Illinois Books

A lot has been written about the history of bluegrass music, much of it hearsay and mythological in nature, but this is probably the most authentic book written on the history of bluegrass music and its development.

Bluegrass music's greatest practitioners have always been plain-as-burlap folks who wouldn't give a hoot about dissecting and intellectualizing the music that pops out of them as naturally as sweat. As an appreciator of real deals, I wouldn't have it any other way. However, I'm glad that folklorist/musical historian Neil V. Rosenberg has been around for several decades now, poking his scholarly nose into the fascinating haystack that is bluegrass and putting the needles into cultural perspective. This sweeping and heartfelt book, Rosenberg's crowning achievement as the planet's foremost bluegrass oracle, will stand as the last word on the subject for a long, long spell.

Unlike rock 'n' roll, whose Big Bang genesis one fateful day in Memphis reverberated like a sonic boom, bluegrass had more fitful beginnings. The music's raw ingredients had been fermenting in Appalachia for untold years in the form of homemade "hillbilly" music before a shy Kentuckian named Bill Monroe began distilling them in the 1930s into a distinctive musical form. Monroe deliberately crafted the sound and personality of bluegrass and, much more round-aboutly, gave it its name. As the central figure in bluegrass, Monroe's patriarchal spirit looms magnificently large over Rosenberg's history, which, after all, is ultimately Monroe's story.

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, arguably the next most important innovators in bluegrass, also figure prominently. In the 1940s, the two had been underpaid sidemen in Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band before abruptly striking out on their own in 1948 and becoming Monroe's main competition. Heavy turnover was a fact of life with the Blue Grass Boys, but the mercurial Monroe was outraged by the pair's defection and didn't speak to them for over twenty years. Transformed in the Sixties by television ("The Beverly Hillbillies") and movie ("Bonnie and Clyde") exposure into world-wide icons, Flatt & Scruggs achieved fame and commercial viability the likes of which bluegrass - including its inventor - had never known. Rosenberg's delineation of the famous Monroe/Flatt & Scruggs "feud" is one of the best things in the book.

Rosenberg's writing style can be stiff and he tends to exaggerate the significance of certain events, such as the use of a bluegrass soundtrack on an obscure experimental art film called "Football As It Is Played Today." Also, his laborious investigation into how the term "bluegrass" came to be applied specifically to the music is a bit of a yawn. The book is thorough almost to a fault, but it's petty to criticize Rosenberg's leave-no-stone-unturned work ethic. He has written the definitive bluegrass bible and clearly done it from the heart. If you appreciate true country music, of which bluegrass is the truest, this book will both delight and enlighten you, as it did me.

447 pages (including index), extensive notes, bibliography and discography, 40 pages of photos.

Rosenberg draws from his experiences working with Bill Monroe and other bluegrass musicians in this compelling and intriguing history of bluegrass music. The early chapters sketch out an interesting history of folk music genres that laid the foundation for bluegrass. Rosenberg then provides special attention to Monroe's role in helping to create a new sound. I especially appreciated the metaphor between playing bluegrass music and playing baseball. Rosenberg explores the symbolic and literal connections throughout the book to provide a great way to understand how the music (and game) is played.

If you're interested in the history of bluegrass music, I would recommend that you begin with this book. Rosenberg is an engaging writer and a fine historian. He also performed with Bill Monroe and has continued to maintain a strong presence in bluegrass music. The work rightly focuses on Monroe's early contributions to bluegrass music, and Rosenberg demonstrates how the musical structure and context is linked to major social issues and cultural expressions in American life. The connections that Rosenberg makes between bluegrass and baseball are fascinating and right on the money.

Rosenberg is a practing academic, and it shows in his attention to detail and writing style. However, he is also a former Blue Grass Boy and manager of Bean Blossom, and it shows in his thorough love of the Music. Fascinating details alternate with a comprehensive picture of how Bluegrass fits into the wider context of American popular music. The Big Mon (Bill Monroe) comes out as a true creative genius, yet still very much subject to outside forces, for example, the folk music revival. Rosenberg avoids sensationalism, which sometimes limits the "juicy" stories that can be told about Monroe and many others, and instead focuses on the movement and the social forces around it.

Highly recommended for fans and scholars alike, even if somewhat hard reading for non-academics.

