You Were Never in Chicago

You Were Never in Chicago

by Neil Steinberg

I got Neal this book for Father's Day as an ode to the fact that our son was born in Chicago and Neal's first year of fatherhood was spent here.

After he of course read it first, I borrowed it for myself.

First, I have to say this book turned out to be a great example of why I really firmly believe a book must be finished!

It took me awhile to get the hang of it.

First half: didn't like it.  Second half: ate it up.  

And that's how it goes sometimes!  I'm glad I didn't miss out on it in the end.

So here's the hang of it that I got:

You Were Never in Chicago is a memoir written by a columnist of the Chicago Sun-Times who has worked at the newspaper for over 25 years.  The book is essentially a collection of stories of the unique experiences he had working in the trenches of reporting and writing in Chicago all these years.

  

Steinberg tells you about his run-ins with mobsters, the infamous corruption in Chicago politics, neighborhood living, a bit of his love story, Cubs games and museums and all the Chicago things with his two sons, visiting multitudes of manufacturing plants in Chicago as a reporter, going down the Deep Tunnel to see the underworld of Chicago's water and sewer system, and more.

 I'm used to reading memoirs of authors who I'm drawn to and feel a kinship towards.

Steinberg really isn't my type, but come on.  It's Chicago.  And Chicago is totally my type.