Phoenix in Perspective: Reflections on Developing the Desert

Average customer rating:

Cheerleader for the Development Industries

"We really lay it on thick"

America's most thoughtful book on city development

Phoenix in Perspective: Reflections on Developing the Desert
Grady, Jr. Gammage , and Grady Gammage Jr.
Manufacturer: Herberger Center for Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mountain | West | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1884320171

Book Description

Gammage relates Phoenix's development patterns to the historical context. He examines how the region can better manage future growth given the issues of water, transportation, work patterns, and infrastructure, as well as the context. A thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the urban Southwest and twentieth-century American cities.

Customer Reviews:

Cheerleader for the Development Industries.......2000-10-16

Its hard to take Grady Gammage seriouly in this book. As a real estate lawyer, he has done little else besides acting as state cheerleader for the development industries.

While providing a pretty good history lesson on the city of Phoenix (thus the one star), this book does little but glorify and exaggerate the contributions the developement industry has had on the growth and prosperity of the Valley of the Sun (he credits the low-cost housing industry on the population boom...oh yeah...and air conditioning).

He discounts the notions of "sprawl" and blames any negative aspects on Phoenix's growth to market demand and a wonderful climate. He finds a way to absolve the develpment industry from any of the poor planning, tract housing, and characterless suburbs that blanket the Sonoran landscape.

While agreeing that there will someday be a limit to how large Phoenix and its outlying suburbs can get, he sees little use for any type of growth management and describes growth boundaries as "draconian." Portland is proof enough that growth boundaries do in fact work, and that they are hardly "draconian."

Gammage's solution to growth issues in Phoenix relates to water supply. Yet he fails to see that dealing with growth management via the water supply is like realizing that its time to go on a diet once you've already reached 400 pounds. By that time its too late. How do you tell a city of 5 million that the water supply has dried up, and now its time to start conserving....or limiting population? If growth boundaries are draconian, how does Gammage describe stopping growth because of a lack of water?

This book offers a neat history lesson on the Valley of the Sun, but outside of that, it offers little in the form of solutions to Phoenix's problems related to growth, pollution, traffic and its now characterless landscape. I'd give it a half star if I could.

"We really lay it on thick".......2000-09-21

This is truly a disappointing and shocking book; and, for that reason, a must read in any city where residents want to stop or at least curtail the destruction of their community by developers whose only motive is greed.

Grady Gammage Jr. is the son of one of Arizona's great families; Gammage auditorium at Arizona State University, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, honors decades of contributions by his family. Instead of community service, he became a wealthy lawyer for developers and was instrumental in creating the urban blight he so skillfully outlines in this book.

A hundred years ago, Phoenix was the smallest of the four major Southwestern cities (the others are Tucson, Albuquerque and El Paso). Now it is the largest, and is growing by an acre of new homes per hour. At that rate, as Gammage notes, growth can continue uninterrupted for another 672 years.

What is the new Phoenix? In Gammage's words, "A small narrow lot, a relatively large house, and a two- or three-car garage combine to produce neighborhoods with a different feel than those of even ten years ago. Houses seem squeezed together by non-existent side yards. Garage doors, lined up to a mandatory setback line, become the dominant feature of the streetscape. Front yards are shallower, with less grass . . . the desert is covered by acres of concrete tile."

Everything is geared to growth, at the lowest possible cost to developers. When the first Interstate freeway was built through Phoenix in the 1960's, it went below ground in elite neighborhoods and then soared to 25 feet above ground in low income areas. The elevated portion was often called "our Berlin Wall" and it destroyed poorer neighborhoods, providing cheap land for "slum clearance" and industrial space. No interchange was ever built to serve Guadaloupe, a low-income Yaqui village on the freeway; but, when a developer was appointed to the highway commission, bulldozers were at work within six months building an interchange for his speculative subdivision.

Obviously, as an attorney for developers, Gammage doesn't highlight problems. Yet, two out of three new residents to Arizona leave the state within five years. The Phoenix downtown crime rate is five times the national average. Arizona has the highest percentage of children without adequate medical care of any state, including Texas. It has the second-highest high school dropout rate. Believe it or not, here in the Sonoran Desert, it's against the law to grow sagebrush in your front yard.

It's what makes this book so worth reading. It's a lesson in every sweet-talkin' word that you'll ever hear from developers and their lawyers. Read it in conjunction with `The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs, often regarded as one of the great urban thinkers of the past 40 years. This book clearly and proudly offers the opposite of everything Jacobs advocates.

For Phoenix residents, it's a chilling account of change from "the city that Los Angeles wishes it could be" into a mass of urban sprawl that even LA wouldn't tolerate. Gammage does an excellent job; he is articulate, knowledgeable and one of the best lawyers developers can hire. As one of the local asphalt companies proudly says on its billboards, "We really lay it on thick." So does Gammage.

