Rating: 
Summary: "First Nature" and "Second Nature"
Review: "Nature's Metropolis" is first, and foremost a naartive about the rise of Chicago in the 19th century. Being very similar in tone to the author's first book "Changes in the Land" (1983). Cronon seeks to establish in "Nature's Metropolis" that any understanding of the American west can not truly be comprehended unless one looks at the dominant role that Chicago played in ordering the landscape between the Great Lakes and the Rocky Mountains. By arguing that the two (city and countryside) are linked, Cronon is directly refuting the Frontier Thesis of Fredick jackson Turner - which held that the frontier (countryside) existed in isolation of the city. This is then the major premise of the book; that human actions are very much determined by the landscape.In building his case Cronon presents some excellent case studies of the Rail+Canal, wheat, forestry and meat packing industries in Chicago, and how they helped to turn the city into a first-rank metropolitan centre. Chapter #3 on wheat is especially interesting as Cronon describes how the Board of Trade revolutionized the exchange of grain by turning the physical crop into an abstract commodity that could be easily traded amongst merchants, traders and farmers. Central to this was of course the implementation of a standardized grading system. A final note, one of the more intriguing aspects of the book was Cronon's use of the terms "first" and "second nature". These are two concepts which he explains in the preface are derived from Hegelian and Marxist interpretations of nature - yet he does not give the reader too much more of an insight. Essentially, "first nature" is a realm where species (be they plant, animal, human) succeeded and failed mainly because of circumstances encountered within their immediate habitats. "Second nature" (such as a city like Chicago and all of its built-up environs) would put economic pressures on species hundreds of miles away - effectively altering the landscapes of these places. Unfortunately, in discussions about Cronon's book these two concepts do not really generate much debate. I find them to be very fascinating and wish they had been better explained in the book. If you too are intersted in these concepts of "first" and "second nature" I think the recent book by Steven Stoll "The Fruits of Natural Advantage" (1998) would be a good place to start - it is next up on my reading list!
Rating: 
Summary: Solid on Both Facts and Theory
Review: Been dying to read this book for at least six months. Finally found it at a used book store for six bucks! Huzzah! Having now read the book, I probably would have shelled out for it new or used at the 10+ bucks it commands here on Amazon. The 18 reviews below indicates that this is a fairly popular work. That's more then three times the reviews of the other history books I've checked out on Amazon. Since the other reviews are substantial, I won't comment much, except to say that while several reviewers have commented on the role of "first" and "second" nature in this book, I didn't see anybody mentioning his use of "Central Place Theory", which was apparently developed by German theorists in the 1800's. He also doesn't discuss Lewis Mumford at all, even though he cites to that author in the bibliography. I thought this book made an interesting contrast with "Imperial San Francisco", another book about the development of a western city. I was hoping Cronon would include more information about the "flow of capital" between Chicago and the FAR west, rather then focusing so intently on Chicago's immediate hinterland. Cronon chose to focus on a description of the processes which led to the creation of Chicago. It might have been interesting to look at the ways in which the interests of wealthy individuals tracked across various industries and time. A point made in "Industrial San Francisco" was that the oligarch's who made money in mining gradually "cleansed" their money through the purchase of utilities and media firms(newspapers). Did something similar occur in Chicago? I suspect so, but Cronon's treatment of the newspaper/media industry is largely descriptive.
