Drawing on nearly thirty years of prior analyses of growth; aging; and diversity in Texas populations and households; the authors of Changing Texas: Implications of Addressing or Ignoring the Texas Challenge examine key issues related to future Texas population change and its socioeconomic implications. Current interpretation of data indicates that; in the absence of any change in the socioeconomic conditions associated with the demographic characteristics of the fastest growing populations; Texas will become poorer and less competitive in the future. However; the authors delineate how such a future can be altered so that the “Texas Challenge†becomes a Texas advantage; leading to a more prosperous future for all Texans. Presenting extensive data and projections for the period through 2050; Changing Texas permits an educated preview of Texas at the middle of the twenty-first century. Discussing in detail the implications of population-related change and examining how the state could alter those outcomes through public policy; Changing Texas offers important insights for the implications of Texas’ changing demographics for educational infrastructure; income and poverty; unemployment; healthcare needs; business activity; public funding; and many other topics important to the state; its leaders; and its people. Perhaps most importantly; Changing Texas shows how objective information; appropriately analyzed; can inform governmental and private-sector policies that will have important implications for the future of Texas.
#192393 in Books 2016-01-05 2016-01-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.31 x 1.16 x 6.38l; 1.10 #File Name: 1620409151336 pages
Review
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful. History as It Should Be ToldBy Lee DembartJon Wilkman’s “Floodpath†is history the way it should be told.Wilkman masterfully brings to life the now all-but-forgotten story of the St. Francis Dam; 50 miles north of Los Angeles; which suddenly collapsed one spring night in 1928; releasing more than 12 billion gallons of water that wrought death and destruction as it roared to the sea. More than 400 people died that night in what has been called the worst civil engineering disaster in America in the 20th century.Wilkman began researching the story more than 20 years ago; at a time when some of the survivors and eyewitnesses were still alive; and he could interview them. More recently; he has also found new engineering data and theories that explain what caused the dam to collapse. As a result; this is the most complete and comprehensive account of the St. Francis Dam disaster that we are likely to see.If it were only that; the book would be an important contribution to California and engineering history. But it is much more. It is also the story of William Mulholland; the self-taught Irish immigrant who arrived in Los Angeles in 1877 and found work as a ditch digger in a city of 9;000 people. Mulholland rose to head the water department; and ultimately he designed and built the first of the aqueducts that brought water hundreds of miles to the semi-desert of Los Angeles; making possible the city of 4 million people that it is today.Mulholland brought the water; and the St. Francis Dam was part of the great plumbing project that he built to make that happen. The failure of the dam ended what had been a distinguished career; and Mulholland died a broken man in 1935.Wilkman tells Mulholland’s story fairly and accurately; and he tells all of it—the St. Francis Dam and Mulholland—against the backdrop of the overarching story: Water in the West. In California; the water is in the north; but the people are in the south; and the water wars have been raging for more than a hundred years. In recounting the story of the St. Francis Dam and its failure; Wilkman splendidly puts all of the strands together and makes the dam disaster of long ago relevant to today.24 of 25 people found the following review helpful. Topical and current look at the St. Francis Dam disaster; its causes and the effect it had on California.By A. BrookesExcellent narrative study of Southern California's St. Francis Dam disaster;that while scholarly; the book is definitely approachable for both people with an engineering background and the average reader.I can remember my father taking the family on a drive from the San Fernando Valley to see the ruins of the dam. This would have been in the early 1950s; when I was no more than four or five. It must have made quite an impression on me; as I still can remember some of what he showed us. My father had worked on the All American Canal and other major projects; and was fascinated by what happened to the St. Francis Dam. I forgot about that trip; and despite going to school in the area; the St. Francis Dam disaster was never mentioned. While visiting a cemetery I came across some grave markers that mentioned the family died in the flood. My memory of visiting the site returned and I began reading what I could find about this important event; that happened where I lived and worked my entire life; yet was never mentioned in history classes or news stories.Floodpath is meticulously researched and doesn't leave out any of the who; why; where or when of this disaster and similar dam failures and potential failures in the United States and the rest of the world. The author doesn't cast blame; but rather lays out the known facts and trusts the reader to draw their own conclusions. The facts are supplemented by photos and charts that enhance the reading experience. It is a tragic event that deserves the respect the author has shown for what happened and what effect it had on the victims and the future of Los Angeles and California; including the current drought situation.Floodpath is a very readable and interesting look at how Los Angeles grew from its roots as a sleepy village to the major city it is today.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Slow start; strong middle; okay endingBy Emilio Corsetti IIIThis story is about a dam collapse in 1928 and the aftermath. The disaster and subsequent investigation are well told and will keep you engaged. I did; however; find some of the background material a little slow. I’m not knocking the book for that. In nonfiction; background information about the people and events is necessary to obtain a fuller picture. It’s just that I almost gave up on this book after a sluggish beginning; and wouldn’t want another reader to make the same mistake. This book is well worth your time.While some of the early background material was slow; there was a lot of Los Angeles history I found interesting. Even back in 1928; when the population was just a few hundred thousand; city planners foresaw the need for water for both agriculture and its residents. Additionally; a dam and aqueduct could provide additional benefits such as recreation and power generation. Reading about the city’s efforts to acquire land and the additional steps needed to undertake such a massive engineering project bogged down the story in details that probably could have been left out. In fact; I was at the 20% point on my Kindle when I told myself I would give this book one more chapter; and that’s it. Fortunately; the very next chapter dealt with the dam break and subsequent flooding of the valley below.As it turns out; I had just watched the film San Andrea around the same time I started reading about the dam collapse. One of the opening scenes in that film is the collapse of Hoover Dam. So I had the recent memory of those visuals as the author described the events of March 12; 1928. One big difference; however; between that fictional disaster and the real life disaster was that the St. Francis Dam gave way at night when many residents were asleep and totally unprepared for the danger that was about to befall them. This portion of the book is as compelling as any disaster story you’re likely to read.As dawn breaks; and the extent of the damage and loss of life is first realized; questions as to the cause of the collapse begins. Was it an earthquake? Was it caused intentionally by dynamite? Or was it an engineering flaw? The chief architect of the dam was William Mulholland; a respected director of the City’s Water Works department. Mulholland is one of the central characters in this story. Did he take shortcuts? Did he make mistakes during the construction of the dam? These questions take up the majority of the story as the issue of liability and legal claims take over.The book slows down once again as the author covers what seems like every dam collapse since 1928. Still; I found the material interesting. I certainly was unaware of a series of dam collapses in China that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.Lastly; I want to comment specifically on the Kindle version of the book. Time after time; Kindle books I read from major publishers lack any effort in the digital conversion. They simply take a PDF file; and that becomes the eBook. Such is not the case with this book. The book Floodpath is a perfect example of a publisher utilizing every benefit an eBook has to offer. Images are placed in context; where you can match the image with the text. Double tapping on an image brings up a popup of the image. Endnotes are easily accessible while reading the text. Want to know more about a particular individual? Tap the person’s name and a popup appears to provide more information. Want to know how long you have to go in a chapter? In the book? That information can be found at the bottom of the screen.The author is also a documentary filmmaker and is currently working on a documentary on this story. I’m looking forward to watching it.
