Book excerpt: A primer for those who want to learn more about our weird heritage. This comprehensive and entertaining collection of bizarre tales was gathered from newspaper accounts, participant observations, and personal interviews. Readers will learn about a Seattle man's contact with a group of aliens that landed in Ballard; ponder the claims of two Washington men that Elvis was an extraterrestrial breeding experiment; hear about an Oregonian's extended discussion with Bigfoot; explore Northwest cattle mutilations; attend a support group for UFO abductees in Federal Way; visit two haunted restaurants; and meet a woman who saw a giant shrimp in her basement.