How the States Got Their Shapes Review
One on those topics you don't think much about, then you get hooked and want to know everything. Excellent book, enjoyed every state!
How the States Got Their Shapes Feature
- ISBN13: 9780061431395
- Condition: New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
How the States Got Their Shapes Overview
Mark Stein is a playwright and screenwriter. His plays have been performed off-Broadway and at theaters throughout the country. His films include Housesitter, with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has taught at American University and Catholic University.
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Customer Reviews
Not quite what I expected - Unknown - Illinois
I expected a more 'fun' approach to the topic. I do appreciate the detail offered for each state. It could have been about 1/2 the length though, since sections are basically repeated (often shortened though) for neighboring states. No footnotes or citations in the text. One thing that I thought was lame was the title page for each state. There were questions like "Why does this border have a section missing? Why does it suddenly go north?". They added nothing to the text, but are easily ignored. Must've been the editor's idea.
Interesting, But Dry - Steve Dickerson - Chicago, IL United States
Reading this book will automatically get you ten thousand nerd points, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, but it's probably not high on most peoples' priority list. I enjoyed How the States Got Their Shapes, but I wouldn't say it was a "fun" read. Finding out why our states have the borders they do is interesting and informative, and it really made me wish I'd paid more attention in my high school history class (how much do *you* remember about the French and Indian War?). Actually, it was a great refresher for me in terms of a lot of that early American history, and I get the feeling that Stein has clearly done his homework here. The problem is that this book skews much more towards an accounting of facts rather than an engaging narrative, so it winds up being very dry reading. Even the exciting parts aren't written in an exciting way - you just have to use your imagination to picture the drama and suspense that must have accompanied the early days of our nation. Nevertheless, if you're the kind of person who's ever looked at a map of the US and wondered, "Why on earth is the Upper Peninsula part of Michigan?", then you would probably like this book.
Book review - Marilyn Johnson -
Great book and very interesting. Fast shipping. Wrapped great. Would buy from again.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 27, 2010 15:08:04
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