A Spectrum of Faith invites readers on a vivid journey through words and pictures into the diverse religious communities of greater Des Moines. Explore the south-side office park transformed into a Buddhist monastery as well as the Basilica in the city's center named to the National Registry of Historic Places; discover the Hindu temple rising above the cornfields of nearby rural Madrid along with the mosque, synagogue or gurudwara tucked away in a neighborhood near you. Whether they arrived before last century or just last decade, these Iowans who practice the world's major faith traditions--Sikhism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam--extend the state's proud history of welcome to readers of all faith backgrounds. Get to know the fascinating array of individuals, faith traditions and worship practices belonging to the many religious communities who call Iowa home.

Des Moines boasts a remarkable architectural portfolio rich in depth and quality. The town drew wide attention in the nineteenth century with structures like the Iowa State Capitol and the Terrace Hill mansion. Des Moines embraced the City Beautiful movement in the twentieth century and became home to well-known work by Eliel and Eero Saarinen, notably the city's innovative Art Center. A contemporary architectural renaissance produced lauded landmarks like the Meredith Headquarters, the Des Moines Public Library and the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Author Jay Pridmore crafts an illustrated survey of the architecture and design of Iowa's largest city.

With Italian steakhouses, the Younkers Tea Room and Stella's Blue Sky Diner, Des Moines's culinary history is tantalizingly diverse. It is filled with colorful characters like bootlegger/"millionaire bus boy" Babe Bisignano, a buxom bar owner named Ruthie and future president of the United States Ronald Reagan. The savory details reveal deeper stories of race relations, women's rights, Iowa caucus politics, the arts, immigration and assimilation. Don't be surprised if you experience sudden cravings for Steak de Burgo, fried pork tenderloin sandwiches and chocolate ambrosia pie, à la Bishop's Buffet. Author Darcy Dougherty Maulsby serves up a feast of Des Moines classics mixed with Iowa history, complete with iconic recipes.

Devil in Des Moines, A Decade of Abortions by Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines is the story of my discovery of an abortion enterprise operated by Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines. I am a maternal fetal medicine specialist or high-risk obstetrical expert. I was recruited by Mercy Medical Center in 2014 to assist women and babies during high-risk pregnancies. I was appalled when I discovered that Mercy Medical Center, a Catholic healthcare institution, was operating an abortion enterprise. When I finally gained the courage to report the enterprise to the President of Mercy Medical Center after 9 months of employment I faced harassment and eventually was terminated.

Although African American pioneers arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, in the early 1860s, the population exploded in the 1880s due to the surrounding coal mines. In the 1860s, the Burns Methodist Episcopal Church was the first African American church built in Des Moines, and its only address was "East Side of the River." From 1900 to the 1960s, African Americans across the United States called Center Street "the coolest place in the country." The likes of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and many others graced the hotels and clubs there. In Des Moines in the late 1960s and early 1970s, young African Americans discarded the term Negro and demanded to be referred to as Afro-American or black, as black pride swelled in their chests.

Depicting the unusual going-ons in Iowa's capital city over more than a century, this study includes a variety of sources that showcase the famous, infamous, and even the anonymous - including Ronald Reagan, Billy Sunday, and a barmaid who served beer in a notorious manner.

Friedricks (history, Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa) chronicles the institution that delivered morning and evening newspapers to roughly half of the people of the state for 150 years. He focuses on the content, including news, special features, and editorial positions; they physical plant and changes in production and technologies; and management practices that led to economic successes and failures.