Florida State Books

I just received this book in the mail yesterday. I unwrapped it, and started flipping through it. The chapter headings are the places the author wishes to recommend that I visit. Ok, good. BUT WHAT USE IS A TRAVEL BOOK WITH NO FREAKING MAPS IN IT?

Travel books must be BROWSABLE. And to be browsable, travel books must have MAPS to show me where the stuff they are writing about is located. This book is strong on narrative and weak on illustrative graphics, to the point of unusability. If a future edition were to add some of this supportive material, I might be able to figure out if the book were any good.

My wife and I agree with the philosophy of this book...we think it's definitely on the right track. We have grown weary of the gigantic Orlando resorts and their artificial commercialism. We prefer Lake Wales and Bok Tower, for example, places that are both old-fashioned and a sensory pleasure. The same is true of other destinations recommended in Real Florida, such as St. Petersburg and Sanibel Island, although the latter can be a stretch of the budget. The best part is, the people in these unique places are usually sincere and unaffected, and the pace is much more appealing than that of theme park mania. Congratulations to the author for his "budget-romance" concept

My husband and I stole away last autumn for a week in Florida and we had a wonderful time using Real Florida as a supplement to a Frommer's guide. It was my first visit to Sanibel, but we will be back again some day. Fabulous in fall! This book offers a unique and very cool blend of budget-minded things and places that also lean toward romance. What a perfect combination. For me, the fact that it doesn't include detailed maps isn't an issue. Travel book maps are too small to be of much use anyway, and we always stop at Welcome Centers to get free Florida maps.

My wife and I will be taking this book with us again this March when we visit Florida for spring training. We relied on it last year for day trips and one or two overnight explorations around the state. It is excellent.You can tell this book is independently written and not the typical corporate tour guide. The tips and opinions suited us just right as we prefer to see Florida off the beaten path. Besides, we've already seen most of the touristy "hot spots." Thankfully, Real Florida gives you plenty of alternatives that are not too pricey, and we look forward to checking out more of them on our next trip.

This book has a wealth of info on Disney World, how, where, when, and why it was built and how it's run. There's also lot's of great information on the company behind the World, it's other businesses and corporate culture. My wife and I found it very interesting and a nice way of closing out our recent trip to Disney World.

This book has a good deal of information and some very interesting stories, but Zibart's writing style leaves a lot to be desired. I found myself rereading some paragraphs four or five times and still I had no idea what she was trying to say. Does the publisher not employ editors?

The book was very informative as well as humorous. We did not plan our vacation around the book, but it gave us detailed information about each ride, show, and restaurant. It came most in handy when deciding where to eat. (The book also contained information on sites outside WDW)

This book gives an interesting look at the inner workings and evolution of Walt Disney World. From the way the land was aquired, to the way the garbage is disposed. My only problem with the book is the detail. There are a lot of interesting topics and information, but there is much more to this story than 200 + pages of tidbits. It longs for a sequel to be written, on almost every chapter. Buy this book if you are a Disney Information Addict.

Zelnick's exploration into the Bush v. Gore controversy serves as an entertaining narrative and gives personality to the faces behind the legal battle. With a twinge of Republican bias (and by twinge I mean satanic Bush worshiper), Zelnick recounts Election 2000 in an entertaining day by day story. If you're looking for insightful legal or political analysis into the decision, then this is the wrong place to look, however, if you want quick read to familiarize yourself with the Conservative perspective of the case, then this is a good buy.

This was a well written book. I was able to comprehend the steps that the Bush team used in their plight to win Florida. He introduces the reader to several key players in Bush's campaign run and includes excerpts from interviews with them which provide the reader with a first hand account of what actually happened. There was indeed method to this madness! It does, however, have a conservative lean; after all, he did interview Bush's top advisors for his campaign. He also hints the fact that the RNC had a meeting that touched on the possibilities of a recount way before it ever happened! Interesting, huh? I recommend this book to anyone interested in anything regarding the politics involved in the Florida election

Zelnick's exploration into the Bush v. Gore controversy serves as an entertaining narrative and gives personality to the faces behind the legal battle. With a twinge of Republican bias (and by twinge I mean satanic Bush worshiper), Zelnick recounts Election 2000 in an entertaining day by day story. If you're looking for insightful legal or political analysis into the decision, then this is the wrong place to look, however, if you want quick read to familiarize yourself with the Conservative perspective of the case, then this is a good buy.

