No comments about Best Backroads of Florida: Beaches and Hills (Best Backroads of Florida).

4 comments about Wild Love Affair: Essence of Florida's Native Orchids.

1. This book from Nature photographer/writer Connie Bransilver is a true celebration of Florida's native, mystical orchids. 'Wild Love Affair', which is more photo-poetry than field guide, gives colorful insight into the intoxicating world of 'Orchid Fever', an epidemic which regularly captures the minds and hearts of sunshine state naturalists. A combination of essays from leading orchid experts gives the book an authoratative feel, without lulling a reader to sleep with page after page of textbook style writing. The photographs, which are the highlight of this hard cover edition, get you intimately close to these elegant flowers without having to trudge through thick swamp land to enjoy them. Visitors to my home have a hard time putting it back down on the coffee table once they have picked it up! If you have even the slightest interest in Florida flora, scenery, or entrancing color photography...this book is a must!



2. Wild Love Affair is a beautiful book to display. Connie Bransilver takes exotic exquisite photographs. The essay collection takes you to deep swamps and secret places with environmental heroes. Wild Love Affair would make a special gift for birthdays or holidays, especially Floridian flower lovers. Enjoy!



3. In Wild Love Affair, Connie Bransilver writes that "Orchids capture the imagination . . . evoke an insatiable passion, a sensual appeal . . . [and] cast a powerful spell." That is exactly what she has achieved in this beautiful book. It is a sensual delight of photography from a passionate orchid aficionado. Bransilver captures the imagination of orchid lovers and those who merely appreciate the beauty of nature in all its forms. Anyone on your gift list this holiday season would appreciate this wonderful book.



4. Thie stunning book shows the real splendour of orchids in their natural environment. It's an intelligent book, thoughful and caring in its obvious respect for the Florida wildlands and orchids of the world. The images are for conservation afficionados as well as the average person who cares for nature, as well, of course, for orchid lovers around the world. It's a great Christmas gift because it appeals to so many different audiences, and because it reflects on the serenity and spirit of the natural world. And, especially for those in Florida, a great gift for clients and customers

No comments about Fodor's South Florida 2009 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about One Day at Disney.

1. Drink in the sights with this great book. It's not one you would buy to read in detail about the parks as it is 95% photos, but what great photos at that.

   If you like the Disney parks, you will love this book.

   A simple review, for a simple but superb book.




2. This book is a must have for anyone who loves disney or theme parks. Each page has amazing pictures of the parks- the kind of pictures that you can just stare at for hours. Also a great book for people who wonder how Disney takes care or the park after hours. An overall great book.



3. This is a well done photo tour of all Disney theme parks, foreign and domestic. It shows a lot of the behind the scenes goings on and has very nice full page pictures. If you are looking for information, though, it doesn't have much, it is mostly just a picture book. Well worth it if you enjoy books like this.



4. As was once the case with the British Empire, the sun never sets on Disney's theme parks, with little havens of happiness (and profit) around the world -- California, Florida, France and Tokyo, with more just opened (Disney Sea, also in Tokyo) and more coming (Hong Kong).

   What this book does, like all the other "A Day at/in..." books, is give you a 24-hour time span. At the same time, it jumps from park to park, showing different aspects of different parks, at different times of the day or night -- with guests streaming in, cast members working, resting, smiling or laughing (if you're looking for a critical eye towards the Disney empire, this is not the book for that), or simply landscapes framed by the good work of Mother Nature and the photographer.

   For those who haven't traveled the world (and that's most of us), it gives you a detailed view of what the rest of the world sees when it looks at Disney, noting the differences and the similarities.

   And finally, if you just love the theme park(s), this book will help keep those memories fresh. It works for me.




5. I don't remember where I got this at, but even at cover price it's a GREAT book. If you love Disney parks, GET THIS BOOK!! Yes, it's mostly pictures, but being able to see all 4 castles on one page or the differences between the Haunted mansions is really cool. Not much reading, it is mostly pictures. A great coffee table book. Keeps you dreaming/ remembering until the next trip.

5 comments about Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2007 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World).

1. Been to WDW many times, read and purchased many of the books, both from disney and others. I like a number of books for different reasons, and find I always come back to Birnbaums. Why? Every year it has the updates, you get some color photos , maps etc. I like a quick idea of what is new. I check off what I want to see each trip. There is enough info to get you interested, then I read online if I need more info.
   With kids it has all the info you need on the attractions ( age appropriate, height requirements etc).
   If you've never been to WDW, go to the library and read all the books, but this one you'll find in your carry on, because it is not too big, or wordy, gives you lots of tips and enough info to work on your travel plan.



