The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

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Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe

Book Description

Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America’s place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

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In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson, author of Isaac's Storm, tells the spellbinding true story of two men, an architect and a serial killer, whose fates were linked by the greatest fair in American history: the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, nicknamed "The White City."

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America's rush toward the twentieth century.

The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country's most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C.

The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his "World's Fair Hotel" just west of the fairgrounds -- a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium.

Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.

The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book, the smoke, romance and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before.

Erik Larson's gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.

"Engrossing... exceedingly well documented... utterly fascinating."
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"A dynamic, enveloping book.... Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramtic effect of a novel.... It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES

"So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already."
   ESQUIRE

"Another successful exploration of American history.... Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair."
   USA TODAY

"As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find."
   SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come."
   ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"A wonderfully unexpected book... Larson is a historian... with a novelist's soul."
   CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting.......2007-10-01

The book goes into more detail than what I care for, but it is very very interesting in everything you learn about American History

Amazing.......2007-09-29

Belonging to a book club for several years, we all agreed this book rated as one of our top ten books. Not only was it historically accurate but it was written in a style that captivated the reader with a serial killer on the loose and a race against time to accomplish an almost impossible feat. A book to be read and reread.

discover your darker side.......2007-09-26

i read the book in less than a week - fascinating descriptions, great narrative, etc! this book is beyond fiction..

i especially enjoyed the description of chicago at the height of the "gilded age" and the workings of burnham, olmstead and others involved in the design/architecture and execution of the "white city" - i can't imagine anything of this scale happening in the current social and economic environments and its a pleasure to read about it

but more than anything, i looked forward to the holmes ("the devil") chapters. i'm not much of a rubber-necker, and this book provided me a first-hand experience in fascination-by-destruction. wow!!

So fantastic a tale, you won't believe it's true.......2007-09-24

Chicago, 1893: One of the best and worst years of the city's existence. On the one hand, it was the year of the World's Fair, when Chicago proved its worth to the world, and American culture was changed forever; on the other hand, it was the year of Dr. H. H. Holmes, a charmingly handsome young man who turned out to be one of the country's most sadistic serial killers. Larson tells the tales of Daniel Burnham, the architect behind the construction of the Fair, and Holmes, the evil mastermind who used the fair to satisfy his bloodlust. These two men, who never met, were intricately linked, and their story reads like the best of suspense fiction.

Larson's research is meticulous; his insight into a psychopathic mind is downright chilling. For most of the book he alternates chapters--here, Burnham; there, Holmes; and back and forth. He slips interesting facts into the mix, in just the right proportions to keep readers amused (who knew shredded wheat would stand the test of time?), while in other places hitting you with gut-wrenching facts that will encourage you to do further research on your own. Why Holmes isn't as well known as Dahmer or Bundy, we may never know; and why Burnham is oft-forgotten, while Frank Lloyd Wright (who, yes, has ties to the Fair) is a household name, remains a puzzling mystery. But thankfully, Erik Larson remembered, and wrote this engrossing, fact-drenched thriller about it. This is a tale so amazing, it'll have you doubting its veracity. But, have no fear--or, yes, be very afraid--this is a true story of human triumph, evil, and the forceful will that we call "humanity."

Two Stories in One.......2007-09-21

Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, tells the incredible story of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago: the fight to hold it in Chicago; the drive to out-do the previous French-held World's Fair; the desire to garner world admiration and respect not only for the U.S., but specifically for Chicago; the personalities involved in the planning, design and execution of this monumental feat. It also told of Herman Webster Mudgett, an especially prolific serial killer who preyed on the scores of women (and others) who came to Chicago during this time for work, excitement and independence. I take it this is the "devil" in the title, but that "devil" could also refer to the Fair itself and its genesis, i.e., the devil is in the details.