The most unsettling thing about this book is it becomes clear that the news media, Gore's lawyers and many others, including the Florida Supreme Court, knowingly conspired to steal the election of 2000

The saddest thing to me was that both Gore and the media knew what they were doing, and that Bush had clearly won the election, and yet Gore continued to mount a case he AND his attorney's knew was a lie, and the media assisted in the plot by allowing attacks on Sec. Harris and any others who wouldn't "Play Ball"

This book is the single greatest case against allowing partisans to have any part in elections. The Gore team cared little about legal votes and less about the law.....

Algore's beard is a visible example of how much he believes in the Taliban code of justice.....our way or die.

"[Adventure Guides] direct you away from the theme parks and into the great outdoors... the information on trekking routes, canoeing, wildlife refuges - even golf courses - is well researched." The Sunday Telegraph

"This book makes it easy to discover the whole [Everglades], even the secret places like Corkscrew Swamp." National Audubon Society

The book has minimal diving-related discussions. It is more of a generalized guidebook to the Keys. If you're looking for diving-specific info, go elsewhere. As a guidebook, it does an okay job. Not a bad book, especially considering the price.

I can write a review but actually I need an author's biography form so my husband, Stetson Kennedy, can fill it out. If you could e-mail it to him at stet_k2000@yahoo.com I will make sure he fills it out.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the evidence to support the assertion that despite losing the war the South was not reconstructed. I did however find that reading 31 different testimonies to the Joint Congressional Committee to be somewhat mundane. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the history of the reconstruction and have only read the official version of these historical events.

This is one of the rare true historical accounts as to what happened after the Civil War. The testimonials by the ex-slaves give a chilling, but accurate account of what actually happened. The revisionist historians will probably frown but this is the only true account of "how the south won the war."

With stunning photography, you travel the world via Disney. Shows the celebration of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. A must-have for any Disney Theme Park nut. Count me as one of those!!

Previously available as a Theme Park exclusive, this attractive hardcover volume does just what the title promised - takes you around the world with Disney. With the exception of the Hong Kong park, all of the theme parks are represented: Disneyland, Walt Disney World Florida, Tokyo and Paris. By no means a perfect book - it spends some 12 pages on the Carousels of the parks, while it only spends 8 on the various Haunted Mansions, Pirates of the Caribbean and Towers of Terror combined - it reads more like an in-park 'pictorial souvenirs' guide than a serious comparison of the parks. If you are content to simply look at pictures of the theme parks, and given how far I am from a Disneyland pictures will have to suffice for now, this is a beautifully presented pictorial of the Disney parks that is easy to recommend as a gift or a coffee table book. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a more in-depth overview of the park, you may have to look elsewhere.

This book is a must read for all Disney fans. It includes an excellent tour of all the current Disney parks around the world including Disneyland & California Adventure in Anaheim, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney-MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom in Florida, Disneyland Paris and the Walt Disney Studios in France, along with hard to find information and photos from the great Disney parks in Japan - Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. You will enjoy this colorful tour and beautiful pictures from the greatest Theme Parks around the world.

This book, originally publishing in 1999 as NASA Special Publication, SP-4223, contains fourteen interviews from various people who describe their activities at NASA during the Apollo era. These interviews cover the entire spectrum of people involved in this project, from flight controllers, the top management, two astronauts and even a secretary. More than half the people interviewed for this book have never published anything which recounts their times at NASA, so this book maybe the only source to find such information. This book made me realize that many of the people involved in the Apollo project have passed away and soon the only link to this amazing adventure will be these types of historical records. While I'm not a big fan of books that simply publish interviews, I found this book to be very easy to read and high enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to see a more behind the scenes look at the moon landing effort or who wants to see a more personal side to NASA.

