Working in a book store affors several opportunities, one of which is advance copies, (this book is not due out until February 2003). In one remarkable combination of history and true crime, Larson combines the story of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 with the story behind H.H. Holmes, quite possibly America's first serial killer - a phrase which had not been 'invenetd' at that time. Intertwining the story of the task at hand of first winning the vote to host the fair in Chicago and the trail of Dr. Holmes - virtually one chapter after another, Larson kesy us into not only how vitally important the fair was considered to the burgeoning industrial age of America but the birth of something more sinister as well. Meticulous detail is enhanced by coherent and liveley storytelling of the men who would work and fight together to bring the fair to fruition. Even the slightest details turn out to be harbingers of the world that was yet top be awakened in the 20th Century and we see, through the aformenetioned details, how not only was the fair important to Chicago and the States but how it literally lead to many things that we would soon take for granted in the following century. In following Dr. Holmes and how his story injected itself into the fabric of the fair, we see - as mentioned earlier - that the onset of the 20th century - would not only bring forth some of the simplest everyday items and icons but how, in a world that would soon be thrust into two successive world wars would take with it the innocence of a bygone era in the unlikely guise of a 'mild mannered' and charming doctor. As the term psychopath and serial killer had not been used to date, Larson points up the connection - possibly - betwixt the country's advancing technology and the retreating humanity that was yet to come. This is an intelligent and compelling read for the history buff and true crime reader - Look for it early next year.