If there was one book that compelled me to spend my life as an historian studying the Gilded Age and Progressive Era it is The Shame of Cities by muckraking journalist Lincoln Steffens. Collected in book form, these essays were originally published as a series of articles in McClure's magazine investigating the corruption of American cities. It tells a sordid picture of politics that shocked many at the time and contributed to some significant reforms and improvements in government practices. ( )