"A Travel Guide Book Providing a Sense of Place"

There are a vast number of guide- books devoted to Florida. Some are very helpful others you might as well save your money, as the information contained is nothing more than what you would usually receive from the travel department for the State of Florida.

However, it is not very often when you come across a travel guide- book that recognizes that it is not only sufficient to list and describe lodging, dining, attractions etc, you have to provide the reader with a sense of place and history. Once you are armed with this background material, the traveler is better prepared to appreciate the moment of the place and the local inhabitants encountered. It is the presentation of these elements that the visual guide- book Insight Guides Florida excels.

Teaming up with the expertise of the well-known Discovery Channel, the guide devotes considerable space to the history, people, places, and culture of the Sunshine state. The introductory chapter lists the decisive dates of Florida followed by an overview of its history from the time of its earliest inhabitants about ten thousand years ago to present day sun worshippers.

A section devoted to its people provides the reader with an understanding of the mosaic that is Florida. We are given very useful insights into the African Americans, Cubans, Yankees, Crackers i.e. someone with strong roots in the South hailing from the extreme southeastern part of the state, who have contributed to the development of the state.

Feature sections indicated by yellow bars at the top of each page inform the reader about festivals, food, sports, sunken ships, space at the Cape, and theme parks. There is even a humorous short essay written by Florida-based Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dave Barry, on how to survive a Florida vacation.

Insight sections key the reader in on Florida's amazing weather, unbeatable beaches, Miami's art deco and South Beach, ecology of the Everglades, the living Coral Reef and exploring Kennedy Space Center.

The places section divide the State into five geographical areas, Southern Florida, the East Coast, Central Florida, the West Coast and Northern Florida. Essential facts and must see attractions are highlighted with a general sprinkling of side- bars. The latter providing interesting tidbits of information and tips. An example, "W.D. Chipley, the man who brought trains to Pensacola, dubbed the city 'the Naples of Florida.' He told northerners that in 'winter and summer,' its healthfulness is marvelous, except during epidemics."

Insight Guides Florida is a beautifully rendered book with its design, sturdy paper, and its extensive use of rich photographs that effectively brings life to the people and places it describes. In addition, the various contributors' evaluative comments make the book a very useful resource before and after a visit to Florida.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted May 1, 2004