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Maybe my examples were not good, so I shall leave it to the experts.

Jazzgirl, I liked your examples! I also like this one, from Gwynne's Grammar...

Being in a dilapidated condition, I was able to buy the house quite cheaply.

Hi, Rusty!
Goodness, you are determined to keep us all on our toes!
A dangling , or hanging (I've always know it as the latter) participle is one that appears , from its position in the sentence, to modify a part of the sentence other than that which it was intended to modify.
There is an "old chestnut " that is always given as an example of a dangling/ hanging participle........
I think it is a good one......
"Plunging hundreds of feet into the gorge, we saw Yosemite Falls"
From the misplacing of the "plunging hundreds of feet into the gorge" it would leave one to believe that it was "we" who were doing the "plunging"!
Whereas written correctly, the sentence should read "We saw Yosemite Falls plunging hundreds of feet into the gorge"
Hereby indicating (correctly) that it was the falls that were doing the plunging!
Do you see?
(I have been laughing at some of the example given!
Very good!)
Now I have heard of Clarence Darrow!
Yes, I would think it should be a good and interesting book.

Well, thank you all, for trying to help.
I do see that the grammar in the examples is wrong, but I do not know which bit/word of the sentence is meant by a dangling participle.
A dangling participle, to me, sounds like something you may come across ascending the Matterhorn!
I shall let it go!
Anyway, Elle, I hope my Clarence Darrow book is good.
I have an Australian book ordered too.
I have started re-reading "A Walk for Sunshine" again.
It is good!
That is bad grammar. "Re-reading again".

I don't worry about "bad grammar" when I am talking or chatting to friends (as I am now ) I save good grammar for when it is necessary to be formal.
If my other half was on the phone, I would ask :
"Who were you talking to? "
not
"To whom were you talking?" ;0)

Hi, Rusty!
I still have a few books lined up to read.......courtesy of Amazon!
I also had some books bought for me for Christmas, so I have been varying the genres.
Next on my list to read is "The Last Enemy" by Richard Hillary.
Now Richard Hillary is one of the three young men written about by Sebastian Faulks in "Three Fatal Englishman", so this should be an interesting follow-up.
I am looking forward to reading it.
Remind me about "A Walk for Sunshine"?
I cannot remember the author's name?
but I know he walked five million steps in tribute to his brother who has cerebral palsy.
What Australian book have you ordered?

Rusty, I wouldn't mind you 're-reading...again' if this was the third time you'd read the book. If it was only the second, I might have a slight tut and shake of the head - sorry!

Jazzgirl, I'm with you when it comes to bad/good grammar. Sometimes the things that are technically correct sound terribly stilted and unnatural - and anything that interferes with the normal flow of conversation or dialogue can't be a good thing.

Hello, Elle!
Jeff Alt wrote "A Walk for Sunshine".
Sunshine is the name of the organisation who look after his brother.
Jeff walked the Appalachian Trail to raise money for Sunshine.
2160 miles.
From Springer Mountain in Georgia, to Mount Katahdin in Maine.
The Trail goes through fourteen states, and passes close to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the home of Miss Dolly Parton.
It is a great read!.
My Aussie book is Danger Down Under.
I forget the author.
"3 Men in a Boat" is said to be good. Do you know it?

Jazzgirl, I think I know what you mean regarding grammar.
I like reading, I love conversation, and I love our language, but grammar is pretty much unknown to me.
If I was ever taught it, it has long escaped me, I'm afraid!

Exactly, Malone!
That was my point.

My late husband used to get so annoyed when listening to the radio or watching someone on the television saying something like

It is fairly unique, or
it is almost unique

He used to shout out "it's either unique or it is not unique...it cannot be fairly, or almost unique" and often added "you cannot be fairly pregnant or almost pregnant.. you either are or you are NOT"
Oh dear!