Florida Books

This book should be more widely known. It should be taught about in schools from kindergarten on up----well, at least the main idea of "reverence for life" should be taught. It's a little "deep" in places but you'll feel enriched in the end. Recommended.

Einstein was not the Person of the 20th Century. Not by a long shot. Albert Schweitzer wins that distinction hands down. In the 20th and 21st century, too much emphasis has been placed on the relationship between technological advances and the corresponding impact on society. Schweitzer simply transcended achievement by weaving a legacy of the most accomplished Renaissance Man in the last 200 years. Combining intellectual brilliance and an amazing thirst for humanitarian service, Schweitzer simply made the world a much better place. He accomplished more in one life time than anyone I can think of.

The Philosophy of Civilization is a monument. This was Schweitzer's labor of love, and predictably, he produced yet another masterpiece. Reading Schweitzer should be required reading in philosophy, humanities, and religious studies at all universities and colleges in America. He should be the standard by which all GLOBAL thought is measured.

Book is in like new shape, an excellent read and I'll probably need to buy another one as mine will soon be "dog eared and highlighted".

The stories told in this small gem of a book (118 pgs.) are engrossing and entertaining from cover to cover. You'll meet such characters as; pirate Jose Gaspar a.k.a "Gasparilla" (who was not just a myth around whom a yearly parade revolves in Tampa), Homer Ludwig --- an eccentric old guy in the Keys who found pirate treasure around the turn of the century and a Greek sponge diver in Tarpon Springs named Alex Pappadakus who accidentally stumbled into an undersea fortune. To name just a few.... More than simple folktales, these stories are true and well written. Author Jack Beater seems like just the type of guy who could liven up any party telling tales of Florida's rich pirate and treasure past.

This book is a gem of a find. Anyone who enjoys reading "Trip Reports" about Walt Disney World (or Vegas) will find this to be a very intertaining and enjoyable read.

If you have ever been to Walt Disney World in Florida this is the souvenir you want to document your trip. If it happened to you, it probably happened to Shari and Mike, but they made it seem funny and put it to paper. Hide all those little Disney hotel soaps so the housekeeping staff would bring more? yup. Think that Splash Mountain song is telling you to show something naughty? yup. Have a great time at Disneyquest? Well, you will just have to read this book.

And then there is Las Vegas. Read about the waiter who didn't know to quit when he was ahead. Ever been on Manhattan Express? Ever wish you hadn't?

Plus tips, reviews, planning info and much more. This book is huge and well worth the price. It's fun and funny, well written and informative, easy to read and hard to put down. I have been to Disney World hundreds of times and I still learned a thing or two, and was entertained along the way. If you are going for the first time, read this book to learn what you are in for.

This book is a souvenir for everyone who has gone to Walt Disney World and was too lazy to write it all down.

I read this book when I was about 12 and really enjoyed it. It was suspenseful and interesting. Yes, it is somewhat violent but it was well written and would appeal to teenagers--particularly teenage boys.

When I was about twelve years of age, I read this book as the first real book I had ever read. I loved it. The story concerns some kids who seek an underwater treasure, the result of a shipwreck centuries ago. There are also some bad guys after the treasure. I just ordered this book (which I haven't seen in thirty years) to read to my children. After I finished this book, I read as many Robb White books as I could find and then branched out into other types of books. This is the book that started me on a lifetime of reading. I gave it five stars because of its effect on my life. I fear it may not be as good as I remember and, beware, it is not politically correct; i.e., it is violent and portrays violence in pursuit of a good purpose as good. Although I originally found this book in school and read it with the encouragment of my teachers, this book would not be allowed in public schools today.

Renee Deloriea's book is an authentic account of one young lady's experience with God at the Brownsville Revival. She is totally believable; her book shares how her children's own experiences with God have brought about positive change within their schools--something America desperately needs. Her book thrilled my heart; and her reference to another book, GLORY, by Ruth Ward Heflin has brought untold blessings to me and fellow teacher friends who shared the book. Thank you Renee! God bless you!

Renee Deloria has given the world an in-depth look into the early years of the now internationally known Brownsville revival in Pensacola, FL. She shares her experience, and the lasting fruit of this movement.

I wasn't sure which book to buy on mold, but found the topic I needed - mold on furniture. The other chapters were helpful and shed some light on a problem with the planters at the house. It is written from an insiders perspective which was helpful to really understand what is going on with mold, sampling (or not to sample! haha), and good removal. Very candid and practical. I recommend it.

This is a very useful book that gives you the scoop on mold and building issues. Initially I am always skeptical about "mold" books as most of them on the market seem to want to tell you how scarry mold is rather than attempt to give you common sense advice on how to prevent mold or hanlde mold situations. Since I deal with people's homes this book has been a great resource in a readable succint package.

This is a very useful book with 340 different course descriptions and easy-to-read, color maps showing where the courses are located. In addition, it lets you in on how to obtain discounted greens fees so you can play a lot of courses--at least come of the time--for less than $25. And it fits in your pocket or golf bag.

This is an easy to use reference guide packed with information on golf courses in central Florida. It includes maps and detailed information on the courses, cost, the names of the golf pros etc... A must if you are a golfer planning a trip to Florida.

1979 was my first introduction in person to Bob Graham. The circumstances were odd, but ever since then, I have come to appreciate his service to Florida and to the nation.

