Olustee in February 1864 will satisfy; Nulty, a former Marine Lt. Col. and current high school teacher, really gets down deep into the political and social undercurrents of the time, and sheds light on the complex circumstances of the fateful Union campaign. Particularly of interest are the great chapters on the blockade and raid strategy of the Federal forces, and Nulty's final deconstruction of the apocalyptic four-hour battle itself.

William Nulty takes what seems to be a battle book, transforms it into a campaign study and a quick history of Confederate Florida. While doing this, he grabs our attention and holds it with a combination of excellent writing and solid facts.

This very readable book, gives us a quick history of Civil War Florida and the position it assumes in the CSA. Without missing a step, we jump to the Union side covering the history of efforts to retake Florida. This leads us into a logical discussion of the objectives of what becomes the Olustee Campaign. The author debunks the standard political objective with facts and documents. Yes, Lincoln would like a restored Florida but that was not the reason for the campaign. The reasons vary from disrupting the movement of cattle to preventing the stripping of rails for use elsewhere to hopes of recruiting more blacks to fill the ranks of the USCT. When the troops arrive at Jacksonville, the reader understands the reasons and problems of both sides.

This ability to switch sides without disrupting the story provides an outstanding account of the battle. The reader is treated to a combination of personal experience, professional judgments and historical fact that produces a complete picture of the battle. Together this produces a complete account coupled with an intelligent summary of the campaign.

The CSA was more upset by the invasion and willing to commit more resources than the Union. While this may have been a sideshow in Washington, Florida's logistical support was vital to Richmond. The South's scrambled to put together a force to respond to the invasion is a story within the story. Badly short of men, officers and logistics they strip other areas to counter the threat.

Olustee is one of the battles where the USCT is a major force on the field. This adds an interest to the battle and is fully explored in the book. Both USCT's actions on the field, treatment after the battle and the commanding general's responses are covered. This coverage is factual and well supported with documentation making it even more convincing.

An excellent book about Florida's largest and most important Civil War battle.

Nulty did an excellent job of presenting the small but bloody battle of Olustee/Ocean Pond. He also did a fine job educating this reader about Florida's role in the war effort, its demographics, and the limitations the sparsely populated state faced. Nulty's product appears to be well researched and balanced and is recommended to anyone interested in the Civil War.

The battle was poorly fought by the two commanders, but in the case of the CSA forces, the subordinate experienced officer, Col. Colquitt, did fine work deploying the regiments and extending the line as his superior sent regiments to him. He never allowed the Union forces to fully deploy and gained the victory.

There were three U.S. Colored regiments in the battle. As in so many other battles involving negro troops where rebels were in control of the field following the battle, a number of wounded black soldiers and/or captives were apparently killed on a spontaneous basis (but not by officers' orders.)

I've not yet been to the battle site, but the terrain of the time seems to have been somewhat unusual compared to most other ACW battles--an open pine forest free of undergrowth with good visibility according to some participants. It was bordered by marshy areas.

The accompanying maps for the battle are well rendered at regimental level and placed appropriately with the text. Strategic maps are also present and well conceived and executed.

A weakness is that there is no unified order of battle and casualty breakdown in tabular form. The order of battle with regimental strengths is presented apart within a chapter of the text for the CSA forces, but is a bit more hidden in a paragraph for the Union (and lacks strengths.)

Note: I believe that in George Hill's review he was referring to Spencers rather than Henrys. There was indeed an exchange of Spencers for Springfields for an infantry regiment prior to Olustee.

