LA’s Karen Bass Problem & Rashida’s MSNBC Exit

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.

In *City of Quartz*, Mike Davis delves into the complex history of Los Angeles, exploring how the city has been influenced by various powerful groups, including real estate boosters, the Protestant elite, Jewish Westside elites, homeowner groups, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The book critiques the city's development, highlighting issues of racial tension, economic inequality, and the transformation of Los Angeles into a 'fortress city' characterized by fear and surveillance. Davis also examines the impact of market forces on urban design and the lives of different classes, concluding with a study of the de-industrialized town of Fontana, which he terms a 'junkyard of dreams'.