When I'm deciding to read a book, I never open to the first chapter, because that's been revised and worked over 88 times. I'll just turn to the middle of the book, to the middle of a chapter, and just read a random page and I'll know right away whether this is the real deal or not.

Hiaasen's young adult novels follow the theme of environmental issues. Hiaasen lives in Vero Beach Florida. He was a reporter for Cocoa Today (Cocoa Florida) for two years beginning in 1974 and then was hired by the Miami Herald in 1976 where he still works.

: /ˈhaɪ. əsɛn/; born March 12 1953) is an American journalist columnist and novelist. Carl Hiaasen (pron.