I have read both of Timuel Black's books and recommend both highly. Black is the right person for this job, having a nearly perfect memory for a past that includes important work as an activist, educator and scholar. He knows what his subjects are getting at and knows how to tweek the most out of them. Timuel Black's memories intertwine with the memories of his subjects and create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is truly living history

This is a book that everyone should read but can particularly important to young people, black and white, who don't quite understand that they are standing on the shoulders of giants.

I loved Bridges of Memory Volume 1... and this book doesn't dissapoint either. I love his interviewing style and the variety of people he has choosen to interview about their personal Chicago experiences. This is a well written book and I am looking forward to reading the next volume when it is released.

Here's my bias. I like history. I like to hear people talk about their lives. I like intelligent, articulate, effective language. And I loved this book. The people interviewed are fascinating, and Timuel Black helps them tell their stories in an unpretentious but by no means diffident way. I learned a great deal and enjoyed myself for many evenings.

What a gift this collection is!

In 1988, Timuel Black began to record and preserve the recollections of people who had lived in Chicago a long time, particularly the first generation of the Great Migration. When he wrote the introduction to this book, he had recorded over 125 conversations and still had "many , many more people with whom I would like to speak." Thirty-six of those conversations are presented here, with two more volumes planned to follow.

The interviews are conducted using the "participant observer" technique, and since Dr. Black - a long time resident himself - is an "insider" these interviews are essentially honest, intimate conversations among old friends, many of whom have now passed. As Dr. Black makes clear, this book is not intended to be a history of Black Chicago and its institutions, but rather a collection of oral memories from people who participated in shaping those institutions. But his field work provides invaluable data for future researchers attempting to compile that history.

If this book contained nothing more than the biographical information about each of the 40 participants (some are joint interviews), it would make fascinating reading. But the interviews bring each vividly to life. We meet people from all walks, including civil servants, educators, politicians, jazz musicians, railroad workers, business people, even two generations of South Side Chicago represented by mother and daughter Mildred Bowden and Hermene Hartman. Some, like George Johnson, tell a story of "from rags to riches." Others fall into a category of "just keep on keepin' on."

But all are riveting. I look forward to the next two volumes!

The strength of this book is in its informality. Mr. Black is friends with nearly all of his interviewees (he has known several of them for over 40 years), and the sessions read as a conversation rather than an interview. This book is especially useful for one looking for supplimental material about the neighborhood of Bronzeville in Chicago, segregation (from an individual perspective rather than scholarly leaning), and smaller aspects of city history and social change that are often forgotten. Some of his interviewees include a man that owned a company that distributed hair straightener around the U.S., a man that started what would become the Illinois state lottery, well respected teachers, and military servicemen.

There is a great deal of repetition that could have been eliminated regarding DuSable High School, locations of buildings, boundaries of the neighborhood, and references to people that are not elaborated upon; it is possible that Black chose not to edit this out to keep the interviews intact. It would have been extremely helpful for maps of Bronzeville throughout the past 80 years were inserted among the small selection of pictures that are included, in order to help those unfamiliar with the neighborhood navigate through some of the interviewees' memories of businesses, theaters, and homes.

This book has beautifull photographs. The book is much deeper than other Chicago architecture books because it has a well thought out historical review of the progression of Chicago architecture. Interesting even for the lay person like me.

My nephew loved it. He grew up in Milwaukee, went to school and lives in California. He comes to Chicago about every other year.

I thought this book was very interesting it has great pictures of the buildings in Chicago. It has alot of information about the beginning of when Architects wanted to build something modern but unqiue at the same time. Get inspired by the great exterior and interior of these amazing buildings.

This book provides an excellent introduction to Chicago's numerous schools of architecture over the years. It also provides a photographic tour of the city's important buildings, from the late 1800s to the present day. The photography is great! Highly recommended for fans of Chicago or architecture buffs in general.

This book described many of the significant architects in Chicago history. I found it to be informative and very readable. It is the best book I have found which summarizes Chicago Architecture. The color photograghs are excellent

while in France recently at Chalon-sur-Soane I visited their photography museum. They were doing a special exhibit of this work. I was so totally impressed on how Miller could capture these photos while seeming to be invisable to his subjects that I investigated when I returned and discovered that this book was available. I bought TWO; one for myself and one for my daughter who is a serious photographer.

