How to Read a Florida Gulf Coast Beach

“Clayton loves her subject and respects her readers. Her prose is clear, sinuous and delightful. Her transformation of scientific information into an accessible guide for the beachloving non-specialist is a total success.” — Florida Weekly

“Tonya Clayton loves her subject and respects her readers. Her prose is clear, sinuous and delightful. Her transformation of scientific information into an accessible guide for the beach-loving non-specialist is a total success. . . .It’s a book all Gulf Coast residents and visitors should have handy in order to fully savor and revere the unique joys at the water’s edge.” — Florida Weekly

“With a conversational style and more than a hundred illustrations How to Read a Florida Gulf Coast makes coastal science accessible.” — Coastal Care

“With an easy style and more than a hundred illustrations, How to Read a Florida Gulf Coast Beach invites vacationers and residents alike to see and enjoy [Florida’s] beaches in a new way.” — Harbor Happenings

“A delight to read.” — The Understory

“An excellent guide to Florida’s Gulf Coast environment. As well as being a primer on coastal processes, the book conveys some important environmental messages. It will not only fill a niche in beach-goers' reading, but will also spark a greater sense of concern about the future of these beaches.” — William J. Neal, Grand Valley State University

“Tonya Clayton has written a comprehensive, eminently readable interpretation of the beaches of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico. She has a knack for using clever metaphors to explain key elements of beaches. Clayton’s knowledge and observations greatly enhance a visit to the shore. Open your eyes!” — Albert Hine, University of South Florida

“In her fun and engaging book, Tonya Clayton leads the uninitiated beach lover through an explanation of how the Florida Gulf Coast beaches work. With her original voice and clear explanations, Clayton brings visitors, homeowners, and voters to a nuanced understanding of the processes that shape this stretch of coastline.” — Joseph T. Kelley, University of Maine

“Tonya Clayton shows you how to read the natural and man-made shapes and textures of Florida’s Gulf beaches, dunes, and islands like a tracker reads animal signs in the wild. You'll be eager to go straight to the nearest beach to immerse yourself in your new, richer understanding of your favorite beaches. This is the book I've been waiting for!” — David McRee, “The BeachHunter,” Florida beach expert and blogger