Paradox Lake

They are the suburban jewels that crown one of the world's premier cities. Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff: together, they comprise the North Shore of Chicago, a social registry of eight communities that serve as a genteel enclave of affluence, culture, and high society. Historian Michael H. Ebner explains the origins and evolution of the North Shore as a distinctive region. At the same time, he tells the paradoxical story of how these suburbs, with their common heritage, mutual values, and shared aspirations, still preserve their distinctly separate identities. Embedded in this history are important lessons about the uneasy development of the American metropolis.

This handy format showcases Chicago's greatest sites and views, including four gatefolds of breathtaking panoramic beauty that capture the visual paradoxes and triumphs of this famous city by the lake. Visalli photographs the architectural masterpieces famous throughout the world from Louis Sullivan's ornamental facades to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's sleek office towers as well as the works of the new generation of the Chicago School of Architecture. But Chicago is about more than buildings: Visalli shoots the dark girders of the El, the taverns open all night, and the pomp of Michigan Avenue. With more than 200 images, Chicago captures the visual paradoxes and triumphs of this great American city.