Florida Books

Everything you've ever wanted to know about snorkel swimming is in this great book, from "The Basics" to "Underwater Photography." Anyone in average health, who can swim, can don a mask and peer beneath the waters. Its low-impact aerobics and a great way to keep fit. Snorkeling has become a family affair with fish-watching and photography the main focus.

You will find tips on a variety of snorkeling trips and activities in this informative book. Choices vary from sail-snorkel trips on shallow-draft catamarans or trimarans, glass-bottom-boat tours, snorkel-with-the-dolphins tours; the list goes on and on. Each snorkeling site is graded for interesting marine life, visibility, and water clarity with one to five "starfish."

Helpful hints concerning snorkels, how to choose the proper fins, anti-fog solutions, and how to avoid sunburn are all discussed. Dos and Don'ts advise that you always swim with a dependable buddy and warnings as to what not to touch.

The best reef-front resorts, starfish-rated beaches and boat-entry sites are included as well as Manatee tours. Where to find shallow shipwrecks, the best coral gardens, underwater photo trips and snorkeling cruises are all included in this wonderful book. Also included are twelve pages of fantastic underwater photography.

If you are a snorkeling enthusiast, this book is a must have. It is a valuable guide to snorkeling sites and islands. Information includes detailed maps, photos, tours offered, and important information you need to make a wise vacation choice.

I found the reviews very helpful in deciding where I wanted to plan my nest trip... I went to the Galapagos with Aquatic Encounters, and it was so fantastic, it is beyond description

This is must-have book for both the beginner and experienced travelling snorkeler. It is a thoughtful guide to the best places to visit and great tips on what to look for in the way of unique marinelife once you get there. It should be a companion in every dive bag.

The book has very brief descriptions of snorkeling sites at a large number of different places. Most, but not all are Caribbean islands. There are also descriptions of other "traditional" snorkeling places, such as the Yucatan Penninsula and Hawaii. And there are two large sections on snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands. Several snorkeling sites are listed at each separate location, and useful advice and information is given for most. All sites are rated on a 1 to 5 "starfish" point system. About the only criticism I have of the book is that much of the hotel information seems to be pulled directly from the hotel's advertising about themselves. A little more independent commentary would be nice. The information is still useful as a starting point. Finally, for each location, there is useful information on weather, how to get there, and when to go. If you have the first edition of this book, I see little reason to purchase this new edition, however. I do wish a few other sites or activities had been included, in particular snorkeling with whale sharks off Northwest Australia. That's something that interests me, but there seems very little information on it out there. If you travel to snorkel, and don't have the First Edition, GET THIS ONE!

This is the best book for snorkeling I've ever found. The other books are so vague, they don't tell me much of anything. This one describes all the neat places to walk in from the beach and go snorkeling, how rough or calm the area is, how to get to various snorkeling beaches once I get there, whether the kids can safely swim in each area. It also has all the resorts that have snorkeling off their beaches, which is really nice for people traveling with small children and the airlines and travel stuff we need.

A recent salad made wonderfully by a friend convinced me that there is just about as much art in making salads as anything else. It made me think of the excellent 1905 Salad at the Columbia Restaurant which we get every time we're there. It has just the right combination of things and an especially fine dressing. But here's a case of "Don't try to do it at home" unless you are really accomplished at that sort of thing. The time we tried to do it, following the recipe provided exactly, it didn't taste anything like what you get at the restaurant. And we had purchased their own dressing. Anyways, they have have a new location in Palm Beach which I want to visit. The best we've tried is the one in Sarasota. You can go afterwards to see the Rubens tapestry cartoons at the Ringling Museum of Art. That's a fun afternoon.

Wow, this is some cookbook. I picked it up in the Orlando Airport, and have been enjoying it ever since. Highly recommend it.

This is a wonderful recipe that also goes into the history of the restaurant. I love the columbia and always got to the one at St. Armands circle when I am in Florida. I love the ropa vieja and cuban snawhiches are quick and easy

y la historia..te cautiva.
Lo que me fascino, fue el gaspacho...

This is such a wonderful cookbook. In South Florida, I visited Columbia and loved the food. I purchased it to try something new. The recipes are authentic with some background narrative woven in there. The language is easy and you can follow the recipe without any problems. Of the recipes I tried, most could be prepared from a well-stocked pantry, not necessarily a huge trip to the grocery store like some cookbooks demand. There are some really great seafood recipes in here too. You'll love the simple Cuban sandwich in here too. I believe this cookbook is well worth the price.

This is one of those must have items when you're facing a trip with your grandkids (that's TWO generations away from your own days on any wild ride) and I must say this guide to the park was enormously helpful even before we got there. Thanks a lot! Our trip was a huge success and Ms. Wiley's book gets a lot of the credit.

