5 comments about National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bahamas, Bermuda.

1. A few years ago, I bought the Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes and found when I tried to use it in the Florida Keys that there were many fish I couldn't identify. People recommended I buy Paul Humann's book, "Reef Fish Identification." The book is more expensive, but I found it to be far more comprehensive and user friendly. For example, many fish look entirely different when in their "juvenile," "initial" or "terminal" phase, and the "Reef Fish Identification" book has clear photos of each of the three stages shown beside each other, and frequently includes photos of alternate color phases as well. The Audubon book usually just shows a picture of the fish in just one phase, and often not a terribly good photo at that. Next to each photo in the Humann book is an excellent line drawing of the fish, highlighting and labeling which features of a fish are most dependable for identification. The Audubon book includes no such diagrams to aid identification. Finally, the Humann book is based upon both an extensive bibliography and collaboration with field biologists, and if the detailed descriptions in his book of definitive features for discriminating species of fish are correct (and experienced scuba divers tell me they are correct) then some of the pictures in the Audubon guide are actually even misidentified as to species. For example, the Audubon picture labeled as a "Leopard Goby" is almost certainly a picture of an "Orange-sided Goby" (if the Humann book is correct about dark lines outlining the orange rectangles being a reliable discriminating feature). If there were no other reef fish identification book available, I would have given the Audubon book more stars, I am usually a great fan of the Audubon Field Guide series, but in comparison with the Humann book it just doesn't rate very well. I should add that I have never met, nor have any private or professional association with, the author of either of these books, so my opinion is not biased by any such affiliation.
   Finally, I should add that I am pleased nevertheless to own both of these books because, for many species of fish, fish of the same species can be found in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so you can never study too many photos to get a handle on the range of appearances possible for any given species. Buy the Humann book if you can just afford one book, but owning both books is even better!



2. Although there are many fishes accounted for, it has quite a few that are missing, and it would be helpful if more showed pictures of the difference between adult and juveniles.



3. The Audubon Field Guides are the best there are. Every category of book is well documented and the glossy photos are fabulous. I buy these books for my 11 year old son. He enjoys reading them so much that I count his time spent as credit for our homeschool science course.



4. I bought this book as birthday gift for my son-in-law. I looked through the guide before I sent it to him. My impression was very positive, but no where near the rave reviews that Steve had for it. This guide to tropical fish should be a must for anyone taking a tropical vacation.
   
   Dick



5. I bought this book for my husband to prevent him from telling me about "that yellow fish" he saw when we were diving. It is good because it has a lot of variety of different types of fish, but it is by no ways all encompassing reference. It has only a few varieties of each type of fish (ie only a few angel fish shown, not all of the types). So, it is good, but not exactly what I was looking for.

1 comments about Guide to the Magic of Walt Disney World: The Lost Journals.

1. I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable Disney fan, that being said I was hopeful for a new and interesting book of Disney facts. Well, boy did this deliver! The Lost Journal is full of fun facts, hidden Mickey's (some I knew of and some I didn't) and really interesting information about so many of the rides.
   
   It was great to spend the afternoon reading this and remember all the places in the park where the hidden Mickey's might be, and planning our next trip to the parks. I will defiantly have this guide with me as we tour the parks again this summer, in search of all the clues to complete the puzzle in the front of it. This is a great book for kids as well, very easy to read and understand. The size is great and will fit perfectly in our backpack at the park.
   
   I highly recommend this guide for all the Disney fans out there.

5 comments about PassPorter Walt Disney World 2008 Deluxe: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! (PassPorter).

1. Ok, for someone who has been to Disney over 15 times,i know ALOT about the experience. But with Disney constantly changing and adding things, this is a great tool both for new and experienced vacationers!! Aside from the updates and EVERYTHING you need to know about all the restarunts, hotels and parks, there are many many tools for the maticulous planners!!! Its your one stop travel guide/schedule/info desk!If you are going to venture into the wonderful world of Disney.........you have to get this!!!!!



