When we think of Detroit, we think first of the auto industry and its slow, painful decline, then maybe the sounds of Motown, or the long line of professional sports successes. But economies are made up of people, and the effect of the economic downfall of Detroit is one of the most compelling stories in America. Detroit: A Biography by journalist and author Scott Martelle is about a city that rose because of the most American of traits--innovation, entrepreneurship, and an inspiring perseverance. It's about the object lessons learned from the city's collapse, and most prosaically, it's about what happens when a nation turns its back on its own citizens. The story of Detroit encompasses compelling human dimensions, from the hope it once posed for blacks fleeing slavery in the early 1800s and then rural Southern poverty in the 1920s, to the American Dream it represented for waves of European immigrants eager to work in factories bearing the names Ford, Chrysler, and Chevrolet. Martelle clearly encapsulates an entire city, past and present, through the lives of generations of individual citizens. The tragic story truly is a biography, for the city is nothing without its people.

Product Description: This series provides multiple views of momentous events in recent history; each book helps readers develop critical thinking skills, increase global awareness, and enhance their understanding of international perspectives about historic events...read more

Product Description: "A creative, informative, and highly readable narrative....The book consists of four sections dealing in turn with (1) the law and economics of antitrust policy; (2) the problem of colllusion; (3) the question of exclusionary practices; and (4) the difficulties of enforcement...read more

Product Description: This on-the-ground study of one square mile in Detroit was written in collaboration with neighborhood residents, many of whom were involved with the famous Detroit Geographical Expedition and Institute. Fitzgerald, at its core, is dedicated to understanding global phenomena through the intensive study of a small, local place...read more

Product Description: A photo album poetry book of Black Detroit from the 1930's to 1950's when "Paradise Valley was one of the most prosperous Black business and entertainment districts in the country. This poetry book takes a nostalgic look back into Detroit's past at a time when showgirls, tap dancers, and jazz greats took center stage...read more

Product Description: In the decades following World War II, professional city planners in Detroit made a concerted effort to halt the city's physical and economic decline. Their successes included an award-winning master plan, a number of laudable redevelopment projects, and exemplary planning leadership in the city and the nation...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: "A creative, informative, and highly readable narrative....The book consists of four sections dealing in turn with (1) the law and economics of antitrust policy; (2) the problem of colllusion; (3) the question of exclusionary practices; and (4) the difficulties of enforcement...read more