2. This book is awesome but as a former employee of Walt Disney World in Florida I can say there are better guides out there. This is too official. There are other books out there that offer more true-to-life information and secret things that can make your trip go smoother. This is a good book to accompany a non-official Disney guide to help you with planning.



3. Okay, here's my experience with this book. My wife and I had gone to Disney World at least 6 times before our last trip with our daughter and family members. And let me tell you this book really saved our vacation.
   For starters we were a party of 13, and I knew that we couldn't just get off the plane and go with the flow as we had done before. You know how it is with a large party, everyone has a different idea as to where they want to go, at what time to get up, where they want to eat, etc. So I grabbed this book and started the adventure.
   This book really surprised me, I thought I knew all there was to know about the parks and hotels but I definitely didn't. Here are a few of the things that come to mind that I was able to organize because of this book:
   
   1. Disney has a luggage service, you call and they send tags for all your luggage you turn them in at the airport as usual before departing and when you get to your hotel room they are right there.Is that great or what?
   2. Disney bus takes you directly to your hotel.
   3. The book has every restaurant and food court in the parks and in their hotels. It gives you an idea of what they serve and if they have the Disney characters and at what time.
   4. Map of the parks and hotels, with pictures of each.
   5. Shows you a lot of other activities not just the parks: sports, camping, rowing, etc.
   6. Purchased the Disney food plan(more on this later)
   
   Now how can you use this info to better your trip? This is what I did:
   
   Since we had a relatively large group I first wrote down what everyone was really interested in doing. Then I flipped through the pages looking for everything they had their hearts set on. Then with the restaurant guide I reserved all our meals, and I mean all our meals, believe me it is worth it especially if you want meals in restaurants with the Disney characters. It's great to just arrive and enter and not be part of the long line of people waiting, especially with kids. Before going on I promised to talk about the Disney food plan, with this plan you get 2 meals a day in almost any restaurant, tips included (all the rest. I reserved accepted the plan) you can even dine with the characters with this plan (again reserve, reserve, reserve). And you also get two snacks ( popcorn, beverages, fruit etc.) a day. Believe me 2 meals is enough if you go to the buffets, and yes the food plan covers all you can eat buffets.
   Then with the book I made a schedule of our stay, with where we will be each day and the times and locations of the meals. Then I made copies of the schedule for everyone and laminated them.There was also a free day where everyone could go where they wanted. That way everyone had a copy, and everyone knew where we would be each day, this way everyone could get up in the morning when they felt like and arrive at the park that was to be visited that day.
   Everyone had a great time and there was no fighting over where we were going or eating, it was great.
   The book also has every phone number you will need for making any plans with Disney, and their customer service is excellent.
   We stayed in a Disney hotel and believe me it is not as expensive as you might think, family of 4 for about $1700.00.
   I used this book for all of that, and there is no price on a hassle free vacation with your family. So happy travels to all.



4. This book has helped me tremendously throughout the planning process of our trip. It is filled with helpful information. It has ticket prices and special event schedules. There is even a section that explains the least busy times of the year. If anyone is planning a trip to Disney, I think this book is a must have.



5. My mom and me went to Walt Disney world in september 2007. And this book helped us a lot. I give it five. If you are looking for a travel book get this one.

No comments about Rand Mcnally Santa Rosa Sonoma County, California: Local Street Finder (Rand McNally Folded Map: Cities).

No comments about Florida Butterflies & Moths: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

4 comments about The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky Mountains (New Perspectives on the History of the South).

1. Margaret Lynn Brown's "The Wild East" is an important contribution to the field of environmental history. The author seems to know the region where the Great Smoky Mountains is in, well. She traces the history of the Smokies and of the people living there. She analyzes how the Smokies came to be under the federal government's jurisdiction and how the landscape was changed profoundly.

   What I find most interesting is the attempt by a superintendent's effort to preserve the mountains as pristine as possible but he came up with some strong objections by surrounding residents who were concern about bringing money in to the region. Also, surrounding towns began to flourish as attractions like Ripley Believe it or Not and even Dollywood became the focus of tourists going to the Smokies to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It's almost ironic that there is such drastic difference between the Smokies, where wilderness is preserve and the very commericialized towns surrounding the mountains.




