I knew I was in for something special with Erik Larson's book when I read his note at the beginning, in which he promises "however strange or macabre some of the following incidents may seem, this is not a work of fiction." How often do you see that? Usually a non-fiction author warns you that they took liberties in their writing. Larson did the opposite. His notes at the end are overwhelming and I did not read them. But a good student would have. He talks about how he struggled in writing about murders without the account of a witness--he took liberties, there. But he still used research and footnotes to make sure his guesses were as accurate as possible, something he pointed out that even Truman Capote did not do in In Cold Blood. 
 I was hanging onto this book for a long time, not excited to read it. I don't read a lot of non-fiction. But Larson is correct in assuming people will read The Devil in the White City like fiction. It is gripping and exciting and almost unbelievable. 
 It tells the story of the Chicago World's Fair, detailing the political battles of all involved and the architectural complexities of making it happen on time. I felt rushed and panicked wondering how Daniel Burnham would make his dream realized. So many exciting elements could have been their own book--firefighters hugging each other before dying in a building fire, personality clashes of the men (and a few women) fighting to have their say in the final result of the fair. 
 And then there is the story of the murderer, which is the most unbelievable part of all. During the flurry of the grounds being erected there was a devil luring women (and men and children) into his Chicago Castle and murdering them quietly without getting caught. Family members wrote to him, wondering where their daughters had gone. The story was always the same. "Your daughter married another man and ran away." "Your daughter is in Europe." "Your daughter left in the middle of the night." Who knows how many people this person murdered without raising any suspicion with the police. To top it all off, he was swindling everyone with fake insurance claims and money laundering. 
 Countless times, Larson would begin writing a description of a person. A blind person. An artist. An architect. A performer. Then the kicker would come. "And it was Helen Keller!" "And it was the man who invented the Ferris Wheel!" "And it was Frank Lloyd Wright!" "And it was Buffalo Bill!" "And it was Walt Disney!" "And it was Annie Oakley!" "And it was Thomas Edison!" There were so many star-studded appearances in this story that often I felt like I was reading a well-written OK magazine. 
 I learned so much about the unions, the history of our country, architecture, and more. I gained a new appreciation for the City of Chicago. Because what on earth made them step up to the plate to do this amazing thing? They were in a battle with New York City, trying to prove that they were the best city in the country. And against all odds, they pulled off a World's Fair that changed world history and will never be forgotten. 
 I wish there had been more pictures, because I am a child. I had to Google everyone. 
 If you've been avoiding this book for some reason, read it. You will not be disappointed. If you don't think you like non-fiction, read it. You will be surprised.