The Pacific circuit : a globalized account of the battle for the soul of an American city /
Alexis Madrigal.
- First edition.
- x, 366 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Part I: The state Meet Ms. Margaret Liquid modernity Under all is the land The docks The call of California Spoiled by the various mutations of the air One was down, one was up Killing you with that pencil and paper Right-of-way men The Negro family Part II: The revolution that came, and the one that didn't The potentialities are beyond imagining Black power and the third world movement The technology question Trauma Part III: Birdsong The shadow Predatory inclusion "Free" land and "free" money Life, death, and the port The revolution cafe The base Big shit Keep it in the ground Part IV: Circuit city In the interest of others Transpandemic The grand bargain Conclusions. Part I: The state Part II: The revolution that came, and the one that didn't Part III: Birdsong Part IV: Circuit city Epilogue
In The Pacific Circuit, the award-winning journalist Alexis Madrigal sculpts an intricate tableau of the city of Oakland that is at once a groundbreaking big-idea book, a deeply researched work of social and political history, and an intimate portrait of an essential American city that has been at the crossroads of the defining themes of the twenty-first century. Oakland's stories encompass everything from Silicon Valley's prominence and the ramifications of a compulsively digital future to the underestimated costs of technological innovation on local communities--all personified in this changing landscape for the city's lifelong inhabitants. The Pacific Circuit holds a magnifying glass to the scars etched by generations of systemic segregation and the ceaseless march of technological advancement. These are not just abstract concepts; they are embedded in the very fabric of Oakland and its people, from dockworkers and community organizers to real estate developers and businesspeople chasing the highest possible profits. Madrigal delves into city hall politics, traces the intertwining arcs of venture capital and hedge funds, and offers unprecedented insight into Silicon Valley's genesis and growth, all against the backdrop of Oakland--a city vibrating with untold stories and unexplored connections that can, when read carefully, reveal exactly how our markets and our world really function.
9780374159405 (hardcover) 0374159408 (hardcover)
2024035150
Oakland (Calif.)--Economic conditions--21st century. Oakland (California) --Condiciones económicas --Siglo XXI Oakland (Calif.)--Social conditions--21st century. Oakland (California) --Condiciones sociales --Siglo XXI Pacific Area--Commerce. Área del Pacífico --Comercio