Centrally located in Michigan, Lansing is 90 minutes from 90% of the state’s population, so it makes an excellent destination for a Michigander’s weekend getaway. And with all the city has to offer, those from outside of Michigan will find plenty to keep busy for a more extended stay. 100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die provides a local’s itineraries and tips for enjoying all the must-sees in this diverse town, as well as the secret treasures some locals may never have found. Greater Lansing is famous for the three Cs, cars, the capital, and the campus at Michigan State University. Although almost half a million people call the Greater Lansing area home, Lansing offers a small-town atmosphere while featuring ample city comforts. Learn how to take on the “Ultimate Carnivore Food Challenge,” where to find art from world-renowned artists, and how you can reach tranquility in the serenity of a Japanese Garden. Native Lansingite and resident of South Lansing, Amy Piper is the source to maximize your visit offering adventures in nature, foodie fun, a thriving arts scene, and rich cultural history, everyone will find something to pique their interest in Lansing, Michigan.

The modern city of East Lansing, Michigan is a thriving community of 46,000 people located just a few miles from the state capital building in Lansing. Originally a crossroads of Indian trails and encampments, the first modern development at the site was the Agriculture College of the State of Michigan. Founded in 1855, it later became Michigan State University. A surrounding community soon sprang up as a result of the college's establishment and growth. First named Collegeville, this community organized, petitioned for, and received a city charter from the state in 1907. The city and the college still share a symbiotic relationship, but they have developed into two diverse and distinct communities. This pictorial history presents images of the town as it originated and grew, in less than 100 years, into one of Michigan's most interesting cities.

Angela Ray provides a refreshing new look at the lyceum lecture system as it developed in the United States from the 1820s to the 1880s. She argues that the lyceum contributed to the creation of an American "public" at a time when the country experienced a rapid change in land area, increasing immigration, and a revolution in transportation, communication technology, and social roles. The history of the lyceum in the nineteenth century illustrates a process of expansion, diffusion, and eventual commercialization. In the late 1820s, a politically and economically dominant culture--the white Protestant northeastern middle class--institutionalized the practice of public debating and public lecturing for education and moral uplift. In the 1820s and 1830s, the lyceum was characterized by organized groups in cities and towns, particularly in the Northeast and the Old Northwest (now the Midwest). These groups were established to promote debate, to create a setting for study, and to provide a forum for members' lecturing. By the 1840s and 1850s, however, most lyceums concentrated on the sponsorship of public lectures, presented for institutional profit as well as public instruction and entertainment. Eventually, lyceum lectures became a commercial enterprise and desirable platform for celebrities who wished to expand their incomes from lecturing.