First things first,if the union general hadn't taken the Henry rifles from one unit and had them given to a unit that ended up taking no real part in the battle,the outcome would have surely been different-a little thing.My father died a couple weeks ago.One of his earliest memories was going to the battle site with his father & grandfather,Thaddeus A.Hill,who,along with brothers and cousins were present and firing at the invaders in blue.The old gentleman walked and pointed with his cane to the various sites and movements of troops.T.A.Hill's father,James Hamilton Hill was a surgeon with the con.army who had the singular honor to be court martialed for ignoring orders and taking too much time caring for the wounded.trying to save limbs rather than just chopping them off w/o a thought.His case went to the supreme court in Richmond where the case was thrown out on the technical reason that a civilian could not be court martialed.He went back to work.The war destroyed his health and he died young in 1869.A lot has been made,rightly so,of the use of black troops in the battle and their valor.What the history does not tell is that there were dozens,or more,blacks fighting on the confederate side,some slave,some free.I even know the names of two.I won't reveal them,for the sake of their great-great grandchildren.The ugly truth is not all blacks regarded the union troops as liberators.Being pressed into work gangs by the blues wasn't the thrill it might first sound like.The details of the book show what the war was like down on ground level.the everday trials and tragedies.The spunk of Mrs.Canova in Sanderson,telling the yanks they'd soon be heading back defeated,show that the war had all kinds of bravery.Diana Greene Canova went on to many great things.Ck the Thomas Canova family org web site.Read her testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,the joining of which caused the murder of her husband and the near death of his brother-in-law,one T.A.Hill.Mrs Canova,being a blood relative,I take great pride in her spirit on both occasions.As the battle is joined,the factors leading to it taking place where and when it did,the troop movements and leadership on both sides are accidents of history and the blind leading the el stupido.Yeh,the darn yankees lost,but it could have gone either way.It was a really compelling book.I loved it.

I remember and you will remember the Naples of long ago. Just looking at the pictures in this wonderful book brought tears to my eyes. A real treasure of a book for anyone who lived in and loved Naples in it's early days. My father, Ted Brack, was also a native coming to Naples in 1923. A treasure too for those who want to know the early beginnings of a fabulous city today.

I am thrilled to see this book so readily available. Rob Storter was my Great Grandfather and was a wonderful man. His experiences and stories were remarkable. Although most know him as Rob Storter, we all refered to him as Papaw. As a family member I received a paperback copy of the original release and enjoyed reading it repeatedly. Not only because it is regarding my heritage, but because it was educational and entertaining. I highly recommend this to everyone!

I have not had the opportunity to meet Peter Mathiessen, but I could relate to his mention of sitting and listening to Captain Rob's tales, because I, too, have had that privilege. The book, Cracker in the Glade, is a collection of his ledger and it is written in his conversational tone. It is a recount of how Captain Rob saw the evolution of the growth in population in south Florida and the consequential degredation of the environment as he knew it. He is not judgmental in his description, rather it is matter of fact. Just as he viewed the hardships of living in Florida in the early 1900's as matter of fact. The reader is left with the sense that he knows the history of the Collier County area, and the inhabitants that endured the hardships together. While they were separate families with their own trials, they were one as a family of pioneers in area that was as rife with dangers as it was beautiful in the pristene sense of the tropical paradise. Betty Briggs is to be complimented for her sharing of her grandfather with the rest of us, so that we, too can know the adventures and evolution of this part of the Everglades.

capt. rob storter never owned a camera, so when he wasn't fishing or working on a boat he drew or painted pictures and wrote a note netx to it telling about the scene. this book was compiled with those photo's and drawings by my friend betty briggs savage, the granddaughter of capt. rob. it is a testament to hardships of the mullet fishermen, local hunters and the women that lived in a time before manatee and wake zones fishing & hunting permits and the park put an end to a much better way of life. is a look at south florida before it was all gone and told by a man that lived it. thank's robert

Hey, in a world where books about Florida abound, this one stands out. It's great on so many levels. If you like Florida books, you'll love it. Even if you don't like Florida mysteries, you should read this one--it's a great mystery. Reminds me of the late great John McDonald.

While waiting to tug a boat filled with Haitian refugees, Seychelle notices another vessel out in the gulf and takes her ship the Garda there. She finds a young dehydrated girl named Solange with a dead woman. She rescues the girl and tugs the boat containing the deceased to the dock. Seychelle immediately forms a bond with the Haitian refugee, who says that her father lives in the United States. Seychelle intends to find him so that Solange will not be deported.

There has been a recent increase in the smuggling of Haitians into America. Seychelle believes that Solange and the dead woman were on a boat that capsized with fifty Haitians aboard. Solange is not safe as thugs try to kidnap her although neither Seychelle nor she can determine why. Those Haitians that survive have been sold into slavery making it even more difficult for Seychelle to gain their trust so that she can locate Solange's father. Kidnappers abduct Seychelle and Solange taking them to Bimini where they meet the smugglers' mastermind. The criminal tosses Seychelle overboard expecting her to die while he carries out his plansfor Solange.

