Detroit: A city on the brink

Detroit: A City on the Brink is a 2008 non-fiction e-book by author Kyle W. Bell. The book is published by Smashwords and sold through the websites of Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other major retailers. Google has partially indexed the book as part of their Google Books program. It is available in many formats on the Smashwords website, including for the Kindle, Sony Reader, iPad and PC. Due to its short length and digital format, it is sold for $1.99.
Themes
The book is based off of research done for a school project. It contains a brief history of Detroit's attempt at economic redevelopment between the 1970s and present day. The book deals with the outsourcing of jobs, the deindustrialization of the American Midwest and downtown redevelopment projects that promised to spur a revived Detroit. Furthermore, he notes the importance of the automotive industry to the city. The industry's decline has adversely affected employment within Detroit and other Michigan cities.
Examples
The author uses several projects within the city of Detroit as examples of redevelopment projects. He terms these projects the "rebirth" of Detroit. These include the Renaissance Center, Comerica Park, Ford Field and the many casinos that are located in Detroit, such as the MGM Grand Detroit.
Reception
Detroit: A City on the Brink has been a best seller on Amazon.com since its publication. In January 2010, it was #1 among Urban Planning & Development e-books in the Kindle Store, #8 among Labor & Industrial Relations e-books, and #11 among Public Policy e-books.
 
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