Fugitives and Refugees

Everyone looking to start a new life seems to head west. And one of the cheapest, hippest places to go is Portland, which may explain why the town attracts a certain outlaw element -- or what Chuck Palahniuk calls "the most cracked of the crackpots." A writer famous for the quirkiness quotient of his fiction, Palahniuk is the perfect guide for this tour of the offbeat, historic Pacific Northwest city. Equal parts travelogue and freak show, this hysterical book is a must-read for Portland locals, tourists, and fans of the author.