Jacksonville State Books

I can't tell you how much of an impact this book has had on me. I'm also a daughter caring for her mother and it was almost like I was reading my own thoughts. It was just so extremely comforting to know that I'm not alone with the thoughts and emotions I'm experiencing as my mom fades further and further away from me as Alzheimer's takes over. She's in the later stages of that dreadful disease now. This book was written with such honesty and raw emotion. It has greatly heartened me to know that maybe some of my own thoughts aren't so bizarre after all, and that maybe I really can make it through this without completely losing myself along the way. Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing this part of your life with us. You are truly a gem! I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I thought "Mothering Mother" was enlightening, encouraging, humorous and heartwarming. I read excepts from it out loud to my husband and he asked me if Carol O'Dell was writing about her mother or MY mother! My Mom, the Ancient Toddler, has quite a few of the traits that Carol's Mother had. Carol doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but she does a terrific job exploring and writing about the many emotions a caregiver goes through. I'm SO glad I read this book!

I have given this book to friends and recommended it to others who are steering the difficult passage as caregiver to a parent. O'Dell uncovers moments of frustration and inspiration but above all, truth, as she exchanges roles with her mother who struggles with deteriorating physical and mental health. There's plenty of humor--like when her mother demands O'Dell wear a slip because ladies do not go outside without one--and moments of heartbreak. In a culture geared toward youth, this powerful book presents details of a parent in decline and a daughter who protects and loves her to the end. But this parent isn't dropped into a nursing home. O'Dell courageously takes her mother into her own home and tries to balance the needs of her enlarged family. For Baby Boomers, Mother Mother is relevent and poignet and I'll continue to give it to the growing number of my friends who find themselves in similar situations.

MOTHERING MOTHER is a tough book to read. Carol D. O'Dell shares her real, day-after-day experiences caring for a woman who had once been her mother. She describes an exhausting, exasperating, often lonely life journey that many of us in the "baby boom" generation are facing or will one day face. But just when this challenging existence threatens to overwhelm her and her family, Carol finds the absurdity in the frustration, and the humor in the unbearable. MOTHERING MOTHER is a book that demands the personal involvement of the reader. Join Carol on her journey--you won't regret it.

Carol O'Dell's story of caregiving is both timely and insightful. I thought this book was very honest in it's portrayal of the often lonely and frustrating job of caring for an elderly parent. The author also does a fine job of describing her and her mother's southern heritage and how it defines this stage of their life together. You will find yourself alternating between laughing out loud, shaking your head in agreement and wiping a tear away! A thoroughly enjoyable read!

This is one of many adventures of Hal and Rodger Hunt,they work for thair dad John Hunt on an animal farm where they are sent to many countries to collect live animals, they usualy end up in trouble which adds more excitment to this already brilliant book!

Williard Price wrote some fabulous adventure stories featuring Hall and Roger two brothers who are wandering the world finding rare animals for their father John Hunt's animal farm in New York.

The ambience is fairly authentic, comes from the author's travels to 77 countries in early to mid 20th century, may not always be politically correct, but leave that to to the political people, this is a darn good yarn.

Whale adventure is an adventure story that is based in a old-type whaler, a square-rigger (whatever that means) in which whales are hunted without the advantages of modern weaponry. fairly elemental battle between the largest creature and the most cruel one.

The adventure includes being stranded on a harpooned whale's back and the necessity of steering it to reach your ship, a nice ship-wrecked sequence without the glamour and also a sojourn on the modern whalers which can process 48 whales every day.

notwithstanding all his animal stuff, price, i think was an animal lover, in most his books animals have a positive role to play, the villians are mostly human in form, and his understanding of animal behaviour and research is impeccable.

Read this book, with no pre-conceived notions and hopefully this will lead you and your kids into a world of pure reading pleasure, adventure, action, and knowledge gained as a by-product

Quick delivery, excellent product. Very well satisfied with purchase. Thank you!

If central or northern Florida is your destination, you have to make Sandra Friend and Kathy Wolf's Orlando, Central & North Florida: An Explorer's Guide: Includes St. Augustine, Pensacola, And Jacksonville your take- along tote: it's packed with details on many lesser-known wild regions of the area and even includes bat and alligator watching sites in river towns, unusual 'ghost tours' and local history destinations, and more. Even when covering large-scale theme parks such as Disney World, Orlando, Central & North Florida focuses on getting the most for your money, setting it apart from competing guides.

This is the book that started the popular rush to the Land of Flowers - Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1874 essays covering everything from picnics up Julington Creek to the mass destruction of Florida's beautiful birds for their plumage. Although Mrs. Stowe was concealing her real reasons for coming south every year from 1866 to 1884 and there were other essays too dangerous to publish in this volume, it is still a treasure trove for modern sojourners to the Sunshine State. No wonder 14,000 - 15,000 people flocked south in the first year after it was published (1875) and they haven't stopped since!

If you come to Florida and get stuck in traffic, you can blame Harriet Beecher Stowe and this book.

