Teardown

Memoir of a Vanishing City

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Urban
Cover of the book Teardown by Gordon Young, University of California Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Gordon Young ISBN: 9780520955370
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: June 28, 2013
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: Gordon Young
ISBN: 9780520955370
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: June 28, 2013
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

After living in San Francisco for 15 years, journalist Gordon Young found himself yearning for his Rust Belt hometown: Flint, Michigan, the birthplace of General Motors and "star" of the Michael Moore documentary Roger & Me. Hoping to rediscover and help a place that once boasted one of the world’s highest per capita income levels, but is now one of the country's most impoverished and dangerous cities, he returned to Flint with the intention of buying a house. What he found was a place of stark contrasts and dramatic stories, where an exotic dancer can afford a lavish mansion, speculators scoop up cheap houses by the dozen on eBay, and arson is often the quickest route to neighborhood beautification.

Skillfully blending personal memoir, historical inquiry, and interviews with Flint residents, Young constructs a vibrant tale of a once-thriving city still fighting—despite overwhelming odds—to rise from the ashes. He befriends a rag-tag collection of urban homesteaders and die-hard locals who refuse to give up as they try to transform Flint into a smaller, greener town that offers lessons for cities all over the world. Hard-hitting, insightful, and often painfully funny, Teardown reminds us that cities are ultimately defined by people, not politics or economics.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

After living in San Francisco for 15 years, journalist Gordon Young found himself yearning for his Rust Belt hometown: Flint, Michigan, the birthplace of General Motors and "star" of the Michael Moore documentary Roger & Me. Hoping to rediscover and help a place that once boasted one of the world’s highest per capita income levels, but is now one of the country's most impoverished and dangerous cities, he returned to Flint with the intention of buying a house. What he found was a place of stark contrasts and dramatic stories, where an exotic dancer can afford a lavish mansion, speculators scoop up cheap houses by the dozen on eBay, and arson is often the quickest route to neighborhood beautification.

Skillfully blending personal memoir, historical inquiry, and interviews with Flint residents, Young constructs a vibrant tale of a once-thriving city still fighting—despite overwhelming odds—to rise from the ashes. He befriends a rag-tag collection of urban homesteaders and die-hard locals who refuse to give up as they try to transform Flint into a smaller, greener town that offers lessons for cities all over the world. Hard-hitting, insightful, and often painfully funny, Teardown reminds us that cities are ultimately defined by people, not politics or economics.

More books from University of California Press

Cover of the book Offending Women by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Cinema, Emergence, and the Films of Satyajit Ray by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Returned by Gordon Young
Cover of the book The Cosmic Time of Empire by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Parting Ways by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Poverty in America by Gordon Young
Cover of the book The Next American Revolution by Gordon Young
Cover of the book The Lawyer's Guide to Writing Well by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume II by Gordon Young
Cover of the book The Social Space of Language by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Unprepared by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Living Color by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Scenting Salvation by Gordon Young
Cover of the book Ain't No Trust by Gordon Young
Cover of the book No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger by Gordon Young
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy