"An important and useful study...that is accessible to undergraduates and yet provocative enough to interest the urban scholar."-American Journal of Sociology "This incisive book is a much needed intellectual guide to the underlying social and economic forces that have shaped Chicago and continue to transform the city. I strongly recommend it to scholars and activists who seek to understand Chicago’s urban terrain."-Derek Shearer"Offers a fresh look at the ‘City of Big Shoulders’ by viewing its people and politics from an economic perspective. Of all the books I have read about my city, few have caused me to rethink prevailing social, economic, and political notions about the future of our city-and others-as much as this one."-Clarence E. Page, columnist for the Chicago Tribune
