it is close to sunset when brandon is hiking in the woods with his dog. the dog suddenly stops walking and starts to growl menacingly at something in the shadows of the forest. brandon squints his eyes and tries to make out what alerted his dog. he tightens his grip on the leash and strains to hear any movement in the dry leaves. he can also feel his pulse increase, and his mouth feels very dry.

Americans often speak of their country as one of several large regions.  these regions are cultural units rather than governmental units --  formed by history and geography and shaped by the economics, literature and folkways that all the parts of a region share. what makes one region different from another? a region's multicultural heritage as well as distinct demographic characteristics like age and occupation make regions different and special. within several regions, language is used differently and there are strong dialects. there are also differences in outlook and attitude based on geography.