Florida Books

This is a great book. I've found it very helpful in planning my cuttting garden. The only point that surprised me a bit was the lack of photos. There are hand drawings which are nice, but really don't convey what the flowers look like. I'd love to see a new addition with a directory of photos that corresponds to the text. Regardless, I do recommend the book.

Very good resource for learning about fall/winter gardening in Florida. There is a lot of information in it on how to cut & preserve the different flowers for arrangements. And it lists and describes which flowering plants will survive in Florida (so many won't), using the authors' firsthand experience. This book was very helpful in that way. Too bad I found out my soil is too alkaline. Hopefully, it can be improved.

A practical, precise, and unique book, essential for anyone trying to grow a floriferous garden in Central Florida's challenging climate... If you're not interested in cut flowers per se, don't be put off -- the book is an excellent reference for growing any flowers in Central Florida.

Though the title says it's for Florida, in fact the authors are pretty upfront with their geographical focus: North Florida can use any gardening book published for the Deep South, so this book concentrates on gardening in Central and, to a lesser degree, South Florida.

A Cutting Garden is not the work of horticultural experts in the narrow sense, since neither of the authors is a professional landscaper or botanist. That's by no means a criticism: Sometimes you need the wise words of experienced lovers of green things. Add that to a pretty good ear for good gardening prose and enough exactitude to please without overwhelming, and Brandies and Mackey's book fills a real niche.

The level of specificity is this book's best attribute: To a degree I've never before encountered in a gardening book for Florida, "Cutting Garden" offers exact advice on when, where and what to plant in your garden to produce plenty of blooms. They begin the book with an excellent and efficient discussion of Florida's climactic and soil conditions before offering the the whys and hows of establishing a cutting garden, intelligently treating the installation of garden beds, mulching, frost insurance, pest control. Readers will find the best seasonal guide to planting I've found for Florida (with the exception of MacCubbin's Month-by-month Gardening In Florida) and a fine section on starting plants from seeds and cutting.

Florida's humidity, heat and sun make growing Foxglove, Snapdragons, Delphinum, Stock, and many other traditional cutting flowers difficult. Mackey and Brandies advise planting many of these perennials as biennials, taking advantage of Central Florida's nearly frost-free climate to plant seedlings in November for blooms in February through June. Of course, since most of these plants aren't available in the nurseries around here, you'll have to start them as seeds. The book offers advice on specific cultivars and species, and even seed distributors.

A long chapter, the best of its kind for Florida, is devoted to bulbs that work in Central Florida's sandy, hot and nematode-prone soils. Many of these are hard-to-find or "old-fashioned" bulbs that have fallen out of favor: Sparaxis, Freesia, Camassia, Babiana, Watsonia and Tritonia. (They can be purchased through easytogrowbulbs.com, which specializes in hot-climate bulbs.) Some bulbs are practically care-free: Spraxis and Watsonia, for instance, are essentially Gladiolus, bulbs that perform well here 10 months of the year. Some of the bulbs they recommend Ranunculus and (maybe) Oxalis will have to be dug out and stored. Frankly, many of these bulbs cost less than a dollar apiece when bought in quantity -- I plan to treat them like annuals and, if they come back next year, so much the better.

Especially strong is their concentration on atypical bulbs, perennials and annuals -- plants like Candytuft, Bells of Ireland, Sweet William Catchfly, Toadflax, Laurentia, Pot Marigolds, Shoo-fly Plants, and Love in a Mist. I haven't had a chance to try any of these, but I've bought the seeds at Thompson & Morgan and Parks Seeds and already started many of them.

Since this is a book devoted to cutting gardens, every flower entry has directions on how to cut and best preserve the flowers for long vase life. The last part of the book is devoted to a discussion of flower arranging -- not my thing, personally, but the advice is good.

Some minor gripes, and then I'll have to bring this review to a close: There's practically no discussion of the garden rose -- the best flower, for cutting or otherwise, here in Central Florida. The authors admit that roses should find their way into every garden, but offer little in the way of substantive advice on choice and cultivation. For that, you'll have to turn to Barbara Oehlbeck's quirky but excellent For the Love of Roses in Florida and Elsewhere. Mackey and Brandies give short shrift to orchids, too, though they are fairly easy to grow here in Florida and make excellent cut flowers.

Finally, I haven't seen the latest edition of the book, but the second edition lacks photographs, illustrations amounting to a few sketches that aren't terribly useful. For pictures to go with the excellent text descriptions, you'll have to look on the web (Dave's Garden is a great place to start) or in other books (Florida Gardener's Guide by Georgia Tasker and Tom MacCubbin has the best, most useful illustrations for Florida flora that I've found).