I first read an earlier version of this book several years ago, and Kim's sound advice has stayed with me, several trips on.

If you want to learn which rides to stay away from with young children, and what the must sees are, this is the book to read. And don't ignore Kim's most important tip of all. If you're travelling to Disney World with children, make sure you take that afternoon nap.

Catherine Noble
Webmaster
www.mywdwtrip.com

This is a really useful book, tons of tips, saved me a lot $$ and time. The most valuable thing I learn is to rent a multi-family vacation house with my friends, 16 people for $199 a day. We all enjoy the stay at a luxury emerald island resort. check this out: http://www.cyberrentals.com/index.cfm/property/126687

I purchased this book as a guide to help plan a 5 day trip to WDW with my family. We just got back and let me tell you this book saved us a lot of waiting time for the rides, helped us know what to see and where and how to focus our energy. Ms. Wiley is right on the mark in her descriptions of the attractions and her tips about getting around the parks. The book was so helpful, I tore out the sections about each park and took it with us into the park. This version is missing info that wasn't available at the time of printing about some of the newer shows Disney has put in for its 50th anniversary celebration. The Cinderellabration show is wonderful especially if you have a princess lover in your family and the Wishes fireworks display over the castle in the Magic Kingdom. I would highly recommend this book even if you've been to WDW before.

This book is a must read before and during your trip. It has great money saving ideas and is easy to understand. The scare factors are extremely useful if you have children under 10.

Functional Fitness provides a common sense approach to exercise. Having spent hours enslaved at my desk, I now turn to Functional Fitness and with simple yet highly effective movements revive and revitalize myself right at my desk. The benefits of the desk exercises are increased through cutting edge breathing techniques. I am a new man!
R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
Editor in Chief
The American Spectator

Functional Fitness provides a 'fitness in a suitcase' approach. These exercises turn waiting in line (at the airport, grocery store, or at the coffee shop) into opportunities to become healthier. This allows people the convenience of using the exercises anywhere and anytime they choose without the aid of cumbersome props and equipment. This is the first commonsense handbook containing the extremely popular Pilates principles and exercises that can be done: sitting, standing, lying down, walking, and even in meetings, in traffic, or on flights. It offers a foundation of exercises that can be practiced 'beyond the mat.' Companies concerned with their employees' well being and interested in increasing productivity can now utilize Larkin Barnett's Desk Freedom Program to accomplish this goal.

No more excuses; Larkin Barnett's "Functional Fitness" will fundamentally change the way we relate to our bodies, giving new meaning to the word, "exercise." In a brilliant stroke of genius, Ms. Barnett has made Pilates highly accessible to the everyday reader, providing us with basic movement fundamentals that can be integrated into our lives. A must for every sports club, athletic department, spa, and college dance department. As a holistic primer, "Functional Fitness" will raise the level of awareness in our bodies as we move from our deepest core into civic space.

"Functional Fitness explodes with new and easy information for mankind to create a stress-free lifestyle universally. Larkin Barnett is the foremost leading healer and holistic messenger of the 21st century. This is a natural best seller and will be acclaimed worldwide. It is a must read and should be a reference in every household. Larkin Barnett brings her experience, knowledge, and insights as a dancer and movement therapist, to this book. It provides a new concept of incorporating essential alignment, breathing, and centering movement principles directly into any sport or lifestyle. What we did not learn with our 'ABC's' as children we now have the opportunity to do as adults. Thanks to the ingenious work of Larkin Barnett, we finally have a handbook containing a Pilates lifestyle that is simple to follow and fun to do. Her enormous experience in working with professionals and laymen coupled with her extensive knowledge of the great movement innovators Joseph Pilates and Rudolph Laban, as well as,her invaluable understanding in using creative visualization; she has brilliantly produced a book where we can effectively change our bodies, minds, and lives on a continual basis."

A clearly stated and visually self-explanatory guide for the more advanced athlete to the person just beginning their fitness regime. "Functional Fitness" provides easy to implement and profound cues for teaching pilates and physical fitness. Larkin's multifaceted understanding of gyrotonic and gyrokinesis are reflected in the three dimensional spiraling movement of the desk exercises, as well as, the "foot massage" section that is incorporated in the warm-up in the gyrokinesis class. An all-around, user friendly, very easy to follow fitness guide.

BEST guide book you could ever want to have in your possession before, during and after your cruise!!!!
These guys really have done their research and we are glad they did so we could have a wonderful, relaxing and informative cruise.
Thanks!!!!!