I really enjoyed this book because it enlightened me about an event and an era about which I knew very little. The story of the Fair, this amazing idea-made-reality, was, especially when time was short and things didn't look too promising for a successful opening, an act of sheer will and of sterling minds over matter to make it happen. The book was also about this horrendous sociopath who took advantage of the environment of the times and of the Fair, to satisfy his diabolical urges. I found this aspect of the story compelling as well...but thought they were two distinct stories which would have been better told as separate, i.e., in different books. Minor matter - it's very much worth the read. And I now know the origin of the Ferris Wheel.

Readings in True and Fair (Routledge New Works in Accounting History)

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Readings in True and Fair (Routledge New Works in Accounting History)
R. H. Parker
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Performance Improvement: Making it Happen provides the tools necessary for understanding and measuring performance, and how to improve it. It offers a comprehensive, practical approach to diagnostic performance problems and their causes More importantly, it gives the tools and methods for achieving major performance improvement in individuals, teams, and organizations.. Approximately 30 cases, integrated into the text, illustrate major points. The reader will understand how to diagnose and improve performance in any organization or team. Any business - large or small, profit or not-for-profit, government or private - will benefit from the techniques found in this book.

Customer Reviews:

Practical tips for improving performance.......2000-08-01

This book explains various theories of performance improvement and ties theses theories to practical actions that managers can take to improve performance within their organization. This book could be used a textbook, but what I find appealing is that it is also a manager's guidebook. The connection between theory and practice is very useful and helps clarify the theoretical. The examples that Enos uses in the book include both successes and failures. This allows managers to benefit from the good things that others have tried as well as to avoid the problems that others have encountered. This is a useful book.

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1994 supplement to Materials on legislation: Political language and the political process (University casebook series)

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1994 supplement to Materials on legislation: Political language and the political process (University casebook series)
William D Popkin
Manufacturer: Foundation Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Materials on Legislation, Political Language and the Political Process, 4th ed (University Casebook)

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Materials on Legislation, Political Language and the Political Process, 4th ed (University Casebook)
William D. Popkin
Manufacturer: Foundation Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reference | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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"Molecules," Philip Ball writes, "are the smallest units of meaning in chemistry," the words, if you will, made up of atomic letters. In this lively essay, full of such useful metaphors, Ball shares his longstanding fascination with the unseen world once again, explaining some of the issues that guide modern biochemistry.

Consider a sheep, Ball offers, a congeries of "millions of little bits of sheepness." That animal is a blend of molecules, tens of thousands of varieties of them, many of them found in the grass, sky, and water that make up the sheep's environment, many of them shared with other animals and humans. It has been the task of modern chemistry to dissect matter, to tease out underlying structures and commonalities--and, Ball adds, to learn how to make of its constituent elements things that do things, "such as cure viral infections or store information or hold bridges together." How chemistry has done so, making body armor of spider silk and modeling computer networks on "molecular logic," drives Ball's discursive, entertaining, and eminently practical survey.

A trustworthy explainer of scientific matters to lay readers, Ball writes with clarity and grace--and the more difficult the concept, the better he gets. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

What are things made of? 'Everything is composed of small molecules of itself, and they are flying around in concentric circles and arcs and segments,' explains Sergeant Fottrell in Flann O'Brien's The Dalkey Archive. Philip Ball shows that the world of the molecule is indeed a dynamic place. Using the chemistry of life as a springboard, he provides a new perspective on modern chemical science as a whole. Living cells are full of molecules in motion, communication, cooperation, and competition. Molecular scientists are now starting to capture the same dynamism in synthetic molecular systems, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the new century.

Customer Reviews:

Enthralling book.......2004-06-10

I had a hard time keeping the book down till I finished it.
It is written on the same lines as Scientific American,
New Scientist, and Nature (from which it draws heavily).

Recommended for anyone who wants to find out what protien
folding/nano tech, is all about. The next book to folow up
would be Nature's Robots.

