Detroit - An American Autopsy

I just finished the book and I recommend it. Yes, it's written about Detroit, but it's really an eye opener for any large city. Charlie LeDuff was a reporter for The Detroit News, and later for a TV station and he saw a lot. I expected the book to be a political blow-by-blow of what happened to Detroit but, while some of that was there, it was mostly just the crap he saw during his career chasing down stories for the paper.
I found it particularly interesting because I knew almost every street he named in the book and partially grew up in the Brightmore neighborhood his sister hooked, and later died in. I remember The Flame bar and ran with buddies from Southwestern High School.
Has anybody here read it?

That sounds like something I'd enjoy reading. I lived in Novi, outside The D for a few years, and I'm enamored with the auto industry and the effect it has had on SE MI. I wonder if any other industry will play such a big role in the success and consequent demise of another big city. It's interesting how many other factors played into Detroit and how will other cities manage their current situations to keep from becoming the next Detroit. And how will Detroit ever come back? Is it economically feasible or even possible?

In reply to Kramer:

Yes, Detroit can be saved, all one really has to do is tear down all buildings not historically significant or economically feasible to restore. After removing all the blight, which could employ more or less every unemployed man in this corner of the state, everything should be ok.

Sounds like an interesting topic, but I can't stand Charlie LeDuff. He tries to make himself part of the story way too much, IMO.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Sounds like an interesting topic, but I can't stand Charlie LeDuff. He tries to make himself part of the story way too much, IMO.

Yeah, and he did it in the book as well. But it was interesting because, all those stories you hear on the news or read about, he was behind the closed door. He told us things we wouldn't otherwise know. There was also information that was censored out of articles.
Reading is as a man that used to run the same streets he talks about (maybe even running into the same people) it rang very true to me.

Next I want to read Savage Factory.

In reply to DrBoost:

dude, Brightmoor is a dump. congrats on surviving. my daughters and i delivered groceries from a mission in that 'hood, to houses on Burt. i thought the living conditions would make a stronger impression on the kids, but they were more impressed by the gratitude of the people we were helping.

AngryCorvair wrote: In reply to DrBoost: dude, Brightmoor is a dump. congrats on surviving.

Yeah, and that's the better of the two areas I lived in. At least I was in the majority there as far as race. The 'hood after that was downright scary. I was on Dolphin, 10 blocks west of Burt.

AngryCorvair wrote: my daughters and i delivered groceries from a mission in that 'hood, to houses on Burt. i thought the living conditions would make a stronger impression on the kids, but they were more impressed by the gratitude of the people we were helping.

Yeah, I've done a lot of hours in charity and volunteer work in different areas of Detroit. And while I've been run out by crackheads or ticked off people, I've had more people (even gang members) thank me/us for our work and show great generosity and gratitude. It's very humbling when you see someone that has nothing express real thanks for what they have.