Beyond being just a creative genius, Walt was a smart, wily businessman. Nowhere is that more evident than in his clandestine (and of questionable legality) acquisition of the Florida swampland that would eventually become Walt Disney World. Author Chad Emerson straightforwardly chronicles this series of events in the highly engaging book, Project Future.
Unlike other books on the subject, Emerson writes as though he were telling a story. The effect for the reader is that you feel as though you're right there in the office with Walt, sitting in on these meetings. It makes you wish you were part of Walt's inner circle, because you want to be "in" on this. As it's written, the story comes across more like a good spy novel than historical fiction.
Unlike other books about Walt Disney World, this is not a big, glossy coffee table book. Rather, it's just a highly engaging account of Walt's dogged determination to not let the same thing happen to Walt Disney World that happened in Disneyland. The book also skillfully chronicles Walt's dealings with the Florida government, and show his deft ability to work with members of both political parties.
Readers looking for information on the creative aspect of the creation of Walt Disney World will be disappointed, however. That's not what this book is about. It focuses almost entirely on the legal, political, and real estate aspects of the project. That's not a detriment, however. There are tons of books about the creative aspects of Walt Disney World, so it's nice to have this account.
It's even nicer that a book like this, which very obviously has a very small niche market, was published in the first place. So, thank you Chad Emerson for writing it, and thank you Ayefour Publishing for publishing the book.
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