Understanding the mandolin as a guitar player

Unless your a bluegrass player, most people i know are unfamiliar with the Mandolin. I tell my friends who have never seen one that it's like a ukulele and a 12 string guitar had a baby. They are tuned GDEA (low to high) with four courses of strings tuned in unison , eight total. Traditionally the mandolin has allot of roots in jigs and traditional music in many countries, as americans we are most aware of the irish music played on mandolin. Today you see it most often in bluegrass and folk, sometimes in country. Every now and then even stranger places, like Led Zepplin's going to california. It has a high pitch and a distinct playing style, usually players use a pick and do one string runs though chords also are used. Best way to get a feel of it is to go on you tube and check it out. I'll post some good links soon.