SPOTLIGHT ON FLORIDA: MAKING UP & MAKING OF – NONFICTION

In Coral Gables: The First Hundred Years, Patrick Alexander chronicles George Merrick’s arrival in Florida in 1900. There, he turned a humble wooden shack into a beautiful garden city now known as Coral Gables, which became the most sought-after and expensive city in the United States – a story of how one man’s vision and determination created a tropical paradise. Craig Pittman’s Welcome to Florida: True Tales from America’s Most Interesting State is a love letter to and a hilarious deep dive into the nation’s fastest-growing state. His tales introduce readers to the people, creatures, places, and issues that make up the Florida of today, and range from the moving to the bizarre – including how a hippo became an official state citizen. In Making Miami: The Historic Rise of the Magic City, Lawrence R. Samuel takes a deep dive into the history, growth, and development of the city. His chronological approach reveals how real estate has consistently fueled Miami’s growth while exploring issues such as the expansion of a transportation and infrastructural network; tourism; threats to the ecosystem; and the city’s challenges regarding race, class, ethnicity, immigration, and nationality. And in Coral Gables: From Bankruptcy to Beauty, Les Standiford offers his examination of Merrick’s planned city – home to some of the nation’s most valuable real estate, a world-renowned hotel, the headquarters of 120 multinational firms, a major research university, and an enchanting botanical garden.

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Buy Coral Gables: The First Hundred Years – Alexander

Buy Welcome to Florida: True Tales from America’s Most Interesting State – Pittman

Buy Making Miami: The Historic Rise of the Magic City – Samuel

Buy Coral Gables: From Bankruptcy to Beauty – Standiford