The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia
"Although the essence of a place can never be definitively captured—even in a work stretching to almost two thousand pages—this ambitious publication productively engages the question." —South Dakota History, Vol. 37, No. 2"This ambitious volume, the culmination of nearly ten years of effort by hundreds of scholars... [presents] a comprehensive and scholarly treatment of its subject while at the same time challenging the reader's expectations of what an encyclopedia should be." —Ohio History, Spring 2008, Vol. 115"A collection of provocative readings that may inspire further research." —Choice"[A] welcome and instructive volume, which treats the vernacular Midwest... as a coherent and unified region." —Indiana Magazine of History"Best suited for browsing or targeted searches via the excellent index, this essential encyclopedia is suitable for patrons of all public and academic libraries." —Julienne L. Wood, American Reference Books Annual Vol. 39"This book is an essential text for all Midwestern libraries.... Middle-American people, landscapes, and culture all stand to benefit from this weighty work of scholarship, as it provides us with a holistic guide for understanding ourselves, our neighbors, our regional landscape, and our place on the national stage." —Ohioana Quarterly, Summer 2007"Spanning 1,890 pages and weighing in at 8 pounds, the encyclopedia is a lot like its subject: big, brawny, hardworking, plainspoken, and yes, far more interesting and outrageous than you ever imagined." —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 5, 2007"Any way you look at it, The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia is impressive." —Minnesota History"What geography can give all Middle Westerners along with the fresh water and topsoil, if they let it, is awe for an Edenic continent stretching forever in all directions. Makes you religious. Takes your breath away." —Kurt Vonnegut"At 1,800 oversized pages, brimming with hundreds of lively essays on every imaginable Midwestern subject, it's an autodidact's delight, and a great addition to any serious reader's library." —Northern Ohio Live, December 1, 2007"Best suited for browsing or targeting searches via the excellent index, this essential encyclopedia is suitable for patrons of all public and academic libraries." —Julienne L. Wood, American Reference Books Annual Vol. 39, 2008"The American Midwest was a tremendous undertaking, and the final product is a well-balanced and extremely useful volume for scholars, researchers, and casual readers interested in learning more about all aspects of midwestern geography, history, and culture." —Michigan Historical Review, Spring 2008, Vol. 34, No. 1"No matter what I write I begin there." —Toni Morrison"You'll close this new book and start spouting fascinating—and even useful—facts to your friends long before you realize that." —Trevor Meers, Midwest Living"Unlike some state and regional encyclopedias, which seem to inundate the reader with facts and figures but never really relay a feel for their subject, this one was clearly created with the aim of endowing the reader with a sense of the American Midwest and its people.... This encyclopedia also gets kudos for one of the most comprehensive sections on labor- and class-related issues that it has been my pleasure to read..." —