Book excerpt: What is the authentic Long Beach Island? If you were to list all that you love about this 18-mile-long New Jersey sandbar --favorite things, its rich history and lore, family attachments that may go back generations, beach, ocean and bay activities, lost youth and carefree summers, spiritual sunrises and spectacular sunsets -- would that distill LBI to its essence?There is so much that is lasting, true and timeless about this Island. Although the experiences and feelings are different for everyone, one fact can not be denied: the emotional connection to LBI is real and deep and as permanent as a tattoo. It is a bond.All Things LBI: Faves - History - Legends - Lore celebrates this bond with observations, past and present moments, cultural vignettes, memories and delights -- with 480 photographs and images. Loosely organized into sections like: "The Beach and All That Makes It So," "All Things Bayside," "Weather, Storms, and Shipwrecks," the book also includes natural history, town legends and landmarks, remember-when nostalgia, and the special quality of the off-season. Long-time locals will recognize much; new visitors will be clued-in; young and old will relate. Breezy, evocative and cleverly written, inclusive not exclusive (because no one really wants to keep it to themselves), this chunky gift book captures the real Long Beach Island. All-encompassing, yet admittedly incomplete (how could it ever be complete?), the 183-page hardcover also includes blank note pages at the end for readers to record their own favorite LBI things.As the book observes: "Those three letters.... They're loaded with meaning, longing, and emotion. They represent more than just a physical place. More than an identity. They are attached to your soul. ...Wherever you are in the world, if you know what those letters mean, they will transport and connect you."