Thursday, March 21, 2013

The Midwest: God's Gift to Planet Earth by Mike Draper

The Midwest, the heartland, fly-over country: this is my home.

“Like most foreign countries, outsiders have heard of it, but the details of what goes on inside are pretty hazy” (19). So says Mike Draper, narrator of The Midwest: God’s Gift to Planet Earth!

The Midwest gets overlooked. People really don’t seem to know what we do here and so assume that we don’t do much of anything but grow corn. Well, there’s quite a bit that goes on here, let me tell ya!

With the zippy wit and humor a t-shirt shop owner (yes, he really does run a t-shirt shop in Des Moines), Draper enlightens readers of the glory of the Midwest. It really is a surprising place. Sure, there’s stuff to complain about but every region of the U.S. has its baggage. Draper focuses on the positive, though, he does poke fun at Midwestern stereotypes. From famous people and inventions to geography and the weather, this book gives a brief and biased overview of the 12-state region.

Midwesterners will get a kick out of reading this book. But for those who’ve never spent time in the Midwest, if you are guilty of overlooking the heartland (gasp!), and are looking for a fun read, then I recommend this “Illustrated Guide to the History and Culture of the Galaxy’s Most Important Region.” 

Publisher: RAYGUN, 2012     Pages: 239
Rating: 4 Stars     Source: Public Library

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