Florida Books

Lew Fonesca is a widower from Chicago, recently transplanted to Sarasota, FL. He is working as a process server, but somehow seems to get involved in some investigations. This time an elderly nursing home resident is convinced she witnessed a murder. In another case, a 14 year old boy is the victim of a hit-and-run accident. The case of the hit-and-run is close to home since Lew's wife was victim of a fatal hit-and-run that remains unsolved. Anyone familiar with the Sarasota area will appreciate some of the local references. Hopefully, you will have read the three previous books in this series, although Kaminsky's books will stand alone.

At the conclusion of this book, we realize that there is more to come.
Like other reviewers, I recommend that readers not familiar with this series start from book one and read chronologically. The constant thread throughout the Fonesca series is his psychological trip through the healing process in the wake of his wife's death. First, he reaches a milestone where he is able to speak her name. Now, at the end of _Denial_, he finally realizes that he has to find his wife's killer.

As a Southwest Florida resident who considers Sarasota a second home, I always enjoy the settings in the Fonesca books. Here, we end up in the Asolo Theater, among other interesting spots.

The story itself is right on par with the previous books: Two mysteries that keep you guessing until the end. Lew Fonesca is the quintessential anti-hero--a guy you can root for.

This new release is the fourth novel in the "Lew Fonesca" series, and it holds up to the quality of its predecessors. I suggest that mystery fans read the four in order, starting with Vengeance, then Retribution, and third, Midnight Pass. Fonesca is a Florida-based process server and finder of missing people. He is struggling to cope with the tragic loss of his wife, and subsequent loss of interest in life itself. Slowly, through the four novels, which cover about two years of his life, Lew acquires a new family of friends and a host of interesting acquaintences. In "Denial" he tracks the unknown driver who ran down a 14-year-old boy, and solves a puzzling murder in an assisted living facility. He makes progress in his not-yet-intimate relationship with a social worker, and starts a "Big Brother" relationship with a needy teenage boy. Finally, there is a nice surprise at the end, when Lew makes a decision which might make the next book in the series the best yet. Highly recommended for fans of Robert B. Parker and Lawrence Block, or mysteries in general.

Lew Fonesca, rendered a widower in Chicago four years ago when a hit-and-run driver killed his wife, has relocated to Sarasotsa, Florida. Formerly an investigator in Chicago, Fonesca tries to lead a low key life as a process server. Mired in depression and grief, he lives and works out of a low-rent office. For a depressed guy lost in himself, Lew seems to be the social hit of the town. He knows just about everyone, so it seems. This of course leads to him being called upon to help people.

In this novel, on the same day, an elderly woman in a nursing home calls Lew because she thinks she saw a resident being murdered. No one, of course, believes her. But Lew will investigate, just as a favor. Minutes after receiving this call, Lew is summoned to the office of one of his process serving clients. A senior partner introduces him to a woman whose son was recently run down by - are you ready - a hit-and-run driver.

When not talking to his neighborly therapist about his depression and grief, Lew is sort of hanging out with an assortment of other women in town. All acquaintances at best; no lovers for the grieving Lew.

So Lew is on the case helping to determine if indeed a resident of the assisted living facility has been murdered . . . and tracking down the hit-and-run driver who keeps calling Lew with tearful apologies when he isn't trying to run Lew down with his car.

It all works out in the end. With the help of a gunslinging refugee from what seems like 19th Century Montana, a little assistance from a friendly police officer and other odd and wonderful coincidences, Lew tracks down all the killers and solves all the mysteries.

Not exactly edge-of-your-seat reading. The plot is a bit too filled with happy coincidences that allow Lew to plod on. The characters are thin and sure do know their platitudes and cliches. Oh yes, Lew also helps a troubled young black boy out as well.

Overall, a lightweight mystery, fun to read. Sized right for a long flight, a rainy afternoon or a sunny day at the beach.

Jerry

Reclusive Lew Fonesca needs closure, but he is in "Denial," which is the name of Stuart Kaminsky's new murder mystery. Lew was devastated when, four years earlier, his beloved wife Catherine was run down and killed by a hit and run driver who was never apprehended. Overcome with grief, Lew abruptly left Chicago and moved to a dumpy apartment in Sarasota, Florida. He now ekes out a bare bones living as a process server, subsists on fast food, showers in the Y, and watches old movies on video.