This book was an excellent resource in planning my second Disney cruise. I like to research as much as possible before taking a vacation and this guide gave me lots of information I needed. I especially used the reveiws and ratings of the shore excursions to help select which ones were best for my family. They also offer great budget and planning information and offer a behind-the-scenes look at what fun activites there are to do on the ship. I would never have thought to participate in the treasure hunt on Castaway Cay without them. The links to other websites to find more information was also a big help. Finally, they have a great website where you can get the most recent updates to whatever your edition is missing and color downloads of the ships deck plans. Overall, it's an excellent resource!

Once again, Jennifer Watson and Dave Marx have done an outstanding job with the new edition of the Passporter Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line! This volume is comprehensive, informative and easy-to-use. The authors are genuine Disneyphiles and their affection for all things Disney is evident in every page of this book. However, they are not blind to its (few) flaws and are careful to let readers know aspects of their trips did not meet their standards. This book is very carefully researched, right down to which meals and restaurants are the best, which cabins are quietest, which cabins have "secret" portholes and which on-shore excursions are best value for the money. Readers will really appreciate their insider tips on how to get the most from their Disney cruise. And the information in the book is regularly updated on the authors' website. I have been vacationing at Disney for decades and Passporter has been my vacation guide ever since they started publishing it. You're going to be spending thousands of dollars on your Disney cruise...spend a few dollars more and you'll be investing in a book that will really help you get the most out of your vacation. Passporter is outstanding and worth every cent!

Don't bother buying both. This one is much more useful and easy to use. I agree with the comments above. Start your cruise early by buying this guide and really get the most for your money! I feel like it is stretching the experience and giving me a head start by familiarizing me with what to expect.

Do consider ditching your nice luggage for nylon totes/something easily compactable or at least nesting - we are bringing the ones we use to pack our camping gear in when we travel because they are thin, strong and hold a lot, plus they collapse completely and will take up much less space in our cabin.

As first-time cruisers, we had much to learn. This guide explains everything, answered all of my questions and provided a wonderful overview of the cruise. This book is a must if you're taking the Disney cruise!

Maureen Ogle's history of Key West is the best single source for understanding this bizarre and remarkable place. Key West is the product of piracy, salvaging, the Civil War, fishing, sponging, turtling, cigar making, shrimping, military involvement, and tourism -- all this the result of Key West's unique position on a coral reef, adjacent to the Gulf Stream, 90 miles from Cuba, 120 miles off the US coast.

Ogle weaves together all the disparate influences of dreamers and planners, run-aways and con men, sailors and politicians who still shape history here on a daily basis. The best way to enjoy Key West is through frequent visits and a reading, and re-reading, of this most helpful book.

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

If you watch the Key West sunset on the webcam daily, or dream of a life in the Keys, then this book is for you...

A book on the history of Key West -- with all of its pirates, wreckers, rum runners and assorted scalawags -- should be lively, engaging and colorful. Maureen Ogle has accomplished just that with this readable and fascinating story. I say "story" because it reads that way, as a tale, not a dry recitation of events.

Dry? Hardly. You won't get through this book without your jaw dropping at some of the incidents related in its pages. Ogle's research is thorough with plenty of personal correspondence and colorful firsthand detail that really gives you a resident's eye view of this island.

I'm visiting Key West next year and I can't wait to go. Whether or not you've been there, this book makes for an excellent read. Highly recommended.

Key West has long been relished as a tropical paradise: this provides not just a travelogue of the region, but a history of Key West's many changes; from its Union seizure where citizens lived under martial law for four years, to its technical marvel of a vast overseas railroad which ran from mainland Florida to Key West. Any who relishes the region will want this lively history.

I grew up in the Florida Keys, and this historical account has been my favorite so far! I could feel, smell and see Key West through the author's writings, which were peppered with personal stories of the people who lived there throughout history. Wonderful details were included that enhanced my knowledge of events I've always been curious about. Highly recommended!

Lantigua is a master of the Miami noir novel, writing a thrilling tale laced with a mixture of true detective grit and wry humor. The story may be a personal one, with detective Willie Cuesta's search for a single young woman, but the author's true goal is to explore and illuminate a major violent episode in the history of Argentina, to which the world sadly turned a blind eye. You will keep reading to see how the plot unfolds and how the mystery is solved, and you will be intrigued by the nefarious characters who Willie encounters, but you will also learn about a situation that has had ramifications for a generation, and even now may be unfolding in other incarnations around the world.

A library patron recommended this book to me ~~ she loves mysteries and suspense and I thought, well, I'd try it and see. It is a fast read, very informative (I have never heard of the troubles in Argentina and the "disappeared", nor do I know the history or descriptions of the country) and I am half in love with Willie Cuesta. He's funny, disarmingly so and I can picture a dashing Cuban rushing all over Miami to solve the mystery of who did what 20-30 years ago.