These striking images of Bronzeville -- "Chicago's Harlem" -- will blow you away. The humanity they portray, in all its beaten-down, lifted-up, heartbreaking reality, makes me wish I knew personally every man and woman depicted herein.

Wayne Miller, a white photographer now well into his 80s, went into the Bronzeville ghetto over a two-year period and made these touching pictures; then they "went into a drawer" for 40 years, until finally the Univ of Calif Press published this book. (The book itself is as well-produced a book of photographs as you are likely to find anywhere.)

My grandfather Nathan Joseph ran the States Theatre at 3507 S. State St., in the heart of Bronzeville, for some 50 years (unfortunately the States is not depicted herein). I myself have written a novel of Bronzeville called "To Love Mercy" (Mid-Atlantic Highlands, ISBN 0-9744785-3-9). A historical Afterword appears at the end of "To Love Mercy;" it is an oral history of Bronzeville, in the voices of a dozen people who lived there in the '40s and '50s. This Afterword is illustrated with seven of Wayne Miller's photos from "Chicago South Side, 1946-1948."

I have given close to a dozen copies of "Chicago South Side" as gifts. I was coming to Amazon to buy two more copies when I saw this opportunity to write a review.

These photos have moved me to tears. Buy this book.

This is a marvelous collection of images from everyday Balck Chicago life in the late 1940s. There are scenes of street life, back alleys, patrons at a pool hall and tavern, and night life ranging from a female personator dressing to Duke Ellington hunched at a piano at rehearsal and an ebullient Louis Jordan on stage.

This book is a treasure. I wish I could find more by this photographer (my searches have come up empty). The photographs take you right inside each scene, and often pack a powerful punch of sadness, joy, intimacy, life. The printing quality is excellent. If the publisher can collect more of his work, I will be the first customer.

This is one of the best photographic books I've seen -- ever. Wayne Miller manages to make personal contact with the human beings who lived on Chicago's South Side in a way that few photographers have ever matched. The warmth and complexity of these photographs, the compassion and human understanding involved, are most remarkable -- especially since the photographer stood on the other side of America's terrible racial divide from his subjects. Anyone who loves classic documentary photography, or who simply loves human beings in their complexity, should order this book.

i love, love, love this book and re-read it often. first of all, i'm a huge "chicago" fan - the movie, not the musical play (perhaps the original musical was awesome, but that was before my time and i've only seen the current day touring version of "chicago" and i was not very impressed). anyway, i am also a huge fan of anything 1920s, so this book was absolutely perfect for me.

it was great to hear about the stories behind the play and how two horrible murders were turned into entertainment and how the murderesses were turned into glamorous stars. it was also fascinating to see the pictures of the murderesses - the one of beulah annan is super creepy!

maurine dallas watkins' articles were incredibly entertaining and it was great to read them and then go onto the play. i love that when rob marshall made the movie "chicago", he used a bit more of the play than the muscial version did.

it's sad that watkins didn't go on to even greater things after these articles (although i do love the movie "libeled lady" - with jean harlow, myrna loy, william powell, and spencer tracy - that she collaborated on the screenplay for). but it's awesome that her legacy turned into such a popular musical and movie!

i would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in "chicago", the 1920s, crime writing, and media sensationalism.

This publication of the play that inspired the hit musical is amazing. Not only is it the original script, it gives wonderful newspaper articles of the time period and gives a real sense of time and place. As an artist, it was amazing to perform this piece. While the musical is a hit, it owes everything to this beautiful and strikingly funny but touching play. I highly recommend it and enjoy!

I read this book for my history fair project that I was doing on the true story behind the musical "Chicago." This book was so helpful to me because it gives every bit of information about the crimes and it even has all of Watkins' Tribune articles from the time. The script for the original play is an added bonus, and it is fun for me, as a "Chicago" and Fosse fan, to compare the original play to the musical and movie. This is well worth the price and a must-have for any "Chicago" fan.

This book is amazing if you are looking to find some history on the play. I have seen the non-musical produced in Ashland and will be directing it myself in the next couple of years. This book includes the full original script, which is amazing in itself, but also includes a fantastic introduction my Thomas H. Pauly. The articles are a joy to read because you really get a sense of Watkins' style of writing.

