Eccentric America- 1st Edition (2001), 376 pages

Everything in this extraordinary book is testimony to the fun that author Jan Friedman has had in its compilation. Where else would you encounter a woman who has built her business on ducks wearing diapers? Or a junk modeler legally married to one of his junk robots? Discovering eccentric characters, past and present, and putting on the map the most bizarre events that the USA can offer, Jan has put together an offbeat region-by-region guide to one of the most varied and popular holiday destinations worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eccentric America- 2nd Edition (2004), 336 pages

Offering a provocative look at over 1,000 of the quirkiest people and places on the fringes of mainstream tourism, Eccentric America leads you to the country's most unforgettable experiences.

The second edition of this award-winning book has been thoroughly updated, with 330 totally new entries, regional calendars of wacky festivals and events, and an intriguing "Heights of Eccentricity" map of the United States. An entertaining and funny read, it's also a comprehensive guide to a side of American culture you won't want to miss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eccentric California (2005), 216 pages

Only in California can you visit an artist in residence at the city dump; buy a ticket to a power-tool drag race; taste wine wearing a Marge Simpson wig; climb a mountain made of hay and old paint; go shopping at the County Coroner's Office; leave your gum in Bubble Gum Alley. Every society needs a fringe and - from San Diego to San Francisco Bay - California's eccentrics answer their country's call.

From rooms with a skew to the quirkiest cuisine, the oddest shops to the wackiest festivals, the strangest tours to the most peculiar pursuits, Jan Friedman ventures right to the edge of mainstream tourism and plunges deep into the heart of America's most wonderfully weird state.