Christine King is a very visual writer who makes the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast come alive to readers. The heroine breaks laws to keep Solange safe from a monster, who sees the child as merchandise. There is a lot of action in CROSS CURRENT, but it is the characters who turn this novel into a superb thriller as Solange is at the mercy of adults with only Seychelle apparently caring what happens to her. Ms. King is a rising queen in the suspense genre.

Harriet Klausner

As Seychelle Sullivan and her sometime mechanic and deckhand, B.J. were towing in the Bahamian cruiser, Miss Agnes to Port Everglades, they discussed the incomprehensible conditions and desparation that made 50 people jam into a small boat, with the hope of building a new life for themselves. They risked everything, despite all odds, not caring whether it was legal or illegal, desiring nothing more than to start a new life. Seychelle had no clue how she would be entangled in the lives of these desparate people ... and their community. She did not know what lay in store for her, in the very near future, when she responded to a call from Mike Beesting, a former Ft. Lauderdale police officer. He had a dead starting battery and was stranded six to eight miles from Pompano Beach after taking a good buddy out fishing. While on the way out to rescue Mike and his pal, Seychelle spotted what she thought was dark debris in the water. This awakened her instincts for a possible rescue, that someone may be in trouble, so she went in for a closer look. What she saw astounded her: an emaciated Haitian girl of about 10 years old, who was dazed and dehydrated, sitting next to the bloated dead body of a lady wearing a torn brightly colored dress. Seychelle did not immediately notice the head wound, a huge gash in her skull ... most likley the cause of her death.

Seychelle debated whether or not to call the Coast Guard immediately, as required by law, or delay. She recalled the media circus after the rescue of the Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez and decided to assess the situation first, call later. The little girl knew a bit of English and spoke haltingly and shyly with Seychelle. Unexpectedly, she grabbed Seychelle's hand and asked plaintively, "You help me?" Seychelle quickly made other arrangements to rescue Mike and his pal, Joe, while she pondered the ramifications of her heartfelt committment to save the life of this homeless little girl. After reporting her discovery to the Coast Guard and port authorities, both Border Patrol and Fort Lauderdale Police Department sent representatives to investigate the scene.

Seychelle found herself in the middle of a controversial territorial dispute where even the legal authorities were unsure who had jurisdiction over many aspects of the rescue. Seychelle right then and there felt how utterly important it was to save the life of this little girl, who claimed she had an American father whose name and address she did not know. Seychelle vowed to do everything within her power to help this little girl remain in the USA and reunite with her father.

The author creates hairpin turns and unusual loop to loop twists in the plot as she builds suspense and uncovers an underground money-making industry which deals in trading human lives, mostly that of children and teenagers. The author did a superb job of researching Voo Doo customs and religious beliefs. They play a large role in the lives of the Haitian community into which Seychelle must delve to help Solange, her young charge. Each chapter reveals a new depth and revelation about complex customs and the social milieu of the Haitian immigrants. Seychelle discovers horrible truths about the living conditions and underground slave trade which is being conducted by unscrupulous individuals who care only about making money. Seychelle gives no thought to her own safety or the risks she is taking to make good her promise to help this little girl achieve her dream. This reader was glued to every page, wanting to learn more as new details and clues surfaced. Erzulie, the lady who accompanied Solange, had indeed been murdered, she died of blows to the head from a machete. The book comes to a gut-wrenching climax which takes Seychelle to the Andros Islands in the Bahamas ... where her own life is at serious risk of permanent injury and death. She discovers who the ring-leaders of the slave trade are and solves the mysteries associated with this case. Just like, "Surface Tension, the first book by this author, I read the second book in one sitting. I had to connect all the dots to the very end. This book receives my highest endorsement and recommendations.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

This is an exciting and moving story, well written, with a social conscious. Christine Kling knows her Florida, knows her boats, and knows how to build a story to a satisfying climax. Her research and knowledge of the plight of Haitian immigrants tells a horror story of the shameful way this country treats desperate children and it should be required reading for members of Congress. But don't let the social message fool you--this is one great read and one great thriller/mystery. You do not have to be a fan of Florida thrillers to enjoy this book-and to appreciate the message in the mystery. Her descriptive passages are excellent-so much it makes me want to explore the east coast of Florida with a new eye-and a good boat captain. Maybe her BJ is available?

