Wild Chicago: The Companion Guidebook to the Wildly Popular Television Show

Several guidebooks promote themselves as the "non-tourist guide" to Chicago or the "off-the-beaten path" guide, and so on. This book was created by people who have spent many years in Chicago and know what is unusual, worth the trip, or just so darned weird that you'll want to check it out. What will you get for your money? For starters, you'll learn where to purchase dolls made with turkey heads, or find out who makes Chicago's most famous hot dog (and how they do it), you'll be introduced to social clubs that meet for traditional dancing or (occasionally naked) bike rides, you'll meet a couple of local artists who you'd never find in a gallery or museum, and generally, you'll find out all kinds of things about Chicago that many of its residents have yet to discover (and the Visitors Bureau might wish that nobody ever did!).

I really enjoyed the book and if you are coming to Chicago, definitely buy it. It's full of what are basically synopsis of the TV show's vignettes (each "Wild Chicago" show consists of 3-5 mini-shows). The book tries to give you the same off beat feeling of the TV show and while the book will certainly guide you to some wacky places around Chicago, trying to put the visual zaniness of the show into words is difficult at best. "Wild Chicago" also plays to the audience for a laugh and sometimes leaves reality in the dust. Case in point in the first section is a review of flying gliders ("Sky Soaring Gliders") which Wild Chicago seems to enjoy doting on the terror of it all (it isn't - I have done it) but describes going around in a non-FAA approved flying lawn chair ("A & M Air Sports") as "sheer exhilaration" (it IS terrifying). Oh well. So your best bet is to read between the lines, take things with a large grain of salt, and use the book to really enjoy WILD Chicago.