Did you know Chicago is home to absolute scads of wonderful authors? We here at The Book Cellar love supporting local, and here you can find books written by your fellow Chicagoans in addition to titles that'll teach you The Windy City has a richer history than you'd even guess!
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Chicago Books!
Jason Palmer loved being a soldier. But after returning from Iraq with an "other than honorable" discharge, he's finding that rebuilding his life is his toughest battle yet.
Elena Cruz is the first woman to make Chicago's prestigious Gang Intelligence Unit. A fearless cop, she's ready for any challenge...until Jason Palmer's brother, a prominent community activist on the South Side, is murdered--in front of his son.
Now Jason and Elena are caught in a conspiracy stretching from the darkest alleys of the ghetto to the manicured lawns of the city's power brokers. In a world where corruption and violence are simply the cost of doing business, the two of them are all that stand between an innocent child--and the killers that hunt him.
Home from Iraq and still reeling from his discharge, Jason Palmer plans to spend the summer drinking too much and chasing girls. But when his brother is brutally murdered, Jason is all that stands between his eight-year-old nephew and a pair of ruthless killers with a mysterious agenda.
Celebrates one of Chicago's most beautiful and venerated landmarks.
The life stories of eight working-class militants railroaded to prison or the gallows for the 1886 Haymarket bombing in Chicago. Written from prison, these accounts present a living portrait of the labor movement of the time, as well as the lives and ideas of these fighters for workers' rights.
A highly original inside look at how vision becomes reality in constructing the modern urban landscape.
Building a skyscraper requires more than steel and concrete--it takes a wide array of people, each with their particular skills. In Autobiography of a Skyscraper, legendary developer Francis Greenburger offers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the construction of Chicago's 1000M tower, describing the way almost 1,000 people--from concrete workers to concierges, architects to investors--transformed an empty lot into a 74-story landmark.
"Real estate isn't about property; it's about people," Greenburger reflects in this book that, throughout, underscores his point. This is the story of an Italian immigrant who bet his family's entire inheritance on a hole in the ground; of window installers dancing on narrow ledges 800 feet above Michigan Avenue; of a chief concierge managing a community of 700 residents across 80,000 square feet of amenities; and of the safety manager who "babysits grown men" to keep them safe hundreds of feet in the air. These and dozens more stories turn the spotlight on the extraordinary people who brought 1000M to life and keep it running today.
The story unfolds with cinematic scope--helicopter shoots for marketing renderings, midnight crane installations, the delicate negotiation of moving a 5,000-pound marble sculpture through a lobby before the revolving doors are installed. Yet it never loses sight of the human scale: the leasing agent explaining why closet space matters more than square footage, the chief engineer worried about scuff marks on hand-applied Venetian plaster, the resident finding inner peace playing Bach on the communal grand piano.
Autobiography of a Skyscraper arrives at a moment when cities worldwide are grappling with questions of growth, community, and what it means to build for the future. Through the lens of one remarkable building, Greenburger and Paley have created both a paean to the collaborative spirit of urban creation and an intimate portrait of how, against all odds, a vision can become reality.
Chicago gets the Avant-Guide treatment in this eye-opening exposé of the city's hip and hidden attractions. With razor-sharp editorial focus, this book breaks fresh ground by way of new discoveries and authoritative reports on stylish hotels, the latest restaurants, unique shops, and the best nightspots. Among the suggested lodging and itinerary options are hip boutique hotels like the Hotel 7 on Wacker Drive, Lula Café, a hot new style-spot with a deliciously eclectic menu nestled in beautiful Logan Square, and a ride on an "architectour" boat down the Chicago River. Later, you can check out the jet-set new boutiques along the Miracle Mile, followed by a visit to Foodlife, a bustling new restaurant bursting with singles, couples, and young urban families. After sunset, head over to Tomboy, a lofty lounge on Randolph Street that serves over 100 wines by the glass. Then arrive at the kitschy Club Foot just before midnight and take a whirl on the floor of this tremendously fun nod to new wave and glam rock. And that's just day one.
Walter Roth delves deep into the archives of Chicago's Jewish past, and provides a new collection of illuminating essays on its various aspects. Booklist said of his previous collection, Looking Backward: True Stories from Chicago's Jewish Past, 'Roth writes about the well-known and the not-so-well-known, bringing to life the peOut of Printle, events and institutions that shaped the Jewish community." Roth is also co-author of An Accidental Anarchist, about the killing of a Jewish immigrant by Chicago's Chief of Police in 1908. Kirkus Reviews said, "The authors have skillfully removed the dust from an obscure but troubling episode." Roth brings his consummate skill as storyteller to bear on this new collection, which makes for entertaining and informative reading.