This book exceeded my expectations. Being from Hialeah, what I consider to be the current heart of Cuban Miami - as the book mentioned, Little Havana, the old enclave of the Cuban exile, is slowly being overtaken by Central Americans - I was pleasantly surprised to see several pictures of Hialeah included (and not of the racetrack like many other books focus on, but of actual shopping centers and streets that residents can recognize).

The book does a good job at summarizing the exile experience in Miami, from the first wave of the 1960's to the Balseros of the 1990's. I wish that they would have spent as much time studying the Marielitos as they did with the first wave of exiles, though. I also like how they mention not only successful Cubans but those of the lower and working classes, though more attention should be given to them as well, as not every Cuban is living the "American Dream" and owns their own business, or even their own home. Studying poverty in the Cuban community is essential, and not just the poverty of the recent Balseros but of older immigrants who just never assimilated enough to succeed. Success stories are great and all, but there are other realities to explore as well.

I also enjoyed that the book is not just a study of Cuban immigrants but of how they have changed the culture of Miami. I especially liked how it mentions our traditions and products. As a Cuban-American, I found myself relating to a lot that the book had to say and recognizing many of the traditions, places, personalities, foods/restaurants, and stores mentioned.

I would have liked that the pictures be in color, as they were all in black and white, but this is a minor gripe.

A personal suggestion to the authors: you should write a book about Cubans in Hialeah, they are a case study onto themselves! I would also love to see an updated version showing all that has changed since the book was published in 1999, though it can still be considered current.

This book by one of the authors of Secret Missions, offers a pleasant and often poignant glimpe of the history of Miami's Cuban community. Rather than books of this kind, the author shows his respect for Miami's Cuban community although he does not emphasize the glittering success of its most powerful indivuduals. Rather, the book covers everyone from Peter Pan arrivals to Mariel boat people and rafters. A model study, and illustrated with wonderful cartoons and photographs.

Excellent! This book manages to provide a comprehensive textual documentary of the Cuban exile experience in Miami in an easy-to-read manner. It accomplishes this with its great visual exposition of photographs ranging from the early 1900's to the present time, as well as a thorough analysis of this group's migration to this country.

For those interested in understanding the Cuban-American experience, especially after the Elian Gonzalez events, this book is a must. Ironically, and it gives it more credibility, this book was written prior to the Elian saga. Yet, I think it can help answer to others why this group of opinionated, passionate, and often stubborn Cuban-Americans have reacted the way they have on the Elian debate. It indeed answers a lot of questions regarding the political, economic, and social idiosyncrasies of Cuban-Americans. Answers to such questions as why Cuban-Americans are the only Hispanic group (and probably only "minority" in this country) with an overwhelming Republican Party affiliation? Why economically Cuban-Americans have been such great implementers of the "American Dream" in such a short amount of time? Why socially Cuban-Americans are closer to the American family and religious values held in the 1950s in this country?

The authors have done a wonderful job of capturing and reporting a sense of a Cuban-nostalgic state-of-mind that only exists in the Cuban-Americans' psychic, almost frozen in time. It is a testimony of perseverance and survival to the older and first generation of Cuban exiles that arrived in this country. Their main accomplishment has been to be able to pass this "dream" or state-of-mind to the next generations. The book's last page states - "In Miami, but not in Havana, you can buy a "Cuban sandwich" and "Cuban bread," Bacardi rum and Hatuey beer." This I find ironic and hopefully fitting. Who knows? It is, I think, in the end this kind of Cuban-American capitalistic mentality which might bring back to Cuba itself a sense of Cuban identity at some point in time. Not to mention of course a sense of family and religious believes kept alive by that first generation of exiles. A sense of family and religious believes that unfortunately no longer exist in that island.

Like other groups of immigrants to this country, this book shows the Cuban-American experience as homage to the human spirit, survival, and a great tribute in itself to this great country of ours. If you're of Cuban descent and live in exile, this book will make you proud, sad, and also hopeful. If you're not of Cuban descent and living in this country, this book will make you better understand that other group of Americans residing in "Cuban Miami". And yes, it should also make you very proud of this country.

