A history of a very popular beach destination near Sarasota on the Gulf coast of Florida. Reviewing the past century of Siesta Key development in the context of Florida's ancient and recent emergence, this book explains how one small Gulf coast barrier island has become world famous as “#1 Beach in the USA." Beginning with Amerindian settlers, the “First Floridians," all of the seminal pioneers and a steady stream of pivotal leaders are described with emphasis on their families, motivations, and challenges. Both historical triumphs and tragedies are covered to provide a balanced perspective. Lastly, the current and future threats are analyzed in detail, including the environmental controversies with nearby keys, the menace of increasing red tide, and the risks of rising sea levels associated with global warming.

Mary Lou Johnson's award winning fine art photography captures the unique luxury tropical island of Longboat Key in this coffee table book. The Lure of Longboat Key ~ Sunrise to Sunset is a collection of stunning four-color images that portray the natural beauty of the island from its 11-mile Gulf of Mexico shoreline to the bayside overlooking Sarasota, Florida. Some of the chapter titles are Break of Dawn, At the Water's Edge, Sea Life, Wings of Nature, Private Spaces and Secret Gardens, Soul-Filling Seas, and Evening Tranquility. So what IS the lure of Longboat Key? If you asked guests or residents that question they may pause and sigh as they struggle to answer. They may stumble to explain the strong personal emotional pull of the island and attempt to put into words that beautiful, calming feeling they have each time they cross over one of the two bridges. They may talk about their love for the turquoise waters, the white wave crests, the clean air and stunning skies, the shore birds, the tropical setting, the boutique shops and fine dining...the list goes on and on "A talented photographer with a poet's eye, Mary Lou Johnson has done something rare with The Lure of Longboat Key. She's captured not just the "real" Florida, but also the magical Florida, the one we see in our dreams and carry in our hearts. Her pictures are tender, honoring fragile details of sea oat, coquina and mist. But they are also majestic, celebrating sunset explosions and cathedrals of clouds. They're so vivid you will smell the salty air, feel the hot sand between your toes, and hear gulls calling over the fizz of the incoming tide. If you've ever lived in Florida, these pictures will take you home again. If you haven't, this beautiful book is your chance." -- Kathleen O'Brien, author

Spanning four decades, Sharkman of Cortez takes the reader through the adventures and perils of Captain Bill, a man determined to make his living from the sea. His tale begins in 1967 when he runs away from the frigid North to a picnic table on the white sandy beach of Siesta Key, Florida. Through the lazy 1960s hippie haze, he gets his first job on a crab boat and begins what he believes will be a life of fulfilling all his dreams. He encounters colorful local characters along the way, while carving out a living and pioneering some of the most innovative ways to capture, view, document, photograph, and sell sharks, dead or alive.

A History of American Tonalism: 1880-1920 will change standard theory on American art history with a new paradigm that places the origins of American modernism in the late 1870s. Crucially, it also demonstrates how the Tonalist movement became the driving force in the development of a distinctly American art form: mystic, visionary, and nostalgic, yet essentially modern in its progressive dynamic of non-narrative abstraction--a fundamentally expressive and symbolic art that set its seal on American art then and now. --Book Jacket.

This field guide covers three hundred of the better-known or more common seashells found on Texas coastlines, With more than 600 detailed and data-rich color photographs, each species with at least two views, Texas Seashells is sure to make shell identification fun, quick, and easy.

Established in 1911, The Rotarian is the official magazine of Rotary International and is circulated worldwide. Each issue contains feature articles, columns, and departments about, or of interest to, Rotarians. Seventeen Nobel Prize winners and 19 Pulitzer Prize winners – from Mahatma Ghandi to Kurt Vonnegut Jr. – have written for the magazine.