Willie Cuesta was recruited to find a missing girl. An affluent woman, Fiona, hired him to find the girl, Elena, who is the daughter of her sister who was murdered during the student uprising in Buenos Aire years ago. Willie takes the reader down the road of the uprising, the modern-day version of the affluents in Miami, finding the girl Elena only to lose her again within 24 hours ~~ then finding her again ~~ all in the swirls of Latino music, drama and history.

It is a fast-paced novel and a refreshing read from the typical "Who Dun It & Who Killed Who" ~~ but the only reason why I rated it a four was because I figured it all out before the last page was turned. (Probably because I have read so many of these types of books.) I love the Latin flavor of this book ~~ and Willie Cuesta is a hero that I'd love to see up on the silver screen. It's a fun book with a little bit of spice thrown in ~~ so I definitely will be keeping an outlook for Lantigua's books in the future.

10-17-2007

Award-winning journalist and novelist John Lantigua presents The Lady From Buenos Aires, a mystery novel featuring former Miami Police Department detective Willie Cuesta. Cuesta's latest missing-persons case is far from ordinary - hired by an elegant Argentine woman whose dead sister was a casualty of the ruthless Argentine government, he is told to search for a long-lost niece. The deeper he goes into the case, the more often he encounters shady individuals with ties to Argentina's murderous military dictatorship. A thrilling novel of betrayal, layered plots and horrific secrets.

Willie Cuesta's latest mission sizzles with action and incredible twists and turns in this page-gripping mystery/thriller revolving around Argentina's infamous "Dirty War" and the "disappeared-s". What has not disappeared is Cuesta's talent to track down the sordid villains and unlikely heroes in his assignments. Lantigua's very vivid and brilliant descriptions of Miami, extensive knowledge of the subject matter at hand - in this case Argentina and its dirty laundry - and the memorable characters that populate his stories combine to make "The Lady" emminently readable and unputdownable! Hollywood should indeed put Willie Cuesta on celluloid. I look forward to Cuesta's next quest!

It takes more than two to tango in "The lady from Buenos Aires". Miami, the capital of Latin America, is the setting for this thriller where a beautiful and mysterious woman, Fiona, hires Cuban-American private eye Willie Cuesta to try to solve a mystery that goes back to Argentina and its "Dirty War" era. Without being didactic John Lantigua gives us an update on these tragic events of the 1970's where thousands of suspected leftists were kidnapped and executed by the Argentine military. Fiona's sister and brother-in-law were one of those who disappeared and became known as "Los Desaparecidos." But since her sister was pregnant at the time Fiona believes her niece was given to a childless military couple who now resides in Miami. Willie's job is to find this young woman and reunite her with her real family. Cuesta's search brings him to "Little Buenos Aires" where everybody seems to be harboring some dark secret. Soon the bodies start to pile up and he has some narrow escapes. Willie is a cool guy, a retired cop who in addition to being a private detective is in charge of security for his brother's Salsa club. With some help from his platonic best friend, a sexy human rights attorney, Cuesta takes on all the challenges and dangers of his assignment with courage and a fatalistic sense of humor. Lantigua, a practicing journalist with vast experience in Latin America, writes in a fast-paced, engaging manner. His descriptions of music (both tango and afro-cuban), food, drinks, smells, are vivid and realistic. The dialogue is snappy, the characters well drawn. I was hooked by this book and couldn't put it down once I started. I highly recommend it. You will be entertained and you may even learn some history.

Janis Owens is an amazing writer. Her descriptions of her characters and their lives are so real that I feel that I know them. And, although I am not a Southerner by birth or upbringing, I got to feel like the Catts family were somehow just distant cousins I hadn't heard from for a while. This book, and the other two in the trilogy "Myra Simms" and "The Schooling of Claybird Catts" opened my eyes and my understanding to the simple strengths (and someof the frailties) of the rural south and made me ralize why I now live there.

My Brother Michael is a haunting, unforgettable work of singular authenticity and Janis Owens is a welcome new voice in Southern fiction. What an interesting flawed protagonist. What a reclamation. I love her characters. Obviously Janis Owens writes from the depths of her soul. A rich and strange, quirky, idiosyncratically compelling debut. Utterly original, yet familiar. Like Flannery O'Conner. her writing seems so natural, so unconscious, that it's almost as if there's a kind of channeling going on. My favorite kind of book. Up from the cellars. Instinctual. Organic. Surprising in its accrued power.

