Anyone who cares about: women, history, Chicago, or lesbians has some heavy reading ahead of them. Women Building Chicago 1790-1990, a book project in the works for more than a decade, has just been published by Indiana University Press. It includes lesbian attorney Pearl Hart (top left), especially noting her representation of the underdog in so many historical legal battles; social activist Jane Addams (below left), whose long-term relationships with women and her amazing activism are well known; and Vivian Carter (right), pioneering radio disc jockey in Chicago and Gary, Ind. But there are hundreds more women who are not so well known today. At more than 1,000 pages (and available at Women & Children First), this meticulously researched book was started as a project of the Chicago Area Women’s History Conference and includes the contributions of many local women writers. Rima Lunin Schultz and Adele Hast were editors, with associate editors including Mary Ann Johnson. Don’t miss this wonderful contribution to our city history, and women’s history overall.