View Full Version : Any books written about The Villages?
gfmucci
12-24-2007, 11:05 PM
If not, what should some of the Chapters be about?
jjdees
12-25-2007, 01:41 AM
I think there was one written a few years ago that was made into a movie called Cocoon. lol
Merry Christmas gfmucci.
gfmucci
12-25-2007, 02:11 AM
Yes, I remember that one...thanks for reminding me:* http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088933/ http://www.amazon.com/Cocoon-Don-Ameche/dp/6301670124
Hope2b
12-25-2007, 02:16 AM
It is mentioned in a retirement book. Chose as #1 place to retire and the women who wrote the book lives in The Villages.
Muncle
12-25-2007, 03:09 AM
Was this the model Ken Kesey used for "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"?
I'm kidding, I'm kidding. 040 1rnfl
villages07
12-25-2007, 01:36 PM
gfmucci...glad to hear your lifestyle preview went well...cmon down and you can write your own book about the Villages....except you'll find that you're too busy having fun to stop and write.
Anyway, on a prior thread there was mention of a book called "History of the Villages"...or something like that written several years ago by a Villager. Some have said it is no literary prize. Supposedly, there is a copy in the Sumter Library or it can be purchased at "All Booked Up" store near Spanish Springs. I could not find a reference to the book in either location's website and planned to call or visit the bookstore to inquire about it.
Golf-Tinker
12-25-2007, 02:54 PM
I found this one while doing web research about The Villages. Bought it, but not certain it was worth the price ($17). Most of the information was available from other sources.
http://www.thevillagesfloridabook.com/
gfmucci
12-25-2007, 03:16 PM
Golf-tinker...
I wonder how up to date the insurance and tax info really is per the quote below...
"The Complete Guide to The Villages Florida has recently been updated with the most current Florida property tax and insurance information."
How recent is your copy, and was this info current in your version? The homeowers insurance premium quoted at $80 to $150 per month in the web ad for this book seems quite low, given my recent experience in Destin (1/2 mile from the Gulf. :yikes:)
Nowhere in the ad does it indicate when the material was written or updated, and there is no e-mail address to contact the author/publisher.
Reggie
12-25-2007, 04:43 PM
Actually the insurance quote is high our designer costs us about $65.00 a month. Thats one of the reasons we moved from Santa Rosa Beach.
Golf-Tinker
12-25-2007, 05:01 PM
I just did a quick scan of the book. Most references where the author includes dates are for 2006. So I suspect the data is from prior years. I did get an e-mail address for him from the purchasing agency. You might try the following:
ryanerisman@gmail.com
We're waiting for grandchildren to descend upon us so I'm biding time on the Web. Merry Christmas to all.
The Tinker (which is an Irish gypsy for those of you who might have wondered)
gfmucci
12-26-2007, 01:28 PM
Here is Ryan's reply to my e-mail about his book...
Thanks for your email. The Villages Florida Book has the most current property tax and insurance information. There is a new property tax amendment on the ballot for the January 29 special election which I talk about in the book. Of course I can't predict whether or not that'll go through, but when you buy The Villages Florida Book your email will be added to my updates list and you'll get an email with the outcome of the special election.
Hope that answers your question.
Thanks, and Happy Holidays!
Ryan Erisman
jtdraig
12-27-2007, 03:15 AM
;D ;DI am thinking about writing a book about the Villages...there is so much material here that you could write the Great Divine Comedy...think about it...Golf vignettes, Katie Belle's, Group 1 v. Group 2, v. Group 3, The POA v. the world, Golf Cart Heaven or Golf Cart Hell?, Round and Round we go, David v. the Developer, Neighborhood golf packs, parties, Pink Flamingos, Jeez, the material in this website is enough to start, you have every kind of stereotype that you could imagine living in here,.....We could write a book that would make Cocoon look lame...maybe we could call it DAS COMPOUND.
Boomer
12-27-2007, 04:01 AM
jtdraig,
Do you read Carl Hiaasen? If you do not, you really should. He is a native Floridian whose dark sense of humor keeps his books on the bestseller list. Think Florida meets "Fargo" and if that sounds funny to you, pick up one of his books. My favorite is "Stormy Weather" about a hurricane and the human dynamics of its aftermath. He writes a column for the "Miami Herald" and his fiction is set mostly in that part of Florida, but he would find a lot of material in TV. I think he is almost old enough to move in, so maybe...
jtdraig
12-27-2007, 02:23 PM
Boomer..thanks for tip. :bigthumbsup: I will check it out...anyone with a dark sense of humor is my kind of person! Now, if we can just get out of New Jersey and back to the Compound although I am having fun visiting the Grandmonsters! ;D
judithtal
12-27-2007, 07:18 PM
I have a book titled "The Villages - Then and Now" by Lee King. You can purchase it by contacting the author at 352-409-4915. I found it very interesting - gives a history of the area, etc. I bought it about a year ago - I think it was $18. Lee King lives in Leesburg.
