Greater Des Moines: Iowa's Commercial Center (Urban Tapestry Series)

"Often called the heartland, Des Moines is where you can really get the pulse of the nation, " writes Judy McCoy Davis in her introduction to Greater Des Moines: Iowa's Commercial Center. It is here that all the best things about America seem to converge in a city of delights for visitors and hometowners alike.

Davis tells how she came to know Des Moines through the eyes and experiences of her late husband, Mayor Arthur Davis. Arthur, she recalls, had no sense of geographic direction and was not the sort of person you normally thought of as a tour guide. But what he lacked in navigational ability, he make up for in his passion for the town that he proudly showed off to Judy and the host of friends who came to visit.

Aided by hundreds of images collected from the area's leading photographers, Greater Des Moines: Iowa's Commercial Center presents a vivid portrait of this heartland city. It is here that outsiders come to discover what's on the collective mind of "middle America." Presidential hopefuls first flex their political muscles here, and marketers often test the waters for new products. Yet, for those who live in Des Moines, it's also a city that is secure in its sense of self. Offering all of the amenities and opportunities a person could want.

Greater Des Moines: Iowa's Commercial Center delivers a heartfelt glimpse into the soul of this quietly progressive community. Here is a city where "the citizens aren't waiting to see what the future may bring; they are trying to shape the future.." It is a place where the best of the old and best of the new are being forged into a community that looks amazingly like home.