The interviews contained in the book are as follows, James Webb (NASA Administrator), Thomas O. Paine (NASA Administrator), Wernher von Braun (Rocket Genius and Marshall Space Flight Center Director), Bob Gilruth (Manned Spaceflight Center Director), George E. Mueller (Associate Administrator of Manned Spaceflight), Gene Kranz (Flight Director), Arthur Rogers (Director of Stennis Space Center), James Guin (Rocket Engine Test Engineer), Glynn Lunney (Flight Director), Geneva Barnes (Secretary in Public Affairs Office), Charlie Duke (Astronaut), Harrison Schmitt (Astronaut), George M. Low (Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office), and Max Faget (Spacecraft Designer/Engineer).

One added bonus is that the book contains an annotated bibliography of the Apollo Project which lists approximately 35 books, some of which are quite technical and others which are simply astronaut biographies.

John has written the first review of this book. It says alot of what I was thinking while reading this myself. Many of these people have passed away or are getting up there in years. (No offense to those still "young" Apollo participants who may read this!) I wanted to hear more from some of them: Bob Gilruth, Max Faget.
As John had pointed out, the bibliography is an excellent resource for additional books. I have aquired and have read most of them. Many of the people interviewed for this book have never been mentioned. That's what makes this a good read. (The NASA publications are particularly good for technical stuff.)
A very worthwhile read as it does tell, in limited detail, the parts that these folks played.
I only hope that many others get an opportunity to contribute their historys as well.

This book emerged out of the activities at NASA in 1999 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. As the chief historian of NASA at the time I saw the anniversary looming before us like a freight train bearing down on a deer crossing. I knew it would consume the history function, but I also wanted to use the anniversary to gain support for substantive history projects. This was one of several publications that were completed using resources made available because of the anniversary, and I am quite pleased with the result. The book was originally published through the Government Printing Office as NASA Special Publication-4223 in 1999, and received the Pendleton Prize for best documentary work from the Society for History in the Federal Government. We later negotiated its reprinting in paperback from the University Press of Florida.

Glen E. Swanson, then the historian at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, included in this work fourteen interviews that sweep the broad expanse of the history of Apollo. It includes some of the most well-known people in the history of spaceflight, such as Wernher von Braun and Moon-walkers Charlie Duke and Harrison Schmidt, as well as some folks who have escaped the spotlight, such as Geneva Barnes who helped the Apollo 11 crew on their worldwide goodwill tour after their mission. It also includes some unsung, but nonetheless significant figures. My favorite example is Robert Gilruth, director of the Manned Spacecraft Center (renamed the Johnson Space Center in 1973) and without question the godfather to the astronauts. All of the interviews published here, by both well-known and lesser-known figures are excellently edited and made available in a very accessible text.

Glen Swanson had literally hundreds of interviews from which to choose, for NASA has been sponsoring oral histories of its personnel for decades. "Life" magazine writer Robert Sherrod, who had intended to write a book on Apollo, moreover, conducted some of those included. He never completed the book, but he donated all of his research material to the NASA History Office and it is a treasure trove useful to anyone interested in Apollo. His copies of documents and oral histories have a prized place in the NASA collection. And anyone may use them at any time. In addition, the Johnson Space Center has sponsored an oral history program for many years and has a wealth of materials from which Swanson drew the best. Other collections of oral histories also reside at Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, where it went when I left NASA in 2002. These collections made it possible for this book to be published. There is also grist for similar oral history treatments of other NASA programs contained in these rich collections. For anyone who might have an interest in the NASA oral history program I wrote the following article on the subject that you may want to review, "`We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming': NASA, Oral History, and the Contemporary Past," Oral History Review 30 (Summer/Fall 2003): 111-28.

Swanson provided a biographical sketch before each interview included in this book, with details about its origins, dates, interviewers, and where one might consult the original document. I tried to provide some historical context on the Apollo program in an introduction. We then compiled an annotated bibliography on the program to aid in further reading. Always, we sought to bring to life the history of what was arguably humanity's great voyage of discovery.

I believe Swanson succeeded admirably in his task. I also believe that anyone interested in the history of spaceflight or in oral history as a methodology will find this an engaging and helpful book.

This book helped us navigate the Orlando experience minus Disney. the tips in the book let us breakfast at Sea World before it "officially" opened. We saw more of the shows and the animals because of the great directions in this book. I tore the pages for Sea World right out of my copy of the book, so I could have the information with me at the park without the problem of carrying the big book.

Kudos to the author and his research!

