MARK STEIN is a playwright and screenwriter. His plays have been performed off-Broadway and at theaters throughout the country. His films include Housesitter with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. Stein has also taught writing and drama at American University and Catholic University. His previous book, How the States Got Their Shapes, a New York Times bestseller, was the basis for The History Channel's documentary of the same name. From the Hardcover edition.