North Carolina Curiosities


Book Description

Your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Tar Heel State has to offer! Whether you’re a born-and-raised North Carolinian, a recent transplant, or just passing through, North Carolina Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Jon Elliston, Kent Priestley, and Constance E. Richards take you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of the Tar Heel State. Visit DINO-Kinetics, a fascinating collection of life-size welded-steel pterodactyls and other dinosaurs that belch smoke, roar, and rattle. Learn how dozens of dachshunds dominate a town on Weiner Dog Day; how Christmas in July is a hot holiday to celebrate; and how locals make melodic mouth music at the International Whistlers Convention. Meet an out-of-this-world “ufologist”; a quirky exotic-animal-collecting rancher; and a real-life pirate and his homemade ship—definitely a treasure to behold!




North Carolina Curiosities, 4th


Book Description

The definitive collection of North Carolina's odd, wacky, and most offbeat people, places, and things, for North Carolina residents and anyone else who enjoys local humor and trivia with a twist.




For the Love of Chimney Rock


Book Description

For 105 years, four generations of the Morse family operated, promoted and served as stewards for the natural scenic attraction known as Chimney Rock. Researched, compiled and written by 4th generation manager, Todd Morse, this book provides a detailed, in-depth history of the family's multi-faceted relationship with the mountain until its sale to the State of North Carolina in 2007. Part history book, part business case study, part unique personal perspective and first-person narrative, this work offers a comprehensive exploration into the inner workings and challenges of a family business and the love each generation had for this incredible place. Though originally intended for family members and friends, this paperback will appeal to anyone who has enjoyed visiting Chimney Rock over the years and has curiosity about its human and business history. The book also shares a significant number of wonderful photos taken during these many years. As a fitting end, all the complexities related to the sale and its aftermath are revealed in significant detail, sharing insight into the difficult and emotional decision the family made to protect this North Carolina landmark and jewel for generations to come.







Undaunted Curiosity


Book Description

This is an adventure book. But an adventure without either fright or special effects. An adventure which took 10 years, which a couple and their dog(s) enjoyed immensely. This book is the recounting of the cruise of a lifetime. It tells the adventures, life lessons and beauty of the first half of a voyage of 26,000 miles by water, all within the territorial waters of America - the United States and Canada. The journey was predominately within inland waterways, but covered most of all four North American "coasts" as well. The book is entertaining and instructional. Entertaining by providing fascinating, interesting scenic and historical highlights, and "boater tales" gleaned from 10 years of literally almost circumnavigating North America by traversing the vast majority of its navigable waterways and coasts. Instructional to those interested in travel and boating. And informational, relating how to buy and equip a boat, and to plan and execute cruises, both major and minor. Tidbits of information are inserted where intersecting with the entertaining, providing responses to "situations" encountered, enlightening, significant, and humorous. The "tales" range from amusing to hilarious, but they too provide information and instruction useful to those interested in boating and sightseeing cruising by boat. One goal of this book is to illustrate how relaxing, enjoyable, educational and magnificently scenic and satisfying boat travel is within North America. This book relates a literal voyage thru history - the history of two nations and their first and formative transportation system - coasts, rivers and lakes, and some really old canals. This saga encompasses four boats, thousands of gallons of fuel, hundreds of stops, and the water covered over 10 years at the ideal sightseeing speed of 10 miles per hour. In other words, utilizing the waterways of North America to see what's there, in historic and scenic depth - out of pure Undaunted Curiosity.




The Age of Curiosity


Book Description

Challenging the ‘success story’ of curiosity from original sin to intellectual virtue, this study uses an innovative methodological approach to the history of ideas as a non-teleological neural network based on current research in information technology and neurophysiology. The network offers a dynamic alternative to the ‘development’ of curiosity within the progress-oriented mythology of the Enlightenment, emphasizing the oscillation and interaction of ideas within the processes of their construction, as well as exposing the power relations behind them. The text corpus focuses on enactments of curiosity in English literature of the 'Long' Eighteenth Century (c. 1680-1818), such as transgression of boundaries, breach of taboo, gendered curiosity, sensationalism, or academic endeavour, bringing together a variety of examples from all major genres. The Age of Curiosity contributes to current debates on a post-Foucauldian renewal of Lovejoy’s history of ideas in Enlightenment studies, exploring both curiosity as an indispensable trait for the search of answers to the fundamental yet unresolved questions of ‘identity’ or ‘truth’, and its potential as cura, the care for others and the world.




State Oddities


Book Description

State Oddities takes a different kind of look at the American nation, spotlighting the fun foibles, peculiarities, and twists in each of the 50 states that are (mostly) united under the Stars and Stripes. State Oddities is a fascinating trip through the 50 states for students studying America, teachers planning classroom activities, and general readers who will enjoy an eye-opening journey through the nation's fun side. It offers a compelling look at the character of America through the individuality of 50 very distinct states that together form the USA. This book paints a picture of the broad sweep of the American story, offering a gateway to the country as it developed into one nation filled with individual states that can be remarkably different from each other, yet unified under such national symbols as the American flag and "The Star-Spangled Banner." The author of State Oddities has become known as a master of "painless history," telling America's story in a sparkling style along with the historian's eye for fascinating detail. On the book's cross-country journey, the reader will find that it differs from other works by taking a fresh look at stories we think we know.




Curiosities of Literature


Book Description




The Thirty-seventh North Carolina Troops


Book Description

North Carolina contributed more of her sons to the Confederate cause than any other state. The 37th North Carolina, made up of men from the western part of the state, served in famous battles like Chancellorsville and Gettysburg as well as in lesser known engagements like Hanover Courthouse and New Bern. This is the account of the unit's four years' service, told largely in the soldiers' own words. Drawn from letters, diaries, and postwar articles and interviews, this history of the 37th North Carolina follows the unit from its organization in November 1861 until its surrender at Appomattox. The book includes photographs of the key players in the 37th's story as well as maps illustrating the unit's position at several engagements. Appendices include a complete roster of the unit and a listing of individuals buried in large sites such as prison cemeteries. A bibliography and index are also included.




Clark's Regiments


Book Description