Oh, Florida!: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country [Paperback]

ANew York TimesBestseller

To some people, Florida is a paradise; to others, a punch line. AsOh, Florida!shows, its both of these and, more important, its a Petri dish, producing trends that end up influencing the rest of the country. Without Florida there would be no NASCAR, no Bettie Page pinups, no Glenn Beck radio rants, noUSA Today, no Stand Your Ground, ...You get the idea.

To outsiders, Florida seems baffling. Its a state where the voters went for Barack Obama twice, yet elected a Tea Party candidate as governor. Florida is touted as a carefree paradise, yet its also known for its perilsalligators, sinkholes, pythons, hurricanes, and sharks, to name a few. It attracts 90 million visitors a year, some drawn by its impressive natural beauty, others bewitched by its manmade fantasies.

Oh, Florida!explores those contradictions and shows how they fit together to make this the most interesting state. It is the first book to explore the reasons why Florida is so wild and weirdand why thats okay. But there is far more to Florida than its sideshow freakiness. Oh, Florida! explains how Florida secretly, subtly influences all the other states in the Union, both for good and for ill.

[Craig Pittman], always a character.Chris Matthews,Hardball with Chris Matthews

Painstakingly reported and researched...compulsively readable. As much as his book is a celebration of Florida, it is also a celebration of journalism. TheNew York Times

An extraordinary catalog of 'weird Florida' . . . the definitive guide. [T]his fast-roving narrative has a rollicking pace that readers will enjoy. Los Angeles Times

Hilarious. Financial Times

Oh, Florida!is hilarious, creepy, and sobering. Craig Pittman makes the compelling argument that all of America is being warped by Florida's off-the-chart weirdnesslcr