Simply fabulous is the word for this book and not only for those gardeners who live in Florida! A Cutting Garden For Florida was written to help those who live there learn to extend the season and be able to grow plants for bouquets in both the warm and cool seasons however a gardener in the northern states could just as easily adapt the information to their specific climate.

This is one of the few gardening books that has kept me intrigued enough to not want to put it down until I was finished with it. Also it does contain a lot of basic information about seed starting, choosing a site and other information a more advanced gardener would already know I would still highly recommend this book as there is information that even they may not know.

The book goes on to give specific details about various plants that make excellent cut flowers, as well as tips for drying the bouquets and basic flower design techniques.

This one is definitely up there on my list of books you simply must have regardless of where you live but if you live in Florida you simply cannot do without this one!

Living in Florida I can vouch for the difficulties of growing just about anything in the sandy, nutrient poor, water deficient soil. Starting from that less than perfect base Betty Barr Mackey and Monica Moran Brandies walk the reader through the various things they need to know in order to grow a beautiful cutting garden. From finding the right place, to properly preparing the soil, to picking the appropriate flowers for soil, sun, and moisture conditions "A Cutting Garden for Florida" covers everything you need to know to have a successful garden. It even covers germination times, when a particular flower blooms, how long it blooms, and other information so you can make sure that when one flower goes out of season another is coming in. This is a highly recommended book for anyone dealing with the daunting task of getting flowers to grow in Florida.

I am really glad I bought this book. I also purchased The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 and Beyond Disney. The latter 2 are Huge books (one of them being over 800 pages of info) full of more info than I can possibly dig into.
This book is great because it is short and to the point telling you the top 10 attractions in many different catergories. I suggest getting this book on top of your Frommers or Unofficial guide as it will help you know what you want to research in the other books.
While there is not a lot of details in this book about each place, it is best used as a guide to figure out what you want to research more into. It also has some really nice fold out laminated maps on the cover which will be so helpful to bring with on our vacation.

This travel guide combines the right amount of Theme parks with classic Orlando. The top 10 attractions covered are primarily theme parks but then when region by region is broken down you can really see the various areas to explore in Orlando. From downtown Orlando to Cape Canaveral there are lots of fun and cheap things that can be done outside of Disney and Universal. This is a great start to planning any trip. If you are just going for the theme parks than I would use a different book but if you want to see it all this is the one to get.

You will love the precise but beautifully informative ideas in this particular edition on Orlando.

DK is noted for it's thorough and colorful books.
This book catagorizes the sights and gives the top 10 for each. Categories include: golf courses, places to cool off, festivals, high end restaurants, dinner shows, hip clubs, ways to have fun on the cheap, family restaurants, etc.
Each listing has a short description plus the address, phone and sometimes the hours. I do recommend getting a basic Fodor's or Frommer's for your trip and supplement it with Top 10 Orlando.
Within the theme parks, it lists the top ten attractions so you can make the most of your time. Really a handy little book (fits easily into a purse or camera bag).
With so much to see in the Orlando/Kissimmee area, this helps you prioritize your visit.

I do recommend getting a basic Fodor's or Frommer's for your trip and supplement it with Top 10 Orlando. This book catagorizes the sights and gives the top 10 for each. Categories include: golf courses, places to cool off, festivals, high end restaurants, dinner shows, hip clubs, ways to have fun on the cheap, family restaurants, etc.
Each listing has a short description plus the address, phone and sometimes the hours.
Within the theme parks, it lists the top ten attractions so you can make the most of your time. Really a handy little book (fits easily into a purse or camera bag).
With so much to see in the Orlando/Kissimmee area, this helps you prioritize your visit.

this was a gify for my son and it arrived earlier than promised. he is enjoying the book very much.

I just finished reading this book and I found it to be an excellent piece of work. I have read most of Pedro Pans books, as I am one myself. It is true that this book and Conde's book are very similar; but who cares, they are both excellent books.

The reason Alina Lopez-Marin thought that some of the chapters from Dr Triay's book reminded her of Yvonne Conde's book, is because Dr Triay's wrote his book first, a year earlier. The "untold story" Conde's title is completely misleading the public, the story was first told by Dr. Victor Triay. Shameful sales tactic!

Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc, the official charitable organization formed by the now adult children of Pedro Pan is grateful to Dr. Victor Tryai for writting the first complete and comprehensive historical book about the exodus of the cuban children, "Operation Pedro Pan". His well documented research earned the respect of Monsignor Byan O.Walsh who personally invited Dr. Tryai to be a guest speaker at our 40th Anniversary Convocation at Barry University. Some of the comments made on the prior review regarding the findings from the Children's Bureau seem out of line. Admiration and respect is what Dr. Tryai has always shown for the participants of Operation Pedro Pan. He is indeed a great writter and a man of integrity.

This is an outstanding work by Dr. Triay, a prominent Cuba scholar from Miami, Florida and living in Middletown, Connecticut. Triay's work captures the emotions of the interviewees whose touching stories were the primary sources of Triay's research. The book incorporates Triay's unique style of weaving historical context with personal stories, which has emerged as his trademark style, with the newly released Bay of Pigs: An Oral History of Brigade 2506 (University Press of Florida March 2001).

This is one of those heavy-paged colorful books that are a joy just to hold and smell! Fifty-two charts illustrate the stunning water world from Key Largo down to Key West and out to the Dry Tortugas. Using colors and symbols, each chart (at a scale of about two inches per mile) details water depths, habitat, markers, fishing and snorkeling spots, put-in locations, hazards, camping areas -- everything you need to know. It's the perfect guide for not only paddlers, but fishermen and boaters too, and also the less adventuresome who want to explore the Florida Keys as they drive US 1 -- poking around hidden spots, wading in the shallows with their cameras. The book is heavily illustrated with relevant and beautiful photographs. Along with Bill Keogh's Paddling Guide, this book is a must for those who want to truly know and experience the Florida Keys.

Marsh Muirhead, author of "Key West Explained - a guide for the traveler."

I have worked in a few paddle shops, and I've seen many a paddle book. This one by far tops the list. Actual color charts, not hand-drawn diagrams with no reference points and no way to gauge distance on them, are on virtually every page of this book. Excellent information on locales, paddling routes, points of interest, Keys trivia, paddle-friendly lodging and restaurants, instant indexing, simple buoy/compass/gps navigation points, full color photos, and on, and on......This is the most definitive paddling atlas of the Florida Keys I have seen. Well worth the cash--especially if you are new to paddling in the keys--launch points are sometimes hard to find, and navigation gets tricky in some areas. Old Keys salts will also find something new in this book. I am impressed!

This guidebook has it all! Spot-on nautical charts that lead you through some of the best paddling the Keys have to offer, including mangrove-lined lagoons, sea grass beds teeming with wildlife, and shallow tidal flats that change form with the rise and fall of the ocean waters; brilliant pictures that draw you into this unique and magical natural habitat; and pointers on where to rent, where to launch, and, most important after a long day of paddling, where to eat!
Grab a kayak and share the adventures of Bill & Mary Burnham as they navigate this aquatic paradise.

I just received my copy of this high quality guide book. I live in the Keys and have paddled many of these sites but in just glancing through this book I realized how much I have missed. Very complete and a must for visitors and locals alike.

As a guide and avid paddler I found this book incredibly useful and informative. Anyone that will set out to explore the paradise of the Keys will find their way to many areas that would never be found without this book. Bill and Mary obviously did their homework with the ultimate guide book for all paddlers enjoying the beauty of the Keys. Nice job guys.

Megan Hardy is plagued by dreams of the faceless killer that murdered her sister and her two small children; someone Megan saw briefly before she was also beaten and left for dead; someone she knows but can't remember. Will Kincaid was Megan's best friend, and he's also the one who found her near death. They're both devastated by the tragedy, so much that Megan is hospitalized and Will leaves town because he can't bear to see her that way. Twelve years later, he comes back home and discovers that not only does he care more deeply for Megan than ever, she is still in danger from the killer she can't remember. The madman sends Megan messages each time he kills that are meant to tell her he's coming back for her and won't fail this time.

This book is a thriller in more ways than one. Unpredictable plot twists keep you guessing which of Megan's friends or family members is the killer, and the rekindled love between Megan and Will gets your pulse racing for other reasons. Ms. Marlow's story is full of humor, passion, and unforced drama that surrounds characters who are so appealing and realistic, it's easy to become emotionally involved in their lives. This is a book you won't want to put down once you begin, so make sure you have budgeted yourself enough time to read it all.

