Discover Columbus (Urban Tapestry Series)

It's easy for some people to overlook Columbus, especially when they're not familiar with the Midwest. According to popular Columbus Dispatch columnist Mike Harden, "Columbus is viewed by its bicoastal detractors as a sort of Velveetaville lost in the high corn of one of those flyover states with too many vowels."

And yet, Harden demonstrates that Columbus is anything but plain and cheesy. This lifelong resident of Central Ohio offers a wry and knowing portrait that shows just how lively this thriving state capital can be.

Harden looks at the city's heritage of producing entrepreneurs like The Limited's Les Wexner or Wendy's founder Dave Thomas. He examines its support for the arts, its abiding love of the annual state fair, and its fanatic involvement with Ohio State football. Aided by Brooke Wenstrup's collection of outstanding images from some of the area's best photographers, Harden points out that Columbus is truly a "heartland city."

The result, Harden concludes, is a place where "we have not lost our capacity for awe, our ability to be entertained and intrigued by the simplest of pleasures. We are a great city to call home."