Empire of Flavors

One comment from Amazon: "Sin in the Second City is my favorite kind of non-fiction–-a meticulously researched and multi-layered sliver of history that reads like a fast-paced and exciting novel. My favorite thing about the book is the balanced coverage given to all the sides in this complicated culture war. Abbott turns a discerning eye on the reformers and their separate motivations–-some driven by faith, some by ego, and some by ambition, and mirrors those motivations in the layered characters of the madams and politicos. The writing is stellar, the time period fascinating, the details are sumptuous–-I couldn't put this book down, and I know I will be rereading it. I can't recommend this book strongly enough."