[mulligan]

Mrs mulligan and I both read it after our first visit, and have been there twice since. I have to believe that the book was a bit toungue-in cheek.

[Tom Hannon]

I want to read Leisureville just to get an idea what Blechman is mumbling about but wish not to give him the satifaction of earning royalties for his rant about a retirement community he never lived in. Anyone I know have the book lying around. I'd like to borrow it for a week or two.

[jblum8156]

Originally Posted by Tom Hannon

I want to read Leisureville just to get an idea what Blechman is mumbling about but wish not to give him the satifaction of earning royalties for his rant about a retirement community he never lived in. Anyone I know have the book lying around. I'd like to borrow it for a week or two.

I'm pretty sure you can get it from the library.

[Tom Hannon]

Originally Posted by jblum8156

I'm pretty sure you can get it from the library.

Good idea. I'm going there anyway to attend a writers group a week from Tuesday.

[Tom Hannon]

Pooh said the book was easy reading and she read it in an afternoon. I went on Amazon and ordered a used book for $4.70.
Sounds like the perfect book to read on my flight back to The Villages.

[ssmith]

to Florida 30years ago so...I was 30 years younger and could not understand it!!! Now that I am older and have been to TV I sure have changed my mind.

It is great that others decide differently but I have neighbors up North that sit in their houses and no one visits. Where are the kids? Well they have moved on. Not that they don't love Mom and Dad but they are busy. It is not the Walton's anymore. Now I know this is not true for everyone but I know it will be for my kids. It is neither good or bad... it is what it is. I don't want to be one of those that sits with nothing to do all day. So maybe Mr Blechman will have a different idea when he ages/matures a little.

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Tom Hannon

Pooh said the book was easy reading and she read it in an afternoon. I went on Amazon and ordered a used book for $4.70.
Sounds like the perfect book to read on my flight back to The Villages.

You'll have the book finished before you get here, Tom!
Have a great flight and welcome back home!

[quidam65]

I purchased the book on Amazon as part of my research into The Villages.

Blechman has this fixation with people smoking (at least three references, including his own use of pot on one visit; what does that add to anything) and he was clearly trying to find unhappy residents as a portrayal of how bad The Villages is.

Blechman also mentions how senior communities were exempt from the laws that eliminated the "adult only" apartment complexes, and how the original intent of the law was to exempt only long-term care facilities, but the "senior lobby" managed to carve an exemption for ALL senior communities (the "80 percent rule"), and later when it was discovered that there was a "loophole" that places like Sun City and The Villages were able to claim their amenities under the provisions of the law, another law was passed that eliminated the requirement for certain amenities.

Blechman's dislike of the law is very clear throughout his book. It violates his view that somehow we are all obligated to live among and associate with other people, whether we want to or not, for the good of the "community" (in order words, collectivism over individualism).

Blechman does bring out some history about the senior community phenomenon and about the Schwartz/Morse family started the development (I always wondered how father and son had different surnames), and there are legit concerns about how one company can essentially operate its own government.

If you do buy it find a cheap paperback copy online somewhere. Note the paperback copy is an updated edition of the hardback copy (I accidentally bought both versions, not knowing they were the same book).

[Tom Hannon]

Originally Posted by pooh

You'll have the book finished before you get here, Tom!
Have a great flight and welcome back home!

I like it when you call TV "HOME." I've been there a total of three weeks and I feel like it is my home. All my neighbors have been trading emails with me and I keep in touch with everyone else on TOTV. The only TOTV person I've met so far is Redwith. Hope to meet the rest of the gang soon. And Pooh... you may be right. An hour at the airport, two and a half hours in the air, and another hour and half with the Village Limo should give me plenty of time to read Leisureville.

[rubicon]

Read the book when it was first published and was aware it was on its way as I had the opportunity to meet "the neighbors" once when playing golf with them. I believe there are valid points made by the author. Prospective buyers are made aware of the type of government that exists here. However, what they are not aware of are the hidden nuances associated with this government. Understandably most people who move here seek quiet and simple lives free of negative thoughts and focusing on the remainder of their lives. But what I question is when is complaining, just someone's negativity vis a vis someone advancing a valid concern. For example valid issues raised by the POA such as the siding issue, roofing issue, hospital IRS/Bond issue were met by people submitting letters to the editors alleging that the POA was just argumentative. Should we all just ignore failings by The Villages? Should we all just ride around The Villages in our golf carts with disney dust clouding our vision? And if there exists serious infractions shoudn't we speak up if for no other reason than to protect the lifestyle we all so cherish. This is my personal viewpoint and welcome members view which may cause to to alter my opinion. By the way Mr. Midnight is real and thriving.

[katezbox]

Excellent posts,all. I had read bits and pieces before, but just downloaded this to read on my most recent trip.

Pooh wrote such a wonderful review, but as I was reading Lesuireville, a couple of thoughts stuck with me...

1. His comments on the Morse family and government were riddled with hyperbole, but like many journalists today, that seems to be par for the course.

2. He makes no mention of all the "grands" returning "home" to visit the little ones. No, he seems to want grandparents to live near their grandchildren. I have no grandchildren yet, but with one child in Boston and the other in Atlanta, I think it would be hard to do...

3. An elderly relative of my former husband lives in Sun City West. There children are only allowed to use the pools (and only some of them) for 1 -2 hours daily. Here there are pools specifically built to accommodate visiting families.

4. He seems way too fixated on the singles scene at KB's, etc., no to mention a wo/man struggling with a trans-gender identity. Why include this in the story at all? If he wanted to include interviews with same-sex couples, I would understand completely....as there are many here. But how many men awaiting sex change operations would you think are in TV? Keep in mind that even 1% would be more than 80!

k