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The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the Twenty-First Century
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This isn't so much a history of Pittsburgh as it is a biography. Sometimes we're so afraid of what others think, we're afraid to declare who we are. This city is not midwestern. It's not East Coast. It's just Pittsburgh, and there's no place like it. That's both its blessing and its curse.
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Paperback, 152 pages
Published
September 4th 2009
by Carnegie Mellon University Press
(first published 2009)
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Start your review of The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the Twenty-First Century
Pittsburgh is a fascinating city -- a culturally rich metropolis set amid the steep hills of a region often associated with industrial blight, poverty, and hard times. No doubt it is for that reason that Brian O'Neill calls this portrait of the city The Paris of Appalachia. Pittsburgh is a beautiful, pleasant, eminently walkable city, filled with delightful restaurants and museums and music clubs; the "Paris" reference, in that regard, is not far off. At the same time, it is undeniable that Pitt
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O'Neill is a very good newspaper columnist, and this book reads like it. The unifying theme is his perspective on the city, but beyond this unifying theme it reads like a whole lot of nice snapshots cobbled together. Some snapshots depict the charm and others depict the less desirable aspects. But he's sharp and he definitely understands the place, good and bad. It's an easy read, funny where he wants to be, and thoughtful about the historical and political issues facing the city and region.
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I would not necessarily recommend this book to anyone who has not lived or spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh, but it is an interesting study of the city both from a cultural and from an urban development perspective. Definitely made my heart grow fonder for the old 'Burgh.
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I thought this book was actually going to make the point that Pittsburgh has things in common with Paris (other than city steps). Oh, you silly yinzer. The title is more sarcastic: Pittsburgh's the closest thing to Paris you're going to find in Appalachia, which ain't sayin' much. Actually the book is kind of a love letter to Pittsburgh, but from a frustrated lover who sees his beloved ruining her life. And it was interesting to learn why we ended up with so many little municipalities in Alleghe
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This is a wonderful book about Pittsburgh, in particular, the Northside. O'Neill, adds a human touch to his exploration of the history, culture, present, and policy of the Pittsburgh region. He also has great columns in the Post Gazette that are very similar to his writing style in this book. Note, some chapters do read like he pulled them from his columns at PG. But he adds a lot more than just reprinting his PG columns.
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The author, a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist, obviously loves Pittsburgh. This smallish book can be approached in several ways: 1. as a Pittsburgher, 2. as a Pennsylvania taxpayer, and 3. as a data source. I have lived in Pittsburgh for 34 years and enjoyed his meanderings, warts and all as noted in another review, about Pittsburgh. His political asides relating to the most expensive state legislature, Pennsylvania, in the USA should raise a taxpayer's ire. The author's comparison of Pittsbur
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Brian O’Neill has written a love letter to his adopted city. He’s right, of course. Pittsburgh is manageable, walkable, green, and full of things to do. The hills, the rivers, the bridges, the sports. What’s not to like?
Love isn’t blind, however, and O’Neill notices a few warts. The distinctly 21st-century challenges for Pittsburgh might not be so different from many other political entities, especially those which have lost whole industries and struggled to revive themselves. In other words, th ...more
Love isn’t blind, however, and O’Neill notices a few warts. The distinctly 21st-century challenges for Pittsburgh might not be so different from many other political entities, especially those which have lost whole industries and struggled to revive themselves. In other words, th ...more
I don't generally read non-fiction, but sometimes I forget that a non-fiction book can still be a narrative. This one tells the story of Pittsburgh, and so my boyfriend gifted me with it as we planned for a trip to his hometown.
O'Neill reveals late in the book that he was originally thinking of calling the book "I Love Pittsburgh Like a Brother (and My Brother Drives Me Nuts)." This title would have been far more telling of the books content. While much of it does make the reader (or at least, t ...more
O'Neill reveals late in the book that he was originally thinking of calling the book "I Love Pittsburgh Like a Brother (and My Brother Drives Me Nuts)." This title would have been far more telling of the books content. While much of it does make the reader (or at least, t ...more
This is my current favorite book! I've always enjoyed Brian O'Neill's columns in the Post-Gazette, but I was not an avid follower. However, reading this book may make me one! The book is interspersed with personal stories and facts and statistics. It is extrememly readable and there is much I could personally relate to.
I have now bought 5 copies of this book; one to keep and four that I have given or will give as gifts. Hint: If ordered throught the PG website, one can get a signed copy.
January ...more
I have now bought 5 copies of this book; one to keep and four that I have given or will give as gifts. Hint: If ordered throught the PG website, one can get a signed copy.
January ...more
I really enjoyed this book; it was interesting to learn about how Pittsburgh evolved and the changes that have occurred since the Civil war. I want to visit some of the neighborhoods that Brian O'Neill talks about. I will also look at Pittsburgh in a different light since reading this book; mostly, I will be more aware of how important it is to be grateful for all of the great things this city has to offer, such as its emphasis on the arts, its beautiful architecture and picturesque downtown alo
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This book reads like a long editorial about the value of Pittsburgh particularly the North Side where the author lives with his family. But I'm from the east end and live on the South Side so he was praising the wrong territory for me.
Even though the book isn't that old- 2009, I couldn't help be think that it is already outdated- Pittsburgh is still very much in flux and this book didn't seem to allow for continued growth.
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Even though the book isn't that old- 2009, I couldn't help be think that it is already outdated- Pittsburgh is still very much in flux and this book didn't seem to allow for continued growth.
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I really wanted to like this book, and in the beginning, I did. It filled in little bits of information, things I didn't know about places in the city I've never been. By the middle of the book, though, I kept thinking "OK, fine, I get it, you can walk there." Meanwhile, every time I try to cross a Pittsburgh street on foot, I feel like I'm playing Frogger.
This book was surprisingly full of typographical errors, which someone very helpfully marked in pencil in the library's book. ...more
This book was surprisingly full of typographical errors, which someone very helpfully marked in pencil in the library's book. ...more
Starts off meandering, with the first two thirds mainly thin column-type rumination (not surprising, as the author is a longtime Post-Gazette columnist) on how great it is to go to local bars and get snow cones at the local park in the summer. The last third is a really interesting look at some of Pittsburgh's structural problems. That should have been the bulk of the book, with the column-type musings used at sparing intervals.
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I don't remember who told me to read this but it's excellent so far!....
Loved it. Ok- to be honest- I loved the love letter parts more than the what's wrong parts- but he did a wonder job of walking through the statistics while keeping it interesting. Going to research that foot bridge more- thats some cool stuff. ...more
Loved it. Ok- to be honest- I loved the love letter parts more than the what's wrong parts- but he did a wonder job of walking through the statistics while keeping it interesting. Going to research that foot bridge more- thats some cool stuff. ...more
A fun, light read, written by a local journalist, that gives a good introduction to the Pittsburgh of today. For what it's worth, I have this labeled as academic not because of the writing style or type of book, but because it will likely get used in a classroom.
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I love Brian O'Neill, he so 'gets' Pittsburgh...and he loves libraries!
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A set of well-written essays about the author's hometown.
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Funny and frustrating...well worth reading if you love (or even like) the Burgh! O'Neill nails the city - foibles and all!
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