If you've lost your belief in true love this book is for you. No matter how cynical you are you will fall in love with My Brother Michael. What a beautifully written, sad, funny, romantic book. These are people you can care about. Age-old themes: money, poverty, incest, sibling rivalry, a brother's mistake, a son's fury, a mother's love. You've known these people before, just not the inside story of what has really gone on in their lives. Brilliantly written. Boldly beautiful.

Wonderfully written in the best literary tradition of the South. Family saga with all the secrets finally come to light. Couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

My Brother Michael is as delicious as a large glass of sweet tea on a hot Florida day! Janis Owens is a wonderful writer, with a skillfully spirited understanding of small- town Southern idiosyncrasies. This poignantly told story of love lost and found, captivates the reader immediatly with its wry Southern comfort and charm.

There is a lot of good information in this book, but most of it can be found toward the beginning. The tips on predicting the weather alone could be worth the price of the book. However, the maps of the various waterways were absolutely terrible. I would recommend this book for a general overview and lots of tips and tricks for paddlers, and the two "Canoeing and Kayaking the Streams of Florida" guides for detailed information on specific waterways.

Well, I've typed this twice, I think. Anyway, the writer has a good sense of humor, and I'd like to paddle with her sometime. Each chapter has a story to go with it, from Indian history to digging fossils to fishing to how NOT to cook on a week long canoe camping trip.

I'll use this book often.

I found the book "Paddler's Guide" easy to find ones way around in through a well organized index. The locations that I looked up i.e. Chassahowitzka and Weeki Wachie rivers had all the info that one could possible need to set off on a paddle.
Very important though is to read first the initial chapters on Tips for Paddling. Their is a wealth of information in this book. Congratulations.

After much looking around, this is the first book I actually bought. Its got very detailed, practical information on most of the waterways, but doesn't even mention some beautiful rivers that I've paddled in the central area of the state. While the text was excellent, I found the maps to be confusing and lacking in detail about ramps and access roads, compared to my personal knowledge of the roads and waterways of some areas. Its one of the most recently written books on this subject, so the information is probably the most current. It is not just a dry info book, but includes humorous stories about paddling and camping, altho the author writes as if she would enjoy the outdoors much more without all that pesky wildlife! Still, I highly recommend this book for planning your next outing.

The lady who wrote this book must be a lot of fun to paddle with. Her dry humor shows up in every chapter. I'd like to meet her in person.
Besides a great deal of advice about problems specific to Florida, she gives a number of safety tips. I almost felt like I was being mothered.
Obviously an experienced writer, Sandy Huff has a story to tell about each destination, ranging from history to botany to birding to how NOT to cook while camping. I also intend to put a stick of hot glue and a book of matches in my emergency kit from now on.
Very enjoyable reading, and probably the most comprehensive where-to book ever pubished for canoers and kayakers about Florida waters. I'll go back to this book often

As a family we enjoy scuba diving. Our last vacation in Honduras we were noticing certain fish "acted" in very specific ways and some making no sense to us at all. We were told about this book and have read it now and things we saw make much more sense now. We will be heading back to Honduras in August and hope to use this new found knowledge regarding fish behavior in helping us capture better pictures.

so glad i broke down and bought this! after taking all my photos and comparing them to the details in this book, i am 99% sure of my labels! and after doing so, it was amazing how much of the info stuck in my brain!

While on vacation in Florida, I read Reef Fish Behavior by Ned Deloach and Paul Humann. It is a fascinating, well researched book on the behavior of reef residents in the wild, based on many months of observation on dives. There are incredible pictures here showing life and death on the reef.

The writing is well done, and lets readers feel like they are observing along with the authors. Witness, for example, these few sentences taken from the section on Sailfin blennies: "...late one afternoon we saw a Sailfin making a mad dash across the seafloor. The little fellow looked vulnerable and out of place in the open....This was our first observation of what we came to call runners. After several minutes of crazy zigzags, the runner arrived at a hole occupied by a slightly smaller male, and a miniature version of a marine Jurassic Park commenced."

Perfect condition through Amazon.
This is a very good complement to the reef set, from the same author.

If you are hesitating due to the price of this book don't. Check out the contents page on the 'look inside' facility above. It is well worth the expense. Excellent photos,( I wonder how many hours underwater they spent observing the behaviour captured in these pics?) highly informative text, an absolute mine of interesting facts and observations about a complex subject. Though specific to the Caribbean and Bahamas it can also be used by divers in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Obviously it does not cover all species and unfortunately misses out on some of my personal favourites Morays, Lionfish, Boxfishes, Porcupinefishes and Puffers but at 360 pages it still covers a lot of ground. Enjoy!