2. I loved this handy leather luxurious guide because it is choke full of information at my finger tips and an organizer in one. The leather three ring made it easy to keep my family organized before, during, and after our vacation. I am a scrapbooker (creator of family and friend photo albums) and honestly I don't always remember to write everything down while on vacation. Each day has its own envelope that you can put all types of items inside and there are spots all over the envelope to fill in what you did all day long. From where you went and did; to where you ate. I give this guide my two thumbs up for ease and convenience.



3. Very helpful for information and organizing trip to WDW. Information is well presented and current.The ability to plan out day & event iteneraries is great!I would recommend this for anyone planning a vacation to WDW.



4. I buy one of these every year for our Disney trips. Although we are Disney Vacation Club members and do not NEED all the information packed into this, it is a great keepsake for us. Every year I fill it out with all our plans and trip information. I save ticket stubs and such in it. From year to year I look back at past trips to help plan our upcoming trip. The thing I like best is there are maps of all the parks and from time to time things change or attractions open or close in the parks, and my family will have Passporters to look back on in years to come.
   For people planning their first trip to Disneyworld this Passporter is loaded with helpful information. The Passporter and the latest copy of "Disneyworld With Kids" is all you need to plan a successful trip.
   I did buy the regular version, not the "leather" edition last year and the information was all there, but the binder was harder to add things into than the 3-ring binder styling of the leather edition, so this year I did the leather version again. Mind you, the leather version is pricier and if you're not hanging on to it "forever" like we are, the regular edition is a great value and chuck full of all the same helpful information.



5. I'm a member of a lot of Disney message boards, but wanted something in print that I could take along with me to the parks. This book is perfect. I love that it is three ring bound and so I can add pages to it. They show you with color-coding anythign that has been updated for 2008. I love the organzation pockets in the back.

No comments about DogFriendly.com's East Coast Dog Travel Guide: Includes New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic States, Florida and the Southeast.

4 comments about Diving Guide to Underwater Florida, 11th Edition.

1. The book gives the location to several of Florida's hidden springs and offshore reefs, wrecks. There is also a dvd on the Florida springs available from amazon, called "Florida Springs-The Unexplored Florida." It lets you see the springs underwater. A must have book.



2. i have used the book about a 100 times for dive sites
   starting with the old 2nd. edition. it is very good book
   to have to ref. dive sites boat, beach, springs. too bad the fl.
   gov. has a steep fee on everything. when you say diving
   the price goes up. keep up the good work deloach.
   thanks capt. rob



3. Great book with the best dive sites in South Florida, especially if you don't have a boat (nor the money) and can only do beach dives, very simply written, with excellent descriptions of the sites.



4. This is a great book covering a lot of diving sites in FL, including springs and ocean sites. The only "problem" that I have with the book is the inclusion of advertising (dive shops, etc) but at the end of the day it actually helps when trying to locate a diveshop, etc.

1 comments about Good Night Florida (Good Night Our World series).

1. I love this series. Good night Florida is as good as all the other ones. It's a great way to teach your children about different places around the world. It also makes fantastic gifts for people with kids.

2 comments about The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort, 2nd: How to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer (Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort).

1. 
   Now in an updated second edition, The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort: How to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer lives up to its title and then some. Chapters discuss one's options for luxury accommodations, stylish dining opportunities, attractions beyond the theme parks, how to take advantage of the "FASTPASS" system to bypass lines and other recommendations for avoiding long waits, the Disney cruise line, and much more. Presented in plain terms with an index for quick and easy cross-referencing, The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort is a "must-have" for all potential visitors of this multifaceted vacation destination.



2. Full Disclosure: Cara Goldsbury was my travel agent for one of my (many) Disney trips. My 'regular' agent was unavailable and he recommended Cara as a substitute. My budget was definitely more value than deluxe, but I was impressed with Cara's skill and ability to plan a luxury vacation on a value budget. That isn't the object of this book, the recommendations and tips have a luxury price tag attached, but she does a great job of pointing out certain values when they do exist. If you are only going to buy one guidebook for your Disney trip, this shouldn't be it. Go for the Unofficial Guide or a Passporter (or both!). But if you'd like an excellent supplement to those books, and would like a glimpse into the 5-star opportunities that Walt Disney World has to offer, it is an invaluable guide.

