Review of "Then & Now: Cedar Rapids Downtown and Beyond," by George T. Henry and Mark W. Hunter

Review of

Then & Now: Cedar Rapids Downtown and Beyond, by George T. Henry and Mark W. Hunter 

ISBN 0738539651

Five out of five stars

The development of a city shown via comparison snapshots

 As a lifelong resident of the Cedar Rapids area, I can create a mental picture of nearly all the locations illustrated in these before and after snapshots. Some of the structures are in my personal memory banks and I have even been inside some of the buildings that no longer exist or have been repurposed. Cities are dynamic entities with parts being built, often modified and then torn down in order to be replaced by something different. Not always better, just new and different.

 If you are interested in how the city of Cedar Rapids has changed over the last hundred years or so, this is a book that you should scan. It also makes an excellent coffee table book that you can pick and enjoy during odd moments of relaxation.