Customer Reviews (2)

A Grand Life of a Grand Woman!
When I moved to Florida in 1973 I almost immediately fell in love with the pine forests, the bayheads, the shallow lakes, the hardwood hammocks and the swamps.By then much damage had been done to the state and more was contemplated.The drainage canals around Miami, the cross Florida Barge Canal and other, often quite unfeasible schemes, had either been done, started and then scrapped, or were in the works.It seems like the temptation to "improve" Florida from the late 1800s on was so strong it was almost impossible to stop.A number of people had warned about the fragility of the Everglades and other Florida ecosystems, but few listened.However one talented writer with a remarkable background was able to help along the effort to protect the Everglades.Almost simultaneously with the establishment of Everglades National Park, Marjory Stoneman Douglas published her "Everglades: River of Grass'" now the standard work on the subject. In it she demonstrated that the Everglades was not a worthless swamp, but a vibrant ecological community with a long history. Her book's first printing was sold out within 2 months!Other fights were raging by the time I reached Florida- the Florida Barge Canal, of course, but also efforts to protect the Big Cypress and Fakahatchee Strand.Among the people involved were Archie Carr and his wife Marjorie Carr (the latter is included in a photo in the current book).

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, in her autobiography based on tape recordings by John Rothchild, subtitled "Voice of the River," was an institution in the Sunshine State and her book informs her many admirers of the struggles and triumphs she had in a life that spanned a whole century.It is a fascinating tale and full of associations with the most prominent names in Florida and in literature, newspaper publishing and politics.I recommend it highly to anyone, but especially those who are interested in the Florida that used to be.

This brings up another point, and a very sad one.I got to see some of what was left of Florida's natural environment, including Everglades National Park and the Ocala Scrub while I was in Florida (some in the company of Archie Carr).It was a ghost of what once was! Even though the citizens of Florida voted in monies to buy up thousands of acres of sensitive areas, there were many tragic losses.The state's wilderness has deteriorated further since I left it in 1978.I have no wish now to return and see the result, but what is left in Big Cypress, the Everglades, the Ocala Scrub, and many others, is there because of people like Marjory Stoneman Douglas!

REMARKABLE STORY
It was a great surprise to find that there were no customer reviews for a book that was first published in 1987.This remarkable book is an insight into an American legend, Marjory Stoneman Douglas.She began as a young girl to write for the Miami Herald in 1915.The book shows how she was able to achieve a long history of publications and books to her credit.Additionally, this eminent conservationist who died in 1998 at age 108 has been honored with the saving of the Florida Everglades.This book is a must read for all American women because it provides insight into just what can be accomplished when one woman is motivated to take action. ... Read more

Product Description
"A maid whom there were none to praise, And very few to love."--WORDSWORTH.
Marjory was lying under a tree in the wood beyond her uncle's garden; her head was hidden in the long, soft coat of a black retriever, and she was crying--sobbing bitterly as if her heart would break, and as if nothing could ever comfort her again.
"O Silky," she moaned, "if you only knew, you would be so sorry for me." ... Read more

Product Description
Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1907) was an American poet, novelist, traveller, and editor. His father's death in 1849 compelled Aldrich to abandon the idea of college and he entered his uncle's business office in New York at age 16 in 1852. Here he soon became a constant contributor to the newspapers and magazines. From 1856 to 1859 he was on the staff of the Home Journal and during the Civil War was editor of the New York Illustrated News. Meanwhile Aldrich had written much, both in prose and verse. His genius was many-sided. His successive volumes of verse, chiefly The Ballad of Babie Bell (1856), Pampinea, and Other Poems (1861), Cloth of Gold (1874), Flower and Thorn (1876), Friar Jerome's Beautiful Book (1881), Mercedes and Later Lyrics (1883), Wyndham Towers (1889), and the collected editions of 1865, 1882, 1897 and 1900, showed him to be a poet of lyrical skill, dainty touch and felicitous conceit, the influence of Herrick being constantly apparent. ... Read more

Product Description

Completely revised, updated, and now with color photographs and illustrations in every chapter, The Everglades Handbook provides a breadth and depth of information on the entire ecosystem of the Everglades that cannot be found anywhere else. Written by Thomas Lodge, one of the most respected authorities on the Everglades and one of its most ardent protectors, the book is an updated, expanded, and comprehensive explanation of what the Everglades is, how it has been changed, and the restoration needed to bring back ecological functions and safeguard sustainable future uses of the region by people. 

Expanded and updated coverage in the third edition includes:

• Caloosahatchee/Charlotte Harbor ecosystem
• Kissimmee headwaters, including the chain of lakes near Orlando
• St. Lucie/Indian River estuary
• Impact of invasive species on various south Florida ecosystems
• Sustainable agriculture relative to the Everglades ecosystem and other south Florida areas
• Progress and impacts of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
• New chapter entitled Peripheral Ecosystems of the Everglades

This edition maintains Lodge's trademark style, making the book appealing to students, the general public, scientists, and managers. A bestseller in each edition since its publication in 1994, this is quite possibly the most attractive, readable science book available on the Everglades.

Customer Reviews (6)

A welcome, professional addition to college library and environmental studies shelves
Now in an updated third edition, The Everglades Handbook: Understanding the Ecosystem is an exhaustive, scholarly reference packed cover to cover with scientific information about the ecosystem of the Everglades - taking into account how drastically the Everglades has changed, and how it can be restored and safeguarded to promote sustainable use. Full-color photography illustrates the extensively researched text. The new third edition includes information about agriculture in historic Everglades lands, the latest information about and difficulties with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, and a brand new chapter titled "Peripheral Ecosystems of the Everglades". A welcome, professional addition to college library and environmental studies shelves.

Essential book to understanding Everglades
Excellent book, readable for both Environmental text or average person wanting to understand a unique ecosystem that is the Everglades.

The book starts out with a quote that reads "In the end, we conserve only what we love.We love only what we understand.We understand only what we are taught."

Reading this book will fill in the missing pieces of understanding needed to appreciate...and thus love....the Everglades.

Essential resource
Having enjoyed the prior edition of this book, I was delighted to receive the Third Edition which is even better with marvellous photos and graphics.This is essential reading for anybody trying to understand the challenges we face in restoring this unique ecosystem.The text is well writtten and reflects the author's scientific studies as well as his passion for the River of Grass.It is also an excellent source of information about the fauna and flora of the Everglades. it is delightful to browse through prior to a trip to Florida.

Satisfactory
I hae been reading several pages in this book so far for my enviromental science class.I have found the pages very helpful in understanding the Everglades enviroment.

A Wonderful Guide to Understanding the Everglades
As an environmental consultant, I found the first edition of The Everglades Handbook to be very useful, and the second edition even better!There are new chapters and very important new information, such as the new chapters on the Big Cypress Swamp, Lake Okeechobee, and "Synthesis" with its diagrams of succession and food chains, and the updated final chapter with details of human history in South Florida.I especially looked forward to the updated information on the Everglades restoration - it was excellent.The new edition is well worth the price (I heard that CRC Press reduced the price by 10%!).I can't recommend this book more highly for those people wanting to become familiar with how the Everglades works as an ecosystem. ... Read more