You could describe City of Quartz as a book about urban development in Los Angeles. And you'd largely be right, but it is so much more. It's about how Los Angeles should not, by rights, exist. It is an impossible city, a scab over terrain that might be able to support a few small towns. But here it is, crazy and sprawling, waiting for the fire, the earthquake, the drought, the mudslide that'll wipe it all clean.

If for nothing else, City of Quartz is worth the price of admission for Davis' thoughts on Film Noir alone.

Imperial San Francisco tells the story of the skulldrudgery behind the rise of Los Angeles' rival to the North, the "progressive" city of San Francisco (a city that I love).

San Francisco's history is anything but liberal. It came to prominence through the machinations of some very driven, very hard men and women.

This book will disabuse of any heroic myths about San Francisco's purity. Great book.

Message edited by its author, Jul 8, 2007, 1:07am.

I thought Los Angeles came into existence because it had a very pleasant rural climate, then a million people wanted to share in it....