The Authors Asis and Levine have created an excellent documentary of the Cuban immigration to Miami-Dade county. The book takes one from the 1930s to the present. It explains ins and outs the Cuban life in Miami. It is a very neutral book which neither glorifies nor demeans the Cuban immigration to Miami and Florida. It simply explains the reasons of Cuban behavior which might seem somewhat confusing to a non-Cuban as well as other races and nationalities from Latin America.

Miami and Cuba had a long relationship way before the revolution came to the island nation. Many of the wealthy sugar barons, rum distillers and tobacco kings kept their cash in South Florida. Miami was the playground for the rich and famous of Cuba usually occupying more hotel space than the rather well known northern snow birds of today.

The politics of dislocation is discussed indepth to help one understand the often hostile position of Cuban-Americans toward Castro and Cuba today. Something of a surprise for me was the way the first wave of exiles often viewed the newcommers of the second wave commanly known as the Marielitos with suspicion.

The influence of wealthy Cuban businessmen of yesterday and today are felt in many places of the US in Finance, Educational Scholars, Politics and Government. They superficially touch base on this without going into a lot of detail but it still one understand from where they have come from to where they are going.

The Catholic church plays a very important role in almost all Cubans' lifes. Many of the cultural and religious specific traditions are explained in great detail. All of the refugees from the first wave and operation Pedro Pan were mainly cared for by Catholic charaties, which also reinforces their beliefs and support for the church.

Gloria Estefan, Willy Chirino, Silvio Fontanellas and other Cuban-Americans who have contributed to Cuban culture in the area of music and arts is only briefly discussed on several pages. As a passionate listner of Cuban music, I thought it would have been great if they would have introduced other Cuban musicians in South Florida but then again, this is not a publication about Cuban music.

Exiles love to dream about the Island but I think this chapter is a little bit niave as most of the Cubans think that once Castro is gone they will all return home. I have been in Europe during the fall of the wall and many of the former East Germans dreamt about going back to their former country and rebuilding their homes and reuniting their families. This all turned out to be falacy. Those that tried to come back and claim their property were detested by their families who remained in the Communist part and saw their relatives from West with a lot of suspicion. Many family reunions didn't last long and the their dreams were shattered. Things will be different when Castro is gone but it will not be like most Cuban exiles think. Family members who have stayed in Cuba the entire time will want to have their property as well, citing the suffering they have endured under Castro as their rights to the deeds. More important is that exile Cubans understand what caused the revolution and that they try to avoid the pitfalls of their predecessors.

Most companies prepare a business plan and if it is not bearing fruit after a certain amount of time they decide to try something else. Perhaps the Cuban exile community should try and persue a dialogue with Cuba. Fourty years of isolation hasn't worked guys.

This was the first time I had ever ordered anything from the web and I found Amazon's service to be very good, the item arrived within 10 days, well packaged. The item itself is of the best quality and I am very pleased with the service I received. Indeed I ordered another book recently which arrived within 48 hours. Full marks!

If you have any space left on your coffee-table, this is the perfect art book for you! Rarely do you ever find a more complete presentation of Dali's works, both popular and private, in a single volume. This collection presents both the whimsy and the nightmares that are characteristic of his work, giving an accurate depiction of his range. If you thought Dali was just another haunted artist, the paintings in this book will reveal his gift for humor as well. Filled with insightful comments by Lubar, this book is a great compilation for anyone interested in Dali.

i bought this book at the amazing salvador dali museum in st.petersburgh florida which i strongly recommend in itself.this the book of some of salvador dali's works on display at the museum is a detailed look into the life of the man and the myth. with each work is a detailed explanation describing their meanings and what dali was up to during the time of their production.i am grateful for having read this book as dali is my all-time favorite artist.with this book i've learned more about him and his works' meanings,in which i'm sure all of us have taken for granted.i knew that alot of dali's work is based upon sexuality but never knew before how freudian it all really is.the book explains dali's deep fascination with sigmund freud's writings and beliefs and they come out within his work.if you've never experienced THE man before and appreciate art than this is a good source.if you have the chance visit the salvador dali museum in st.pete,fl.with any look they will be showing the brilliant short film that dali made with another brilliant mind luis bunuel called,"Un Chien Andalou."

On a recent family visit I had the great fortune to visit the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. This excellent book cataloguing the museum's collection then makes for a very nice souvenir, of course--but it easily stands outside of this immediate context as a fine art book in its own right.