5 comments about Hidden Florida Keys and Everglades: Including Key Largo and Key West (Hidden Travel).

1. I own a whole library worth of travel books and this is one of my favorites! Great suggestions for things to do and places to see. Plus her style of writing is very engaging. I really found it helpful in the Keys!!



2. Not every guidebook on the keys would feature such an unassuming place as Jim and Val's Tugboat Restaurant in Key Largo. Jim and Val's Tugboat is one of the true "buried treasures" of Florida, and this guidebook has enough sense to put it in bold. Wonder if we'll see the place over-run by "foodies" who will go anywhere to try something new.
   
   Long ago, pirates prowled the waters around the keys, and nowadays, it's chic to blame the congestion of the keys on tourists, but sometimes it's just people drawn to the good food (like the steak poivre which is simply out of this world) or people trying to find out what drew poet Wallace Stevens back, year after year, to the Key West hotel about which he wrote such a haunting poem. This guidebook will be a nice souvenir for you, even if you haven't been in Key Largo for some time. It will bring it all back to you--the salty creosote smell, the cerise skies that turn inky at night, the stars that twinkle right above your head--you can almost catch one by the toe.



3. Our vacation in the Keys wouldn't have been so amazing had we not bought this book. Everything we did, ate, and enjoyed came from a recommendation found within the pages of this easy to read and user-friendly guide. The references to ocean-side vs. gulf-side made it simple to locate desitinations and the "hidden" secrets made our vacation like a scavenger hunt.



4. This book contains a great deal of info on towns, things to do, restaurants, and areas off the beaten path. It will definitely come in handy for my trip to the Keys.



5. Took this book on our trip and found it to be very helpful. Loved reading the history or background, gives you a better understanding of how and why before you visit the sites. Restaurant recommendations were spot on. If I had to change anything, I would be more specific on location of restaurants. Instead of saying go towards ocean and turn; street names would be beneficial as a lot of the streets cross in different directions. Otherwise, a great book to have for your trip.

1 comments about Rail-trails Southeast: Alabama, Florida ,georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina & Tennessee.

1. I gave this present to my aunt and uncle for Christmas as they have recently purchased new bikes and begun riding trails in our area. They have planned a trip to Florida next month and told me this book has been a great source of information in planning their trip. They really enjoyed this gift.

5 comments about Fish Florida Saltwater: Better Than Luck--The Foolproof Guide to Florida Saltwater Fishing.

1. This book helped improve my angling skills and helped me catch the fish I always wanted in and offshore.



2. I have been fresh water fishing for 50+ years and am now retiring to Florida. I needed a quick start on Florida saltwater fishing and this proved to be invaluable. Very well organized to learn about all or only the species desired. I went on a back bay flats fishing outing and not only impressed the other fishermen on the boat with my knowledge of fish, technique and baits, but the guide as well. I am now ordering copies for friends who have been fishing Florida for several years because they wanted to know where they could get it. Worth more than the price.



3. Good information;however, would have been nice to have the pictures in color to better id the fish.



4. I was looking for a book that was more specific to places and techniques I could use for inshore fishing. This book didn't satisfy me for that application. It's not badly written, just not what I was hoping for.



5. Well written and illustrated. Plan to use it for the first time on a fishing trip to the Florida Keys in June. Will keep me legal with the Fl game and fish enforcement officers who patrol randomly and often. They expect each fisherman to know the rules of the legal size and creel limit of each type of fish. This will be in our fishing boat the whole time as a ready reference and will be studied prior to the trip and used as lunch and dinner conversation among the 3 fisherman who are making the trip together. I think it will prove to be worth much more than the price I paid for it.