Book Pick: The Third Coast: When Chicago Built The American Dream, by Thomas Dyja. The Penguin Press, 2013

Chicago may long be known as the Second City, a dig on its trailing The Big Apple's big status as US city No. 1, but Dyja's calling Chicago between WWII and 1960 the Third Coast is pure complement. Dyja details the enormous innovation that emanated from Chicago in most cultural endeavors suc...h as architecture, science, politics, television, music, education and literature which allowed Chicago to outshine such innovation from either the east or west coasts: hence the name Third Coast. As a lifelong Chicagoan and amateur historian, I thought I knew the Chicago story till I picked up this tome. Dyja seamlessly interweaves dozens of stories supporting his thesis throughout this 412 page valentine to That Toddlin' Town. Chicago still may not be ready for reform, but recognition of its influence on the American Century has finally been chronicled