Home to Chicago's Polish Village, impressive examples of architecture, and the legendary Olson Waterfall, Avondale is often called the neighborhood that built Chicago.
Images of America: Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village sheds light on the little known history of the community, including its fascinating industrial past. From its beginnings as a sleepy subdivision started by a Michigan senator, it became a cultural mecca for Chicago's Polish community, playing a crucial role in Poland's struggles for independence. Many people from all over the world also called Avondale home, such as Scottish proprietors, African American freedmen, Irish activists, Swedish shopkeepers, German tradesmen, Jewish merchants, Filipino laborers, and Italian entrepreneurs; a diversity further enriched as many from the former Soviet Bloc and Latin America settled here. Avondale would be unrecognizable today from its humble origins, but the strong sense of community these neighbors have will never change.
Visit the Back of the Yards neighborhood and setting for Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.
The Back of the Yards neighborhood, located in back of the Union Stockyards and composed of Packingtown, Town of Lake, and New City, was the setting of Upton Sinclair's classic 1906 novel, The Jungle. Permeated by an unforgettable smell, Back of the Yards was a melting pot of immigrants, many who worked in the stockyards. In 1894, Mary McDowell started the University of Chicago Settlement House in Back of the Yards. She improved living conditions and in 1905 helped create Davis Square Park. The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council was founded in 1939 by Joseph Meegan, Saul Alinsky, and Bishop Bernard Sheil and is America's oldest not for profit community based organization. It consisted of 185 delegate organizations involving residents, business owners, churches, parks, schools, and social clubs that worked to advocate improvements. The council motto continues on as We the people will work out our own destiny. Relive the bustling activity and the lives of the people in the neighborhood through the historic images in Back of the Yards.
BACKYARD BIRDS IS AN EXCITING SERIES of books that explores the top twenty-five backyard birds most commonly found in each state. It includes a profiled size scale that allows the reader to quickly identify the correct bird, and each bird entry is accompanied by a stunning color photograph and specific description, including identification marks, behavior, habitat, and nesting style-even the song the bird makes! As an added feature, author Bill Fenimore also provides expert tips for building the ultimate backyard bird sanctuary, from creating birdbaths and planting proper foliage to offering a bird's favorite foods.
Fenimore was awarded the Ludlow Griscom Award, the American Birding Association's highest honor.
Bird-watching is one of the most popular activities in the United States, with approximately fifty-one million bird-watchers nationwide.
Bird-watching is a $6 million business.
More than $400 million is spent each year on bird-related magazines and books.
The series will soon include all fifty states.
Author is a franchisee of Wild Bird Center, which has more than eighty locations in twenty-nine states.
Get to know birds by ear with this engaging, one-of-a-kind book. Discover seventy-five unique species from Eastern and Central North America as you enjoy their sounds at the touch of a button-reproduced in high quality on the attached digital audio module-while reading vivid descriptions of their songs, calls, and related behaviors. Learn what Black-capped Chickadees are thinking as they give their unmistakable namesake call, or find out why many songbirds have dialects that vary from region to region. Complete with up-to-date range maps and more than 130 sounds provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's world-renowned Macaulay Library, as well as exquisite illustrations of each species, The Backyard Birdsong Guide will resonate with beginners and experts alike.
The coolest lounges and the wildest bar scenes are identified in this guide to the best bars in town. This convenient deck of 52 cards is the ideal way to pinpoint the perfect location for a quiet conversation over a glass of wine, a gathering of friends for a couple of beers, or an epic night of celebration. The Windy City has all the great makings of a bar fly's heaven on earth with a variety of establishments from classic neighborhood taverns and musical showcases to the latest in gastropubs and hipster clubs. Whether sampling a world of great beer at the Map Room, celebrating biker culture at Handlebar, or venturing back in time to the world of Al Capone and great jazz at the Green Mill, this guide offers many an opportunity to raise a glass early and often.
A harrowing, hilarious memoir about fixing up an old house in the city and pursuing the urban version of the American Dream. From the longtime editor of the aStraight Dope.a
In 1993, after more people had fled Chicago for the suburbs than in any other city in America, Ed Zotti and his wife, Mary, chose not only to stay but to gamble their future fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood on Chicagoas North Side.