I loved this book and recommend it as the best in its category of books about Navy pilots. A lot happens to each of the pilots-in-training that are covered. I learned a lot about how pilots are trained and what their day-to-day life is like (very busy!). A lot of the parts were very interesting, such as when the author talks about pilots who quit the Navy after all the expensive and difficult training has been given to them, and about going in front of review boards in danger of losing your wings after a particularly scary performance in the air, or even giving up your wings voluntarily if you grow to fear the "smoking hole in the ground" too much (what you'll end up as if you crash your jet and can't eject safely.) Could easily be made into a great movie.

Awesome read! I'm female and loved this book so guys would love it more. Read about would it takes to became a Naval Aviator!!
LOVED IT!

Really an enjoyable book! I have to confess I was actually in a squadron with two of the characters, though in one case the name was changed to protect the guilty party :) 'Nuff said, but I would like to thank the writer profusely for "rubbing it in" to her poor thin skin. She had it coming........ :) Actually Jugs (her REAL callsign) was kinda a nice gal in some ways, but the Gender Thang is something that is going to haunt the US Navy for a while to come. I don't know what the answer is, and I say that as a former WAVE. Hello to any of my shipmates reading, who shared those "best of times, worst of times" and "Have a Bandit Day".........

Bogeys and Bandits gives the real life accounts of the training of F/A-18 Navy fighter pilots. The book jumps around each of the characters as they progress through their training -- from accomplishing difficult missions to getting medically disqualified. To anyone that wants to be or dreams to be a pilot or astronaut, this is a must-read. Perhaps the only downfall is that the story begins with all the characters already set for jet training. Personally, I would have liked to know how the characters also got into the training program for jets. Overall, the book is very fast paced and will surely enthrall you with the unbelievably exciting training and manuevers that these men and women have to go through to become FIGHTER PILOTS.

It's got to be every kid's dream - to be one of those gods who fly the fast metal, the hot jets, the fighter planes that command the skies.

And then to go that Top Gun step beyond and be one of the two thousand pilots in the entire world who are qualified to land a jet on an aircraft carrier.

This book tells how it's done, and it's a collection of yarns and descriptions and portraits and moments, some poignant, some routine, some heart-stopping, some heart-pounding that puts the reader through the process.

The author is an old aviator and knows his stuff. He's not fooled. You or I would get a lot of tall stories if we tagged along with a notebook, but Robert Gandt knows what's going on, and he gives us the good guff as he follows a class of "nuggets" learning how to fly, fight, strike, and carrier qualify with the F/A-18 Hornet.

Along the way he looks at some if the issues facing the US Navy. Race, education, sex, safety. And warfighting. This is deadly serious stuff, and these people are the cream of America's crop just to have got to the stage where they are even considered for fighter training.

It's a hell of a lot of fun, to live that little boy dream, but also a hell of a lot of work, and I take my hat off to the aviators Gandt describes. I also took my shoes off and put my feet up for a day while I read the book, and though the world outside was calm and sunny, inside my head the windows were rattling and the floor shaking with the roar of these high performance aircraft flying off the pages of this most excellent book. Strap yourself in before you read it!

It is easy to follow, no hard core Psyc stuff. Good for class, good examples. I enjoyed it.

i think this is the most interesting psych text i have read. i got it for a 4 week online class and had to read it cover to cover in less than a month. it was easy to read and has review sections within the chapter to make sure you are getting the information, and the author has a lovely sense of humor. I would reccommend this book very highly. the research is current and sound and he gives many perspectives on the same issues. there are some issues i had with how he organizes information, because it can be a bit confusing how he goes from general to specific then changes topics completely, but how else are you going to cover everything? Love the format, get the study guide too if you can.

then this book is what you're lookin' for! It's a little bit wordy in some parts, but very thourough in explanations. Photos are great as well. Great book for introducing someone to Psychology.

i am currently in psychology for the third time,(due to it had been too long between college classess) i think the book is informative and not too hard to read (if you have too!)

This Lecture Notebook was in excellent condition when i recieved it. I was very satisfied with the business that you have shown me. I recommend this to all Psychology students. Its good for Intro to Psyc.

I purchased this book in advance of my move to Jax nearly a year ago. It has some great, honest reviews about a lot of the popular sites in the city, along with highlighting some of the more obsure gems that I was excited to explore. Even with all the information available on the web, I still like to peruse the book for quick ideas on what to do and where to go. It's a fun read and I have learned a lot about some of the great things in Jacksonville because of this neat compilation. Overall, a great introduction to an interesting city. Cheers!

I am moving to Jacksonville and was looking for some information. This book provided basics and then some. Unlike most travel books, this one is designed to be read straight through, but is divided into specific sections for those who are looking for certain information. A lot of information in a very easy to read format. Would gladly purchase more in the series when moving again!

I bought this book because it was recommended with the map of Jacksonville.... no intention at all! However, when I received it at home, I fell in love in it! Absolutelly! It has great writing style, photos that made me love Jax before I go there, things one needs to know, no matter if he/she is just a tourist, or intent to live there. I am in the second group (hopefully), so I learned all: from the shopping malls, through schools to the good description of neiborghoods... Definitelly a good book. I will reconfirm this when I go there (in couple months)

Reynolds pits good against evil in a manner that keeps the reader guessing. Mayport has long had its share of dark secrets, the author is to be complimented for utilizing his vivid imagination to illustrate life in this violent and mysterious community. Each character came alive with every page.