Like Greta Garbo, Lew claims to want to be left alone, yet somehow he has accumulated a host of friends and acquaintances who care about him. These include eighty-year-old Ann Horowitz, Lew's therapist, Sally, a caseworker with whom he has kept company for three years, and seventy-four year old Ames McKinney, a gun-toting six-foot-four enforcer who gives Fonseca much needed muscle when he inevitably gets into trouble.

Lew was an investigator in Chicago, and he hasn't lost his touch. In "Denial," he takes on two new clients. One is an elderly woman named Dorothy Cgnozic, who swears that she witnessed a murder in Seaside Assisted Living, a facility for senior citizens. The Seaside staff scornfully dismisses Dorothy's allegations, so she hires Lew to prove that "she is not a demented old woman." Lew's other client is Nancy Root, a divorced actress whose fourteen-year-old son, Kyle, was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Lew takes on the second case reluctantly, because it reminds him too much of the tragedy that robbed him of his wife. When Lew looks into Nancy's eyes, he sees a heartrending grief that mirrors his own.

Kaminsky has a laid back, dryly humorous, bare bones style of writing. Lew is a deliciously sarcastic narrator. When Fonesca shakes hands with a strong and formidable woman, he states, "She had a grip that could crack walnuts." The cast of characters includes the quirkiest bunch of individuals that you are likely to meet in any murder mystery. There is even an alligator named Jerry Lee, who is the unofficial mascot of one of the residents in the Seaside Assisted Living facility.

"Denial" is more whimsical than realistic. The two murder mysteries in the book are not exactly classic whodunits, nor are the solutions to the crimes particularly logical. However, the plot is engrossing enough, and Lew proves to be a dogged and skilled investigator. The novel is most noteworthy, however, not for the mystery elements, but for the insightful way that Kaminsky portrays the walking wounded. The criminals in this book are ordinary individuals who are hurting, so they lash out at others, making self-destructive choices that ultimately lead to their downfall. In Lew's case, however, there is hope. With the help of his wise therapist, Lew has begun to take his first tentative steps towards escaping the prison that he has so laboriously built around himself. "Denial" is a poignant novel that will entertain Lew Fonesca fans and may even gain some new readers for the talented Stuart Kaminsky.

The only improvement that could be made is the coupons in the back of the book could have expiration dates a little later in the following year. I purchased this book in January of 2000 for a trip in Febuary and the coupons touted as saving up to $1000 expired in December of 1999. Other than that the book is very eazy to understand and will be very useful in our upcoming trip.

We used this book on our trip and saved *much* more than the cost of the book by using the coupons inside.

This is the best guide I have come across for Walt Disney World and the Orlando area. I had purchased several different books in 1999 when we took our first trip. I am purchasing this book again for our upcoming trip. Each park and it's attractions are covered in detail with helpful Power Trip info that helps make the most of your time. In addtion there are several other Orlando attractions that are covered in this book with detail covering Universal's parks and Sea World.

The book also reviews many hotels including Disney's, critiquing each in detail. Includes pricing and some of the ameneties, tips on the best times to travel to Orlando in relation to crowds, weather, and how to negotiate the best packages and pricing.

The candidness of the author and reviewers of the parks contained within this book are remarkable and really helped us plan our trip using our limited time to the best of our advantage.

I highly recommend this book as one to use to plan your Orlando vacation.

I think this book is great for fun family vacations. I have used it myself. My family had the best time. We knew where everything was and how to find it. This guide is easy to read and gives great directions. It shows maps great detailed maps of anywhere you want to go. Buy this book. Your family and you will have the best time!

We used this book on our vacation and saved *much* more than the cost of the book by using the great coupons inside.

The author explains in very clear language the complicated El Nino phenomenon and its far-reaching ecological, social, economic and political impacts during the last few centuries. The book is an excellent example of how an interdisciplinary approach can shed light on a complex oceanic-meteorological event and its ramifications throughout the world and human history. The author weaves meteorology, oceanography, history, economics, ecology, and political and social sciences in to a rich account of the history of El Nino. The book is founded on thorough scientific research, yet completely comprehensible for a lay person like me. The clear style of writing kept my attention to the last page. The numerous illustrations and graphs are very effective and helpful. Anybody who is interested in El Nino and its impact on human events will find this a very insightful book.