2. M.L. Brown's The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the amazing story of the centerpiece of eastern wilderness. Introducing herself and her work with a refreshing and highly personal account, Brown immediately enlightens the reader as to her motivations. What proceeds is a history that is so meticulously researched that the wildness of the park seems almost suburban, making The Wild East simultaneously fascinating and slightly disappointing. But pathos is bound to ensue after the mythical GSMNP is taken off of its pedestal, and Brown delivers a heavy dose of reality by focusing on prior land use within the park, the contradictions of park management, and the nebulous concept of 'wilderness'. The result is an accurate account of the park's creation that de-shrouds it of some of its wild mystery, an effect that might not be enjoyed by every reader.

   In Brown's defense, she had few complete histories of the park to update and examine (outside of D.S. Pierce's The Great Smokies), and the litany of personal accounts, newspaper articles, and other histories that she unearths make for a tremendous piece of scholarship. Brown leaves no stone unturned in describing the opportunism of the Tennesseans and consternation of the North Carolineans, and she fully reviews both sides of every major argument that enveloped the park to the present. Of particular interest is her focus on making the history of park and area residents seem less like 'hillbillies' and more like average Americans of a century ago, with many personal accounts of day-to-day Appalachian life.

   But missing in her attempt to please everybody is a sense of the rancor and vitriol that must have surrounded the park's formation, guided by a healthy dose of eccentricity from all of the wonderful folk who gave a hand in helping of hindering the park's will to survive. Her most flagrant omission is an unbiased discussion Horace Kephart and his contributions to both regional anthropology and the park's development; Kephart is only mentioned in passing. For a park with such a dynamic history, one might wish for a more dynamic story, with a greater sense of the conflict and character that makes the Great Smoky Mountains the centerpiece of eastern wilderness.

   Again, a good portion of the park was settled, and thus its status as 'wilderness' is a matter of debate. To this end Brown inexplicably addresses eminent environmental historian William Cronon on the topic of wilderness in her conclusion, which is a departure from her storyline and should have been omitted. Had she debated wilderness directly throughout the book her conclusion would not be so disjoint.

   An argument that Brown does develop is the issue of land management both within and around the park, with a focus on the Gatlinburg area and conflict surrounding park managers and policies. Her bear management discussion is particularly strong, as is the history of contrasting land development on the North Carolina and Tennessee sides of the park and park management of Cades' Cove.

   In short, despite its shortcomings, The Wild East is a necessary read for all GSMNP enthusiasts. Brown's honest history might make the park lose some of its luster, but will also surely create new leagues fans for the dynamic GSMNP.




3. This book is a wonderful review of the history and management of Great Smokies National Park.

   The author brings to life the dirty details of the heroic political triumphs and failures associated with the park. As well as, the ecological changes that swept the Appalachian mountians and the new challenges still faced. In addition, she drives home the social cost inherent in the changes that have occured in the Smoky Mt. region.

   Her book sheds light on the key poltical, ecological and social issues facing the park today.

   If you are looking for a book that paints a "quaint" picture of Appalachia, don't look here. If on the other hand you want a book that will make you think about the complex interactions of ecology, human relationships and politcal struggles, read on!




4. Margaret Lynn Brown has written a fine first book about the Smokies, a park in which I have hiked almost annually for the better part of thirty years. The history of the area is familiar to me, but I was still fascinated by the details of such topics as "The Road to Nowhere," the wild boar controversy, the introduction of horseback riding, and other choices about wildness ratified by the National Park Service. The author writes well enough, and the illustrations have been well chosen.
   
   Like many revised dissertations, this book includes too many quotations, especially pedestrian ones from park service personnel whom the author has interviewed. Brown is also a "tongue clucker" who treats people of the past as if they should have known better than say, to feed bears or clear-cut old growth forest. Nor do I believe that the greatest threat to the environment is "unregulated industrial capitalism," a notion that some concentrated thoughts about the environmental disaster of sub-Saharan Africa might disabuse. At least Brown and I agree on the crassness of contemporary tourism in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

No comments about National Geographic Driving Guide to America, Florida.

1 comments about Naples, Florida: A Photographic Portrait.

1. I wanted to see the area and this book is very small for the money. The quality is very good and the pictures are beautiful. I feel there could be forty or fifty more pictures for a book at this price.