My Kind of Midwest – Omaha to Ohio - Hardcover

Jakle, JA

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1930066872 ISBN 13: 9781930066878

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2009

Synopsis

'Will it play in Peoria?' That question - only half-joking - hovers over everything from politics to television, an acknowledgment that the Midwest is perhaps the most emblematic region of the United States today. Stereotypes both good and bad abound about Midwesterners, but in this incisive yet poignant book, John A. Jakle reveals a rich and telling portrait of the contemporary Midwest and its people.In engaging prose, Jakle interweaves stories of his childhood and adult life in the Midwest with a look at the region's geographic and cultural history. "My Kind of Midwest" reveals that the region is more than just a group of 'flyover states,' as Jakle tells an engaging narrative that recounts his youthful explorations of the flourishing cities of Detroit and Chicago in the 1940s; the rapid growth and importance of gateway cities such as Omaha, Kansas City, and Cincinnati along the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers; and the integral role of tourism to Midwestern states' economies.An intimate and compelling narrative of one man's connection to the American landscape, "My Kind of Midwest" will be essential reading for all those with ties to the heartland.

About this title

Review:

As someone whose age, regional background, and professional interests are similar to the author s, "My Kind of Midwest" was somewhat eerie to read. Move the setting a few hundred miles west and Jakle s life seems to be mine even down to the part about two daughters. Jakle has captured his (and my) home place well, and all of his arguments and observations ring absolutely true. The book is both warm and wise. --James R. Shortridge, University of Kansas" "My Kind of Midwest" is an original take on a uniquely American region. I can think of no other book with which it compares. Jakle not only describes the essence of the Midwest as a place informed by his own life experiences, but he also explains how human geography can effectively evoke the reality of a region as large and complex as the Midwest. --Karl Raitz, University of Kentucky" "As someone whose age, regional background, and professional interests are similar to the author's, "My Kind of Midwest" was somewhat eerie to read. Move the setting a few hundred miles west and Jakle's life seems to be mine--even down to the part about two daughters. Jakle has captured his (and my) home place well, and all of his arguments and observations ring absolutely true. The book is both warm and wise." --James R. Shortridge, University of Kansas ""My Kind of Midwest" is an original take on a uniquely American region. I can think of no other book with which it compares. Jakle not only describes the essence of the Midwest as a place informed by his own life experiences, but he also explains how human geography can effectively evoke the reality of a region as large and complex as the Midwest." --Karl Raitz, University of Kentucky

About the Author:

John A. Jakle taught for more than thirty years in the departments of geography and landscape architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author or coauthor of a dozen books, including the award-winning Motoring: The Highway Experience in America and City Lights: Illuminating the American Night.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1930066872
• ISBN 13: 9781930066878
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128