This book, written by Dr. Cesar Caviedes about the historical implications of El Niño, is an excellent source of information and also a valuable teaching tool for undergraduate teaching. I have used the first chapter to explain to the students of an introductory Environmental Science course at Georgetown University the basic oceanic and meteorological processes that are involved and explain El Niño events with great success. The book does not only offer clear explanations, but it also is rich in appropriate illustrations that further clarify the intricate concepts. The book is written in a very engaging and creative manner reflecting in my opinion Dr. Caviedes' expertise in this subject and also his qualities as a teacher.
A work like this entices the reader to look at history with a new and different perspective, a history which is much more intertwined with climatic events than we may have assumed. The discovery of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), the failure of the Napoleon campaign in Russia and the defeat of the German Army at Stalingrad during the Second World War, are telling examples that attest to the importance of environmental circumstances in the outcome of some human affairs.
I enjoyed this book the first time I read it and I still savor it when I return to its most thrilling passages. Highly recommended!

Press attribution of the unsusual weather of 1998-99 to El Nino gave hitherto unprecedented notoriety to this profound weather phenomenon, thus leading much of the public to believe that this was something new. It is very ancient.
Because of an interest in the history of sailing ships, this reviewer thought he was knowledgeable about El Nino, which controls the Humboldt Current flowing up the west coast of South America, significantly affecting sailing ships and vital for Peru's fisheries.

Nevertheless, this scholarly and thoroughly documented account was a revelation in its details of El Nino's long history and vast worldwide climatic effects, both beneficial and disastrous. This book can be strongly reommended, not only for meteorologists and climatologists, but also for archaeologists, historians and anyone concerned with agricultural policies anywhere.
Most particularly, this is recommended reading for anyone producing computer models purporting to forecast global warming trends.

Dear Sir or Madam, While visiting the city of Toronto in Canada recently I came across a new book about the climate phenomenon "El Nino". After having read this book all I can say that this title is excellent, and probably one of the best documented books published lately on this subject. The historical perspective projected by Dr. Caviedes is of great value to people that dedicates time to think about, or, to study all the latest changes in the weather patterns that we all see nowadays, and some of us experience first hand. Like this current summer drought across Canada, whereas in some other areas of this great country were suffering heavy rains and potential floodings three weeks ago in the midwest of our province of Alberta. In a few words I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding these modern type of climate changes, Excellent and the most complete and documented of the works that I have seen published lately. Sincerely, Gui Lagos Calgary, AB. Canada.

Dr. César Caviedes' recent book entitled El Niño in History is based on numerous historical references that the author has collected over more than 30 years. In the early chapters of the book oceanic and meteorological mechanisms of El Niño and its counterpart, La Niña, are described. The author then identifies and examines numerous events in political, military, social, economic and cultural history that were influenced by El Niño and La Niña. Events include storms and floods, droughts, military campaigns, hurricanes and shipwrecks covering a wide time frame extending from the present to more than 10,000 years ago.

The author describes an example of how El Niño altered civilizations. He uses the Chicago Field Museum study in northern Peru (Nials et al. 1979) to illustrate a multi-disciplinary approach to identifying historic El Niño episodes in periods when climatologic data are not available. In the Nials study archaeologists, geologists and other specialists compared large river deposits left by contemporary El Niños with fossil deposits found in the area. As a result of these comparisons Nials and other investigators were able to date and size historic El Niño events in pre-Columbian Peru. Investigators were then able to conclude that the coastal Moche and Chimu civilizations were decimated by El Niño associated floods and droughts which ultimately led to the ascendance of the mountain dwelling Incas.

The author issues a direct challenge to readers of his book who are fond of environmental history. He suggests that they search written sources for references to extreme climatic events that serve as a back drop for notable historical circumstances to see if they can be related to a specific El Niño occurrence.

Dr. Caviedes is to be complimented on his excellent presentation of a complex and intriguing subject. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a multi-disciplinary interest in history. Accept his challenge and identify a previously unknown civilization altering El Niño!

