Featuring the underwater photography of Bruce Mozert, the life story of explorer and activist Wes Skiles, and an analysis of serious freshwater problems today, these books take readers on a journey across Florida to learn about the state’s beautiful natural springs. Find out why Florida’s springs are so beloved, what threatens the springs, and how we can protect them in the future.
Use code UPF75 for discounts and free shipping through December 16.
Florida’s Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts, and Health Spas
Rick Kilby
Filled with rare photographs, vintage postcards, and advertisements, Florida’s Healing Waters shows how Florida’s natural springs were promoted and developed as restorative destinations 100 years ago. Emphasizing the value of honoring and preserving the natural features of the state in the face of continual development, Kilby reminds us that Florida’s water is still a life-giving treasure.
Drying Up: The Fresh Water Crisis in Florida
John M. Dunn
Drawing on extensive interviews and research, John Dunn affirms that soon there will not be enough water to meet demand in Florida if “business as usual” prevails. Drying Up is a wake-up call and a hard look at what the future holds for those who call Florida home.
Drawn to the Deep: The Remarkable Underwater Explorations of Wes Skiles
Julie Hauserman
Wes Skiles was a self-taught expert on Florida’s freshwater springs and an outspoken advocate for their conservation. This book is the inspiring story of the explorer and activist who uncovered environmental abuses, advanced the field of underwater photography, and astonished the world with unprecedented views of the secret depths of the planet.
Water from Stone: Archaeology and Conservation at Florida’s Springs
Jason O’Donoughue
Archaeologist Jason O’Donoughue illuminates the origins of springs and their roles as sites of habitation, burials, feasting, and monument building for Florida’s earliest people.
Remembering Florida Springs
Tim Hollis
Remembering Florida Springs explores the curious intersection of tourist destination and wildlife wonderland at the state’s five largest springs. Take a tour of these unique and beloved features of the state’s natural landscape through eye-catching photographs and memorabilia.
Silver Springs: The Underwater Photography of Bruce Mozert
Gary Monroe
During the heyday of Florida theme parks, Bruce Mozert created some of the most memorable kitsch photography of the era. Monroe has collected some of the best underwater shots by this remarkable photographer, capturing those heady times in all their whimsical glory.
Remembering Paradise Park
Lu Vickers and Cynthia Wilson-Graham
Paradise Park was the “colored only” counterpart to Silver Springs, a central Florida tourist attraction. Filled with photographs, advertisements, and interviews with employees and patrons, Remembering Paradise Park portrays a place of delight and leisure during the painful era of Jim Crow.
Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce De León and Florida’s Magical Waters
Rick Kilby
This book looks at how Juan Ponce de León’s fabled search for the Fountain of Youth has resonated in the state over the past 500 years. It also addresses the very real problem of protecting Florida’s fragile springs. Finding the Fountain of Youth is a delightful reminder of journeys past—and a peek at those to come.
Weeki Wachee Mermaids: Thirty Years of Underwater Photography
Lu Vickers and Bonnie Georgiadis
Located about forty-five miles north of Tampa and still in existence today, Weeki Wachee has been featured in major motion pictures. This book features rare, never-before-published vintage photographs, postcards, and publicity shots.
Ichetucknee: Sacred Waters
Steven Earl
The Ichetucknee River, the premier tubing destination in the United States, is increasingly threatened by pollution. In this book, Earl and other celebrated environmental writers provide a description of the challenges threatening the river today, and methods to promote watchful stewardship of the river so that its beauty will be preserved for generations to come.
Use code UPF75 for discounts and free shipping, valid through December 16, 2020.
The Florida Bookshelf 