Armchair Reader: My Kind of Town, Chicago

by David Morrow, N.M. Gamso, May Fons-Misetic

My Kind of Town, Chicago is a fascinating collection of little-known anecdotes, legends, untold stories, and fascinating facts about the Windy City. From the popular Armchair Reader series, this source of Chicago factual fun will delight and inform the curious of all ages.
Much has been said about the city of Chicago it s a Midwestern metropolis, the third-largest city in the United States, and a hub of commerce and culture rising from the shores of Lake Michigan. Indeed, there s plenty to talk the Great Chicago Fire, the World s Fair of 1893, windy politics, stunning architecture, and more. This book is all things Chicago from its history, sports, and politics to its food, neighborhoods and music.
Each topic is covered concisely in a few pages, so you can pick up My Kind of Town, Chicago anytime, anywhere to quench your thirst for Chicago-related knowledge. You ll get a unique taste of the Windy City, past and present, from each interesting tidbit.
My Kind of Town, Chicago
A wide range of Chicago trivia presented in a clear and entertaining format
Information on Chicago stars, legends, and titans of business, including Marshall Field, Oprah Winfrey, Resurrection Mary, and the city s most famous ghost
Fast Facts pages that offer tidbits about Chicago sports, politics, history, and more
You Can Thank Chicago, which details Chicago s wide range of contributions to the world, including Twinkies, Tinkertoys, and the skyscraper
Chicago s ludicrous laws, like a $5 penalty against anyone who throws a rock or casts a stone in public
Timelines that highlight key points in the city s history

288 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published February 16, 2010

Reviews

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book is now over 10 years old, it has a lot of history, delivered in easy pieces that are fun and interesting to read. And judging from the results of the included quizzes, I did not know nearly as much about Chicago history as I thought I did! It did reinforce my abiding love and admiration for this city, though, even with its sometimes checkered past, and the bumps and bruises of a diverse vibrant metropolis, making its way in the world today. Chicago is definitely my kind of town!

[Lee Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a book of short stories like this one, and taken with the understanding that it's not a sit-down-and-read-cover-to-cover type book it's very enjoyable. I learned a little more about a lot of subjects through these one page essays on various topics about all things Chicago. The best part was reading about something while experiencing that very thing -- like reading about the el on my commute, reading about the North Ave cemetery and then walking over to that area, etc. It was also great to hear why so many other people love this city. This book reinforced my admiration for Chicago and its people.

The only thing I found tiresome was the repeating of a few topics. Inherent in tackling 100 different essays is a bit of overlap, but when I was half way through the book I felt like the authors were running out of ideas. Luckily I became used to the slight overlap, and the book delivered until the very end.

I'd recommend enjoying this book in small stints, and I'd recommend it for anybody who's ever lived in the greater Chicagoland area.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A seemingly credible collection of factoidal blurbs about the city of Chicago, in my mind, always makes for the following: 1) good conversation, 2) a to-do list of new places to see in the area we live, 3) a suburban depression, longing for the glitz and lure of the big city, and 4) building blocks for geocentric learning. In other words, it was cool reading about things I was previously unaware of despite 37 years living in the area. Granted, not ALL of the information was new, and I did sift through a lot of repetition due to the fact that there were multiple contributing authors to this book. However, the book made me want to visit Chicago on a monthly basis just to try or see something new. If I had grown up in another area and was just moving to Chicago, this would be great light reading to educate me on my new surroundings. What a toddlin' town!