City of Quartz
Excavating the Future in Los Angeles
by Mike Davis
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More Recommenders
“@Thievesbook City of quartz is such a good book | CITY OF QUARTZ changed my understanding of what a book could do. | For anyone who wants to understand America, City of Quartz is one of the essential books of the last 50 years. Good thoughts to Mike Davis and his loved ones.”
Source →Recommended by 3 notable people, including Mark Harris and Dan Davies
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
City of Quartz reads like a forensic excavation of Los Angeles: archival reportage, policy history and polemical analysis piled together to show who benefits from growth and who gets pushed aside. Its useful part is the dense catalog of examples — land deals, policing, urban renewal episodes — that tie local institutions to broader economic forces. Annoyances are the repeated rhetorical flourishes and a sometimes fierce, judgmental tone; readers seeking detached description or step-by-step policy prescriptions may find it unsatisfying.
Read this if...
- •a city planner at municipal government weighing redevelopment proposals — helps trace how past zoning and investment patterns created today's power imbalances and likely opposition lines
- •a graduate student in urban sociology preparing a paper on Los Angeles inequality — offers dense case material and narrative leads to interrogate in seminar or footnotes
- •a neighborhood organizer facing displacement or a large development project — supplies historical examples of past coalitions, displacement tactics, and institutional players to study
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the narrative becomes a long series of incidents and polemical denunciations; the middle stretches can feel like repeated proof-texting
- •annoying if you prefer neutral, even-toned history or clear, pragmatic takeaways — the book is often argumentative rather than conciliatory
- •not for readers wanting hands-on solutions or exercises — offers analysis and examples but no step-by-step policy playbook or practical toolkit
The hidden story of L.A. Mike Davis shows us where the city's money comes from and who controls it while also exposing the brutal ongoing struggle between L.A.'s haves and havenots....
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a city planner at municipal government weighing redevelopment proposals — helps trace how past zoning and investment patterns created today's power imbalances and likely opposition lines
- a graduate student in urban sociology preparing a paper on Los Angeles inequality — offers dense case material and narrative leads to interrogate in seminar or footnotes
- a neighborhood organizer facing displacement or a large development project — supplies historical examples of past coalitions, displacement tactics, and institutional players to study
- you'll likely put it down when the narrative becomes a long series of incidents and polemical denunciations; the middle stretches can feel like repeated proof-texting
- annoying if you prefer neutral, even-toned history or clear, pragmatic takeaways — the book is often argumentative rather than conciliatory
- not for readers wanting hands-on solutions or exercises — offers analysis and examples but no step-by-step policy playbook or practical toolkit
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View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in About California, About Los Angeles, and Politics.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Dan Davies
“@Thievesbook City of quartz is such a good book | CITY OF QUARTZ changed my understanding of what a book could do. | For anyone who wants to understand America, City of Quartz is one of the essential books of the last 50 years. Good thoughts to Mike Davis and his loved ones.”
View sources (3) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Recommended by 31 sources.
“Outliers reads like a series of captivating magazine profiles, each unpacking a hidden factor behind extraordinary success. Gladwell’s storytelling makes complex social science accessible, but the book relies on memorable anecdotes rather than offering systematic analysis. The book explores the idea that individual brilliance rarely stands alone; success often hinges on birth dates, cultural legacies, and the 10,000-hour rule. While the narratives are strong, the book overgeneralizes from handpicked examples, leaving skeptical readers questioning the conclusions. It’s most useful as a conversation starter about luck and timing—annoying if you want a rigorous academic treatise or a how-to guide for your own life.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.