"Wisconsin and the World is a collection of short essays about inspirational figures with intriguing and often surprising connections to Wisconsin. Each piece tells an engaging story about a political, sports, showbiz, arts, scientific, or literary celebrity who either lived in the state or had a notable experience while passing through. The list of 101 essays are structured into six parts: Thinkers, Creators, Boundary Breakers, Scene Stealers, Melody Makers, and Champs. The diverse subjects include world-changers such as the Beatles, Oprah Winfrey, Orson Welles, Georgia OKeeffe, Duke Ellington, Ann Landers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bart Starr, Jackie Robinson, Lorraine Hansberry, Elvis Presley, Harrison Ford, Hattie McDaniel, Nirvana, and Abraham Lincoln. They also include lesser-known trailblazers who deserve a turn in the spotlight, such as jazz drummer Viola Smith, photographer Pedro Guerrero, suffragist Ada James, American Indian comedian Charlie Hill, boundary-breaking politician Vel Phillips, Nazi resistance fighter Mildred Fish Harnack, dance innovator Anna Halprin, Hmong historian Chia Youyee Vang, fearless scientist Harriet Bell Merrill, and girl group the Chordettes. The essays delight in astonishing details, historical oddities, and distinctive personalities. The beating heart of the collection is the authors affection for Wisconsin and his devotion to these heroes, whose stories will be uplifting for a wide range of readers"--.