Watkins' days a court reporter inspired her to write the script for what was to become, itself, the inspiration for one of the best musicals of our time. The daily reports from the court trials of the real life muderessess in Chicago were certainly very telling. The fact that the women who escaped death row or life sentences were white women, society women, beautiful women, and most poignantly, women who killed their lovers - not their husbands.This reminded me of how people get caught up in the soap opera of life and love to glamorise all events. If you are a lover of the musical, this is an interesting book to read.

Huasipungo(the villagers) truly is one of the best novels to read if you want to understand the transformation South American society was going through at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, as a result of the invasion of the Spanish. The native indians became slaves of their own lands now controlled by the powerful criollos or peninsulares of Spain and their descendants. It is sad to think that if you travel to Ecuador today you will still see the unfair distribution of goods and land relevant to what is going on in the novel. Although definitely there have been strong changes in society, in general those of prominent white background are way better off than the indigenous or the mestizos. This novel is one of those novels that stand the test of time and feel as fresh as when it was written in the middle 1930s. Very entertaining reading, and at the same time, compelling and sad. Very highly recommended especially for students of latin american studies and history and worldly people in general.

I read this book many years ago and it is the only book that has told of that brutality that is endemic and daily in this beautiful, yet sad country of Ecuador. Ycasa is the real heroe in our historical voyage. He has stuck his neck out and has told a story-amongs many- that reveal the destructive, oppresive, and racist nature of his society. His sense of justice and solidarity with the poor and the indians are as powerful as his indignation of the established oligarchy and it's system.

"The Villagers," a novel by Jorge Icaza of Ecuador, was first published in 1934. It has been translated into English by Bernard Dulsey. I think of "The Villagers" as a sort of Ecuadoran counterpart to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (the classic anti-slavery novel by United States author Harriet Beecher Stowe). Like that earlier novel, Icaza's book is an impassioned expose of racially-charged violence and oppression.

"The Villagers" tells the story of the exploitation of Ecuadoran Indians by whites who are intent on taking economic advantage of the Indians' homeland. Icaza paints a fascinating portrait of the conflicts and twisted connections among three major groups: Indians, whites, and "cholos" (those of mixed blood). The "gringos," or white North Americans, form a sinister fourth group that lurks menacingly behind the scenes of the unfolding drama.

The novel is full of vivid, graphic details--lice infestation, a worm-infected wound, rape, suffering, and death. Icaza mercilessly satirizes the lust and greed of the white landowner, Don Alfonso. Icaza also savagely critiques the complicity of the church (in the form of the hypocritical village priest) in the abuse of the Indians. And the author also exposes the insidious debt bondage that turns nominally "free" people into virtual slaves.

Some of the more villainous characters seem a bit one-dimensional, but in my opinion the many strengths of the book outweigh this flaw. "The Villagers" is a powerful work of social protest that deserves a wide readership.

Vile language, adultery, human suffering, courage, fear, love, guile--Icaza portrays TRUE HUMANITY in his first book The Villagers (Huasipungo),one of this century's greatest novels. As a professor of French and Spanish literature I have had many students ask me who Jorge Icaza was and why there are no other novels by Icaza available for them to read. The answer is that Jorge Icaza is one of the most complex writers in the Spanish language. Translating him is a task that no one wishes to take on because it may take them their whole lives to complete. It is sad because Icaza wrote some of the greatest novels of this century, ie., El Chulla Romero y Flores. As a translator of 4 novels, I myself am terrified of Icaza's prose. Jorge Icaza is the author of 7 novels (he left behind the draft for an 8th novel), 4 collections of short stories, and 7 plays. Bernard M. Dulsey did a great job in the translation. Of course he had help from Icaza himself, something which no translator can now have since Icaza died in 1972. Readers are fortunate to have this novel available in the English. Perhaps the greatest pre-Magic novel of Latin-America.

