Washoe County Library System

We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state borders seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers. But every edge of the familiar wooden jigsaw pieces of our childhood represents a revealing moment of history and of, well, humans drawing lines in the sand. This is the first book to tackle why our state lines are where they are. Packed with oddities and trivia, this entertaining guide also reveals the major fault lines...

Every state has a shape and every line has a story to tell. This is a quiz show about what really divides the states and how those rivalries have shaped the nation and its people. This season, Brian Unger hits the road to uncover the history hidden in our map through man-on-the-street quizzes and head-to-head competitions that reveal the surprising history of places we thought we knew.

"Explores how our borders evolved--and continue to change--in response to religion, transportation, communication, politics, culture clashes and even Mother Nature."--Container. Why don't people from New England pronounce their 'R's? How come some Pennsylvania Amish use cell phones? How did Northern Californians get so liberal? The clues are right on the mappages Brian Unger hits the road, makes irreverent observations about how people think, speak,...