Two books are just out that deal with the Chicago River. One, The Lost Panoramas: When Chicago Changed Its River and the Land Beyond by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams, deals with the far-flung effects of the 1900 reversal of the river's flow. Chicago's sewage was re-routed toward the hinterlands. In essence, we shat on the small towns and farms that lined the Des Plaines, Illinois, and Mississippi Rivers. The other, Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago's Waterways by Jeanne Gang, looks to restructure the river in ways that work to keep the Asian Carp and any other invasive fish that might show up out of the lake while adding brilliant new riverscapes and development to the city. Blair Kamin gives a full review. [Cityscapes]
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