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Thread: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

  1. #1

    Default Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    This long-awaited book is now available and I downloaded the electronic copy.

    And lo and behold, I'm barely 10 pages in and OKCTalk gets a shout-out.

    Quoted a poster about the fear of losing James Harden before that big trade. I'll have to do some research and figure out who he was quoting.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    NICE!

    My copy just arrived and I plan to read this weekend.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    This long-awaited book is now available and I downloaded the electronic copy.

    And lo and behold, I'm barely 10 pages in and OKCTalk gets a shout-out.

    Quoted a poster about the fear of losing James Harden before that big trade. I'll have to do some research and figure out who he was quoting.
    Hey, who knew you would move into two different types of print media within the same week!

  4. #4

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Lots of great books out recently... gotta put this on my list...
    Finished Bad Blood which everyone should read..America, the Farewell Tour by Chris Hedges came out yesterday. Amazing stuff... read both
    so as to not get overly excited about things without the proper approach.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I put in a request back in March for the Metropolitan Library System to order this book. Anytime you request a book and they purchase it, you'll be the first to get it! Pretty awesome. Looking forward to reading and will probably end up adding it to my own personal library.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I listened to a sample on Audible. Sounds interesting...
    A good friend who teaches City Planning out in California quickly linked me to the article in the NYT
    about the book today....people are paying attention!

  7. #7

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Picked up a copy last night and got about 40 pages in... I'm really liking the book so far. It's kind of interesting how the author weaves the past and the present of OKC and Oklahoma into one narrative, and I've already learned a few things that I didn't know before, like the City of Ewing and Operation Bongo. It's a fascinating read and I highly encourage people to pick up a copy if they can. Barnes and Noble at 63rd and May had about a dozen copies on the "New Releases" table last night when I grabbed mine.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I wasn't sure if I was interested (I've heard it focuses very heavily on the Thunder?) but this excerpt was gripping and very fascinating: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...-in-a-day.html

  9. #9

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    “Oh, Joe — here’s your mule!”

  10. #10

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Went out last night after I got the kids to bed to pick up a copy. Figured I'd hit up Full Circle (localish book, local bookstore, right??) I walk in and immediately to the left is a group of people lined up waiting for the author to sign their copies. Had no idea he was there! So I lucked into an autographed copy, and I barely had to wait for it. Pretty excited to read it this weekend.

  11. #11

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Difficult to put into words what a gift this man is to OKC. Drop everything and pick up a copy. Went to the event in Edmond yesterday, talked to him for awhile...not only does he really get it, but he's got some interesting philosophical takes on the big picture. He really cares about us, and our amazing potential. Book is everything I've ever wanted in a book on OKC!

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I am really looking forward to reading Boomtown and glad to hear those who have read all or part are enjoying it. Curious if anyone has a take on the F-Lips/Wayne C parts of the book - I have read a couple of online reviews which say this takes up too much focus. I have no take on it yet — just curious.

    And BTW, I would also highly recommend a book called Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows. It is a book of their travels to various towns around the country (including Guthrie). To me it is really fascinating......but back to Boomtown!

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I'm only like 110 pages in, but there's another OKCTalk mention on page 85, Pete.

  14. #14

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    page 88 here...trying to take it slowly so I can really enjoy it, but having a hard time with that....

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Having a hard time taking it slow or having a hard time enjoying it?

    I'm enjoying it

  16. #16

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Hard time taking it slow. It's a phenomenal book.

  17. #17

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I'm enjoying the book so far. I'm about 1/3rd through. He's an excellent writer with strong metaphors. He pulls of the back-and-forth chapters between the past and present in a way that works. The ways his metaphors connect together different pieces of history are interesting, particularly regarding time/booming/explosion. I only know parts of OKC's history well so I've enjoyed the stories I didn't know. Here's some other random thoughts thus far:

