Customer Reviews

Calling the Midwest Home: A Lively Look at the Origins, Attitudes, Quirks, and Curiosities of America's Heartlanders (Calling It Home(r))

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Carolyn Lieberg's tribute to the Midwest is a very enjoyable book. It is primarily a collection of quick facts -- no more than a couple of lines long each -- that will amaze even the life-long Midwesterner (such as myself). It is more than just a list of factoids, though. Liberally scattered throughout the book are letters from real-life Midwestern folks, describing their lives in the central part of the nation. Many times they reminisce about when they were children, often in the early parts of this century. Ms Lieberg also begins each chapter with glowing description and praise of that chapter's topic, and how it is uniquely Midwestern. After reading this book you'll be searching for a recipe for sauerkraut chocolate cake and telling everybody how many Nobel prize winners are from your state, or even your town (if you are lucky enough to live in one of the twelve states covered in the book). If you live outside of the Midwest and want to know more about it, or if you love the Midwest but have relatives who have never been here, or if you know people on "the coasts" who think Midwesterners are just a bunch of rubes, THIS IS THE BOOK TO BUY. The only reasons I didn't give the book a perfect ten (I gave it an 8) were because there are a few errors in the book, and Ms Lieberg's little quips at the end of many of the facts were slightly annoying. But don't let that stop you from enjoying this book!

This book is full of facts, factoids and trivia about the Midwest. It's delightful to read as someone who moved out. I always enjoy coming back to an area where one can fill the gas tank before paying. That's integrity, and we all need more of it. Makes us sleep better at night too.