Jorge Icaza had a dream just like Martin Luther King, except his dream was not meant toward the United States, his dream was meant toward his people of Ecuador who, like people in the United States, are prejudiced against people who are of different races, and different economic statuses, etc. Jorge Icaza wrote his first novel The Villagers as the first step (in a series of steps) to make the dream come true. In it he portrays the Indian people of Ecuador as they truly are, as well as the landowners and government leaders, and the ways in which these ruthlessly treat the Indians. Religion plays a big role in this novel. Icaza leaves no prisoners, everyone in Ecuadorean society is criticized, including the mestizoes, persons of both European and American Indian descent. Icaza's 1934 novel is studied in many of the top universities of the United States in classes of Spanish, Comparative Literature, and Anthropology. I suggest this book to those who are interested in learning about Latin America and its peoples. I think people will be shocked and appalled. Icaza is by far the most important Indianist novelist Latin America ever brought forth, as well as one of Ecuador's most finest and important writers.

Ms St. John's style of writing had me turning page after page wondering just what happened next. I would put the book down for a moment thinking I could just walk away and do the things that needed to be done. I was wrong. I found myself drawn back to Southern Illinois and the St. John family. It brought back memories of my own dysfunctional family. I highly recommend this book, not just for those that may have lived through a similar upbringing, but for anyone that wants a good read and a glimpse into how one woman overcame so much.

haven't read it yet but can't wait. i actually saw on powells.com this book offered for $8.50 and no special order fee. just an fyi. look forward to an enchanting and engrossing read - it's been awhile...

Linda St. John is a wonderful talent and tells her remarkable story of surviving a stark upbringing with wit and insight in the package of a really good read. The story moves along. Her characters are tremendously vivid and orginal.

Memoirs of a terrible childhood marred by poverty, alcoholism and abuse in Southern Illinois. Later on the abused children look after their dying father, a WWII veteran with a PhD, and seek his love. These terrible childhoods always make good stories when told by their survivors. The worse the childhood the better the story because we know that the writer survived to become a person who could write a book. It's always a question as to how much is true (I've heard that Frank McCourt's mother was a New York secretary) but this one could stand on its own as fiction. We're given a lot of jacket biography, and even a cover designed by the author, that form an intrinsic part of the story. I share the other reviewers' irritation with the apostrophes on the gerunds but I guess them white trash aint gonna mind that none.

The author has taken an artful look at her painful family
background in a way that is amazing. The sincerity and poignant detailing suggest that the author has not borrowed trouble to write about, but does in fact know it very intimately, and has used the power of creativity to rise above and even flourish.
No one can read this book and not be inspired to look with more colorful curiosity at any trouble in their life.
All people in Alcohol and abuse programs would take heart from reading this. This book suggests tools for taking a liberating apprach to life. A beautiful book of love and understanding.

Footfalls is everything that you want in a horror story, pitting an honest and likable cast of characters against a mysterious (and seriously creepy) nemesis. Gresham's brilliant attention to detail in the portrayal of everyday life -- such as how a dog acts as his owner returns home, the way someone kicks off their boots, or a co-workers love for odd-tasting pizza -- adds considerable depth to the story, and I was pleased to see that the book maintained this quality through to the end. The author paints a vivid and highly immersive setting that drew me in from the beginning, putting me in the middle of a picture-perfect midwest town.

Footfalls is eerie, chilling, and haunting, but not overly graphic or terrifying; replacing gore with clever hints of danger and the type of steadily-growing tension that puts you on the edge of your seat. It is easy to read, and the short chapters make it easy to put down and pick up -- although I rarely put it down, devouring the entire story over a weekend. Footsteps is well written, well crafted, completely enjoyable, and highly recommended.

The authors fisrt at bat is out of the park. I could not put the book down as each chapter would draw me farther into the mystery. The boogie man truly exists in this chilling tale. Looking forward to his next effort.

Horror is not my normal genre to read, but this book gave the fun of a horror book (suspense) without unwanted gore. The writing style is engaging and short chapters keep you wanting to read just a few more pages....until you realize you've read many more pages. The characters are well-developed, so you easily develop a relationship with them. The 1970's flashback sections brought back to mind many childhood memories. This book is a fun, quick read.

There's nothing else Eddie Gresham has to do to be a famous writer except write more books.

Footfalls had me from the first chapter and would not let me go. The characters were so detailed that I felt like I was in their day-to-day lives. And just like horror fiction should be, it played on the simple fears we all have without resorting to gore.

I know some day I'll be in a book discussion and someone in the group will mention Eddie Gresham's name. I'll tell them I have a signed copy of his first book and no one will believe me.

