My kind of Midwest
Subtitle: Omaha to Ohio
By: John A. Jakle.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Center for American Places at Columbia College Chicago; Center for American Places
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Chicago, Ill
Language: eng
Number of pages: 128
ISBN-13: 9781930066878
Subjects: Jakle, John A. -- Travel -- Middle West; Regionalism -- Middle West; Group identity -- Middle West; Middle West -- Description and travel; Middle West -- Geography; Middle West -- Social life and customs -- Anecdotes; Middle West -- Biography
Genres: Anecdotes.; Biography.
Description: ""Will it play in Peoria?" That question-only half-joking-hovers over everything from politics to television, an acknowledgment that the Midwest is to many the most emblematic region of the United States today. Stereotypes both good and bad abound about Midwesterners, but, in this incisive yet poignant narrative, John Jakie reveals a rich and telling portrait of the contemporary Midwest and its people. In engaging prose that is supplemented by a captivating gallery of photographs and postcards, Jakie chronicles his life in the Midwest, from childhood to his current professional life. Interweaving the personal 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:' Jakie tells an engaging story that recounts his youthful explorations of the flourishing cities of Detroit and Chicago; 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. He also explores how the study of human geography enhances our ability to understand any place or region." "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."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: The Midwest is my kind of place; title: Gallery : the Midwest in pictures; title: A Hoosier holiday; title: Some family history of my own; title: Travel as a learning experience; title: Travel and beyond; title: A geographer in the Midwest; title: The Midwest as a region; title: Rethinking the Midwest.