Devil and the White City

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
by Erik Larson

This book is fantastic. It created in me a totally new fascination with nineteenth-century America and the industrial economy of the era. The book alternates chapters between the story of the architects who created the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. The former story is a must-read, the latter is gory, but intriguing as well. Easy, fast read. Highly recommended!