For outsiders, it explains why two of every three newcomers flee within five years, most within a year. Read it, then decide if you're safe to assume in your city, "It can't happen here."

America's most thoughtful book on city development.......1999-11-29

Grady Gammage provides readers with an accurate and insightful account of the development of the Phoenix metropolitan area. More important his book presents a sensible review of the problems of urbanization and suburban growth. Most important it avoids uninformed theories, irrelevant Utopian visions, or public action action that has neither political support nor financial justification.

Customer Reviews:

Orrefors at 100.......2000-05-25

This is probably meant to be the definitive text on Orrefors glass, as it was written with the cooperation of, if not at the behest of, the company. That has both it's good and downsides. On the positive end there are lots of archival photos, original drawings and much behind-the-scenes information. The downside is that it reeks of boosterism and focuses in on the company's current production without any sense of critical analysis.

The book is a beautiful coffee table type with gorgeous photos and much information which will probably prove very useful for someone just exploring the world of Swedish glass. There is an emphasis on art in photography, which is really nice, but eventually proves to be a draw back, as there are multiple pictures of the same vase, while many other techniques are not covered. Also there is much space spent considering the careers of the current designers and no where near enough on their classic ones. Personally I am less interested in the company' centennial commemorative output than I am on their earlier innovations.

One wishes there was far more analysis on what were positive and negative developments within Orrefors' designs. Again, I would also like to know why certain decisions were made - for instance, why the company decided to discontinue popular designs they had produced for decades and produce only the work of current designers. That they did it is significant, why would be even more interesting to know. The book is said to have a definitive table to help in the deciphering of codes on the bottom of their handmade glassware. I have never been able to use it with any certainty. I do not know whether it is a problem of clarity, mistranslation or the sheer number of variables in the pieces produced.

This all may sound like a negative review, but perhaps I was anticipating the volume too greatly. It is beautiful, and easy to read. There is much information in it, and it bears up to a second or third reading. I do recommend the volume, I just hope that it is followed by another more definitive one that clearly documents the company's developments, perhaps less artfully.

Average customer rating:
The Best of Modern Swedish Art Glass: Orrefors and Kosta 1930-1970
Mark D. Friedman
Manufacturer: Mark D. Friedman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Glass & Glassware | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0977779807

Book Description

First book devoted exclusively to the art glass made by two dominant makers, Orrefors and Kosta.

Karlek till glas: Agnes Hellners samling av Orreforsglas = A love of glass : Agnes Hellner's collection of Orrefors glass ([Svenska konstsamlingar)

Average customer rating:

Karlek till glas: Agnes Hellners samling av Orreforsglas = A love of glass : Agnes Hellner's collection of Orrefors glass ([Svenska konstsamlingar)
Stiftelsen Kungstenen
Manufacturer: Raster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Swedish | More Languages | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 9187214814

Average customer rating:

Orrefors Glass
Alastair Duncan
Manufacturer: Antique Collectors Club Dist A/C
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1851492240

Book Description

A thorough history of the famous Swedish glass firm which started business in 1898.

Average customer rating:

Glittering oasis in a dark wood
Edward Maze
Manufacturer: s.n
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007FB8R2

Average customer rating:

Orrefors glass works, Paris, MCMXXXVII
Erik Wettergren
Manufacturer: Nordisk Rotogravyr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Glass & Glassware | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00088TEAQ

Average customer rating:

Orrefors glass,
Ellen H Johnson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Glass & Glassware | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00088DIFS

Average customer rating:

Orrefors: Story of glass
Ann Van Dugteren
Manufacturer: s.n.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008AUDZY

Book Description

Artwork by Kate Bush, Edwin Zwakman. Edited by Jaap Guldemond.

Average customer rating:
Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned from Television, 8 Copy Prepak
Barry Dutter
Manufacturer: Applause Theatre & Cinema Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1557831564

Average customer rating:

Satire on the absurd premises of television

Better than Mad Magazine

Funny, right on target

Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned from Television: Paperback Book
Barry Dutter
Manufacturer: Applause Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 155783122X

Book Description

Hey you! Are you browsing bookstores again, feeling guilty because you'd rather be home watching The Jetsons? Well, say goodbye to guilt, and say goodbye to books! Yes, it's true, you can finally tell parents, teachers and other high-brow busybodies where to turn off! Long suppressed by university presidents and Librarians of Congress, this book systematically reveals all the secrets of life TV has taught us over the years!

