NEVER A CITY SO REAL A Walk in Chicago

In warm tones, the author unfolds his visions and memories of the great city of Chicago, "first settled by people running from failure...America's original pioneer town." In a breezy read full of anecdotes, Kotlowitz is our audio tour guide. Introducing neighborhoods and their denizens, he aims his audio camera for character close-ups and cityscape wide shots. As a reader, his style is much like someone voicing a guest NPR segment. He's clearly not a professional reader, but he's not so hampered by inhibitions that he becomes tedious or cold. The recording might be improved by some local ambient sounds or a sampling of local music and voices to give it more color. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]