The reporter who wrote this supposedly went into it thinking the guy was guilty, but when he was done with the research, he had a different opinion. I read this book for a college paper and was shocked at how the best legal system in the world (which I still believe it is) can go so wrong. After reading this book I was so angry, that I thought that even if this guy is guilty, he should walk free, because everybody else acted so wrong throughout this case's history. Even today, over 30 years later, he is still sitting on death row. The problem is in the appeals system, where even this jury thought it would be righted.

A true-crime account involving the brutal murders of a wife, her parents, and a by-stander, this book could also fall into the cold case category as unsolved. The convicted, William Thomas Zeigler, is presently on death row, appeals exhausted, but still hoping for justice. Through the years he has had a large number of supporters, legal, forensic, and others interested in his appalling situation who believe he should be exonerated. The reader will be shocked at the magnitude of the crime, the investigation(s), and the astonishing conclusions.

That Southern justice can be an oxymoron is no surprise. But this book lays out in stunning detail how the system can close ranks to create an impenetrable thicket of corruption. It methodically deconstructs the state's case to reveal a disturbing array of official misinformation, mistakes and misconduct. The case is no less pertinent today, almost 30 years later, for the defendant still resides on death row. Perhaps the most stunning aspect is that the case has never been successfully appealed as it wended its way North through Federal courts. One suspects that the trial of a wealthy white businessman who killed his wife and three bystanders for insurance hardly makes even the most strident card-carrying ACLU member's heart race. Indeed, a drug dealer who murdered a policeman has more success in the courtroom - overturning a case on nearly identical grounds under which the defendant's is not. How did he find himself in the Kafkaesque struggle? He broke perhaps the highest law of the deep South one year earlier by coming to the defense of a black man. The guilt in this frightening indictment of our legal process does not end with the defendant: It does not even begin there. Unfortunately, however, neither does it end with the original perpetrators of the crime. If you liked "The Thin Blue Lie", you will love this book.

Have you ever stopped to think that cases such as Tommy's, whose innocence I believe in, the person or persons that committed a murder are still free to kill again?

After being involved in a case of someone I care about and having the police, prosecutors, and the judge betray that person, I started reading stories of other real life people who had also been betrayed by the police, prosecutors, judges, well... the whole "justice" system. One of the first books I read was "Fatal Flaw". After reading this book, with my heart breaking for Tommy and his mother, I contacted Tommy. He became a very dear friend of mine, as did his precious mother. Tommy has lost both his father and his mother while being in prison. I cannot think of a more hurtful thing in the world than to be in prison, an innocent person, and to lose someone you love. Not to mention Tommy's wife having been murdered, and not by him.

This book is the most wonderful book about the way the lack of justice is allowed in our country. It is easy to read, easy to follow and understand. Phillip Finch is a wonderful author who did not go into the telling of this story because he believed in Tommy's innocence. Because of his ability to do research and his honesty, he had to come to the conclusion that Tommy is innocent. If you read this story, you will see why he and others thought Tommy could be guilty. You will think... wait! I thought he is suppose to be innocent. Keep reading.

You might also think on this while reading. Other facts have come to light since the book was written to prove even further that Tommy is not just "not guilty" but totally innocent. Where are those who committed these murders? Not in prison! Does that worry you? Does it make anyone safer because "someone" is in prison for the murders? Sadly that does satisfy too many people.

Does it bother you that this can happen to anyone? Maybe you or someone you love? You might think that it never would, but if you are in the wrong place at the right time for the police, you could have evidence put together to make you or someone you love look guilty. Think about that! Read this story. You can read this book online at no cost. Do a search for Tommy Zeigler.

One thing that I would like to tell you about this book that was most shocking to me is concerning the jury. Did you know that other than physical abuse, a jury can do or say just about anything to get other jurors to change their mind. Nothing is suppose to leave the jury room about what is said or done during the trial. Nothing is recorded. In this book you will learn how a juror was allowed to hold a gun to another juror's head and pull the trigger. This woman was a hold out for "not guilty". The juror wanted her to change her mind. The woman tried to tell the judge, but he would not allow the woman to talk. He did not want a mistrial. Finally the woman managed to get a message to the judge. He had a doctor write her a prescription for Valium and she was told to take the medication. She finally could hold out no longer, and caved in from the pressure, never believing Tommy was guilty.

