Review: Boardwalk of Dreams: Atlantic City and the Fate of Urban America

Boardwalk of Dreams: Atlantic City and the Fate of Urban America by Bryant Simon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Boardwalk of Dreams is a very insightful discussion of the fate of the Atlantic City Boardwalk from the early 1900s through the early 2000s. Simon focuses on the city landscape and its racial segregation over time. Atlantic City went through many changes over the years. From a quaint entertainment resort at the turn of the century to a massive decline in the 60s and 70s, an attempt of revitalization in the 80s and 90s to the gambling escape it is today. Simon surmises that the decline of the Monopoly city came at a time when middle-class (white) vacationers felt less comfortable in the city as it began to desegregate and deteriorate. Public spaces like the boardwalk and the entertainment pier were opening up to the various ethnic groups that had long been segregated in town. The once opulent resort hotels, movie theatres, and entertainment clubs were beginning to show wear and tear and prices were increasing, making it a less desirable place to vacation. Competing with new vacation spots such as Disneyland and Disney World, Atlantic City became a "has-been" urban blight on the Jersey shore. It is only after gambling was legalized in the city that the once go-to vacation spot for young middle-class families began to make a comeback. Did this really solve the problems and bring back the glory to Atlantic City or has gambling merely redefined the city once again?

Although the focus of the book was not on the historical timeline of the city, it does give a nice overview of its changes over time. Atlantic City was once a thriving, iconic vacation spot, for a particular class of people and Simon does a very good job of placing the reader in the heyday of the resort town. It is very sad how quickly the town declined, and the author does discuss other factors, such as mob influence and realty speculation that likely contributed to its near demise. You are then left to consider if the town has really revitalized or just changed its focus on the gambling crowd, leaving the former gloried beach and boardwalk as afterthoughts.

For a really good and thorough history of Atlantic City, I suggest Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson.

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Review: Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams

Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams by Mark Kingwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You may think this book is a "history of the Empire State Building" and although it does gloss over some historical facts about the quintessential building that commands that New York skyline, this is more about its iconic status. Kingwell spends the first couple of chapters discussing the background of the building, and other New York skyscrapers, past and present, and how each became (or not) icons of the Empire city. Unlike the previous Twin Towers that were destroyed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building is constructed in such a fashion that a plane would disintegrate but the building would still stand. For New Yorkers and visitors alike, the building represents the unmovable spirit of the city. It also symbolizes different things to different people. A tourist may view the building differently than a local. Regardless, it is an icon of the city and for many, symbolizes and celebrates the spirit of freedom of the city and of the nation.

Beyond the first two chapters, the book tends to go off on dry tangents about skyscrapers and architecture. There are some other redeemable chapters that discuss the use of the Empire State Building in pictures and movies. This book would likely appeal more to architects and students of the subject. It is worth the read of the first couple of chapters and the last couple of chapters for anyone else.

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Review: Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine

Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine by Claire Prentice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is quite an interesting story. Dr. Martin Couney was a pioneer in the incubation therapy of premature babies. He started out life as Martin Cohn, but eventually changed his name to Martin Couney when he emigrated to America in the late 1800s. Couney was also not a trained doctor, although many did not realize it. He made a name for himself by creating incubator shows at various worlds fairs, expos, and the boardwalks of Atlantic City and Coney Island, helping to save the lives of thousands of premature babies. Set up as sideshows, Couney charged onlookers to view the babies in the incubators or being washed and nursed to a survivable weight. His patients came from area hospitals and doctors who did not have the equipment to help them survive. Many parents of preemies made their way to Couney to ask for help in saving their newborn. He had an outstanding record with a low mortality rate, that likely was the reason the AMA ignored his lack of credentials.

This is a quite unusual read. You're not sure whether to be horrified that the babies were used as part of a sideshow or impressed that this "not a real doctor" actually did a good thing for thousands of babies who have gone on to lead long normal lives. They surely would have died as infants had it not be for Dr. Couney. He may not have had the credentials to be a doctor, but he knew what he was doing and a lot of people have him to thank for their lives.

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