May also be available at the book store in Leesburg center.
villager99
12-27-2007, 08:00 PM
i bought my copy of the villages then and now several years ago at all booked up the bookstore in la plaza granda shopping area. hopefully they still stock it. or can order it
that and the periodic inserts published in the daily sun give important background on the area we now call the villages.
Taltarzac
12-27-2007, 08:07 PM
I have a book titled "The Villages - Then and Now" by Lee King. You can purchase it by contacting the author at 352-409-4915. I found it very interesting - gives a history of the area, etc. I bought it about a year ago - I think it was $18. Lee King lives in Leesburg.
May also be available at the book store in Leesburg center.
Did a few searches for this book on the Sumter County Library System's card catalog but did not pull up anything with this title nor author.
Lake County's Library System has several copies (6?) of the book by Lee King. This is the book-- The Villages Then and Now.
gfmucci
12-28-2007, 04:08 AM
This 117 page, slightly less than double-spaced e-book, written by Ryan Erisman, is oriented mainly to the person who wants tips on how to buy a house in TV, and who has very little experience in dealing with real estate.*
Very little of the book, perhaps 15 to 20 pages, is about TV itself.* A page is devoted to a generic TV overview, a page to TV living costs, a page to Golf and a page providing a partial list of activities.* Four or five pages are devoted to resources in TV such as magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations, and 4 pages describe the types of homes in TV, much less information than you would get on the TV website.* Six pages are devoted to the CDDs and POA.* From this point, pages 29 through 83 are not Village-specific with regard to property taxes, homeowners insurance, real estate contracts, mortgages, types of ownership - all that could apply to anywhere in Florida.* The last pages (84-117) provide random statistics, facts, and website links about Florida, generally.
This book is written from a real estate perspective.* While probably helpful to the real estate and Florida novice, I was disappointed in its cursory coverage of how TV was developed, how it's operated, and what makes it attract so many people (including my wife and me) contrasted with other "retirement communities."*
I'm looking forward to "the definitive" TV book, including the history of the area, how "the family's" vision was formed and carried out, what makes The Villages different, why it is so successful, and what it will become. :beer2: 040
Thanks for the info on "The Villages - Then and Now".* I plan to get a copy.
gfmucci
12-28-2007, 03:14 PM
I just ordered "The Villages - Then and Now" from All Booked Up. Here is their website:
http://www.allbookedup.net/webic3/about_us.asp
It's 110 pages, spiral bound 8 1/2" X 11" and sells for $23.95; $29.62 shipped. It was written about 6 years ago. But in this case, age shouldn't matter all that much because it appears to be a history of TV.
Looks like we could use an update soon.
Taltarzac
12-29-2007, 02:30 PM
I just ordered "The Villages - Then and Now" from All Booked Up. Here is their website:
http://www.allbookedup.net/webic3/about_us.asp
It's 110 pages, spiral bound 8 1/2" X 11" and sells for $23.95; $29.62 shipped. It was written about 6 years ago. But in this case, age shouldn't matter all that much because it appears to be a history of TV.
Looks like we could use an update soon.
I wonder if it gets the politicking that must have gone into the development of TV?
Hope2b
12-29-2007, 03:50 PM
I wonder if it gets the politicking that must have gone into the development of TV?
Book is informative but not well written and Photos could have been made to print better. There is a lot about towns around TV. It is out of date now but the history is interesting. The insert from the Daily News was better.
Taltarzac
12-29-2007, 05:12 PM
Book is informative but not well written and Photos could have been made to print better. There is a lot about towns around TV. It is out of date now but the history is interesting. The insert from the Daily News was better.
Thanks for the response.
Avista
12-31-2007, 12:57 AM
Lorraine Harris writes wonderful, thought provoking books and lives right here in The Villages. Her characters sometimes live in The Villages and as you read you will find many local restaurants and other places. Check out her web site for a list of her books.
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