Soul of the City: The Pike Place Public Market tells of the Market's colorful, illustrious past; the episodic challenges to its survival; and the story of those citizens who fought to protect the Market from the nefarious forces and changing times that easily could have destroyed it. -- Peter Steinbrueck

Soul of the City: The Pike Place Public Market marks the centennial anniversary of Seattle's favorite institution - Pike Place Public Market. A space that annually draws more people than any of the city’s major sporting and cultural events, Pike Place has a reputation among American markets that is comparable to Les Halles in Paris and Convent Garden in London - the difference being that it has survived.

Survival of the peoples’ market has not been easy for Pike Place and Soul of the City illustrates the many people who have fought to sustain it. There have always been those who have wanted to “improve” the Market by bringing it into conformity with the development spirit of the moment but somehow the Pike Place Market buildings remain on the face of a bluff, descending story by story to Western Avenue, with windows open to vistas of Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains. People arrive from farms and city neighborhoods to shop, sell, gather with friends, and take in the view.

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"Punctuated by pictures and individualized anecdotes, Soul of the City is less a scholarly work than a loving portrait—a good, quick reference for those interested in the market. It captures both the history and the atmosphere of a clearly beloved city and place."

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"Soul of the City does a brilliant job of presenting the history of this landmark in a way that is accessible to every reader. One cannot open the book without seeing a photograph, sketch, or poster from the market."

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"Engaging, both a celebration of the common man and a who's— who of the movers and shakers of Seattle over the last century."

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"An updated version of a classic history from 1982, complete with excellent photos."