The main feature of the book is definitely the 94 large, carefully reproduced color illustrations of Dali's paintings held by the museum. These range from some of his earliest works in the late 1910's to his large scale masterpiece "The Hallucinogenic Toreador" of 1969. I had never seen the earlier works before, and these show some of his first halting steps and experiments as an aspiring artist and the gradual evolution of his distinctive style. Among all 94 illustrations there is a good mix of famous classics you've seen a million times and lesser known gems that are equally intriguing. And each illustration comes with a commentary by Robert Lubar that clarifies the painting, its significance and symbolism, and its context and place within Dali's artistic development over the years with great eloquence without explaining the picture away.

Lubar's Introduction (with 9 interesting black & white illustrations) makes for a nice, brief overview of the artist's life and career, and the Biographical Chronology in the back includes several photographs of Dali through the years (including him with the founders of the museum). There are other useful tidbits too for the serious art historian and Dali specialist.

In short, even if you haven't been to the Dali Museum, this is an excellent coffee-table book of weird, whimsical, and wondrous surreal art by one of the twentieth century's greatest and most eccentric artists.

This is a great book covering a lot of diving sites in FL, including springs and ocean sites. The only "problem" that I have with the book is the inclusion of advertising (dive shops, etc) but at the end of the day it actually helps when trying to locate a diveshop, etc.

Great book with the best dive sites in South Florida, especially if you don't have a boat (nor the money) and can only do beach dives, very simply written, with excellent descriptions of the sites.

i have used the book about a 100 times for dive sites
starting with the old 2nd. edition. it is very good book
to have to ref. dive sites boat, beach, springs. too bad the fl.
gov. has a steep fee on everything. when you say diving
the price goes up. keep up the good work deloach.
thanks capt. rob

The book gives the location to several of Florida's hidden springs and offshore reefs, wrecks. There is also a dvd on the Florida springs available from amazon, called "Florida Springs-The Unexplored Florida." It lets you see the springs underwater. A must have book.

"E-mails from Scheherazad," by Mohja Kahf, is an excellent addition to the multiethnic body of U.S. poetry. A short bio at the end of the book notes that Kahf was born in Damascus, Syria, came to the U.S. as a child with her family, and has attained the rank of associate professor at the University of Arkansas.

Kahf's poems cover a number of themes: the immigrant experience in America, cultural difference, women's issues, war, violence, and poetry itself. There are several poems that deal with the issue of the veil traditionally worn by Muslim women. A good representative poem is "My Grandmother Washes Her Feet in the Sink of the Bathroom at Sears," a striking story of cross-cultural tension.

Kahf's language is passionate, sometimes witty, and always clear and accessible. Her poems are richly spiced with many cultural references: to Wal-Mart, Robert Frost, Lt. Uhura, the "Rubayat" of Omar Khayyam, MTV, etc. She is particularly searing when reflecting on living in a post-9/11 world. Her compassionate but critical eye captures both the joy and tragedy of life. Highly recommended for college classes, book circles, or individual reading.

Mohja Kahf's poetry collection is better than prozac. Her poems link classical Arab characters with current day capitalistic trends ("Zuleika meets the Marlboro man across a delayed green"), and are punctuated, in the book's first half, with sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant Hijab Scenes, where the author encounters everyday prejudice but moves beyond self-pity and anger to humor and celebration. The result is charming and ultimately empowering. The first third of the book tells the plight of the immigrant- the Arab Muslim in particular- and uses the metaphor of landing on the moon. The second third is an ode to women and womanhood, and made me lift my head a little higher when I left the bookstore (this book under my arm.) The last third is a beautiful dialogue on political currents and events, and the poem in which Matisse characters come to life is jaw-dropping. The poetry collection offers something rare and brilliant as a stone: an intellectual journey from which one emerges with voyager dust.

Mohja's work is a joy to read, even when it is bringing tears to our eyes. Her impressions are unique and quirky, her use of language superb. I can't say how much I enjoyed emails. I read the entire thing in a single sitting and have returned to it many time to digest it more thoroughly. Hope to see more from this wonderful poet.

Pamela

This is a beautiful, moving, witty poetry collection which I recommend to all readers, and to women readers in particular. Mohja Kahf's language, her voices, her characters move seemlessly upon the page, stopping once in a while to adjust their scarves or flip us the intellectual bird. A Badass first collection; Kahf wins my vote for poet laureate.