Megan Hardy is plagued by dreams of the faceless killer that murdered her sister and her two small children; someone Megan saw briefly before she was also beaten and left for dead; someone she knows but can't remember. Will Kincaid was Megan's best friend, and he's also the one who found her near death. They're both devastated by the tragedy, so much that Megan is hospitalized and Will leaves town because he can't bear to see her that way. Twelve years later, he comes back home and discovers that not only does he care more deeply for Megan than ever, she is still in danger from the killer she can't remember. The madman sends Megan messages each time he kills that are meant to tell her he's coming back for her and won't fail this time.

This book is a thriller in more ways than one. Unpredictable plot twists keep you guessing which of Megan's friends or family members is the killer, and the rekindled love between Megan and Will gets your pulse racing for other reasons. Ms. Marlow's story is full of humor, passion, and unforced drama that surrounds characters who are so appealing and realistic, it's easy to become emotionally involved in their lives. This is a book you won't want to put down once you begin, so make sure you have budgeted yourself enough time to read it all.

I loved this book. I can honestly say that once I started to read it, I could not put it down. The author has crafted a well-written, fast-paced novel that captured my interest from the first page and held it right up until the last page. The plot is interesting and the characters are strong.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a great romance/mystery with lots of twists and turns.

Will Kinkaid was born exactly three hours before Megan Hardy in their tiny, safe Florida hometown. Through the years of childhood, they live as next door neighbors, share birthdays and holidays, and are such inseparable friends that everyone calls them "the twins". By their last year of high school, Will has moved beyond that, to thinking of his long time friend and confidant in far less platonic terms. But instead of easing into the more adult stage of their relationship as Will hopes, the friends encounter horror unimaginable.

After a day of swimming with their friends, Megan returns home to find her sister, niece and nephew murdered in a blood soaked bedroom. Will is right behind her, drawn into the gory scene by Megan's screams. Neither of them fare well in the aftermath of bloody murder. Megan grieves incessantly and withdraws into a near catatonic silence that lands her in a mental hospital. Will, in typical male fashion, denies the horror, tamps it down inside his mind. And every time he sees the grieving Megan, his heart and spirit break a little more for what might have been between them. Will knows he won't survive the sorrow or the memories very long, so he moves away from family and Megan. Twelve years later, he returns.

Neither Will nor Megan expect their youthful ties to be intact, but both pick up where they left off without missing a beat. They still share an easy camaraderie, a special brand of humor and a kinship that goes beyond explaining. And the teenage ardor Will tried to hide when they were younger rapidly becomes the openly desirous kisses, looks and touches of a man in love. Just when I was settling into the relationship and hoping it would work this time, a whole new set of murders begin. Monstrous, inexplicable murders. And Megan starts receiving gifts accompanied by flowers, just like the flowers that arrived the day her sister, niece and nephew were murdered.

"Roses for funerals, flowers for Megan"
A murderer so far gone in madness thinks and speaks those words aloud in a quest to separate her from anyone who might keep them apart. The demented monster kills with a message in mind, murders according to well laid plan. It soon becomes apparent, as both Will and others struggle to protect her, that the killer plans to drive Megan insane or be the instrument of her death, or maybe both.

Ms. Marlow really told this story well, with words that raced across each page in a style I found quite pleasing. Her characters were believable and charismatic. The relationship of Will and Megan was detailed realistically, with honest feelings and emotions. The author knew what she was doing from start to finish of this story. Any reader who likes mystery, suspense, or romance should enjoy this book immensely.

The way this author weaves words is pure poetry. She'll have you laughing one second only to be sobbing the next, biting your nails or jumping out of your seat in pure panic screaming warnings of horror at the character in the book within your hands. As your emotions lurch from pulse racing to heart clutching you'll tear through the pages to find answers and love. Get ready for the roller coaster ride as you realize "who done it" only to realize on the next page that you were wrong and then wrong again. Gloria Marlow keeps you on the edge of your raw emotions with every click of her keyboard.

Have browsed a number of books that say they cover this information, but none do it as well as this one. Everything you need is there. A wonderful resourse for anyone camping/RVing in Florida.
Scotty

I sell rv's and give this book as a gift. I hear how great it is all of the time. I have used books like this for years, they are very accurate.

I was pleased to find this book which gives quite a bit more detail than the huge regional campground books (Woodall's, etc.). Looking up some campgrounds that we'd already tried (Lazy Days and St. Augustine), I could see it captures the character of the place and lets you know what to expect.
This will be invaluable for us as we explore Florida with our motorhome.

Please be sure to look and ask for the fourth edition of the book, released in fall 2007. The book has been completely updated and revised. Look for the blue cover and the Moon imprint!