Tommy is innocent. The system is flawed. Real killers are going free. Is that okay with you? What if you are the next person that gets murdered because of a case like this, convicting an innocent person, especially when the state knows the person on trial is innocent. How sad and scary! How unfair for the innocent and it brings no justice for the victims that are killed.

In 1975, Winter Garden, Florida was a small, one-horse migrant labor and truck stop town bypassed by the supposed prosperity brought to Central Florida by the Disney Company. Spared the rapicious raping of the Kissimmee-St Cloud area, with its swamp draining killing of animals, Winter Garden remained as it had been--a lower class white working community dependent on trucking and citrus for its existence.

Enter William Thomas Zeigler who, by the author's own description drove oldsmobiles and detested rock and roll music. Unknown to many residents, the Zeigler family wealth stood at just over one million dollars--a princely sum in the 1970s. The quiet, modest veneer of the Zeigler family was broken by the existence of sexual problems between Tommy and Eunice Zeigler. Two weeks before the murder of Eunice, the couple stopped having intercourse with Eunice threatening to go to a fertility specialist in Orlando. Rumors abounded that Tommy was homosexual and a member of a sex ring of important local men. The author points out that Zeigler commited two unforgiveable crimes. One, he helped a black man retain a liquor license in the face of local and state opposition. Two, he helped break up a loan sharking ring manned by members of the Orange County (Orlando) Sherrif's Department. Later that year, the Sherrif, Dave Starr, resigned under pressure and his chief deputy, Leigh MacEachern, wne to jail convicted of charges of official corruption.

Finch outlines in great detail the malfeasance of police and prosecutors. First, sherrif's deputies trampled evidence at the crime scene. Later, judges and FBI authorities joined in to complete a fait accompli ensuring the swift journey of Mr. Zeigler to Florida's death row, where he remains to this day. Despite having two of the finest criminal defense lawyers in orlando--Ed Kirkland and Terry Hadley, Zeigler stood no chance of even getting a routine continuance or investigator access to the crime scene. Additionally, Finch outlines how key witnesses were not interviewed nor called to trial leaving the reader no doubt that the fix was in. Finch leaves the reader wondering an age-old question--how can a nation that calls itslef a democracy allow such malfeasance in its criminal justice system?

I have a special interest in this book having lived in Orlando at the time of the crime and having visited the crime scene as recently as last year. Finch has written an important, readable indictment of southern justice.

Just read this, and thoroughly enjoyed it- I particularly liked the honesty throughout re. the state of Nasa and some of the decisions made over the years. Flaws from the earliest to the current days of the Shuttle program are explored, but this is no witch-hunt- just an honest appraisal of things that went wrong with the Shuttle- but not forgetting, all the great, great things that went right, right too. Wets your appetite for the forthcoming new launch system, too! Recommended.

This is one of the finest books I have read in a while on the space shuttle. With a comprehensive look at how we got into the shuttle, remained there for close to thirty years and now are finally in the process of getting out of. If you don't have acopy of thie book...go out and get one.

I discovered this book while doing research on Kennedy Space Center and found it really helpful. As someone who was "there" during much of the story covered by Duggins, I found his information to be accurate and enlightening. It was also a lot less dry than most of the other related books I was reading on this topic. In particular, I was impressed by his candid narrative. Many of the books I reviewed on KSC and NASA seemed to gloss over issues that may have put the agencies in a bad light, but Duggins was able to tell the truth about what happened using an unbiased voice.

Final Countdown is a great book about NASA's plans for the future of space travel and their intentions of ending the Space Shuttle program. This book explains how the Space Shuttle program evolved along with it's success and tragedies. Author Pat Duggins wrote this book in a way to where it is not only entertaining but educational as well. A nice addition to a space travel book collection!

Final Countdown is an excellent book for Baby Boomers who grew up watching the massive Saturn 5 rockets of the Apollo program lumber off the launch pad and dreamed, one day, of drinking Tang on the Moon or taking a Space vacation. Final Countdown is an excellent book for anyone, regardless of generation, interested in politics, science and man's future in Space.