I love when a book is able to put you in a certain mood. I think that is a sign of great story telling. With this novel, I had a sense of dread almost from the start of the book. I liked the character immediately and wanted good things to happen for him but at the same time, I wanted to warn him about the terror that waits for him.

A very good thriller that captures real life very well. In fact my favorite part of the book was the romantic subplot. The story was fast paced but never rushed. It's a great book to enjoy on vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from this promising writer.

During a recent trip to Chicago, I used several guide books to plan our trip and to use during the visit; I found this particular reference was the one I used most frequently and the one I threw in the backpack as we headed out the door each day. This guide was indispensable, containing suggested itineraries, an overview of the city, great ideas for excursions -- tours, strolls, attractions, shopping and entertainment -- as well as a history of the city and superb chapters on hotels and restaurants. We even stayed at a hotel that was surprisingly inexpensive and in a great location, and one that our native Chicago friends didn't know about! The guide is written in a friendly style, is well-organized, has lots of maps, and is jam-packed with useful information.

A superb guide to Chicago for families. Highy recommended.

With colorful maps and reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, and activities for the family, this guide was the only book I needed to plan the perfect trip.

With colorful maps and reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, and activities for the family, this guide was the only book I needed to plan the perfect trip.

I am a Frommer's fan! If you already have the recent Frommer's Chicago, then you may find much of the information in this book a tad redundant.

The book tackles topics pertinent to families: prices, facilities, times when families will feel most welcome, etc...

I am very happy with my purchase and will pursue other Frommer's products in the future.

Even if you've resided in or visited Chicago frequently, this guide includes activities and insight which are invaluable when traveling with children. From the best places to eat and stay to the most "kid friendly" museums and gallaries, this book has it all. A definite good buy if you want to plan the most cost effective and enjoyable family trip to Chicago.

If you are "older" and from Chicago you know there were a lot of places that made beer. This book gets into where they were (all the local places) and how it was done. This is a good darn book. I bought it for my older brother but when my father read it he wanted it. I purchased another one for my brother.

Scholarly and well-researched, with marvelous illustrations. An intimate review of a subject close to the heart of Midwesterners and significant contribution to Chicagoiana. Skilnik is a delightful storyteller whose finger is right on tap.

This is not just another sad story of the demise of one great regional and a handful of local breweries. As depressing as the subject matter is, the Chicago battleground provides some interesting contrasts. Bob notes that Chicago was the center of "an amber rectangle" running from LaCrosse, Wisconsin down to St. Louis and then over to Detroit and back to Milwaukee. With such a large population of beer drinkers, and in the last few decades of the 20th century at least, with so few local breweries, the Chicago market drew the attention of everybody brewing in the region: Heilemann, Anheuser-Busch, Stroh, and Schlitz, Pabst and Miller. All of these companies, first as individuals, and later as parts of combines, took a whack at the Chicago market.

The central section of the book goes into the history of the big mergers, and several merger attempts, that resulted in the ultimate death of Schlitz, then the old Pabst, then Heileman, then Stroh. The author has done his homework on this one, and he covers in great detail the problems Schlitz had (Schlitz had been the dominant out-of-town beer in Chicago for generations) first in Chicago, and then with itself.

The final part of the book is much more topical for the newer collector, as Skilnik traces the rise and fall of the first two Chicago microbreweries, Pavechevich and the Chicago Brewing Co.

Bad decisions, bad quality, bad advertising, bad management to no management; you name the possible problem, and it was visible in Chicago! Depressing? You bet, but it makes a heck of a good read for a beer fan!

Not being around for the downfall of Schlitz, I nonetheless found the story of the bungling at the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company to be a fascinating one. What I didn't realize until reading this book was how much this played into the eventual problems at the Heileman, Pabst and Stroh brewing companies.

What does any of this have to do with Chicago? A lot, as the author points out that what happened to the breweries and their brands in Chicago was just a pint sized glass of trouble compared to the barrel of problems these breweries experienced in the national market.

As to his look at the selling and manufacturing of beer in Chicagoland today...the author argues that the market historically has always been a tough one, and things don't look like they're going to get much better for the unprepared or underfunded who try to stake a claim in the Windy City.

Bob's book is great reading for beer afficionados, Chicago history buffs, and just anyone who likes a great story. I especially enjoyed the intertwining of events and people throughout the book. Hard to put down...and even includes addresses and maps to locate the old breweries.