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How the States Got Their Shapes |  | Author: Mark Stein
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $5.81
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Seller: bellwetherbooks
Rating:  86 reviews
Sales Rank: 30655
Media: Paperback
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0061431397
Dewey Decimal Number: 917.3
EAN: 9780061431395
ASIN: 0061431397
Publication Date: April 1, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | 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 |
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Product Description
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:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 86
 It was not a drunken cartographer after all. June 7, 2008
CenVillager (Pembroke Pines, FL USA)
82 out of 88 found this review helpful
I won't try to compete with the detailed review above. I just want to add that I have been wondering about the odd shapes of the states for years, and wishing for info on this topic.
I was thrilled to see that this book was finally available.
The book has surpassed my expectations. The details are fabulous. The ample maps fully illustrate the narrative.
Each state is explained. For example, why does Rhode Island have "island" in it's name? Buy the book and find out.
When I lived in Mobile, I puzzled for years over Alabama's "tab" at the south. My guess was that it had something to do with giving the state a gulf shoreline. (Maybe for condos?) I was wrong. It's all Florida's fault.
In short, this book is fascinating! Even if you think you're not interested, you will be. The arcane knowledge you learn will make you the star of any party, or a total bore.
I love it!
Geography Can Be Fun! August 14, 2009
Marilyn Cobert (Knoxville, TN United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Okay, so this is not a scholarly text with lots of footnotes. It's an overall view, written with a light touch. If you want a quick look at why your state has a funny shape, or if you just wondered how it all happened, this book will do the trick. If you want more depth. go dig in the library. For what this is, it seems just right to me. Surveyors and moonshiners and all the other people involved were there at the beginning. It's nice to know that a lot of this just happened, and we all came out pretty well.
Enjoyable tidbits July 14, 2008
Larry Mark (nyc)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Driving though Northeastern PA, I often passed a historical marker describing that the area was CT in the mid-18th Century. So, when I saw this book, I purchased it initially so that I could learn more about this intriguing part of history. This book is enjoyable and informative and helps the reader make sense of aspects of American history. It is structured so that you can pick it up now and then and read various state histories when your time and inclination permit. Not only did I learn about PA and CT, Plymouth versus Massachusetts settlements, Jefferson's ideas, and various latitudes, but I was fascinated by the anti-Mormon and pro- silver and gold sentiments that created Nevada; why Alabama and Mississippi look like mirror images; the various notches in state borders, the importance of rivers, and so much more.
It Delivers! June 28, 2008
A. Myers (ATLANTA, GA United States)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
The contents of this book are well described in other reviews. My only addition is to say that, as a total geography buff with low tolerance for chintzy illustrations in books that purport to be on that topic, I was not disappointed at all. There are 179 illustrations (i.e., maps), showing the "geographic" development of each state. The maps contain just enough detail; any more would have expanded the size of the book beyond usefulness as a 50-state overview. Some reviewers have criticized the alphabetical organization of the book, which necessitates a fair amount of cross referencing to other chapters (e.g., "See Figure 153 in SOUTH DAKOTA"), and suggested that it be organized instead by region (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, etc.). This is a fair criticism, but in the end I think it boils down to personal taste. A regional organization probably would have required reading lengthy exegeses of regional developments, which would have turned this into a history book. As it is, it is a complete, concise, and copious survey of the topic -- and a delightful read.
How the States Got Their Shape January 6, 2009
Amanda Stone (Rockwall, TX United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Thanks to C-SPAN I saw an interview with the author. Thanks to Amazon I purchased several copies for Christmas gifts. Each recipient has been delighted and each person has commented, "I always wondered how (name of state)got to be that way." Fun facts.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 86
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