First Son is an epic tale of Rich Daley, the firstborn son of Dick Daley, an Irish-Catholic political Boss who was Chicago’s mayor and one of the dominant American politicians of the 20th Century. This is the definitive biography of Rich Daley, who himself would go on to become the Mayor of Chicago for 22 years. Growing up in his father’s shadow, the younger Daley did not seem destined for distinction. But Rich Daley had a dramatic personal evolution and went to become one of the most influential mayors in the last 100 years of Chicago and an internationally-renowned leader. His legacy would not only include finishing the unfinished business of the Daley family—race relations, public schools and public housing—but also the transformation of Chicago into a global city. But First Son also shows that Daley was not a perfect mayor. Rather, the arc of his career was consistent with what a study of human nature would predict: a steep learning curve; a decade of disciplined work leading to mastery; the accumulation of power; and, finally, hubris and mistakes. Despite his imperfections, Rich Daley surpassed his father’s accomplishments in office and became one of the most influential mayors in the history of Chicago, one of the world’s truly global cities.