- Mosh http://www.cs.albany.edu/~mosh

Another great science read from Philip Ball.......2003-08-15

Ball does a great job of leading the reader from a non science background into the scientific with easy use of lyric and literature. The illustrations help to make the biochemistry vivid, and easy to understand. Ball's prose is clear and informative, while avoiding the dry lecturing tone of many text books. Toss the text and read this.

too dry.......2003-06-21

Most readers with an interest in
science will be familiar with the
ground covered here. Unfortunately
the style tends to be too often dry
and flat - almost like a textbook.

too dry.......2003-06-21

Most readers with an interest in
science will be familiar with the
ground covered here. Unfortunately
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and flat - almost like a textbook.

Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of the Molecules.......2002-10-21

Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules written by Philip Ball is about chemistry, but to be more specific, a blend of biochemistry, bioelectricity, molecular biology, molecular chemistry.

This book trys, as the author stated, to give chemistry a better overall picture, but the boundries are becouming blurred, even more so when you explain molecular organic chemistry. Now, reading this book, doesn't require a degree in any of these disciplines, but a good grasp of scientific principles helps.

The narrative is easily read and is not difficult to read as the author relates to the reader what is happening in industry today. As more and more of the interworkings are understood in molecular chemistry, mankind should be reaping the benefits, making our lives easiler, and making better products. What I fould to be the most intriguing is a molecular chemical computer more on the order of the human brain.

Life in the next one hundred years will be very different than life was in the last one hundred years and mankind harnessing the molecules of life will be on the forefront. Nanothechnology is another field addressed in the book. As the author makes a good point, if we can find the tools to manipulate this technology, we pretty much can control everything.

All of the subjects within this book are invisible, but with tunneling microscopy, electron microscope, and other tool of the trade, making what was once unseen, now visible. Along with the authors hand drawn art illustrates the point quite well at times. I found the book readable with the caveat... you must have some science orientation.

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Stories of the Invisible : A Guided Tour of Molecules
Philip Ball
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKCD8S

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Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules
Philip Ball
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: B000OK9WWS

Book Description

This study is a careful and refreshing evaluation of the long-held views of Darwinism and Neo-Darwinism and the views of those who consider "punctuated equilibrium" to be the best explanation of the existing world of living beings. Darwinists and Neo-Darwinists hold that organisms are able to respond to only minor fluctuations in their environment. This view has come under increasing criticism, in large part because there is no evidence for gradualism in the fossil record.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2001-12-08

This book takes an in-depth lookat genetic variation found in nature. The authors examine the evidence from all the different sides, compare the different theories on the issue, e.g, Darwinism, Punctuated Equilbrium, and Creation. I have read books and articles on this subject from Mayr, Gould, Stanley, Mendel, and others. This book ranks right up there in quality. Moreover it is even better in same cases as it doesn't push its dogma down your throat like some others do, but allows the reader to make up his own mind.

Take a look at this book if you have ever had any questions about speciation or biological variaiton. You may find this book hard to get a hold of but it is well worth it. Definite 5 star book.

Good book, very technical.......1998-09-07

This book was a good defense against both Darwinism and punctuated equilibrium. This was the first book I read on the subject of evolution, and although it was a bit technical, it was very explanatory. It is a good book to give to your biology professor or someone who wants a good defense of creationism without unscientific remarks. It was written by two very qualified doctorates in biology and genetics. I would like to see an evolutionist try and analyze this book for its "unscientific" behavior, which many evolutionists claim against creationists.

The Natural Limits to Biological Change: Life Sciences Series

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The Natural Limits to Biological Change: Life Sciences Series
Lane P; Bohlin, Raymond G Lester
Manufacturer: Zondervan Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description

Presidential Premonitions is about a cowboy bumpking trucker who, by a strange quirk of fate, is elected to the Presidency of the United States. He does everything cowboy style using his 'good ol' common horse sense' which no one around the DC area seems to have. His greatest attribute is his undying determination to make things 'more better' for the people. The well-educated hifalooting intellectuals of the DC crowd do not quite know how to cope with him. See how this inexperienced, ill-equipped, simple-minded trucker turns DC upside down.

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