1 comments about Florida Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

1. I liked the format (waterproof fold-out like a map) but I think it should be expanded to include a more comprehensive catalog of Florida's wildlife.

1 comments about Buying a Home in Florida: A Survival Handbook (Survival Handbooks).

1. Good amount of information, and one would think from the title that this is a comprehensive guide to buying a home in Florida. BUT...the book was written for UK buyers, and a lot of the book is taken up with information about obtaining residency and the like. For people inside the US, there are high points worth reading, but mostly not. Probably very useful for Canadians and Europeans.

No comments about Florida Trivia.

2 comments about A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to the Streams of Florida: Volume I: North Central Peninsula and Panhandle (Canoeing & Kayaking Guides - Menasha).

1. I have paddled extensively in the areas covered by this book and find the route descriptions to be very accurate, but keep in mind this book is 17yrs. old and there are some changes, most noticeably many of the put in points have been closed ,fenced,etc. and no longer exsist. Check locally before a long drive.



2. This book is a guide to virtually every good paddling stream or river in the northern half of Florida, from the panhandle to the east coast and down as far as the Ocala National Forest and Orlando area. It leaves off a few rivers along the Northern Atlantic Coast but these are covered in the companion book.
   
   For each river, there is a general description, typically with a B&W photo or two. Then, each covered section of the river is addressed individually, with difficulty ratings, access points, river mileage, and a description of the river section with interesting details or features, such as major shoals or safety hazards. Maps are included covering each section, typically based on the state canoe trail maps.
   
   For readers familiar with the other Menasha Ridge canoe guides, this one will look a little different. There is less technical data such as river gradient, rainfall, etc., because Florida rivers aren't whitewater and don't really need it. However, the descriptions of the river sections are usually much more detailed than other books in the Menasha series.
   
   The book also has a general introduction to paddling in Florida, including discussion of issues visitors to the state might not have thought of. For example, some basic alligator safety points are included, as well tips on insects, sun exposure, and riparian rights.
   
   When my wife and I first started canoeing in Florida, we bought this book. Turns out it was the most essential piece of canoeing equipment we ever bought. We have used it literally hundreds of times in the thousands of miles we have paddled.
   
   The four stars instead of five is the result of the book being somewhat dated. Menasha very recently released a long-awaited update (ISBN 0897325885) which combines this work and the original companion book on Southern Florida paddling. While I haven't seen the new edition, interested parties should consider it also.

3 comments about Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Dining Guide 2008 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Dining Guide).

1. If you are simply looking for locations, themes and price points this is your guide. But if you are looking for details on the best items on the menu, atmosphere, little known facts, etc this couldn't be a worse book for you.
   
   I realize that everyone has different taste, but you can in fact generalize; something the authors of this book seem to want to avoid at all costs. This books is straight fact, no opinion.
   
   I guess I'll have to follow my Dad's method for finding a good place to eat. "When in a new place, always look for the restaurant in town with a full parking lot; it may not be fancy but the food should be good."



2. If you have the regular birnbaums guide it should do fine. dont waste your money on this. it doesnt give any reviews or helpful hints at all. its just a basic rundown of each restaurant which is already in the birnbaums regular book.



3. There were two things I hoped to get from this dining guide - menus to help me make dining choices, and reviews of the various restaurants and food stands so I could avoid expensive but lousy food. This was important to me, as you have to make reservations WAY in advance of a trip to WDW to avoid waiting hours in line for food. What I got was Disney propaganda instead of critical reviews, and very little in the way of menu information. I suggest instead the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger, which has critical, more detailed reviews of each WDW dining option. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides)

No comments about Florida on My Mind (On My Mind Series).

No comments about Coral Gables: Miami Riviera : An Architectural Guide.

1 comments about Walker Evans: Florida.

1. "Walker Evans: Florida," following on the heels of last year's "Walker Evans: Signs," is the second volume in what I hope will become a series from the J.Paul Getty Museum. Revealing as well as entertaining, it presents the Getty's holdings of Florida photographs that Evans made on assignment in 1941 for "The Mangrove Coast," with text by Karl Bickel, published the following year. This is a lesser-known body of Evans's work, somewhat overshadowed by his monumental document of the Great Depression collected in the files of the Library of Congress, and in the pages of innumerable volumes since his original "American Photographs" and "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men." The value of this small volume is that Evans's excellant Florida work is now back in print; and if his whole career is ever to be properly evaluated, then all of its facets must be fully examined. My only criticism is with the book's design and layout. As with "Walker Evans: Signs," the photographs are often guttered and bled off the edge of the page, and the type is laid out in such an artsy way that it is often confusing. Evans would not have approved. The enjoyable introductory essay by Robert Plunket adeptly balances information about Evans and West Florida, with personal experiences of the author, a long time Sarasota resident. This is a book that all serious students of Evans will want to have.

No comments about Florida's Fairways: 60 Alluring and Affordable Golf Courses from the Panhandle to the Keys.

4 comments about Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsulaand the Florida Keys (Exploring Wild Florida Series).

1. We used this excellent book before and during our birdwatching trip to South Florida this spring. It was a useful complement to Bill Prantys 'A Birder's Guide to Florida'. In comparison to the latter book, you get more general information about the wildlife at different locationts and especially about facilities (e.g. bathrooms, food) at different wildlife refuges and parts of the Everglades National Park. In addition, there is a good introduction about different biotopes and 'special' animals and a stirring depiction of the passage of hurricane 'Andrew' over South Florida.



2. Overall this book is quite good, I think it is geared more toward people living in Florida than people like me who are planning a trip. I wish it had more travel info and maps. I also wish it had more pictures than it does, so you could see the places it talks about which would help out a lot.



3. My title sums the book up rather well. If you are going to South Florida with viewing nature and wildlife as one of your goals, you'll find the book extremely useful. If seeing the show at the Alligator Farm and the Seaquarium fills your need for nature, you probably won't need the book. Assuming you do use the book, you will appreciate the amount of detail it includes, though you'll probably wish for better maps and more illustrations! Despite this, highly recommended if you really want a book of this type.



4. As a person who has spent a good deal of time in many of the places listed in "Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsula and the Florida Keys" I can say that it is a thorough, accurate, and informative guide to the South Florida area. This book is specifically made for the person who likes to explore areas that are still predominantly in their natural condition. If you are looking for a landscaped park to hike through then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for places where you are likely to see endangered species, the only air conditioning may be a breeze, and you may see very few people (if anyone) during your hike then this is the book you are looking for.

   Some places are truly remote and you may be on your own finding your way around (like the Florida Everglades) and some are less remote and may even have boardwalks through the forest to make your trip easier. The book starts with an extensive overview of everything you need to know about southern Florida - weather, what to wear, animals and plants to be cautious of, information on the various park systems, and anything else that you might have a question about when planning a trip.

   One of the nicer features of the book is a section on the various habitats that you are likely to encounter in south Florida. The author does an excellent job of explaining estuaries, coral reefs, cypress stands, mangroves, marshes, hammocks and other habitats. She covers what qualifies them as a specific habitat, what you should look for and expect in each of them and general educational information on each of them.

   She then covers special wildlife and unwanted pests before moving into the Federal Lands part of the book that actually starts the information on each site. When she gets to the specific sites she provides all the information that you will need to plan a trip there. She covers the local habitats you might find, wildlife, facilities, and complete contact information (worth the price of the book by itself).

   A highly recommended read for those who think camping equipment should not involve the word Winnebego.