5 Books Every Candidate for Mayor or City Council in Detroit Should Read

Stock Photo by Peter Mazurek

The race for Detroit's mayoral and city council elections are still almost a year away. However, it is already starting to heat up as more than a few people who have already declared their intention to run.

Since politics can be an ugly but incredibly important affair, I thought I would try to start things off on a positive note. With a little help from my friends on Facebook, I created my list of 5 books that every candidate for mayor or city council ought to read.

For anyone who hasn't read each of them of books, I strongly encourage them to do so. I have even included links to listing for each on Amazon.com to make it easier for people to find a copy.

Without further ado, I present my picks for 5 books that every candidate for mayor or city council in Detroit ought to read. My list includes, in no particular order:

• The Death and Life of Great American Cities by the incomparable Jane Jacobs. It does a wonderful job of illustrating how cities are supposed to work and the ways in which they can go wrong all to often;
• The Economy of Cities also by Ms. Jacobs, which makes the case for a strong urban core being vital to the an entire region's economic health;
• The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts, which tells the story of a truly great urban leader and should provide lots of inspiration to anyone wishing to serve in Detroit;
• The Origins of the Urban Crisis by Thomas J. Sugrue, which talks about race and its implications in post-World War II Detroit; and
• American Metropolitics: The New Suburban Reality by Myron Orfield.

For those wishing a little extra credit, I also recommend that those wishing to be the best possible leaders also read Comeback Cities: A Blueprint For Urban Neighborhood Revival by Paul Grogan, The Geography of Nowhere by James Kunstler, and The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg. Last, but certainly not least, I also recommend reading Leadership by Rudy Guiliani, if only for his chapter "Underpromise and Overdeliver."

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”