I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately it is more a laundry list of facts and figures than a story. I kept looking for any kind of theme or the author’s conclusions about what it all means but never found any. The book is great for Pittsburghers with nostalgia for Kaufmann’s. Those who want to understand the forces behind the rise and fall of American department stores or even what made the Kaufmann family unique and successful when others failed need to look elsewhere.