From the wooly mammoth, British rule, and the post-Revolutionary government to snow, SPAM, and Betty Crocker, this is a comprehensive book on all things Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Well-known Minnesotans such as crime historian Paul Maccabee, meteorologist Paul Douglas, history professor and author Annette Atkins, and food celebrity Andrew Zimmern weigh in on one of the nation’s most livable states. Profiles of writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Garrison Keillor are also included. The guide runs the gamut of facts on the Gopher State—including great parks, Minnesota slang, outstanding theater, Nobel Prize winners, resident astronauts, and Minnesota “nice”—and is perfect for both the lifelong resident and the first-time visitor.