Miami sprang into existence on July 28; 1896; following the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway from West Palm Beach on April 15; 1896; and the publication of the soon-to-be city�s first newspaper; The Miami Metropolis; on May 15; 1896. However; evidence suggests people lived in the area as early as the 1700s. Nicknamed �the Magic City� by publicists working for railroad and hotel builder Henry Flagler; Miami has weathered yellow fever epidemics; World War I; the 1920s boom and bust; World War II; and numerous other economic ups and downs to become one of the world�s great cities and the catalyst for the growth of the South Florida megalopolis.
#2096035 in eBooks 2008-05-01 2008-05-01File Name: B0097DHU4A
Review
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful. After reading "Collapse". read this!By Michael TiemannIt is easy to be overwhelmed with the doom and gloom consequences of Americans thoroughly unsustainable lifestyle: climate change. pollution of air. water. and soil. declining ecosystems. and the very real risk that in 60 years. nobody will be living what we today consider to be a first-world lifestyle. What to do?For starters. read Lyle Estills Small Is Possible. a wonderful collection of writings that chronicles Lyles own shift from get-setting deal-maker to homesteading community-builder.Lyles writing style is excellent: concrete. humorous. and often self-deprecating. Lyles stories spring to life from the pages. and then linger in details which keeps the community and its members. not Lyle himself. in the foreground.This book variously strikes me as: non-fiction Huckleberry Finn. a North Carolinian Omnivores Dilemma. a contemporary Guns. Germs. and Steel. and The Tipping Point as played by actors in Chatham County.Let me say again: the book is very well written. the material is extremely compelling and relevant to the 21st century. and. in the great tradition of open source software (which Lyle himself acknowledges). it is designed to be a resource for others who believe that small is possible.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Surprising Intersection of Informative and EnjoyableBy H. MessingerI am a journalist that writes a blog about how and why to buy local. I came across this book as part of my research. When it arrived. it certainly was not what I had expected. After having read Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age by Michale H. Shuman. I was anticipating a book full of statistics and academic references. I was slightly disappointed. but decided to read on anyway. I completely forgot that I was doing work. research. or anything of the like. I simply enjoyed myself.Small is Possible is an enchanting web of stories about how and why specific local businesses work. Estill gives faces and names to the statistics and studies of Shumans work. Although he provides several helpful statistics. he always does it in reference to something concrete. For example. when discussing Chatham Marketplace. a grocery store that sells only local products. he notes that by comparison. Whole Foods only carries 6% local products. He takes the issue of localism and makes it personal and relatable.When I came back down to earth and remembered that I was doing work. I tried to find the "multiplier" for Davidson County online ("The multiplier is a number than counts how many times a dollar travels through our local economy before heading for some place else." p.96). I was unsuccessful. so I employed the modern solution: I found Lyle Estill on Facebook and sent him a message. He replied to me that same evening and was very helpful.12 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Frantic and chaoticBy DaveThere are some books that sound good and turn out otherwise; this was one. I had recently read and completely enjoyed New Society Publishers "The New Village Green" and thought I would read another on their publication list. Unfortunately a common publisher does not ensure that one books as good as the other.The authors life seems to run at warp speed. and his book reflects this pace. Even the authors biography in the back reads like an ADHD trip through various careers and endeavors. Chapter One starts with the authors description of his therapist. which is hardly a good sign. In the span of a SINGLE PAGE later in the book. he discusses: Mothers Day. software sales. a train ride from Germany to Sweden. a technology trade show. Easter. his plans for divorce. a garden-sized wooden chess set. a decison to have children (controlled. he says. by his ability to possess such a life-size chess set). the continuation of his marriage. disillusionment with corporate life. and his wifes decision to become an art dealer. Tired yet?? I sure was!This book is frenetic and confusing. chaotic and disappointing. If you feel like boarding a runaway train. be my guest. If not. I would urge you to avoid this book.P.S.: You might also consider that several of the 5-star reviewers are local to the books setting (North Carolina) or are friends / relatives of the author. Im just sayin .......
