

#4879
Mentioned in 6 episodes
Ecology of Fear
Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster
Book • 1998
In this book, Mike Davis counterpoints Los Angeles’s central role in America’s fantasy life with its denial of its own real history.
He explores how the city has been depicted in numerous novels and films as a place of disaster, while also delving into the real ecological and social issues it faces, such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and droughts.
Davis draws upon a vast array of sources to create a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility, capturing the nation’s violent malaise and desperate social unease at the end of the 20th century.
The book includes a new afterword from 2021, reflecting on LA's 21st-century challenges.
He explores how the city has been depicted in numerous novels and films as a place of disaster, while also delving into the real ecological and social issues it faces, such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and droughts.
Davis draws upon a vast array of sources to create a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility, capturing the nation’s violent malaise and desperate social unease at the end of the 20th century.
The book includes a new afterword from 2021, reflecting on LA's 21st-century challenges.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 6 episodes
Mentioned by 

in a discussion about fire management and Malibu.


Kmele Foster

65 snips
#485 - The Fire This Time
Mentioned as one of ![undefined]()

’ books.

Mike Davis

63 snips
Episode 104: Everything Is Bad
Mentioned by 

while discussing the risks of property development in high-risk fire zones in Los Angeles.


Adam Tooze

37 snips
Los Angeles Wildfires and Trump’s Play for Greenland
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

when discussing the impact of the LA fires on the city and its film industry, highlighting its prescient insights on LA's ecological and social vulnerabilities.

Marina Hyde

25 snips
The Rock’s Beef With Vin Diesel
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a fantastic history of Los Angeles and the choices made to live on the edge of disaster.

Peter Hamby

Peter Hamby: The Politics of a Firestorm
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

when discussing the environmental risks of living in Los Angeles.

Peter Hamby

LA’s Karen Bass Problem & Rashida’s MSNBC Exit
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

while discussing his essay on the Malibu fires and resource allocation.

Mike Peska

Executive Order Overload
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

while discussing the class dimensions of the California wildfires and the disproportionate impact on different communities.

Leighton Woodhouse

Leighton Woodhouse: LA fires were tragically inevitable