The book is a well researched history of how America's shining achievement in Space technology was a mistake, a design of political compromise, constrained federal spending and promised secret military payloads. Frank Lloyd Wright would have told NASA that form must follow function, but in the case of the Shuttle, Wright would have learned that function had not been fully defined.

Final Countdown also gives the reader a look at Space exploration beyond the Shuttle program and how NASA has returned to mission-based designs for selecting the vehicle that will likely carry man back to the Moon and possibly on to Mars.

Beyond the well documented history of the Shuttle itself, author Pat Duggins introduces readers to the personalities and individual career turns that ultimately gave life to the Space Shuttle program. He tells the unlikely story of how the demise of plans for a spy agency's secret space program helped shape the Shuttle. Along with the Shuttle's achievements, the book takes readers through the pain and lessons learned from the disasters of Challenger and Columbia.

In the end, the book serves as a wonderful "Program Guide" to the Final Countdown of the Space Shuttle Program and gives readers a reason to anticipate with excitement the next chapter in the story of manned space flight.

This is a MUST READ book for anyone wishing to abide by the Florida Concealed Weapons Laws. Don't leave home without it.

If you own a firearm in Florida, you must have this book! Firearm laws are numerous and complicated -- one slip and you're a felon. Gutmacher covers the whole range of situations you might face, and explains the law in understandable terms.

This book can save your life -- get it and read it now!

Why ... well probably beacuse if you carry you probably also have a concealed wepons permit and of course are an honest citizen with no felony etc convictions on you record ....

Well, because you are honest and you don't have that much exposure to police or the darker side of this world you will be just like a duck out of water in case you have to use your gun and law enforcemnt is called in .... Just the fact that you used your gun may mean that you are in deep deep doo doo because the laws, state, federal, municipal etc etc (seems like every idiot in the elected world want's to write a law of some kind) specifically detail of where, how, when and why you may discharge your weapon. Bring into play that these laws overlap and are confusing, you, mr citizen are then either in the total hands of the local police, or a lawyer that understands the gun lwas ....

Let me tell you ... if there is any advice that I can give anyone that is:

1) Buy and read this book ....

2) If in trouble keep your mouth shut ....

3) Let your lawyer explain why you used your gun .....

Fabulous book written by Jon H. Gutmacher P.A....

As a certified firearms instructor, and former prosecuting attorney, I had many opportunities to lecture on the law of firearms, weapons, and self-defense. Over the years, it became clear that very few people had any idea of how the laws were actually interpreted, and what they really meant. After being asked several times, I finally put "Florida Firearms - Law, Use & Ownership" together in 1993. Now, it's 1998, and it's in it's fourth edition!

The purpose of the book was to explain every facet of Florida and Federal firearms law that an ordinary individual would need to know, including NFA weapons, chemical and electric weapons, constitutional issues, and self-defense. The next problem was to put in it a format that was easy to understand, that was enjoyable, and that would be "fast" reading. After two thousand or so hours of work -- this was accomplished, and the book found a ready market with people who wanted to know what they could and could not do, legally. The second edition added a section on assault weapons, as well as extensive endnotes, because quite a few attorneys were using the book, and we also had a number of law enforcement agencies that had bought it, and they all wanted to have case and statutory references to verify the content.

Since then, the book just keeps getting bigger. It's sold over 20,000 copies in Florida, alone -- and is being used in over eighty law enforcement agencies, seven police academies, and is in the library of every Florida appellate court, including the Florida Supreme Court. Pretty good, for a local book.

As laws change, the book is revised, and we offer updates to purchasers twice a year. Everytime I think I've had enough of rewriting, I get a letter from someone that the book has helped, and I renew my efforts, once again. It's the only book that covers Florida and Federal laws, regulations, and cases, and blends them into an explanation of how they really work. There is also a short section on North Carolina law, since half of Florida seems to go there on vacation. Hope you like it.

I got this book shortly after I came to Florida. It is essential reading. Granted, the law itself is on-line and shorter than this book, but you need the interpretations and case law results of this book to sort out what it all really means. First class in every respect.

