Pittsfield is truly the heart of the Berkshires. The Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts have long been a cultural mecca and an area of exceptional natural beauty; and Pittsfield; the areas largest community; has always been at the center. The town was the adopted home of such literary luminaries as Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herman Melville; who wrote his classic novel Moby-Dick at his home; Arrowhead. The common at the center of town; now known as Park Square; was the site of the first agricultural fair ever held in the United States. The towns commerce and industry have fueled the region from the early days when Arthur Scholfield operated the only wool-carding machine in America; to the citys more recent role as an innovator in the electrical industry. Pittsfield celebrates the scenic beauty; the cultural heritage; and the inventiveness of the people and places of the town using nearly two hundred vintage images. Inside find Pittsfields famous sons and daughters; scenic novelties like Balance Rock; the diving horses that performed at Pontoosuc Lake; and the famous trolley wreck that almost killed Pres. Theodore Roosevelt. Also see images from 1850 to 1950 that document life in Pittsfield and illustrate the towns pivotal role in the cultural and economic life of the Berkshires.
#2957393 in eBooks 2010-09-30 2010-09-30File Name: B00872FT0O
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Essential Update to GottmannBy L. KorossyJean Gottmanns 1961 "Megalopolis" was the foundational document of a new paradigm in the social sciences: the study of cities as regional phenomena rather than single points with outlying effects. Mostly social geography. but parts history. political science. sociology. economics. public policy. and more. "Megalopolis" has been widely influential in all these fields. as well as a fascinating case study of the US Northeast. Although an instant classic. it is today somewhat dated. with over sixty years having passed since its publication. along with sixty years of growth and development in the study region (including the construction of I-95!) as well as new developments in megalopoli around the world.John Rennie Shorts "Liquid City" is the essential update to Gottmanns watershed work. It revisits each concept explored and documented by Gottmann (using. in part. data from the 2000 Census). to examine what time has wrought in the Northeast. and how Gottmanns predictions and analysis hold up today. The answer? They hold up pretty well. and Short ventures to make his own predictions -- well see about them sometime in the 2060s. I suppose. Until then. this is an essential work to be read alongside Gottmann. or even just on its own.