    - The OKCTalk references are cool and interesting way to gauge the mindset of citizens on different topics from the recent past.
    - His re-telling of the Thunder story is interesting. I think his narrative is mostly fair (even if I don't totally agree), but he is off on some minor facts here and there (e.g., KD didn't sacrifice on his second contract when he gave up his player option... which was huge), which happens with such a large undertaking. So far, his Westbrook narrative is similar to the national media take... he criticizes him for two pages, mentions he's a great player almost as an after thought, and then criticizes him some more. He's not totally wrong on some of it, but even when he admits how amazing Westbrook was in, for example, game 4 of the Finals, he describes it almost as luck. It'll be interesting to see how the story continues to unfold.
    - Every once and a while there's a small anecdote that reminds you that he's not from the area. A really bizarre one was the comment in Wayne Coyne section where he mentioned Bricktown as a tourist district for chains and bars, and "one of the city's only Starbucks." Where did he come up with the idea OKC only has a few Starbucks? Lol. Maybe he was referencing the time when Flaming Lips Alley was dedicated in 2007, but that still seems really off.

    Overall, I recommend the book. It's actually rather impressive to right a book about a place you've only known for a few years. Anyway, this is a very unfinished review so take it with a grain of salt, but just my thoughts being 1/3rd through.

  18. #18

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Just wanted to follow up on my first post and say there are actually 3 different references to OKCTalk in the book.

    All quote posters; 2 about the Thunder and 1 about Gary England.

  19. #19

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I went and bought a hard back copy today at Commonplace Books in Midtown. I am thrilled that he prominently covered Friends for a Better Boulevard and that whole debate. He really caught the essence of what that was all about. He also correctly recorded that the whole affair started in a OKC Streetcar subcommittee meeting. That was an incredible meeting and I am quite sure that I have a recording of it in the streetcar archives.

  20. #20

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I’m almost finished, but damn, the bombing chapter hits hard. Anderson spends so much time weaving this rich narrative of OKC and it’s people — for better and worse — that when you get to the bombing, ugh, you’re just really devastated for the community.

  21. Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I also bought the book today at Commonplace (my first time in there too).
    Look forward to reading it, just on the comments from this thread.

  22. #22

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    I'm not going to write a super long review here, but I will say that I highly recommend the book. It's an impressive feat for Anderson to capture so much of what OKC is as someone who knew nothing just a few years ago. He's an exceptional writer. And he covers a lot:

    - the Land Run and early with a lot of interesting characters like Angelo Scott (of whom I knew little)
    - City planning from urban growth to urban renewal and sprawl (Stanley Draper, Jim Couch) to redevelopment
    - Civil Rights from Roscoe Dunjee to Clara Luper
    - the bombing and recent tornadoes (Gary England)
    - the Thunder everywhere in between (he's too hard on Russ)

    I really was moved in different ways by the entire book. I've posted elsewhere how clear he brings out that OKC has consistently been held back by poor planners who thought/think they know it all and pursue bad policies (Draper to Couch). I had a lump in my throat during the bombing and tornado chapters, and bringing Gary England's story as a meteorologist was such an Okie way to tell the story.

    I thought Anderson left a little on the table with Roscoe Dunjee (who has always long my favorite historical Oklahoman), but he really brings Luper's legacy to life. Every book does not, and generally cannot, be everything to everyone, but there was a almost a total lack of the stories of women (Luper is the only women in the entire book, right?), Indigenous Peoples (this absence was disappointing), and Asian-Americans (considering their incredible stories and vital part of OKC). I would have liked to see a more diverse book because those are the stories often left out and I want to learn more about those histories my self. I was hoping they would be included, but they were not. I will say I was really glad he talked with Jabee as I didn't even realize the gentrification/demolition required to build the medical district. That story deserves more attention, in my opinion.

    All-in-all, I enjoyed the book and Anderson taught me enough to want to learn more. If I was teaching Oklahoma History again (I only taught it once long ago during student teaching), I would definitely use this book as it offers a great way for citizens of all ages to learn about OKC's history and envision ways towards building a better OKC for the future.

  23. #23

    Default Re: Boomtown - Sam Anderson book

    Haven't read the book yet, but will shortly, sounds great. Found these two articles today, thought people would find them interesting.

    https://nondoc.com/2018/09/22/boom-t...aos-order-okc/

    https://nondoc.com/2018/09/20/boom-t...c-advertising/

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