All best,
Marilyn A. Moore
author
Florida Camping

As indicated by other reviewers, the Foghorn series of campground guides is not without flaws. Even so, we know of no directories which do a better job of addressing campground aesthetics than these wonderful guides. In our experience, the look and feel of a campground is often the single greatest factor influencing the quality of a camping experience . . . and the factor totally ignored by nearly all other campground guides.

There are a number of directories which rate facilities, provide directions, tell you how to make reservations and give you an idea of the cost for a night's stay in a specific campground. This series gives similar basic information and then goes beyond that. The Foghorn guides actually give you a feel of what it is like to stay in a specific campground - a bit of a narrative description and a "scenic beauty rating" for each campground plus information about nearby recreation opportunities. We like that a lot.

Have we found instances where we liked a campground more or less than the book's author? Of course. Tastes differ and things change over time. Even so, we would rather have an admittedly subjective rating of a campground's intangibles than to have nothing to go on but a recitation of facts and figures.

Are the Foghorn Outdoors guides the only ones we use? No. But they are ALWAYS the first place we turn when selecting a destination campground.

Every recipe that I have tried from this cookbook is great! All the appetizers are delicious, try That Jr. League Pesto Mold in the appetizers and you can make this into 2 small molds out of one recipe. The Lemonade Cake in the Children's section is the perfect take anywhere cake! The Black Bean Salsa incredible! Or if you need a fast and easy appetizer, try the Crab & Caper Dip you actually bake it IN the bread! Great history of Gainesville, FL, too! Fantastic Cookbook!

Every recipe in this book is very good. Most (almost all) recipes are very easy to make and looks like you worked a long time on them. The Pesto Mold on page 20 is easy to make and everyone will ask for the recipe. The sausage snacks on page 30 are a nice change to meatballs. Pesto tortilla snacks are very easy and great tasting also. The pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and fruity muffins make great gifts around the holidays. The Parmesan Caesar salad is a salad a I make all the time. All the potato dishes are great tasting; the squash casserole is the best I have every had. The sweet potatoes are great (even if you don't like sweet potatoes. I could go on. This cookbook has a nice feature with the children's section. I have used this book so much and bought so many as gifts.

This is a wonderful book. It is full of great recipes that are not only good, but easy to prepare. I highly recommend it!

I have tried many of the recipes in this book and like 99% of them, so do my family and my friends. My favorites include; Frogmore Pickled Shrimp, Swamp Chili, Okra and Tomatoes, Pasta with Shrimp, Lemon and tomoatoes and many more than I should probably list. The book is well laid out (easy to follow), ingredients are easy to find and the serving suggestion are on target. Try this book. You'll like it.

This book is great. Everything I cook from it is a hit with family and friends. Try the Frogmore Pickled Shrimp in the appetizer section if you cook for the pleasure of receiving compliments. It is simply best shrimp appetizer you'll ever make.

Everything was as advertised. I am pleased with my product, and will shop here again.

These two authors have a list of credits to impress anyone. I suppose in some ways they could, therefore, sit back on their laurels and allow their reputations to sell their work. But not so! I could not find one single underwater image in this book which was not of the highest standard. From photographs of Divers and Sharks right down to the finest macro-photography, this is a book to show all budding underwater photographers how it should be done.

That said, this is not a book about photographs - it is a guide to the Marine Life of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida. "What do you mean the Caribbean, Bahamas AND Florida - surely it's all the Caribbean" I hear some people say. But they're the sort of people who think whales are just big fish.

For those who are confused, the Bahamas are in the Atlantic Ocean and Florida is in the Gulf of Mexico. So, having sorted that out, we now understand (and appreciate!) the accuracy of the title.

Resembling something like a colourful version of a telephone directory, this book is packed with factual and accurate information laid out in a way that will not disappoint anyone who buys it. If you like "technical" it's here but if you like "technical made easy to understand" - it's also here.

Whilst I could have done without that photo of the diver hugging the Shark (picky, picky I know), this still remains an altogether excellent book and almost the only one you will need on your next trip south.

NM

This is my latest addition to my "diving book collection". I am a recent diving convert (the very best sport ever), and find myself reading this book constantly (more looking at the pics I suppose, which are gorgeous!). If you are looking for a fantastic book to invest in...LOOK NO FURTHER...BUY IT, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

I'm a scuba instructor, and have spent years looking for the perfect book to use in fish identification and underwater naturalist courses. When I found this book, I stopped looking! It is the perfect combination,and makes everything understandable to the beginner, yet still informative to us old pros! The photo tips also come in very handy in teaching photography and videography... no Caribbean diver can afford not to have this book... I mean it!