This is one of the books in my gardening library I refer to time and again. It is a "companion book" in that it has no pictures and no in-depth information on the individual plants. However, it is absolutely invaluable when looking for a plant for a particular situation. It also has tidbits of wisdom and advice from numerous Florida nursery owners, landscapers and Extension Agents.

I think this is a top notch book for any gardener...but...It needs pictures! I am new to Florida and very interested in gardening, I know a lot of the flowers, but not all of them. And as far knowing trees or shrubs I am lost. It is a very descriptive book, with plenty of advice from the authors. Just no pictures! I highly recommend this though for in depth information on plants that will grow.

We love lists and, as a gardener, this is THE book for Florida gardeners! It has everything nicely categorized, wonderfully organized and understandable ... by the novice, newbie to Florida as well as an experienced Florida gardener. OK, it's not in depth, not really a cultural guide for specific plants but wow, the information!! Shady spot? Wet spot? Ground covers? It's all there and more. A 'must have' to point you in the right directions.

This small book can save you hours and hours of research and reading. Everything neatly categorized into meaningful lists. Examples:shrubs with fragrant flowers, nightbloomers, vines that withstand drought. Hundreds of lists in categories that relate to specific needs or desires on the part of Florida gardeners. I got it from the library and just had to order my own copy from Amazon. Highly recommended.

I have been trying to get an idea of what long-lived, pest-free tree options I have in Central Florida and this is the only book I've found yet that tells me. I have nearly seven "Florida" gardening books and this is the one I always turn to first. For instance, just today I had a semi-shady, dry spot I wanted a fragrant blue-flowering vine in. I found exactly what I needed within minutes. Most of gardening is finding the right kind of plant to thrive in your chosen space. This book gives you the information that you need. It answers all the little particulars to find you the right plant. (For instance, is it going to look dead and disgusting in the winter, or stay leafy) Extremely recommended.

I'm a Divemaster and Guide in Key Largo. This book is by far the best written guide I have found for the Keys. Because of who the author is my expectations for the 3D underwater diagrams was unrealistically high. The author does an exceptional job detailing points of interest and highlights you don't want to miss.

Buy this book!

I found this book to be an excellent review of diving sites in the Fla. Keys. Not only did it describe sites but the drawings describing dives from boats was excellent! I cannot say enough about how well this book is presented and it should be an invaluable resource for all of us who dive in the Keys

This is the best diving book about the Keys in this website. It is a fascinating look at many of the bigger reefs in the Keys. We used this book as a reference source for creating our website. It is filled with beautiful photos, all taken on the reefs described therein. It has diveplan maps to follow, history, fish descriptions, and many other helpful facts relevant to divers.

As a beginning diver, I found this book to be very informative. It lists practically every reef in the Florida Keys. I especially like the reef maps which show what there is to see at what depth. Then after each reef map, there are photos of what there is to see at that site. It is a paperback, but it has glossy pages and great photos. I thought it was an excellent book - at a value price!

This book can please every scuba diver interested on the Florida Keys. Great layout; nice, glossy paper; loads of inspiring pictures; super cool maps of EACH dive site; expert advice from knowledgeable writers who clearly love the Keys.
For such a beautiful book - though not hard-cased, it can fare well on a diver's coffee-table - this guide is a GREAT value for the money. This book provides substantial help in preparing for your first trips to the only living reef in the continental USA. It can also inspire the seasoned Florida diver to remember the good times underwater and how precious the Keys are.
A fitting tribute to a nature wonder... a most useful guide for a diving vacation... Highly recommended!

The Florida Manatee : Biology and Conservation is the best book about manatee. It is writing on a easy way to read, even for people that are no so good reading English, cover everything you want to know about manatee, and explain why there are so amazing and unique among marine mammals. A great gift for yourself or for a friend!

This new book was both easy to read and quite informative, covering the history of Florida's lovable manatees, their lifestyle, biology, and a look at their future. I visit Florida on an annual basis to snorkel with manatees and this book is the best resource I've found for up to date manatee information. It comes highly recommended.

The Florida Manatee, Biology and Conservation book is a very complete and good overview about manatee and a really interesting book. It contain a lot of informations writing on an easy and agreable way to read and to understand for everybody interesting on manatee. I recommend this book to everybody interesting on learning more about manatee. A really great book!

