'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.
- ISBN10 1930066872
- ISBN13 9781930066878
- Publish Date 1 March 2009
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 15 June 2015
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Center for American Places,US
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 128
- Language English