A huge complex spanning two city blocks, the Merchandise Mart is the largest wholesale design center in the world. The brainchild of James Simpson of Marshall Field & Company, it was planned to house Field's huge wholesale division and prop up sagging sales. Executed by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst and White--of Opera House and Field Museum fame--the Mart was the world's most complex mixed-use structure: a warehouse, a department store, and a commercial office tower. All this was presented in a successful blend of elements from the Chicago School, classicism, and Art Deco, built on former Chicago & North Western Railway property and air space over the tracks. Unfortunately, Field's suffered from the Great Depression, and so the Mart stood almost empty during World War II. In 1946 Joseph P. Kennedy purchased the Merchandise Mart for $16 million (it had cost $32 million to build). Under Kennedy's managerial flair; the Mart thrived. Renovations between 1986 and 1991 injected new life into the building and today the Marchandise Mart is an enduring monument to the brash, inventive, and successful Chicago spirit.

Twenty-four stories including: a man carried safely through the ugly harshness of the world by his own Polaroid-enabled brand of narcissism ; the sadistic make-believe of two little boys and the laid-back cruelty of their grandfather ; a factory drone discovers his creative side with the help of the toilet ; and vehicular manslaughter turns to out be okay if there are no witnesses.

The Secrets of Retailing, by retailing expert Marc Joseph, is filled with the practical, "been there, done that" advice that has made Joseph so successful-from the Psychology of Buying to Working with Vendors. This invaluable book leads readers step-by-step through the process of opening a retail store, and then building it into a success.

A detailed tour, inside and out, of Chicago's distinctive towers from an earlier age For more than a century, Chicago's skyline has included some of the world's most distinctive and inspiring buildings. This history of the Windy City's skyscrapers begins in the key period of reconstruction after the Great Fire of 1871 and concludes in 1934 with the onset of the Great Depression, which brought architectural progress to a standstill. During this time, such iconic landmarks as the Chicago Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, the Marshall Field and Company Building, the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Palmolive Building, the Masonic Temple, the City Opera, Merchandise Mart, and many others rose to impressive new heights, thanks to innovations in building methods and materials. Solid, earthbound edifices of iron, brick, and stone made way for towers of steel and plate glass, imparting a striking new look to Chicago's growing urban landscape. Thomas Leslie reveals the daily struggles, technical breakthroughs, and negotiations that produced these magnificent buildings. He also considers how the city's infamous political climate contributed to its architecture, as building and zoning codes were often disputed by shifting networks of rivals, labor unions, professional organizations, and municipal bodies. Featuring more than a hundred photographs and illustrations of the city's physically impressive and beautifully diverse architecture, Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934 highlights an exceptionally dynamic, energetic period of architectural progress in Chicago.

Are you a fashionista? Do you love working with people? Do you dream of owning and running your own business? Take a chance and start a clothing business—all you need to get up and running is your dream and this guide. Whether you’re interested in selling today’s hottest fashions or you’d rather start a specialty boutique, such as a children’s store, bridal shop, vintage store, consignment shop or something of your own invention, this book helps you make it big. It gives you the inside scoop on starting a clothing store, including: • How to spot trends and take advantage of them before your competitors do • Valuable money-saving tips for the startup process • Whether to purchase a franchise or existing business or start your dream store from scratch • How to find, hire and train the best employees • How to skyrocket your earnings by branding your clothes with your own private label • The pros and cons of having an on-staff personal shopper • And more! If you know how to dress for success, let Entrepreneur help you turn your fashion sense into a clothing empire.