I enjoyed this novel very much and recommend this book for the person who enjoys contemplative efforts. It is the kind of book that needs to be meditated on and goes far beyond the niceties of a mere entertaining novel. The story itself took me a couple of nights sleep to sink in to attempt to see the forest from the trees, the realism from the fantasy, from the nonfiction from the fiction and this book is apropos for the violence, the wars, the so called noble causes of humanity which have far more significant meanings in human existence than just reading a mere novel of entertainment with the hero's victory, the writer's box office smash and the happily ever after desires of story pleasure. The very pleasure principle of Freud is the result of repression of the realty principle and yet is that all we have? Is Sartre's nausea all there is in a meaningless void? Or is there despite our most grueling and empty life, a life full of higher meaning even so in the very death of our lives as we fight for such noble cause with war and bloodshed that in realty only benefit evil and futile cause of more powerful men in the chain of command in human existence? Despite such utter futility, we may still look to God at the end and pray not only for our souls but for the very souls of all humans, animals and life itself.

Hear are the heroes and higher purpose which in realism, act in contradiction in the existential angst of futility and yet somewhere in higher meaning beyond the logic of religious absolutism and the empty blind patriotism of nationalistic pride, the distant noble hope still lives in subjectivity. As if in hope, there is really only the the Freudian repression of realty in the desires of man which hide in the existential realism of life's empty meaning, the void of emptiness. And yet what if there is some higher teleological meaning? An even much higher noble purpose which exists out of the sight and logistic understanding of man and his so called higher purpose of religious dogmatism and nationalistic pride?. As the madness of quantum physics, which defy all Newtonian logic, in reality still exist in organized structure far beyond the physicists insight and understanding, as the very hope of man, despite the futile existential void, exists in the interdependence of a transpersonal reality, a web of relational links which exist in both subjective and objective meanings, in both individual and collective subjective values and empirical realty beyond human empiricism into the very hope that man exhibits despite all meaninglessness of his human goals? And here is one of our heroes, who despite the tortures of his individual life, the cruelties of the leaders, the frailties of the body, the sadism of fellow travelers, stills "sees" the beauty of higher purpose and religious value in subjective being far beyond empirical science and political mathematics. So here is our end. Do we rest in ignorance, hiding in the certitude's of man made securities and answers. Or do we vomit in existential emptiness and cold painful menace? Or do we venture beyond both in a transpersonal or in an integral psychology of multiplicities where diversities, despite contradictions, rest in an interdependence of relational wholeness beyond human understanding which in essence is the religious hope and higher meaning of uncertainty and faith?

I recommend this book, mostly for the contemplator, the thinker, the realist and yet the one who can walk in what seems meaninglessness, in the desert without the water and yet "know" without sight, rest without rescue in the ambiguity of vision which exhalts higher and profound depths of being, stripping the surfaces of majority in superficial existence.

This is an intriguing book. It reads almost like an alternate-universe scenario science fiction book. What if Rome had not fallen when it did? But this really isn't science fiction. In some ways, it reads like a gnostic text or the scriptural text of another land or tradition, and relies heavily on some biblical allusions - even the title stands out, being the title of one of the New Testament epistles. But this isn't a religious text, either.

At the heart of the book is a letter from Galatia, a Roman province, that contains a prophecy about a dying emperor and three men who will save him. The key figures of Vicena, Rinaldo and Danilo have stories that intertwine in mysterious ways. One gets the sense that fate or divine force is driving them on at some points, but at others, they seem to be adrift. Rinaldo in prison, Danilo in conditions just as bad in the army, scenarios that seem hopeless yet give way to hope.

The emperor is ill. In this modern rendition of the eternal city (which apparently lived up to its name) the emperor is a hallowed figure if still human; the former hopeless characters seek out their fame and fortune in the centre of the empire, the city of Rome, by becoming medical students, hoping to cure ailments that have plagued them and those around them, and somewhat unwittingly become involved in plots beyond their ken. Their drive to cure the emperor is not always a direct, intentional process, nor does it turn out for any of the three men the way they intended for themselves.