Rating:
Summary: Solid on Both Facts and Theory
Review: Been dying to read this book for at least six months. Finally found it at a used book store for six bucks! Huzzah! Having now read the book, I probably would have shelled out for it new or used at the 10+ bucks it commands here on Amazon. The 18 reviews below indicates that this is a fairly popular work. That's more then three times the reviews of the other history books I've checked out on Amazon. Since the other reviews are substantial, I won't comment much, except to say that while several reviewers have commented on the role of "first" and "second" nature in this book, I didn't see anybody mentioning his use of "Central Place Theory", which was apparently developed by German theorists in the 1800's. He also doesn't discuss Lewis Mumford at all, even though he cites to that author in the bibliography. I thought this book made an interesting contrast with "Imperial San Francisco", another book about the development of a western city. I was hoping Cronon would include more information about the "flow of capital" between Chicago and the FAR west, rather then focusing so intently on Chicago's immediate hinterland. Cronon chose to focus on a description of the processes which led to the creation of Chicago. It might have been interesting to look at the ways in which the interests of wealthy individuals tracked across various industries and time. A point made in "Industrial San Francisco" was that the oligarch's who made money in mining gradually "cleansed" their money through the purchase of utilities and media firms(newspapers). Did something similar occur in Chicago? I suspect so, but Cronon's treatment of the newspaper/media industry is largely descriptive.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for planners, economists, and future-thinkers of all types.
Review: City Planners, Urban Economists, Futurists, and others whoponder the evolution of cities must read this engaging study ofChicago's development. William Cronon's exceptionally well-researched and presented story is an arresting account of Chicago's evolution from a rough frontier trading post to a world-class metropolis. As the connecting point between the industrial/financial East and the agricultural/resource-based West, Chicago capitalized on its physical location as a transportation nexus, and prospered. Cronon's portrayal of the large and small influences that led to Chicago's success is intriguing to those of us who search for similar clues in contemporary situtions, and who wonder which of our current outposts will be the Chicago of the 21st century!
Rating:
Summary: A superb study of the history of Chicago and its hinterland
Review: Few historians have William Cronon's breadth of scope and understanding. While most other historians focus on one
time period and often refuse to make parallels between
history and the present, Cronon manages to provide a highly
detailed study of Chicago and its hinterland in the nineteenth
century while also drawing parallels to the world of the late twentieth. If you read only one history book this year, read this one.
Rating:
Summary: A superb study of the history of Chicago and its hinterland
Review: Few historians have William Cronon's breadth of scope and understanding. While most other historians focus on onetime period and often refuse to make parallels between history and the present, Cronon manages to provide a highly detailed study of Chicago and its hinterland in the nineteenth century while also drawing parallels to the world of the late twentieth. If you read only one history book this year, read this one.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Grain, beef, and lumber. Chicago became what it became not only because of its location on the Great Lakes/railroad sytem, but also because of these resources. This book shows how much nature influences human efforts. It has few personalities because the exploitation of the resources was inevitable. This is a great book for a greater understanding of how nature drives humanity.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful introduction to Enviromental History
Review: History and the enviroment are the subject of this eye-opening work, which is one of the most exciting works in the new field of enviromental history. Cronon is an author who makes reading a joy and brings complicated concepts to light. A must-read for anyone interested in the new frontiers of historiography.
Rating:
Summary: a blend of geographic, business and urban history
Review: I bought this book during a business trip to Chicago. Late on a clear summers day I started reading as we flew west high above Cronon's America. I was still reading at L.A. and I finished it somewhere over the South Pacific as we were close to home. Its really economic geography/history with maps. Some of the analysis is dated and suggests an historian playing in an unfamiliar field e.g. Cronon spends some time developing the von Thunen rings theory of urban growth. This was considered to be a deterministic and flawed theory by my grad. geography teachers 20yrs ago . But, a book I enjoyed and reopened for me an interest in landscape transformation and urban history. You should also try Fernand Braudel's books the "commerce and civilisation" series of 3 - wonderful readable stuff on a bigger geographic scale but in a similar vein.
Rating:
Summary: A tremendous account of Chicago's development.
Review: I don't know how I lived in Chicago for two years without reading this book. Cronon answers the question of
why Chicago grew to become the country's central metropolis in the Nineteenth Century. The answer is
complicated, and is not simply a function of Chicago's location at the southwest corner of the Great Lakes.
Cronon discusses trade in grain, timber and beef, the rise of the railroads, Chicago's competition with St.
Louis, and the World's Fair. All of these subjects are presented in impressive but accessible detail. This is
impressive history.
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