Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster"Graced with a bold political and environmental vision, much splendid phrasemaking and a multitude of facts. . . . A truly eccentric contribution."--The New York Times Book Review Earthquakes. Wildfires. Floods. Drought. Tornadoes. Snakes in the sea, mountain lions, and a plague of bees. In this controversial tour de force of scholarship, unsparing vision, and inspired writing, Mike Davis, the author of City of Quartz, revisits Los Angeles as a Book of the Apocalypse theme park. By brilliantly juxtaposing L.A.'s fragile natural ecology with its disastrous environmental and social history, he compellingly shows a city deliberately put in harm's way by land developers, builders, and politicians, even as the incalculable toll of inevitable future catas-trophe continues to accumulate. Counterpointing L.A.'s central role in America's fantasy life--the city has been destroyed no less than 138 times in novels and films since 1909--with its wanton denial of its own real history, Davis creates a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility. Drawing upon a vast array of sources, Ecology of Fear meticulously captures the nation's violent malaise and desperate social unease at the millennial end of "the American century." With savagely entertaining wit and compassionate rage, this book conducts a devastating reconnaissance of our all-too-likely urban future. "Dizzying. . . . In Mr. Davis's account, the world ends in fire, and the next time is now."--The New York Times |
Contents
How Eden Lost Its Garden | 57 |
The Case for Letting Malibu Burn | 93 |
Our Secret Kansas | 149 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Africanized bees alien American Angeles County Angeles's attacks bees building Canyon catastrophe chaparral Chupacabra coast coastal cougar coyotes damage death destruction disaster fiction district Downtown drought ecology environmental federal film fire firefighters firestorm Fish and Game flood Freeway gang Hills Hollywood homeowners homes housing human hunting Ibid immigrants killed land landscape later Latino Long Beach Los Angeles County Los Angeles River major Malibu March meanwhile Mediterranean million mountain lion National natural neighborhoods Northridge earthquake novel November nuclear official Olmsted Orange County Pacific Park Pasadena percent plague police population predator quake racial Ranch rats region residents riots San Bernardino San Diego San Fernando Valley San Francisco San Gabriel Santa Ana Santa Clara River Santa Monica Mountains seismic social South Southern California squirrels storm street suburban suburbs tenement thousands tion tornado twister urban Westlake wild wildfire wildlife York zone
References to this book
Kebabs, Kids, Cops and Crime: Youth, Ethnicity and Crime Greg Noble,Scott Poynting,Paul Tabar No preview available - 2000 |
Public Places, Urban Spaces: The Dimensions of Urban Design Matthew Carmona No preview available - 2003 |