San Antonio College Library

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 map. Brian Unger hits the road, makes irreverent observations about how people think, speak, and act, and discovers their surprising connections to geography. With its crooked lines and odd breaks, the outline of America is a puzzle to be solved. Includes the acclaimed special...

For anyone who has looked at a map of the United States and wondered how Texas and Oklahoma got their panhandles, or flown over the American heartland and marveled at the vast grid spreading out in all directions below, this book will yield a welcome treasure trove of insight. The first book to chart the country's growth using the boundary as a political and cultural focus, the author's narrative begins by explaining how the original thirteen colonies...