#20: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

This book was absolutely astounding. There were moments when reading that I caught myself with eyes wide open and mouth slightly dropped due to the amount of overwhelming information given by the author. I have a lot to say about the book, but I’ll try to keep it short.

First, why did I not learn about the Chicago World’s Fair in school? I have absolutely no recollection of it whatsoever from any history class (and I loved history class!). Because so many prominent events took place in such a small amount of time, it seems like a disservice to not teach it. This book proves that actual events are sometimes more fascinating than even the best fiction. Second, as the story was given of a serial killer during the time of the fair I was reminded that psychopaths (or maybe more appropriate, people with antisocial personality disorder) are really out there. Like in our cities. Killing people. My brain already knew this and my education in mental health has led me to have sympathy, but it is another thing to see unnecessary cruelty played out. Third, I was amazed at how much my life was intertwined in what was written. I had unknowingly visited spots of the fair when I was in Chicago a few summers ago. The landscape designer of the fair also constructed Central park, where I spent last Sunday. And to make matters a little stranger, two of the women killed in the book were from the Dallas/Fort Worth area (a few miles from where I grew up) and the killer took over their land there. All in all, this was a fantastic book. Thanks for the recommendation, Jeremy!