As with Jetty Man and Mullet Run, Dr. Reynolds sucked me in andwouldn't let me sleep until I was through the book. The charactersand places are so real that a drive through Mayport is a must!

"Oak Baby," by G. W. Reynolds continues the saga of Jason, Mary C., the circus folk, Mr. King and the other characters from the "Jetty Man" series of novels. In what is possibly the best book yet, Mary C. redefines the title of Grandmother when the calypso warriors re-emerge. This is an exciting read which is almost impossible to put down once the reader begins the story. The evil Eve returns to Mayport and brings quite a surprising character with her. Miss Margaret's daughters are still conniving ways to capture Jason (body and soul) only they didn't factor in the power of the magic carousel and how it would captivate them. The novel also has about 18 illustrations which enhance the stories. Don't miss your chance to read a really exciting and totally original novel. Get "Oak Baby" today but be sure to read "Jetty Man" and then "Mullet Run" first.

This is a thouroughly researched book that digs into the history of the Jacksonville area with a heavy emphasis on the historic architecture of such architects including Henry Klutho, Louis Sullivan and the many other architects reared under the Chicago and Prairie schools of design. It is quite popular among locals, and should provide some interest for those familiar with the city whether a resident or visitor. Having said that, I would like to respond to gagewyn's comments in his review regarding Jacksonville. Jacksonville, in fact, has 5 public museums, not the 2 he references. And the city of Jacksonville is 700,000, not 1 million. That is not to say Jacksonville is a cultural mecca, but we have our strenghts. And while I would agree that some buildings have been destroyed that were worth saving for their historical significance, I would challenge gagewyn to identify any city older than 50 years that hasn't lost buildings to the inevitble march of progress. Savannah, Charleston and Atlant are 3 southern cities all who have had significant buildings torn down to accommodate the needs of the present. Finally, a bit of a grammatical correction for gagewyn, who stated, "Jacksonville was burned down in...". That is totally incorrect and a significant error when talking about southern cities (as so many were burned to the ground during the Civil War. Jacksonville burned as a result of an accidental fire at a mattress factory that began a chain reaction throughout the mostly wooden structures. gagewyn's take regarding multi-story building development also shows a lack of architectural understanding (or perhaps intelligence) as it is quite expensive to build highrise or any multi story building in Florida as the sub-surface material is usually one of 3 materials: sand, clay, or water. Just as New York is built on solid rock, it is necessary to create a suitable foundation when building on soft material. So buildings in Florida are often 2-3 stories vs 10-20.

Perhaps gagewyn should go back to rating books about robot love (see his other reviewed books), and leave history to those who rely on fact.

A bit of background: Jacksonville was burned to the ground in 1901 in a city wide fire. It was already a large developed city at the time, and so there was a market for large buildings immediately after the fire up through the present. The city is not big on culture (more than a million residents and only two public museums) or any kind of preservation. When a building changes hands it is as likely to be demolished as renovated. Still if you know where to look it is possible to find representative buildings from each decade of the 1900's. Locals will be floored to learn that 128 buildings constructed before the 1901 fire remain.

This book provides a short write-up of each building deemed historically important. There is a black and white picture of the building. The address, date of construction, architects and builders are listed for each. Two to four buildings per page makes this cramped or action packed depending on your perspective.

Jacksonville is not big on preservation and it shows: This book was originally compiled in 1976 to commemorate the US bicentennial. Entries for buildings that have been demolished since then have not been removed, but have instead been marked through with a large red demolished label. Let's just say there is a lot of red.

This is a book with a very specific audience. Libraries in Florida and especially Jacksonville should have a copy of this or an older edition (and many do). This is an invaluable resource to any one doing a thesis in the Jacksonville/north Florida area.

If you are into architectural history and in the area, then visiting some of the buildings in this book could be interesting. Be careful though. Many of these historic neighborhoods are run down crack towns. If you are driving through a neighborhood and notice many stray dogs, plush armchairs in the front yard, and every building you pass could use a paint job and a new roof then that would be a tip off. Be cautious in "Historic Springfield". The city is trying to gentrify this slum area full of period wood frame houses. Every third house is being nicely restored. The rest are falling down and have no roofs.

PS, added August 12, 2005, not to be all Orwellian and change the actual review or anything: In hopes that willself will read this, although I stoop to respond at all. I just want to point out that Jacksonville's population was around 750,000 in 1990 and now in mid-2005 is approximately 1 million. (see www.cityrating.com/citystats.asp?city=Jacksonville&state=FL) The city has grown in 15 years - not a big surprise, as we are not located in the Dakotas. The two public museums I refer to are MOSH and The Museum of Contemporary Art. Private museums come and go, but props to The Cummer on being a fabulous and permanent (or I will cry) art museum. If public school students are going to a field trip to a museum, those are their three options. And please take note, willself as you flame me, that I am definitly not a "he" as my about page has always clarified. Also you might want to shake things up and review a book for a change and not a reviewer.