Chip Jacobs
colorful history of smog in Los Angeles begins in thes and ends with a warning call for action, in which the city was going through a very horrible situation.
Smogtown provides a compelling case history of one citys experience with its selfcreated scourge that, in turn, reveals much about modern society at large.
It all began on July,, when a blinding, confounding haze spread around unsuspecting Angelenos, birthing a decadeslong battle against a toxic, shapeshifting monster.
The side effects were horrible and widereaching: increased car accidents and cancer rates, ruined crops, suicides and even smoginduced mental conditions, the formation of an imaginary lump that aroused the need to swallow constantly.
Awareness increased in the earlys when doctors compared inhaling air on the most smogridden days as “two of cigarettes a day.
”
Jacobs and Kelly cover many familiar events and figures, They are clearly passionate about the subject and give a very thorough history, I personally love this book and and feel really engaging while reading this, Strong overview of environmental pollution in southern California, Smogtown is without a doubt the definitive book on L, A. 's long struggle with air pollution, Not only
that, it's also a real pageturner, The story Chip Jacobs and William Kelly tell in such gripping fashion starts on the day inwhen a strange yellowbrown cloud rolled into town, prompting mystified Angelenos to wonder whether Japan might have launched a gas attack.
Needless to say, it hadn't, and Smogtown traces the yearslong detective story of the scientist who finally figured out where that cloud, and the many that followed it, had come from.
The tale continues through decades of politics and activism, explores the impact California's fight against pollution has had on the rest of the country, and shows us why clean air and a stable climate are now inextricably linked priorities.
Smogtown is not only deeply informative, it's also a great read, I highly recommend it! Beth Gardiner, author of Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution An exhaustive pun kind of intended history of one of Los Angeles' defining characteristicsas iconic as Hollywood and all it representsits smoggy sky.
Chip Jacobs and William J, Kelley make the convincing case that environmental justice is racial and socioeconomic justice and that capitalism is often just as nefarious as its made out to be.
They manage to make the chronology of choices regarding the health of its citizenry and the earth across political administrations at various levels read like the most nailbiting truecrime saga, which, let's be honest, it is.
If you love history then you'll love this book, The smog beast wafted into downtown Los Angeles on July,and covered the whole city, Nobody knew what it was, People seemed to disappear in the mysterious haze,
Who all were responsible for this Could it be the Japanese
Maybe a reckless factory
Was it the automobile industry
The truth was much worse because it came from within.
It came from Southern California's burgeoning caraddicted, suburban lifestyle,
Chip Jacobs and William J, Kelly highlight every detail so amazingly, The book describes the bold personalities involved, the involvement of science, the bad politics game,
the terrifying health costs, the attempts at cleanup, and how the smog battle helped mold the modernday culture of Los Angeles.
It deserves a five star for detailed content and hard research, An important piece of American environmental history, The air pollution crisis is a precursor and counterpart to the global warming crisis, as both are driven by the same behaviours and auto emissions, for example.
The book gets for its insights, in spite of the editorial rough edges some repetitions throughout that could have been slimmed down.
This is definitely a niche book you have to have an unusually high level of interest in Southern California air quality to make it worth your while.
While the history of the fight against smog in LA can be interesting, the authors felt the need to try to jazz it up with florid prose and silly terminology Smognoscenti Get it Its a combination of “smog” and “cognoscenti!”.
The book also suffers with age, which is not the authors fault, but simply the danger of writing about such a topical and everevolving subject matter.
Honestly, in the start, it was boring and not that gripping but as soon as i read topages, I was involved in this book completely.
Before shifting to LA, I lived in India and I know how pollution is affecting the environment in India.
I am always concerned about nature and this book was a perfect choice for me,
There is everything about LA and the Smog beast and how it created a havoc in the city.
There is a little disappointment with the grammatical mistakes but the content is superb, It looks like authors have worked hard for the research work,
There are pictures in th book which may tear you down but its the real life incident.
Through this book, authors are conveying the message to prevent environment from air pollution and smog, Great work!.
Smogtown provides a compelling case history of one citys experience with its selfcreated scourge that, in turn, reveals much about modern society at large.
It all began on July,, when a blinding, confounding haze spread around unsuspecting Angelenos, birthing a decadeslong battle against a toxic, shapeshifting monster.
The side effects were horrible and widereaching: increased car accidents and cancer rates, ruined crops, suicides and even smoginduced mental conditions, the formation of an imaginary lump that aroused the need to swallow constantly.