Two doors up from a murder/arson scene and across the alley from a former drive- up drug mart, the Barn House (as the Zottisa unimpressed daughter dubbed it) was a rehabberas nightmare. Ed and his family had to contend not just with collapsed ceilings and shorted-out wiring but burglars, gunshots, and the trumpet-playing homeless guy in the basement.
But THE BARN HOUSE is more than just the story of a home-renovation project from hell. Ultimately it's a celebration of cities, chronicling not just a house but a decaying town come back to life. Along the way Ed offers some shrewd observations about gentrification, urban decline and revival, and what it means to be a city guy. His book is timely and a great read and will appeal to anyone with a soft spot for old houses or old towns.
In 1993, after more people had fled Chicago for the suburbs than in any other city in America, Ed Zotti and his wife, Mary, chose not only to stay but to gamble their future fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood on Chicagoas North Side.
Two doors up from a murder/arson scene and across the alley from a former drive- up drug mart, the Barn House (as the Zottisa unimpressed daughter dubbed it) was a rehabberas nightmare. Ed and his family had to contend not just with collapsed ceilings and shorted-out wiring but burglars, gunshots, and the trumpet-playing homeless guy in the basement.
But THE BARN HOUSE is more than just the story of a home-renovation project from hell. Ultimately it's a celebration of cities, chronicling not just a house but a decaying town come back to life. Along the way Ed offers some shrewd observations about gentrification, urban decline and revival, and what it means to be a city guy. His book is timely and a great read and will appeal to anyone with a soft spot for old houses or old towns.
A rollicking yarn about a home-improvement project that took a man and his family to hell and back. In 1993, after Chicago lost many of its residents to the suburbs, Ed Zotti and his family gambled their future by fixing up a dilapidated Victorian home in a dicey neighborhood. Where most saw a shabby façade, the Zottis saw promise?even when it dragged and drained every resource. ?The Barn House? had a collapsed ceiling, wiring that shorted, and oak floors painted red, white, and blue. Unsettling discoveries included a box of .38 caliber bullets?with five missing?and the mere fact that the house was built on a bed of sand. Alternately harrowing and hilarious, this is a classic account of one family's private urban renewal project, featuring burglars, irate neighbors, and a lively cast of workers. From its grim beginning to its unexpected outcome, The Barn House is the inspiring story of what it means to live (and totally rewire) the American Dream.
As a state abounding with broad farmlands, Illinois has depended heavily on its barns. At once imposing and humble, the barns of Illinois are much more than simply a place to store equipment and livestock. As gathering places for friends and family, they have become focal points of local communities, an enduring link between the present day and the traditions of the past. With these iconic structures as our guideposts, we find our way across the open landscape of the geography and history of the Midwest.
In this magnificent new collection, renowned photographer Larry Kanfer documents the diversity of barns throughout the Prairie State, from weathered, abandoned shelters in the countryside to proudly well-preserved landmarks featured in barn tours and even Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Kanfer presents barns from every angle, inside and out, from a distance and up close, to capture the many reasons why they fascinate, inspire, and reassure.
With engaging prose, Alaina Kanfer recounts the histories of many of the barns featured, revealing each barn's unique character and tracing its distinctive imprint on the land and on people's lives. While many of the buildings continue to function within family farms for storage and shelter, others have been rescued and restored and put to a wide array of new uses, such as schools and gymnasiums in Kane and Effingham Counties, an animal rescue organization in McLean County, a winery in St. Clair County, and workshops in Sangamon and Union Counties.
With more than one hundred full color photographs of dozens of barns from across the state, Barns of Illinois presents these proud emblems of the heartland as never before--a unique chronicle of a state and its evolving way of life.
The Village of Bartlett got its official start on February 11, 1891 when the petition for incorporation was filed in Springfield, Illinois. Beginning with the fledgling Village that existed at the turn of the century and continuing through Bartlett's coming of age in the mid-1960s, Bartlett: Our Past and Our Progress chronicles the emergence of a community that has grown to epitomize the all-American town. This historical walk through Bartlett includes more than 200 images that portray many of the area's important firsts, as well as its ongoing traditions. It features photographs of significant local landmarks such as the first train depot, Immanuel United Church of Christ, Bartlett Grade School, and most importantly, many wonderful pictures of its residents--past and present. Residents have generously shared their photos and recollections with the Bartlett History Museum in order to tell the story of their hometown.