This book is the best book and perhaps the only book that gives special emphasis to seashells found in Puerto Rico. Scientific as well as popular listing of the shells is included. The textual description of the shells is quite adequate. Also, a general location of where the shells can be found is frequently included. On a less positive note, most all the pictures are in black and white and often the resolution leaves something to be desired. In all fairness, the book is in need of an update being last published in 1975. Since its last publication, several new shells previously unlisted or listed as "not found" have indeed been located. In spite of these few short comings, this book is still an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Puerto Rican seashells.

This small book (64 pgs.) is filled with good, albeit summarized, information about diving opportunities all over Florida. The Keys information details a few of the larger sites and wrecks, and has nice charts. We like this book, especially for the price. A "hell, why not?" book that's definitely worth it.

Wild South Florida does a pretty good job of describing the area for people planning to visit the Everglades or nearby regions. The author provides a comprehensive listing of national, state, and city parks that would interest anyone who loves the outdoors.

The author starts out by describing the different types of wild environments in South Florida and the wildlife that inhabit these places. A nice 16-page color picture section is included.

The information included for each area covers how to get to each park (the book also contains a map), how much certain places cost, and most importantly, the plant and animal life found there.

My one complaint is that, while the book covers the Florida Keys, it does not do it in as good of detail as it does mainland South Florida.

I found the book to be quite useful during my trip through the Everglades

This book by two accomplished divers attempts the daunting task of guiding us through the myriad of Florida wrecks. The book is broken down by city or location and gives a history and a nice preview of the dive for each wreck. What is really great are the color photos, both above water and underwater shots. The only draw back to this book is the lack of exact wreck locations.

There are two problems with gay travel guides -- usually.

First, they are often sponsored by advertising, which means that every review is a rave. Every club is suddenly "friendly," and "the place to be." That doesn't help much,and it makes for grimacing reading.

Second, they are often sketchy. Some guidebooks are little more than a group of symbols and maybe a few phrases if we're lucky like, "Crowded. Dark."

Thankfully, this book is honest, fun and descriptive. Here, you'll find an unvarnished description of the major restaurants, accommodations and bars in South Florida. Most are accompanied by at least a paragraph that seeks to *show* the reader what it's like, rather than *telling*. I'm especially proud of the fact that in several places, the author isn't afraid to call a place a dump if it warrants it. That kind of honesty is refreshing.

My only complaint is that the author admits that some places are omitted because are so bad they don't meet the standards of the book. I would like to see those places reviewed anyway so the reader can determine for himself.

All in all, this is a compact, descriptive, helpful guide for the gay traveler who is new to the area.

I think that this was a very intersesting book for anyone who loves mystery thing. The fact of this book is it is like a buried treasure; the island it self is a treasure. This book is very strange in its way of telling the past, yet it is the same as the present. The sland is a beautiful place and the book mkes it more realistic.

Overall I really did like this book. Although it is very predictable, towards the end you are in for a surprise. I did not put this book down the whole time. I recommend this book for a 12 or 13 year old girl who enjoys book with romance and a little bit of suspense. At times in this book I found myself confused, but don't worry it will all come together towards the end. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Florida fishing guide Jeffrey Cardenas did something on his free time that he never could while taking clients to the Marquesas off Key West -- fish, snorkel and generally enjoy himself.

Cardena spent several weeks living alone on his houseboat, getting up close and personal with hammerhead sharks, barracudas and the game fish that he pursues professionally.

If you've ever dreamed of chucking it all, if only for a few weeks, and heading for a tropical island, "Marquesa" will be just the ticket.

It was a joy to read, and while its brevity (if it had been longer I would have given in five stars) is obviously part of its charm, I couldn't help wanting it to go on.

Cardenas is very knowledgable on the natural and human history of the islands, and has a sharp eye for observation and a lyrical touch. There were moments reminiscent of the best of Peter Matthiessen and John McPhee, with a bit of John Gierach ("Trout Bum") thrown in for laughs.

You really feel like you're out there neck deep in the lagoon, swimming with the fishes. Though it's hard to shake the nightmare image of trailing one's legs through shark-infested flats while holding your catch over your head...

This is a recent book of 144 pages in length, illustrating over 250 species of birds in 335 full color photographs one might likely see in South Florida . This area is defined by the authors as an area "extending south of route 70, broadly from a line drawn from Fort Pierce to Sarasota, and also includes the Keys and the Dry Tortugas". This book is a handy compendium meant to aid birders, and especially visiting birders, who may not want to carry several field guides or larger tomes while traveling, for use in bird identification.

As a "pocket book" (4" by 7.5"), the authors state that this book is not a complete guide and that other works are needed to compliment it. They proffer other more well known field guides such as the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, (3rd edition) and the ABA/Lane Guide: A Birder's Guide to Florida by Bill Pranty as supplemental reading. Further, the authors realize the limitations of a single photograph of a single species for the use of bird identification. (Cf. the pictures of Northern Rough-winged Swallow or Chimney Swift as examples!) Given the fact that the authors are not resident Florida birders, I feel that they did a very good job of organizing the material as well as making it available in an easy-to-read format. The latter is accomplished through the use of colored corner tabs representing the various avian families. Noted East Coast Florida birder Wally George is credited as having supplied the range and distributional data for the birds of Southern Florida.

Chapters of the book include: Introduction, How to use this book, Birding habitats in southern Florida, Key to corner tabs, Where to find birds in southern Florida, Species descriptions, Glossary, Further reading, Useful addresses and Index. The most useful aspect of this book, in my opinion, is the chapter on birding habitats and the species one may encounter in them. Knowing what can be expected to be seen in a given habitat makes it easier for the birder to maximize one's time birding and the species to be seen, especially in unfamiliar locations.

Another useful aspect of this book is the photographs of several of the "exotics" including psittiscids and mynas one might encounter in South Florida. Rose-ringed Parakeet, Budgerigar and Yellow-headed Parrot are illustrated as well as Common and Hill Mynas. My only wish would be for more psitticid photos such as White-winged and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, as well as Black-hooded Parakeet and perhaps Monk. Still, some photosof exotics are better than nothing.

The glossary is another useful section of this book, but one can understand its limitations given the books size.

In short, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to add to their library of local bird books covering our area of South Florida. In the field, it is an easy book to put in one's shirt pocket when carrying other larger books is impractical. I would also recommend it to visiting and casual birders with the admonition to supplement it with a more thorough avian treatment such as National Audubon's The Sibley Guide to Birds.