From Native Americans, the fur trade, and French exploration to British rule and Independence, and the largest mass execution in U.S. history to profiles of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garrison Keillor, HHH, SPAM, and Betty Crocker, no book is more comprehensive. No book is more fun.

Well-known Minnesotans weigh in on one of the nation's most livable states. Crime historian Paul Maccabee spills the beans on gangsters in Minnesota, Howard Mohr tells us five ways even you can talk like a Minnesotan, Annette Atkins gives up the five things that make Minnesota Minnesota, and celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern dishes on hotdish and other favorites. From great parks, Minnesota shorthand, and outstanding theater to Nobel Prize winners, astronauts, and Minnesota"nice," it's all here.

Whether you're a lifelong resident or a first-time visitor to the Gopher State, there is no more complete book about Minnesota. If you love Minnesota, you'll love Minnesota 101.