HOUSTON -- A 300-page book offers an education on the Houston experience, KPRC Local 2 reported.

"Houston. It's Worth It." acknowledges the city for what it is and what it is not.

The minds at ttweak, a local marketing and design firm, started the "Tell Us Why" campaign several years ago.

The firm asked, online, for quotes about what makes Houston great.

"I feel normal here," one contributor wrote. "Maybe it's because I'm imperfect like the city."

"The way the Pierce Elevated makes your car go ka-thump, ka-thump," one person wrote.

"Mattress stores all over the place," another person wrote.

The project evolved into "show us why" and the book. It asked for pictures from normal people. About 600 pictures were submitted and more than 250 made it into the book.

"It's not something that a committee could set around a conference room table and try to create out of nowhere," said Dave Thompson of ttweak.

Thompson was a driving force behind the book.

"This was done to help educate the community on what it was really like to live here and work here, and why we really love the community," he said. "We felt the only way we could do that is by asking Houstonians themselves."

The creators were not looking for pretty pictures of downtown taken on a sunny afternoon. They wanted pictures that accurately show Houston.

"They really do speak to the city," graphic designer Molly Cumming said. "These all have a different feel. You can tell that they were done by individuals, who, this is their life. This is what they see. This is how they see Houston."

The creators said about 10,000 people have purchased the book. It can be found at bookstores throughout Houston.