Beyond Disney is meant to be used as a second guide when planning a trip to Orlando. They assume that you have purchased The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides) or something similar and are using this one for the other theme parks in the area. This is a good idea but there are some problems with it. First, the Universal Parks are already covered in the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and that material is largely dropped in here with no significant changes. So if you have the Unofficial WDW book, then you don't need to see that again here.

The main value in this book lies in the coverage of Sea World and Busch Gardens. Both are major theme parks and get full coverage here. I found the Busch Gardens information especially helpful. Busch has so many attractions that you can't possibly enjoy every one in a single day and this guide will help you focus on what you might enjoy the most. This is the only book in the Unofficial Guide series where you'll find material on Busch and Sea World, and many of the other publishers ignore those parks completely. If you are interested in attending either park, then I highly recommend Beyond Disney. If you plan to stick to WDW and/or the Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure area then you can safely skip this.

Complete and informative guide to the attractions in Central Florida arrived in new condition and on schedule, as it was ordered before it was available. It's up-to-date information makes it very useful for the tourist and resident alike. It's amazing to see what all is available in our area.

If theme parks just ain't your thing, here's an interesting book for the Orlando-bound traveler. Brotemarkle's uncovered hundreds of fascinating sites that most Florida visitors never even consider on their way to Space Mountain. Art festivals, unique architecture, and a fabulous historical legacy abound in central Florida; see them and support them before they're all paved over.

Ben Brotmarkle has covered the local art/culture scene for Central Florida for the last 7 years on WMFE radio, so he has a good grasp of the material. This is a great book for locals who want ideas on other places to go besides the big theme parks, and for visitors to know the depth of the local scene. A good buy for anyone who lives here or plans on visiting....

Mr. Brotemarkle is an expert in what the arts have to offer in the tourist capital of the south. His knowledge of all kinds of sites is amazing from opera, to historic sites to museums. He does this with a breezy style that makes of good reading and is a must if you live here and have visitors all the time. I got sick of the big parks years ago, so now I take my friends places like Leu Gardens, and museusm.

Of the more than 700 species of bird known to annually spend some time on the North American continent, over 500 of these species are or may be found be found in Florida. If you want to observe these birds, Birding Florida, coupled with the Great Florida Birding Trail Guides, is all the birder needs to find and observe the many species of birds available there

The 500 species found in Florida are broken down into 343 species that regularly occur and 154 vagrant species. Using the standard definitions for status: residents - species that are present year round and/or nest and breed in the state, visitors - species that are present in the state all or part of the year but do not breed or nest in the state, and migrants - species that pass through the state in the spring or fall while going to other areas to breed or nest, the author describes 58 areas within the state where birders may observe birds of interest. Florida has 151 resident species which the author has divided the into 37 year round resident species and 25 summer visitors found in the state only in the spring and summer that are especially sought out by birders with another 52 species that may be found in areas other than Florida but still of interest.

The book contains nine maps of which eight are regional maps showing the location of each of the birding areas. While the book does not contain an individual map for any location, explicit directions for driving to each area are given, and each area is referenced using plate numbers and grid locations to the Delorme© Florida Atlas and Gazetteer so I didn't object to the lack of maps. The final chapter book presents a list of the 343 regularly occurring species that includes a state range map, and a brief description of the 154 vagrant species noted. All species have been verified by the Records Committee of the Florida Ornithological Society.

The book has many birding sites throughout the state of Florida. My complaint is that the book does not contain maps of the sites. There are large maps with no detail. The birding sites are shown as a number on the map with no detail on how to get there. For that you must read through a paragraph of directions to multiple locations. It is almost impossible to use on the road. In order to use the book, you will need to research the sites on the internet and print a map. For reference, look at "Birding Georgia" by Giff Beaton (same publisher). This book has very good maps. Hopefully this book will add the maps in later editions.

Brian did a great job researching the Birding Locations for this book. The book is divided into areas of the state and their most popular and successful birding location. Brian gives clear directions to hot spots and provides lists of species and the best time of year to see them at each location. I put the book to the test when I took a trip to the Belle Glade Area of Florida. All of his information was useful and accurate. Brian is one of Florida's top birders and has personally visited each of the locations multiple times.

Buy the book, you won't be sorry.