A well written, informative, easy to understand book. Not only do you receive a reference guide, you get biology lessons, photo tips, and great overviews of reef systems. This book is perfect for scuba divers!

Entertaining as well as chanllenging. Something I'll keep going back to for fun.

I bought this book for my 11 year old nephew and he was so absorbed in it he almost finished all the puzzles in 2 days. He's a pretty smart kid and loves to challenge himself, so it was the perfect gift. He said some were tougher than others, but he got help from the whole family and it turned out to be a fun family event.

You will not be disappointed by this book. Conrad knows how to entertain and intrigue you without confusing you. You get a total of 80 mysteries for you to solve. Each one more interesting than the previous one. You deal with murderers, thieves, kidnappers, as well as rebel forces. Match your wits against them and see if you can beat them at their own game. Go ahead and buy it, you'll be glad you did.

80 Whodunits, most 2-3 pages in length. 350 pages in total. GREAT book for the car, train, or when you just need to pass a few minutes. These mini-mysteries are challenging and clever. In the event that you try your best and still can't figure out 'whodunit', the solutions are in the back of the book. I have read this book cover to cover several times in the two years that I have had it, and I STILL find it enjoyable, despite remembering the endings to most of them.

The only drawback to this book (and I would imagine this is a trend that runs through the entire "Little Giant Book of..." series) is that the spine of the book is glued and cracks after a while, causing some pages to become loose and the book gets hard to hold onto, depending on where the spine crease develops. Despite that, this is a worthwhile purchase. I intend to purchase myself a new copy and send mine in a care package to a friend in the Armed Forces who is currently stationed in Iraq. Due to it's size and price, this would make an excellent care package item.

This is a great book. I am a math teacher always looking for resources to motivate Junior High and High School students. The students couldn't get enough of these mysteries. I wish there were about a dozen more of them. Fantastic work.

Being both a history buff and having grown up and lived in Miami for 20 years, I could certainly appreciate the spirit of this book. Miami is currently synonymous in popular media and culture with clubs and partying, sexy people and celebrities, and hip shops (even though this image is more descriptive of Miami Beach and South Beach rather than the city of Miami itself). Despite it being a relatively young city, though, it is still rich in its own history and thankfully this book goes beyond the present glossy, superficial party image of the city and transports the reader back to a simpler and more wholesome time. This is Miami how its founders and earliest residents knew it. Most of the "before" pictures date from the 20's and 30's, and it is really fascinating to see how things have changed. As I said, I grew up in Miami and there are places shown in the book that I never even knew existed, such as the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and the Coral Gables Rock House. I am glad that the author explores not only downtown Miami and Miami Beach, but devotes pages of photos to other neighborhoods around Miami such as Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, and even Opa Locka and Hialeah (being a Hialeah native myself, I would have liked to see more than just the one picture of the racetrack, but that is my own personal bias). While the book is certainly complete, I feel maybe too many pages were devoted to certain places, such as Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for example, and perhaps some of that coverage could have been reduced and made room for other places to be shown. I am glad that the author explores little known places familiar to residents and not just the touristy areas that visitors would know, but on the other hand, some of these are a little too obscure and I would have also liked to have seen what was in some of those touristy areas, such as Bayside, the zoo, major malls, etc. Just because of those little complaints I give the book four stars, but if you don't care about these, then this might as well be 5 stars and it is still a highly recommended book.

Having grown up in Miami, I found the book particularly interesting. The pictures were excellent. I thought the captions could have been a bit more informative.

Execellent book - highly recommended, but get down here and see for yourself - what's happening to the Miami is magical and really a golden opportunity for all. Over the next few years Miami's Skyline will be transformed as builders and investors seek billions in pre-construction investments to turn the city into a the epicenter of the region.


http://realestate.1stmiami.com

If you have lived in Miami or have an affinity toward Miami, this is a must-have book. Few people in Miami like Arva Moore Parks have taken the time to document the City's rich history as the fastest-growing metropolis in the United States over the last 100 years. The "then and now" photos offer splendid matches, with interesting and informative historical notes in the caption. Great coffee-table book too!

I was born and reared in Miami, the fourth generation of my Pioneer South Florida family. I was delighted with this book, it brought back so many memories.

The old photographs are gems, and the descriptions well written and informative. I enjoyed the "then" pictures with the "now", in some instances they are almost unbelievable, the Coconut Grove Womens Club little Club House which I went to frequently is a good example, long may it survive!