Another character, Jose Alkorta, is key in setting up the situations that the healers need, but himself falls victim to foul play and a cover-up. One might think that the more things change, the more they stay the same, even in alternate universes. Alkorta is a minister of state, for education (one might not think this an assassination-worthy post, but when in Rome...). However, Alkorta's influence was not over here, as an enigmatic encounter with his painting later in the story will prove.

The plot line is intricate and meshed together in intriguing ways, but for the careful reader, there is an interesting development of ideas. Kazic's descriptions are full of detail and clear; the sensory and emotional impact of events, sights and people are readily apparent in the narrative. The ending continues in the same vein as the story - while there is something eternal about Rome and the empire, the same in not true for the people involved, even those fulfilling a prophecy.

Emperor of the Galatians is a disarmingly profound novel that operates on a number of levels. Even after a second reading, I'm not sure I have a perfect understanding of the novel as a whole, with its allegorical treatment of good and evil, but it really is an intriguing novel. The setting is most unusual, in that it takes place in a modern-day Roman Empire, a sort of netherworld with aspects of the long ago existing side-by-side with modern technology. The sociopolitical situation of Rome and its second-class provinces adds complexity to an enlightening story possessed of an almost mythic quality.

The novel largely revolves around four individuals. Jose Alkorta, Minister of Education, comes into possession of some seemingly Galatian papers that indicate three young men will come to Rome and cure the emperor Bonifacio of his recent sickness. Although Alkorta is secretly a Galatian by birth, he is unable to translate any of the papers apart from the accompanying letter found with them. Still, he does his part to pave the way for these young men to make their way to the city, even soliciting the erstwhile help of the stern Security Minister, Vicena. The medium for the strangers' arrival is the new university in Rome, a school that will be Alkorta's primary legacy. The young men do not know each other, although they cross paths in meaningful ways on several occasions. Danilo is a soldier charged with securing an innocent Rinaldo's release from a notorious prison, and both come to enroll in the new medical school in Rome. These two young men are pawns of a dizzying array of forces, including Alkorta, Vicena, and seemingly those of Fate and prophecy themselves. For his part, the suspicious Vicena is determined to find out what these young men are up to. In time, both Danilo and Rinaldo find useful jobs for themselves and begin to converge on a common mission unbeknownst to either of them. Rinaldo finds himself led to a storehouse of information and a scientifically intriguing substance that may well hold the key to Rome's future stability - and Danilo comes to hold the key to Rinaldo's future.

There is an extraordinarily human quality to these characters and their situations. Several of them hide their true provincial origins in a metropolitan Rome that welcomes but does not really embrace foreigners. Rinaldo faces a number of human struggles - having lost everything, really, when he was subjected to wrongful imprisonment, his Roman sojourn subjects him to emotional issues such as love and loss, fear, duty, and just a general desire for happiness and fulfillment. Danilo was himself rescued from a potentially dangerous situation in his military unit before embarking on a civilian student life in the big city, and he initially struggles to find a suitable place for himself in this new life he has suddenly been granted. Alkorta, however, is the most intriguing character of all, a leader possessed of a mysterious past and unsuspected secrets that slowly emerge as the story progresses.

Emperor of the Galatians was originally published in Germany in 1993 and is the first of author Mihajlo Kazic's three novels to be published in English. This isn't like reading a novel from an American-born writer, particularly in terms of the author's writing style. Characters sometimes make declarations rather than merely speak, the flow of the writing seems a little bit uneven on occasion, and the whole cultural milieu of the story does have a foreign feel to it. I don't mean to say these are weaknesses, however, as they actually piqued my interest even more and made the read a much more distinctive one than it might have been otherwise. Emperor of the Galatians is truly a fascinating book - partly because it is "different" (in a good way) and reflects a cultural outlook that differs somewhat from my own. Kazic's reverence for words and their power is made manifest loudly and clearly, as he possesses the ability to communicate a great deal in only a few words. Emperor of the Galatians isn't just a novel; it's a reading experience that will stay with me for some time.

This is indeed a fascinating book. It is very easy to read, however every sentence has a much deeper meaning. Contrary to wide spread belief that "everyone can achieve everything" this book infers that every person has a mission to fulfil in his life. Their personal goals are interrelated with devine providence.

The story of three young men who left their province for the capital, they were to fulfil their destinies that they were not aware of. This book may read like a fairy tale with hidden depths and with new meanings appearing each time. Highly recommended.