Yes! Actually, the building that houses the Museum of Science and Industry is housed inside one of the buildings that was done for the fair. They have an exhibit called “Yesterday’s Main Street” that captures that era’s storefronts and cobblestones. It’s got an ice cream shop and a silent movie theater and might be my favorite place on the planet. (Which, honestly, after learning its association with this book makes me look at the story through rose colored glasses…)

The architectural stuff was interesting! I liked reading about how Frederick Olmsted was trying to get everything sorted out, but the other people on the project were slowing him up and he was like, BUT MY LANDSCAPE!

Indeed? Painful how? Badly written? Boring? The facts were wrong?

Yes! Exactly! My coworker who won’t join book club can be sort of dogmatic, although he is nice mostly.

Also yes to the “supposed purveyor of facts” remark. Very cutting epithet! And true. If they will make up stuff about the weather how can I trust them about anything else?

I tried to find a GIF for it but WordPress freaked out and I gave up after minimal effort was expended. I was going to put a GIF of Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec. Oh well.

Hahahaha. I like my book club! I didn’t mean to decry my book club. I like it and I’m happy I’m in it.

Ooo, excellent point. I said at book club that it seemed like he had the material for two unrelated but interesting articles, and put them together and spun them out a lot to make a book.

I would strive to be a benevolent dictator! :p