On May 25, 1979, John Spenkelink became the first inmate to be executed in Florida following the resumption of capital punishment. The night before was an all night vigil in front of the Governor's Mansion. I was there. Bob - against the advise of his advisers - walked out the front door of the mansion to speak with us.

Subsequent to that I had many opportunities to speak with and to observe him up close. Reading this book though has - with the hindsight of history - helped me to better realize what a gem both Florida and the nation has in Bob Graham.

Bob, thank you.

And by the way, last night at the Florida Wine Festival - a fund-raiser for the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science in Tallahassee - I won the dinner with you and three of my friends at the Governor's Club in Tallahassee. Looking forward!

And thank you S. V. Date for a most informative and well written book.

Next book for me to read is your newest book about the real (and scary) Jeb Bush.

__________________________________


Regarding Scharlette Holdman, who is cited in this book:

First a brief introduction: From 1986 - 1992 I was employed as an investigator at the Office of Capital Collateral Representative (CCR) in Tallahassee, Florida, where Scharlette Holdman worked as the supervisor of the investigators from October 1985 - March 1988.

I have known Scharlette since the mid-1970s. Her office, the Clearinghouse on Criminal Justice, was in the same wing of the Petroleum Building as my office at Common Cause in Florida, where I volunteered.

The Petroleum Building was next to the State Capital, the Florida Supreme Court and the State Archives and Library. When it was torn down, the Petroleum Building space and the space for the first CCR office became the Mary Brogan Art and Science Museum and a condominium. The Petroleum Building was called by those of us who worked or volunteered there the "Forces of Good" (FOG) Building -- as opposed to FOE -- Forces of Evil, such as Associated Industries, the Chamber and other big business interests in Florida. The FOG building also included (not an exhaustive list) the Clean Water Action Project, the ACLU, NOW, Florida Legal Services, Migrant Farmworker's Organization (directed by Cliff Thaell, who has more recently been a Leon County Commissioner for over ten years), Mike Vasilinda's television news service.

David von Drehle's excellent book "Among the Lowest of the Dead" provides the best history and analysis of the Florida death penalty, with Michael Mello's books a close second. Part of each of these books is about Scharlette Holdman. A bit of the negative aspects:

When Scharlette had essentially declared war upon CCR in 1987 and thereafter, some of us decided to investigate her background given some things that we had heard. Low and behold, Scharlette's claim of a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Hawaii and a Master's Degree from Memphis State (now University of Memphis) don't exist. A claimed undergraduate degree from Memphis State: I no longer recall if this was confirmed by the university.

We used Scharlette's Social Security number, her maiden name and her married name -- with all this information, both universities had no record of Scharlette having received any degrees from these institutions.

As I understand Scharlette, she needed the "degrees" to confer upon her "credentials" that she really never needed as she is indeed then and now a national expert on capital mitigation, litigation, etc. However Scharlette can be deceptive, as her lack of a PhD and Masters so demonstrates. Even today she claims to have the degrees as when she gives presentations regarding capital cases, she is identified as "Dr." A key word search of her name will bring up some of the presentations that she has made in the past several years with the title "Dr." preceding her name.

If she has received any honorary or other degrees since 1990, that would be new information for me. If so, please let me know: P.O. Box 38458, Tallahassee, FL 32315-8458.

S.V. Date's book is an easy read - you can read it over a weekend - but it is surprisingly deep and well-researched. The book, written in the straightforward prose one expects from a seasoned newspaper reporter, is especially strong on Graham's bumpy yet successful ride as a politician in Florida. The author's observations of Graham are positive, yet balanced, looking at Graham's strengths and weaknesses, his moments of true leadership and his worst mistakes. On the whole, the book left me with a favorable impression of Graham -- he comes across as a bright, patriotic and hard-working leader who tried to make peoples lives better.

No one, not Fleming, not Clancy, no one does it better than Adam Hall. His entire Quiller series is far and away THE BEST of the genre`.

Search through used bookstores to find his earlier works. They are worth the time and effort.

Quiller, creation of Adam Hall (Elleston Trevor's non de plume) is a secret agent's secret agent. He is offered missions all over the world and he executes them. He shares all his fears and thoughts with us. Hall has a unique way of building suspense with hiss use of sentence structure. Marvelous books of which Quiller Barracuda is a good example.

I am a new resident to Orlando, so I needed something to find my way around the downtown area. This book is great to keep in the car to help with getting around town or finding alternate routes. It is a very detailed map which is great, and it's not confusing! The best part about it is the index where you can look up the street that you are trying to locate and it will tell you exactly which page to go to. Also, it has a list of schools and the area in which they are located, which was great for me since I wanted to know the locations of schools before I moved here. It also has a list of post offices, shopping centers, golf courses, libraries, hospitals, parks etc. which has been so nice to have in the car when I'm trying to find something close by.

I would recommend this street guide to anyone! It is worth the money for sure!!!

I work in a business where I drive all over Orlando, from St Cloud to Sanford, Winter Garden to Melbourne, and usually I know where I am going. However, there are a lot of areas, especially downtown, that can become confusing. This book has helped me everytime I've been turned around or lost. Not only that, but I also have used the book to help others when they are lost. It's a great driving guide, and I recommend that anyone who drives in Orlando (or is planning to drive in Orlando) get it.