City on the Edge: The Transformation of Miami

by Alejandro Portes and Alex Stepick

Book Overview

Winner, 1995 American Sociological Association Robert E. Park Award​

Projecting fantasies of wealth and excess, Miami, "America's Riviera," occupies a unique place in our national imagination. Uncovering the hidden story of this dreamlike place, Portes and Stepick explore the transformations of Miami from a light-hearted tourist resort to a troubled, complex city.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520089324
• ISBN13: 9780520089327
• Release Date: August 1994
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Good socioeconomics, but dated

City on the Edge is one of the finest books written on the socioeconomic dynamics of Miami and Dade County. The overall history of the city is only lightly treated (and unfortunately, there are few works on the history of South Florida) as the book instead focuses mostly on developments in Miami's recent history, namely from the 1960's forward, as it began its Anglo to Latino "transformation." Be warned, however, that the book is somewhat dated (published in '93 originally, hence 4 stars instead of 5); Miami is a booming, complicated, rapidly evolving city and has changed fairly significantly since then, but the underlying city culture (and it's quirky, problematic socioeconomics) are still there, as analysed by this book. The analysis and overview of the various black groups in Miami in the book was also very revealing.