The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways

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Summary: RE-DISCOVER THE GREAT CHICAGO RIVER!
Review: As a native of Chicago I loved this book. I thought I knew all about Chicago's wonderful history, the waterways, the neighborhoods, its colorful past and promising future. Solzman's book reminded me of so much I had forgotten or never knew. As an avid canoeist I felt connected to the river as I travelled "arm chair style" past familiar haunts and intersections. All this from my new home in the hot deserts of Arizona. Thank you David for your wonderful story telling and accurate accounting of Chicago's waterways.

Rating:
Summary: RE-DISCOVER THE GREAT CHICAGO RIVER!
Review: As a native of Chicago I loved this book. I thought I knew all about Chicago's wonderful history, the waterways, the neighborhoods, its colorful past and promising future. Solzman's book reminded me of so much I had forgotten or never knew. As an avid canoeist I felt connected to the river as I travelled "arm chair style" past familiar haunts and intersections. All this from my new home in the hot deserts of Arizona. Thank you David for your wonderful story telling and accurate accounting of Chicago's waterways.

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Summary: A loving and comprehensive tribute to the Chicago River
Review: David Solzman paints a portrait of the Chicago River that glows with vitality. His book is a careful mix of scholarly detail, gorgeous graphics (many photographs were taken by the author), and a resounding voice expressing his love for one of Chicago's natural treasures. Solzman, a professor of geography at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a long-time lover of the Chicago River: "lover" is the significant word here. Solzman knows the River like the back of his hand. Her history, both natural and cultural, is fully detailed here. Her past troubles are dissected, and her future is assessed. Solzman's work for the nonprofit group "Friends of the Chicago River" provides him with the ability to examine what the future of the Chicago River will be. This book makes me want to closely watch and rejoice in the River.

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Summary: A textbook instead of a tour guide
Review: I bought this book before my 2nd time to Chicago. When I read the introduction of the book at Amazon.com, I thought it would be useful as the tour guide to the river tour in Chicago. However, I found it is useless for the travelers who would like to take the ship and enjoy the time on the Chicago River as the scene in 'My Best Friend's Wedding'. This book is good if you are interested in the history, geography, architecture and any other things about the Chicago River. On the other hand, if you want to be a lazy traveler who only wanna enjoy the sights and the atmosphere on the river, just throw this book away and open your eyes to see the beautiful things around.

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Summary: A comprehensive and fascinating guidebook.
Review: The Chicago River is one of the city's most valuable natural resources. Today it's a major attraction in its own right with its riverwalks, restaurants and clubs, housing, and shops. This illustrated guide examines both the physical character and natural history of the river and offers enjoyable river tours for those who wish to explore by foot, canoe, boat or even automobile. Interspersed with quotations, fascinating sidebars, river lore and facts, THE CHICAGO RIVER is the most comprehensive guidebook available on the subject. Photos, maps, and appendixes of river attractions. "Beginning with a quote from Caroline Kirkland, an early Chicago Pioneer (1858) about the region,"..the worst harbor and smallest river any great commercial city lived on," Solzman writes about the geography of Chicago's waterways, the history of each, and guides to getting on and around all of them. Within this deceptively simple outline, readers can immerse themselves in every aspect of the Chicago river and land, so to speak, with maps of how to take the same trips Solzman has been taking for years. All that is needed is a canoe, or a bicycle if the trip is to be made along the paths running parallel to the river, or a reservation with one of the river tours that are listed. Even landlubbers, determined to enjoy the Chicago River only at its banks at a nice table with appropriate food and drink, will find spots listed where they can imbibe and dine, wave to those going by on lake and river tours, or cruising along in private boats. To this reviewer, someone who loves getting on water of any size, it is also the history of the river that makes the book not only interesting but a valuable resource guide to one aspect of Chicago and its wide metropolitan region." --Shirley Blum, THE STAR, 10/29/98