In this thoughtful book, cultural geographer James R. Shortridge offers a historical probe into the "idea" of the Middle West. By exploring what this term originally meant and how it has changed over the past 150 years, he presents a fascinating look at the question of regional identity and its place in the collective consciousness. A work of uncoventional geography based on extensive research in popular literature, this volume examines the meaning, essence, character--the important intagibles of place not captured by statistical studies--and explores the intimate connections between the notion of pastoralism and the definition of the Middle West. Winner of the Association of American Geographers' John Brinckerhoff Jackson Prize.