Reviews for When America Became Suburban

The average rating for When America Became Suburban based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-09-25 00:00:00 Craig Coulter This book covers a particularly interesting period and in America's history concerning a pivotal domestic and urban shift that occurred in the post war years, up until the mid 70's. Beauregard focuses on how mass suburbanisation was intrinsically linked to the decline of the major industrial rustbelt cities and how this in turn responded to an increase in domestic prosperity as well as the pursuit of global dominance. The book is mostly engaging but the first half has a tendency to focus on statistics, and often feels quite repetitive. The second half ramps up when it focuses more on the cultural ramifications of suburbanisation. Particularly interesting is one of the final chapters that suggests the suburban lifestyle was a powerful weapon in American cold war ideology. Also, that the suburban agenda reinforced racial segregation and the exclusion of minorities such as homosexuals not only physically, but ideologically. Beauregard seems to have a nostalgia for the industrial cities that had made America prosperous. He laments their decline, particularly the sense of civic duty and investment the Bourgeois middle-class bestowed upon the cities and their inhabitants, something he suggests is lacking in the more inward and exclusionist suburban communities.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-10-14 00:00:00 Michael Zirpoli The plus is it was brief and hit the high points- something you can get through quickly if you're preparing for a trip and want to know something about Italy. The downside is there isn't a lot of detail, which adds a lot of richness and interest.