A call to live with the coast, as opposed to living at the coast; unless Florida coastal communities conserve beaches and mitigate storm impacts, the future of the beach-based economy is in question.

The first edition of Florida's Living Beaches (2007) was widely praised. Now, the second edition of this supremely comprehensive guide has even more to satisfy the curious beachcomber, including expanded content and additional accounts with more than 1800 full-color photographs, maps, and illustrations. It heralds the living things and metaphorical life along the state's 700 miles of sandy beaches. The expanded second edition now identifies and explains over 1400 curiosities, with lavishly illustrated accounts organized into Beach Features, Beach Animals, Beach Plants, Beach Minerals, and Hand of Man.

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle beckon curious beachcombers with miles of wave-swept Gulf coastline. These beaches offer more than a sandy stroll amidst stunning scenery—they are alive! As ever-changing ribbons of sand, these beaches foster unique life-forms and accept beguiling castaways from a vast marine wilderness. Mysteries abound. What is this odd creature? Why does the beach look this way? How did this strange item get here? Living Beaches of the Gulf Coast satisfies a beachcomber's curiosity within a comprehensive yet easily browsed guide. The guide is written in a familiar style and is illustrated with distribution maps and hundreds of color photos. Accounts include beach anatomy, coastal phenomena, and shoreline animals, plants, and geology. Hundreds of seashells are depicted as well as other interesting animals, flowers, historical structures, beach sands, and beach art. The authors suggest a variety of beach scavenger hunts and recommend hints for beachcombing success.

Discover the best beaches on the east coast of the state. Information on beach access and amenities, local beach history, and many other fascinating facts.

More than one transplanted Floridian has paid $150,000 for a beautiful condominium with a sea view only to learn that, to keep the building from becoming part of the view, considerable additional money must be spent to build and repair seawalls or to pump up new beaches by dredging sand from offshore. Most of Florida's beachfront property lies on narrow strips of sand called barrier islands, which are low in elevation and subject to flooding during storms and hurricanes. Some of the construction is poor, adding to the problems facing homeowners, most whom came from other parts of the country with little awareness of the hazards of beaches. In Living with the East Florida Shore, Orrin H. Pilkey, Jr., of Duke University, along with his co-authors, has described the varied problems that confront the east shore of Florida today.

Discover the best beaches on the east coast of the state. Information on beach access and amenities, local beach history, and many other fascinating facts.

20 Best Florida Beaches and Coastal Cities (B&W edition) is a comprehensive overview of some of the best beaches in Florida. Each chapter offers interesting and informative information about individual Florida beaches and coastal cities, making it easy to choose a great destination for your next Florida beach vacation. For those living in the area, or proposing to do so, this book offers a host of local information and photographs so that you can clearly picture each place in your mind before you visit. The book is written by a freelance travel writer who has lived and worked in Florida, and has authored several travel books about Florida. Reading this book is like visiting Florida with a local. It gives clear descriptions of each chosen Florida beach and coastal city, circumnavigating Florida's coastline from Amelia Island in the northeast to Pensacola in the far northwest, providing a wealth of fascinating facts along the way. For example, did you know that Fort Myers Beach sand is perfect for sandsculpting and that is why the annual championships are held there each year? And did you know that Caspersen Beach near Venice is the Sharks' Tooth capital of the world, or that Tarpon Springs still has sponge divers in this traditional Greek community? Each highlighted destination comes vividly to life as the book reveals a wealth of interest, history and things to do for any potential visitor. I hope that long before you reach the end of 20 Best Florida Beaches and Coastal Cities, you have added a few "must-do's" to your wish list. The book is also available from Amazon in a full color edition and as an ebook.

The definitive--and by far the most popular--guide to the therapeutic Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or the art and science of how trees can promote health and happiness Notice how a tree sways in the wind. Run your hands over its bark. Take in its citrusy scent. As a society we suffer from nature deficit disorder, but studies have shown that spending mindful, intentional time around trees--what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing--can promote health and happiness. In this beautiful book--featuring more than 100 color photographs from forests around the world, including the forest therapy trails that criss-cross Japan--Dr. Qing Li, the world's foremost expert in forest medicine, shows how forest bathing can reduce your stress levels and blood pressure, strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems, boost your energy, mood, creativity, and concentration, and even help you lose weight and live longer. Once you've discovered the healing power of trees, you can lose yourself in the beauty of your surroundings, leave everyday stress behind, and reach a place of greater calm and wellness.