No comments about American Map Florida State Road Atlas.

2 comments about A South Florida Culinary Adventure.

1. This small book is charming and informative about our connection to food in our culture. This is Ms. Shapiro's journey through South Florida and her culinary experieces. Obviously she has done a great deal of research on the subject and has presented it in a different and unique way. Well worth having in your collection of book on foods.



2. Reminiscent of the likes of a Ken Kesey magical bus trip, only without the psychotropic drugs, Ms.Shapiro's mind was instead absorbed in seeking out the next celebration of south Florida food and it's historic cultural story. I found this slim, little journal to be a fun exploration of the limitless possibilities one can experience if only you really just looked around you. "The saladettes in the wrapper bowl was born because I had to eat out at the local Publix supermarket." see page 27. This collection of historic fun facts and recipes (uncovered by Ms. Shapiro's relentless research and hands-on experiences)is destined to be a classic as it is a delightful breath of fresh air and combines tales of her research travels and the recipes she "un-earthed". It will inspire you to not just look at south Florida, but to also seek out it's delicious smells in some of the most interesting and unique places.

No comments about National Geographic Traveler Miami y los cayos (National Geographic Traveler).

No comments about Fodor's Orlando's 25 Best, 2nd Edition (25 Best).

1 comments about Waterway Guide Southern 2005: Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas (Waterway Guide Southern Edition).

1. The book had some interesting things in it but overall was not as helpful as we had hoped. There were marinas not listed that we saw and some of the marinas that were in the book we couldn't find. It also failed to tell us that at one point there is a sharp turn that is not clearly marked at all. Thankfully there was another boat nearby that we could ask. We were glad to have the book but wish it was more acurate.

No comments about A Tour Through the Southern and Western Territories of the United States of North-America (Bicentennial Floridiana Facsimile Series).

No comments about Rand Mcnally Miami/ Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Florida Easyfinder.

1 comments about Sunken Cities, Sacred Cenotes, and Golden Sharks: Travels of a Water-Bound Adventurer.

1. Author Bill Bellville has assembled a collage of unique and colorful Adventures which shift intriguingly among the Galapagos Islands, the Caribbean coral reefs, the azure springs of Central Florida, the abyssal deeps of Cuba, and remote and curious sites in the Florida Keys. Bellville's metaphorical writing style, a deep commitment to Nature, and his drive to explore out-of-the-way destinations, produces a tapestry of fascinating tales, making this book difficult to put down. The author's lyrical depictions hauntingly infuse his writings with a special sense of surreality, which is both captivating and memorable. This is a book which shares a very personal prespective, bringing the reader's consciousness fully into play as one adventure blends seamlessly into the next. In short, a treat for readers of all ages! Elliott Maynard, Ph.D., Arcos Cielos Research Center, Sedona, Arizona.

5 comments about Inside Disney: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney World and the Man Behind the Mouse (Unofficial Guide to Inside Disney: The Incredible Story of Walt Disney World & the Man Behind Th).

1. This book COULD have been so much better. This book SHOULD have been a lot better. I am a big Disney World fan, and was looking forward to reading this book when I first saw it, but I was very disappointed in it. The author in this book, Eve Zibart, is not very good. She shares her opinions way too much, which don't even make sense, and she is trying to write this book like she is turning it into her english teacher. The phrases and words she uses are too complicated at times, and again, do not make any sense. You get the feeling she is trying to impress someone with that. Those kind of things are not suited for this type of book. Also, she does not cover nearly as much as she should in a book like this. This book is a great concept, and if done right, would have been very interesting. I was expecting to learn some behind-the-scenes things about Disney World, but throughout the whole book I probably learned one thing. If someone else writes a book with this same concept, I would love to read it, but I do not recommend reading this one.



2. I came to the book looking for interesting inside tidbits. What I found was a book not well-researched, with a number of outright factual errors, such as the old urban legend that the top of the castle can be removed in the event of a hurricane.
   All this is wrapped up in a post-modern smugness that makes the reading experience, while fast-moving, downright unpleasant at times.



3. Don't get this book if you're a Disney nut, because you're going to get a rehash of 99% of what you already know. You're not going to find much in the way of insider secrets or funny antecdotes about Disney or the theme parks. Also, the book has a number of glaring factual errors, once you come across one of them, your faith in the rest of the material isn't going to last long. Skip this one.



4. Review from my wife:
   
   The only reason I give it 3 stars and not 2 is that it has the basic "Behinds the Scenes" information in it that most Disney buffs know already - but a newbie would not know. So for a new person, it would be interesting for them.
   
   Yes, there are factual errors in it and some "smugness" in certain areas. Take it with a grain of salt - all of the UnOfficial Books are like this.
   
   It was fun to read in retrospect. It talks about future plans, etc. So that was interesting.
   
   I read it while on the treadmill. It kept me entertained for a few 45 minutes for a few days.



5. I purchased the 2000 edition of this paperback, but it actually took me until 2008 to get around to reading it from cover-to-cover. It's a perfect little book for light summer reading. You can easily devour it within a day or two, especially if you are already a fan of Disney theme parks. And ah, there lies the problem. Throughout my reading, I was constantly wondering who the target audience for this odd little book would be. It is billed as a companion to the Unofficial Guide, although I hardly think a casual theme park tourist would care about all the intricate historical and socio-economic details that the author shares. At the same time, most of the information shared would equally not be of interst to diehard Disney fans. It is either a series of poorly repeated, well known factoids; misinformation; or brief summaries of other (much better) books about Walt Disney World.
   
   Unlike some of the other reviewers, I actually liked this book... to a point. There were a few new trivia tidbits that I had not heard previously, although I am forced to question whether or not these untold tales are true. For a book that mentions the "dinosaurs" in Spaceship Earth, highlights the "AdventureQuest" park open at Downtown Disney, and shares the old chestnut about the ring-in-the-pavement at the Haunted Mansion as an actual part of the Imagineer's story, it is no wonder that I doubt everything I read. That said, it remains an interesting little book because it is so odd in its layout and content.
   
   The book covers, in no particular order, a very brief history of Walt Disney (the man) and Walt Disney World (the park), touching on things like the underground access tunnels, food preparation, plants and animals as found in the park. It also jumps over to an annoyingly preachy and cynical diatribe on how Walt Disney World presents a skewed and politically incorrect version of American history and then tries to deconstruct the park by exploring Walt's motivations and attitudes within the context of the time. I have seldom seen an author present contextual history and revisionist history so close together in the same book! The fact that this super serious discussion is sandwiched between a chapter detailing "Hidden Mickeys" in the parks and a chapter excessively cataloging the different types of plant life at Disney World is laughable.
   
   I will agree with others that the book is poorly edited. Although Animal Kingdom opened in 1998 and I have the 2000 edition, the text constantly jumps around from "when The Animal Kingdom opens in the future" to suddenly sharing a personal account of riding Countdown to Extinction. This sometimes happens in the same chapter, within pages of each other. Clearly the bulk of her comments on Animal Kingdom comes from early press releases. I really enjoyed her vague discussion of the planned-but-never-built Beastly Kingdom, almost as if she experienced it firsthand.
   
   If you can pick this book up for a couple of bucks--and if you're a Disney collector--and if you are not too overly critical--and if you have some free time in the summer (or plan to, like me, within the next eight years) then go ahead and pick up this book. Sure there are lots of others that are much better, but I have yet to find such an odd one that feels a bit like a Disney rollercoaster.

No comments about Fun with the Family in Florida, 4th: Hundreds of Ideas for Day Trips with the Kids.