Books like Bizarre by Marc Dingman

A 704‑page hardcover compendium of curious facts, lists, anecdotes, and games covering animal kingdom, art, sports, technology, history, politics, and the universe.

The Quaker State, the Keystone State, the Coal State—Pennsylvania is called all of these. But we like to call it the Weird State, because there's enough strange stuff going on here to fill an encyclopedia or, better yet, a book appropriately called *Weird Pennsylvania*. And who better to chronicle this state's roadside oddities, ancient mysteries, ghosts, and bizarre beasts than Matt Lake, who, just like Benjamin Franklin, isn't from our state at all but sure has it in his bones. From the time he first arrived here last century, Matt has traveled thousands of miles, searching out Pennsylvania's best kept secrets and oddest legends. Scuttling about by every means available—except maybe the horse-drawn vehicles favored by some of our more famous citizens—and with notebook and camera in hand, Matt has gamely entered haunted houses, trekked lesser-traveled roads, discreetly photographed shoe-shaped houses, and made his way warily through abandoned mental institutions. Sheer force of will stopped him from buying a heart-shaped bathtub at the Mount Airy Lodge auction, but he did explore the wreck of the place so that we, admirers of the weird, could see the sad demise of another bit of Pennsylvania strangeness. So turn the pages and see the Statue of Liberty in the Dauphin Narrows, the dead and buried Corvette near Irwin, the tiny town of Midgetville, the Ape Boy of Chester, and Resurrection Mary in Schnecksville. Traipse through ghostly Eastern State Penitentiary, listen to the Screaming Lady in Fort Mifflin, and sympathize with Mrs. Snell, who was rained on by mud, lots of mud. Swim with the Monster of Lake Erie, bravely wander down Devil's Road, chat with the Green Man of Pittsburgh, and, if you dare, sit beneath Skull Tree. It's all here, it's all for you, it's all... very weird. A brand-new entry in the best-selling *Weird U.S.* series, *Weird Pennsylvania* is packed with all the info about the Quaker State that your history teacher never taught you. So travel down our state's highways and byways with Matt by your side. It's a great adventure. And we promise: It's a journey you'll never forget.

More tales of the odd and unbalanced. Just when you thought you'd already heard it all, here comes the third hilarious volume of botched crimes, bizarre sexual escapades, governmental goof-ups, and general indecent behavior collected from actual stories in our nation's newspapers. Infomaniacs and curiosity seekers alike will revel in the outlandish antics revealed in these newsworthy tidbits. The incidents are so bizarre, the experiences so outrageous, they go beyond news of the weird! So read on! We don't make this stuff up -- it's all strange, but it's all for real! - Back cover.