The Minnesota Book of Days: An Almanac of State History

by Tony Greiner (Compiler), Howard Mohr (Foreword)

The Minnesota Book of Days is a entertaining and educational day-by-day account of Minnesota history, chronicling important events, famous firsts, notable individuals, and interesting incidents.

Tony Greiner's thorough research and keen sense of the offbeat combine to produce a book that is both serious history and unexpected fun, a perfect gift and a handy compendium. Did you know that the mercury sank below freezing on the Fourth of July in 1859? Or that on August 18, 1929, a 350-pound bear wandered into the lounge of the Hotel Duluth? Or that on October 8, 1956, the world's first fully enclosed shopping mall, Southdale Shopping Center, opened in Edina?

This handy guide explores famous and not-so-famous aspects of Minnesota's history in lively entries for each day of the year. Whether you're a visitor or a lifelong resident, these tidbits about noteworthy events and people just might inspire you to explore Minnesota history in greater depth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, History

335 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1989

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was hysterical! By page 9 I was laughing so hard I was crying. I can't imagine this being as funny to people who aren't from Minnesota, but if you are, it's a real hoot. From the Lutheran church basement themed restaurant to the endless shenanigans of Harold Mire and his wife, Ethel, this book has got us down pat. We're an odd bunch, with our mixture of open friendliness (Lutherans) and soul crushing silent judgement (again, Lutherans) and our love of giant community get-togethers (MN State Fair, biggest in the nation) and crippling fear of any sort of unfamiliar, potentially confrontational social interaction (having to ask a clerk at a store a question). And I wouldn't have us any other way.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book covering interesting goings-on in Minnesota. Best read one day at a time. Covers a significant number of happenings at Fort Snelling.

[Sic Transit Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard Mohr (author of How to Talk Minnesota) brings us another new Minnesotan humor novel. This time, he presents a wacky event each day, each one uniquely Minnesotan.

As always, Mohr is hilarious. There are a few events I could pick out (Minnesota Bigfoot, the Prairie Mall, the solar pyramid) t hat are great, but the humor also has a cumulative effect. A few days will leave you chuckling, a month will have you laughing out loud, and the book in one sitting will make it hurt to grin and laugh.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mohr gives a day by day account of life in Minnesota, from incidents in the life of "Harold Mire" and family, to sightings of Minnesota Big Foot, who is usually bemused by the activities of the humans around him. Three-hundred sixty six entries, ranging from a few sentences to a page or more, full of gentle humor--a delightful read.

[Janet Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a very long time since I first read this book, but I still giggle every time I think of how Big Foot kept popping up. And, I truly believe every town needs a Bigger Hammer Hardware. Just really delightful "everytown" humor.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Mike Severson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great daily read even if your not a history buff, if youare it's a great stimulus to dig deeper on topics of interest

[John Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting information but too much information that just wasn’t all that interesting, nor did even seem all that important. I think more could have been done with this whole idea.