Learn 200 quick, painless history lessons in one thoroughly researched book. An indispensable guide for Florida students, newcomers, and old-timers alike.

Florida has a long and complex and very interesting history, but few of us have time to read it in depth. So here are 200 quick looks at Florida's 10,000 years of history, from the arrival of the first natives to the present. The distilled version is packed with unusual and little-known facts and stories.

• America's first convent became a Florida military barracks

• The first tourist attraction in Florida featured ostrich racing

• The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Florida

• The University of Florida is in Gainesville because of scandal

• Florida farmers made a fortune investing in Coca-Cola

• To raise money in the 1830s, Florida printed $3 bills