The Florida Manatee is possibly the best book on manatee biology, behavior, ecology, and current research available. It provides indepth information about manatees in an easy to read format that can be used by the layperson, scientist, or wildlife manager. I would recommend this book to anyone who has interest in one of the world's most endangered and lovable mammals!

I bought this book for my niece who is a marine biologist. She loves the book. And really likes the personal stories. I read the book as well, and found it to be extremely informative about manatee biology and issues. This book also provides a unique introduction into the world of real working biologists, which i found to make it alot more fun to read. The pictures were great too! Definitely a must read for any one interested in manatees or marine mammals!

This book is a must for Florida residents who wish to raise or already are growing plants that bear fruit. I know of nothing better. A great resource.

This book reads like a guide put out by the Agricultural Extension Service. It has enough information on culture and new varieties for you to make an intelligent choice for planting in your yard. Covers the common to the exotic. I would definitely read it before I went to a nursery to buy a tree so you can sort the facts from the sales pitches.

This is a visually stunning and imminently usable reference book. The author presents some eighty varieties of fruit that grow well in Florida. Most varieties are presented in two-page spreads which include all the basic information one would need (other than an actual taste test) to decide what fruit to include in plans for dooryard gardens, including but not limited to: a full-color illustration of the fruit and how it grows on the plant (most grow on trees); a calendar bar depicting when the fruit is ready to harvest, a map showing where in Florida the fruit will grow (dark green for where it should grow well, light green for where it may grow although conditions are not optimal, and yellow in borderline areas); a silhouette depicting the tree or plant with a scale to indicate the mature size; known hazards (e.g. spines, thorns, pollen, toxic seeds, and so on); soil types and conditions, and much more. There are also many photographs and illustrations showing the fruit cut open.

Of the varieties of fruit presented, I found a total of forty possibilities for growing on my property (central west coast of Florida, on the Nature Coast): thirteen in the dark green area, thirteen in the light green area, and fourteen in the yellow area.

Those totally committed to growing only Florida native plants may be bothered to find fruit like loquat (Japanese plum) presented in this book as it is sometimes considered invasive or a threat to become invasive. Any time a non-native species is planted, there is a risk of its seeds being carried into the wild, including by birds and wildlife. There are advantages to growing plants, including fruit, native to an area; in Florida, the list of native fruit that grows well might be a short list.

In many cases, the author presents representative varieties of the fruit, when in fact there may be hundreds of varieties. The book includes a disappointingly short list of nurseries and could be improved by including more information about where to purchase fruit trees and plants.

Nevertheless, I find no trouble in highly recommending this book. I was considering buying a copy and found it at my local library and decided to check it out and review it first. Now that I have done so, I believe this book would be a bargain at full price.

He puesto la máxima calificación a este libro por su relación calidad-precio, aparte de ser muy barato es bastante interesante puesto que tiene mas de 80 tipos de frutas tanto para climas templados, subtropicales o tropicales. Puede que no venga mucha información sobre cada tipo de fruta pero lo suficiente sobre su adaptabilidad al clima y suelo, características de la planta y del fruto en cuestión y requerimientos para su cultivo. Además hace mención a variedades y a muchas otras frutas. El libro esta pensado para los habitantes de Florida pero se puede extrapolar a otras zonas puesto que esta región tiene una gran diversidad climática. Quizás lo mejor del libro sea todas esas especies exóticas de las que realmente son muy poco conocidas y de las que hace mención. Otro dato importante es que el autor ha escrito el libro por sus experiencias y no por menciones a otros libros. También tiene como ventaja que es fácilmente leído por personas que no tienen mucho conocimiento del ingles y esta bellamente fotografiado e ilustrado.
En definitiva, un libro interesante por muchos motivos que os lo recomiendo.

I have been using an older, standard book on tropical and sub-tropical fruit for reference when writing my weekly garden article. This book has only black-white photographs, and only covers a small number of tropical fruits. I was so pleased to find a new, up-to-date book, with color photography, and descriptions of many more varieties of fruit. Charles Boning's new book will be a classic, tropical and sub-tropical fruit reference book for many years to come. I liked it so much that I purchased an extra copy for my Master Gardener Reference Library!