Customer Reviews:

Satire on the absurd premises of television.......2004-06-17

This satire of American television is very funny. The cartoons in the book poke fun at some of the cliché's that are the staple of network television shows and commercials. My favorites are:

* Teachers and parents are all idiots who are easily fooled by kids.
* Each of us has at least one identical look-a-like, usually evil.
* There really IS life on other planets, oddly enough, all the aliens speak perfect English and look suspiciously human.

and the best:

It is possible to jump through a plate glass window and not get a single cut on you!

I enjoyed every one of these cartoons, they are all accurate depictions and make you think about the absurd premises that some television shows are based on.

Better than Mad Magazine.......2004-02-06

Now here's a clever little book chock full of funny drawings that are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud or you are seriously lacking a sense of humor. You don't even have to have watched any television to enjoy the visuals.

Funny, right on target.......1997-08-11

Ever wonder why the heroine twists her ankle whenever she's running away from the bad guy? How come all the actors who play high school kids look like they're 30 years old? The authors skewer TVs cliches and assumptions in a very funny illustrated manner. Everyone who watched the Brady Bunch or Dukes of Hazzard must read this book

Book Description

This revision of the author's bestselling earlier work on cost estimating has been updated to provide currently applicable examples, data and techniques. Two new chapters have been added covering: computer tools and models for cost estimating, where to get these tools, and the features to look for; software cost estimating with special emphasis on the effect of CASE tools on software productivities and resulting software costs. A complete set of inflation tables is now included to permit conversion from any year dollars to any other year dollars from 1959 through 1997. Retains its comprehensive coverage of the elements needed to embark on a cost estimating task. Strengthened are the invaluable parts of the book which tell the estimator how to produce a competitive and credible cost estimate. Manufacturing standards for hardware and electronics are retained as are handy tables for determining the costs of engineering, design, documentation, drafting and testing.

Bidding and Estimating Procedures for Construction (2nd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Bidding and Estimating Procedures for Construction (2nd Edition)
Hal Johnston , and G.L. Mansfield
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Buildings & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0130821977

Spon's Estimating Costs Guide to Electrical Works: 2nd Edition (Spon's Contractors' Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

Spon's Estimating Costs Guide to Electrical Works: 2nd Edition (Spon's Contractors' Handbooks)
Bryan Spain
Manufacturer: Spon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Electrical | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 041531853X

Book Description

All the cost data you need to keep your estimating accurate, competitive and profitable.

Do you work on jobs between £50 and £25,000? Then this book is for you.

Specially written for contractors and small businesses carrying out small works, Spon's Estimating Costs Guide to Electrical Works provides accurate information on thousands of rates, each broken down to labour, material overheads and profit for residential, retail and light industrial premises. It is the first book to include typical project costs for new installations, stripping out, rewiring and upgrading for flats and houses.

In addition, vital information and advice is given on setting up and running a business, employing staff, tax, VAT and CIS4's.

For the cost of approximately two hours of your charge-out rate (or less), this book will help you to:
* Produce estimates faster
* Keep your estimates accurate and competitive
* Run your business more effectively
* Save time.

No matter how big your firm is - from one-man-band to an established business - this book contains valuable commercial and cost information that you can't afford to be without.

Customer Reviews:

A good starting place to learn about the dairy industry........2001-05-28

A couple of months ago I began a new career as an economist for the USDA-AMS Dairy Programs. Although I have a master's degree in economics, I had no specific knowledge of the dairy industry. One of my colleagues recommended this book. Reading it helped me to quickly gain basic knowledge of pricing and marketing in the dairy industry.

Average customer rating:

AFPC policy issues paper
Ronald D Knutson
Manufacturer: Agricultural and Food Policy Center, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Food Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006QLVM4

Milk pricing in Federal milk marketing orders and the minimum butterfat requirement for whole milk products in Mississippi (Staff papers series)

Average customer rating:

Milk pricing in Federal milk marketing orders and the minimum butterfat requirement for whole milk products in Mississippi (Staff papers series)
Charles E Powe
Manufacturer: Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Dept. of Agricultural Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Food Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00070VT30

The U.S. dairy pricing system (SuDoc A 1.75:695)

Average customer rating:

The U.S. dairy pricing system (SuDoc A 1.75:695)
Alden Coe Manchester
Manufacturer: [U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service ERS-NASS, distributor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010KSLU

Book Description

Every day, the news is filled with stories of union/management disagreements, strikes, and ongoing labor negotiations. From professional sports and education to manufacturing and the service industries, unions and management regularly find themselves at the bargaining table engaged in attempts at conflict resolution. Beyond the Walls of Conflict is a roadmap for negotiators on both sides to apply the principles of alternative dispute resolution to the process of collective bargaining and offers a truly breakthrough method of solving problems between unions and management. Beyond the Walls of Conflict is a unique resource for problem solving that includes: A list of key success factors thaat are essential to creating labor/management peace; an exploration of the sensitive topic of trust and mistrust, and how trust can be built and destroyed.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books