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Book Recommendation

Book Recommendation

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by: Retired_Engineer Active Indicator LED Icon 13 OP 
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 3:50pm  
I recently finished a book that my son recommended to me.  The title is "The Devil in the White City:  Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Eric Larson.  It blends true historical facts into an interesting story about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and what was probably the first American serial killer. I highly recommend it. The Chicago Fair followed the highly successful Paris World's Fair of 1889.  The Eiffel Tower was debuted during the Paris Fair.   There were so many famous people either
involved in the decision to hold the fair in Chicago (vs New York City
or St Louis), in planning the fair, building the fair, holding exhibits, and in visiting
the fair.  The architects had only TWO years to design and build all of the buildings once the Chicago decision was made.  That fair was also known for many "firsts".... among them: the Ferris Wheel (a huge one), Cracker Jacks, Juicy Fruit gum, etc etc.  It was also the first event to use exterior electric lights extensively.  The serial killer was Herman Webster Mudgett although he used many aliases, particularly  H. H. Holmes.  He charmed women, then killed them for either money, insurance, property, or to sell their skeletons to medical schools.  He opened a "special" hotel for the fair and preyed on innocent, naive young women that traveled to Chicago for either work or the fair.Erik Larson also wrote a book about the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900.  It's title is "Isaac's Storm:  A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History".   I read that book several years ago and really enjoyed it.  4951
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donnatella Active Indicator LED Icon 13 Forum Moderator
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 3:53pm  
I was going to reccommend FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and a few others much like it, but I don't think a guy would appreciate it the way women do.  4951
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calliecat Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 4:51pm  
@Retired_EngineerI read Isaac' s Storm when I was in a book club back at my old neighborhood.  That was a very good book! 4951
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Fallon Active Indicator LED Icon 18
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 4:52pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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Retired_Engineer Active Indicator LED Icon 13 OP 
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 7:17pm  
@Retired_Engineer, you would LOVE The Alienist, by Caleb Carr.  Along these same lines.  Caleb Carr's book is set in NY City.  Carr just rocks at historical fiction.   GREAT book.
 
@Fallon: Thanks for the recommendation!  I will check it out.The two books i mentioned by Erik Larsen are classified as nonfiction.  He does a ton of research to support his books.  He embellishes only some conversations to weave the facts together.
4951
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Stealth83 Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 7:19pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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donnatella Active Indicator LED Icon 13 Forum Moderator
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 7:20pm  

- - - - - - - -
>> I was going to reccommend FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and a few others much like it,
 
@donnatella: I thought that was too tame
 
@Stealth83:
There are others that are similar and very good.
4951
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Stealth83 Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 7:23pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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dmartin529 Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 9 years ago   Aug 18, '14 8:41pm  
If you like historical fiction try any of Steve Berry's books. 4951
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N+T Active Indicator LED Icon 14
~ 9 years ago   Aug 19, '14 4:54pm  
I need a hot romance novel recommendation. One that will get me wet! Thanks. 4951
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Retired_Engineer Active Indicator LED Icon 13 OP 
~ 9 years ago   Aug 19, '14 8:36pm  
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr
 
@Fallon: I ordered this one for my Kindle.  Looks good!  They used different terminology for many things back in that time.  Erik Larson used many such terms in the Devil in White City book.  I'm glad I read it on my Kindle.  I can just put the cursor on a word and it gives you the definition.I've also ordered some books about Frederick Law Olmsted.  He was the designer of the grounds and landscape of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair as well as NY's Central Park, Stanford University grounds, Biltmore and many other impressive locations. He traveled the world by ship and just before the Civil War, he traveled through Texas by horseback and wrote a book about it.  There was an article about him in Sunday's newspaper.  He loved the Hill Country with its neat little German/Bavarian towns.  He had considered staying/living there, but got word that he won the contract to design Central Park.
4951
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