If I run for Palo Alto City Council in fall, 2014 I will likely either read above or at least read Jonathan Yardley’s review of such, and drop the name of the book during any public fora about development here. That plus, George Packer “The Unwinding”, which I already own, have read and try to paraphrase mention whenever I can, like here.

I mean “History of Future Cities Slash Palo Alto” despite my headline.

See / hear also: KQED Forum today on Steinbeck, “Grapes of Wrath” but also “In Dubious Battle”. Not to imply anything about this politics, but Jonathan Yardley and “Grapes of Wrath” were both born in 1939, so to speak.

If I can figure out a way to mention “You Know Me, Al” by Ring Lardner, I will, but it probably depends on whether the Giants make it to post-season.

edit to add: this is the fifteenth time I mention or describe “Yardley” here in “Plastic Alto” according to the search function although I may be creating a composite character comprising various parts of  the four actual Yardley’s I claim to recall meeting/reading.

edita, later that day: the context within which I am skimming this book has to do with development in Palo Alto, and the fact that some people are for and actively promoting a “Manhattanization” of Palo Alto (population, 60,000 but with at least $25B in commercial real estate); I think of us skipping over Manhattan and proceeding to Dubai, although so far, the only connections I find is a law firm with offices in both places and several software firms based here with offices there. Here is esteemed Mr. Yardley on Brook’s book, and I’ll refrain from pilfering his Rudyard Kipling quote. We have a Kipling Street here in Palo Alto, where the once-mighty restaurant Zibbibo, at 430, is closing, to make room for more office space and would-be jet-setters, visiting Dubai, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, and Mumbai.