This book is a collection of essays, each about a different American city. Each essay is written by a prominent journalist of the city in question. The key to this book's fascination for me is that it was published in 1947. So we get a fascinating insight into the history, political makeup, problems and strengths of 15 different U.S. cities as of the immediate post-WW2 period. The problems of race, political machines and corruption, the growth of the suburbs and a host of other issues are all presented here in what amounts in the current day to a series of time capsules. How will L.A. manage its growth, its need for ever greater amounts of water and the apparent political apathy of its citizens? How will Mobile overcome its festering race problems and the economic tension caused by the fact that its major industries are all owned by out-of-town concerns who do not care for the city's well-being? How will Boston deal with the fact that the well-to-do classes have opted out of city management and left things to machine politicians of questionable ethics? We get all of these questions posed to us circa 1947. I very much enjoyed this book and learned a lot. ( )