Awareness increased in the earlys when doctors compared inhaling air on the most smogridden days as “two of cigarettes a day.
”
Jacobs and Kelly cover many familiar events and figures, They are clearly passionate about the subject and give a very thorough history, I personally love this book and and feel really engaging while reading this, Strong overview of environmental pollution in southern California, Smogtown is without a doubt the definitive book on L, A. 's long struggle with air pollution, Not only
that, it's also a real pageturner, The story Chip Jacobs and William Kelly tell in such gripping fashion starts on the day inwhen a strange yellowbrown cloud rolled into town, prompting mystified Angelenos to wonder whether Japan might have launched a gas attack.
Needless to say, it hadn't, and Smogtown traces the yearslong detective story of the scientist who finally figured out where that cloud, and the many that followed it, had come from.
The tale continues through decades of politics and activism, explores the impact California's fight against pollution has had on the rest of the country, and shows us why clean air and a stable climate are now inextricably linked priorities.
Smogtown is not only deeply informative, it's also a great read, I highly recommend it! Beth Gardiner, author of Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution An exhaustive pun kind of intended history of one of Los Angeles' defining characteristicsas iconic as Hollywood and all it representsits smoggy sky.
Chip Jacobs and William J, Kelley make the convincing case that environmental justice is racial and socioeconomic justice and that capitalism is often just as nefarious as its made out to be.
They manage to make the chronology of choices regarding the health of its citizenry and the earth across political administrations at various levels read like the most nailbiting truecrime saga, which, let's be honest, it is.
If you love history then you'll love this book, The smog beast wafted into downtown Los Angeles on July,and covered the whole city, Nobody knew what it was, People seemed to disappear in the mysterious haze,
Who all were responsible for this Could it be the Japanese
Maybe a reckless factory
Was it the automobile industry
The truth was much worse because it came from within.
It came from Southern California's burgeoning caraddicted, suburban lifestyle,
Chip Jacobs and William J, Kelly highlight every detail so amazingly, The book describes the bold personalities involved, the involvement of science, the bad politics game,
the terrifying health costs, the attempts at cleanup, and how the smog battle helped mold the modernday culture of Los Angeles.
It deserves a five star for detailed content and hard research, An important piece of American environmental history, The air pollution crisis is a precursor and counterpart to the global warming crisis, as both are driven by the same behaviours and auto emissions, for example.
The book gets for its insights, in spite of the editorial rough edges some repetitions throughout that could have been slimmed down.
This is definitely a niche book you have to have an unusually high level of interest in Southern California air quality to make it worth your while.
While the history of the fight against smog in LA can be interesting, the authors felt the need to try to jazz it up with florid prose and silly terminology Smognoscenti Get it Its a combination of “smog” and “cognoscenti!”.
The book also suffers with age, which is not the authors fault, but simply the danger of writing about such a topical and everevolving subject matter.
The smog beast wafted into downtown Los Angeles on July,, Nobody knew what it was, Secretaries rubbed their eyes. Traffic cops seemed to disappear in the mysterious haze, Were Japanese saboteurs responsible A reckless factory The truth was much worseit came from within, from Southern California's burgeoning caraddicted, suburban lifestyle.
Smogtown is the story of pollution, progress, and how an optimistic people confronted the epic struggle against airborne poisons barraging their hometowns.
With wit, verve, and a fresh look at history, California based journalists Chip Jacobs and William J.
Kelly highlight the bold personalities involved, the corporate tainted science, the terrifying health costs, the attempts at cleanup, and how the smog battle helped mold the modernday culture of Los Angeles.
There are scofflaws aplenty and dirty deals, plus murders, suicides, spiritual despair, and an everpresent paranoia about mass disaster.
Brimming with historic photographs, forgotten anecdotes, and new revelations about our environmentally precarious present, Smogtown is a journalistic classic for the modern age.
Honestly, in the start, it was boring and not that gripping but as soon as i read topages, I was involved in this book completely.
Before shifting to LA, I lived in India and I know how pollution is affecting the environment in India.
I am always concerned about nature and this book was a perfect choice for me,
There is everything about LA and the Smog beast and how it created a havoc in the city.
There is a little disappointment with the grammatical mistakes but the content is superb, It looks like authors have worked hard for the research work,
There are pictures in th book which may tear you down but its the real life incident.
Through this book, authors are conveying the message to prevent environment from air pollution and smog, Great work!.