What inspired you to read the book?
A fellow inmate who left to prison left me with this book. He told me that it was a gripping novel about a serial killer in Chicago. He told me that although he was unsure if the historical references were made up, he believed I would find some value in learning new things. Little did he know that this is an incredible book that although it does feel like a novel it is non-fiction, all the historical references are facts.
What you learned from reading the book?
I learned that it is our past that helps to shape our future. The Chicago World Fair of 1893, was the single largest event the world has seen. After over one-hundred years, not only did it show the United States as a great industrial, architectural and engineering powerhouse, it gave inspiration and set the stage to some of of the greatest innovations that have shaped our world. The fair left us with little things we grew up with, like the introduction of cracker jacks and frosted mini wheat cereal, but it also gave inspiration to individuals like Disney, Edison and Ferris, to create some of the most amazing inventions and the greatest structures that we see as part of our life today.
How the book will influence your life and prepare for success upon release?
This book is a reminder that everyday you learn something new. We are people that take everything for granted. Rarely do we think about our world without technology, without electricity or running water. How could we ever manage to get anywhere without a smart phone? But when do we take a moment to think about how we got these things? What gave inspiration and creativity to the bright men and women who created our modern conveniences. This book gives us an insight to reflect about our past, and to thank the great people who continue to affect us everyday of our life. The question is what is what is stopping us from doing these great things for our future?
What was the most inspiring quote?
“But one thing was quite clear… [B]eing broke didn’t disturb me in the least. I had started with nothing, and if I now found myself with nothing, I was at least even. Actually, I was much better than even: I had had a wonderful time.” – Sol Bloom, U.S. Congressman, founder of United Nations