Book excerpt: Boss Snakes: Stories and Sightings of Giant Snakes in North America offers a comprehensive collection of tales involving an often overlooked folkloric creature. While recognizing that hoaxes and misidentifications exist, there are stories that might just point to larger-than-expected serpents. Includes a brief guide to our larger native species (and new invasive species) and a state-by-state listing of hundreds of historical and contemporary stories.