Good Reads & Views

Never a City So Real: A Walk in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz
977.311 KOT; CD BOOK 977.3 KOT

Meet unsung heroes and some real characters in this small gem of a book. Kotlowitz takes the reader on a tour of Chicago through vignettes that introduce store owners, labor leaders, social workers, and restaurant owners, among others.

The Encyclopedia of Chicago edited by James R. Grossman, Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff
977.311 ENC; REF 977.311 ENC

This enormous book is great fun to open and peruse – for hours. It contains articles on topics ranging from the obvious (the Chicago fire of 1871, meatpacking, Pullman) to the more obscure (the lager beer riot, boxing, and tuberculosis). The scope of the book includes the Chicago suburbs, each of which has its own article, and to the various ethnic groups that have a presence in Chicago. The One Book, One Batavia selection in 2005.

Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West by William Cronon
973.311 CRO

In a fascinating exploration of links between urban history and the environment, Cronon explores relationships between Chicago and the natural world and how they impacted each other by focusing on such aspects as commodity flows and changes in transportation and distribution from 1848 to 1893. In his prologue, Cronon states that “We cannot understand the urban history of Chicago apart from the natural history of the vast North American region to which it became connected.”

Dog Lover's Companion to Chicago by Margaret Littman
917.7311 LIT

Show Lassie where all the dog-friendly beaches, paths, and motels are in the Chicago area. A comprehensive guide with indexes to restaurants and accommodations. Maps, too!

Chicago Works: A New Collection of Chicago Authors' Best Stories edited by Laurie Levy
813.0108 CHI

A new collection of best short stories by well known Chicago authors. Included are Rosellen Brown and James McManus.

A Theater of Our Own: a History and a Memoir of 1,001 Nights in Chicago by Richard Christiansen
792.0977311 CHR

Anyone who has followed theater in Chicago must be familiar with the writings of Richard Christiansen, because of his reviews of productions from 1957 to 2002 in the Chicago Daily News and then the Chicago Tribune and his recent work as the Tribune’s arts and entertainment editor. His comments about theater during the past five decades when Chicago earned a reputation as one of the “hottest” theater towns in the country, therefore, are especially authoritative. But he also provides fascinating summaries of earlier theater here from the early touring and resident companies in the 1840s and the emergence of Chicago as an important national center for theater during and after the 1890s.

Chicago Painting, 1895-1945: The Bridges Collection
759.173 GRE

The Bridges of Wilmette, Illinois loaned their invaluable collection of art to the Illinois State Library. This catalog comprises the exhibition and displays the artists who made Chicago their home between 1895-1945. Color illustrations, detailed biographies with critical commentary.