In this, a collection of profiles of the famous, infamous, and nearly famous of the last quarter century, the writers and editors of Philadelphia magazine have assembled some of the greatest writing from the pages of their magazine. Included in this reader are essays on athletes, like Mike Schmidt and Dr. J; captains of industry, including Brian Roberts; and of course, the politicians: Governor Rendell, Mayor Goode, and many other civic leaders. Performers and personalities, like Patti LaBelle and Terry Gross, also fill the pages, sometimes with their own words, and sometime presented through the writing of some our city's most gifted journalists.The Philadelphia Reader will be the book to read in the city this year, and is an indispensable handbook to knowing the great cast of players that have given our city its characters and our stories.