New this month from the University of Nebraska Press: West Virginia Politics and Government, second edition.

West Virginia Politics and Government offers the only recent study of politics in the Mountain State. Combining new empirical information about political behavior with a close examination of the capacity of the state’s government, this second edition is a comprehensive and pointed study of the ability of the state’s government to respond to the needs of a largely rural and relatively low-income population.

The book also examines the nature of the state’s constitution and the role of governmental institutions, including the state legislature, the governor, and the state bureaucracy, in the making of public policy and the construction of a state budget, as well as the judiciary and local governments.

This week’s Linking in Lincoln will focus on all things West Virginia, government-related and otherwise. Ready?

1. West Virginia is the only state that is entirely encompassed by Appalachia, an area so geographically isolated than in the 1960s, the Appalachian Regional Commission was formed, in part to lessen that isolation.

2. On June 26, 1892, Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia. Baby Pearl was born to Presbyterian missionary parents, and as a result, spent much of her life in China. In 1917, she married John Lossing Buck, and years later would publish her first novel under the name Pearl S. Buck. Read more about the Pulitzer Prize-winning author here.

3. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was home to one of the first integrated schools in America. In addition, it was the site of the largest surrender of Federal troops during the Civil War, as well as the birthplace of interchangeable parts in manufacturing. Today, it is also the site of a national park.

4. Music is an important part of Appalachian culture, and West Virginia is home to numerous festivals and institutions that aim to preserve the state’s rich musical heritage. The Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, West Virginia, is among them.

5. The beauty of West Virginia has made it a popular vacation destination. Of all its hotels, resorts and state and national parks, the Greenbriar, which has hosted numerous presidents and other world leaders during its long history, is perhaps the most posh.

Are you read to move to West Virginia now? Before you do, learn all about the way its lawmakers work in West Virginia Politics and Government.