Perhaps what you read in the Finnish paper did have some sort of agenda. This book doesn't. It is factual with few opinions. I thought it was great for a historical account of what had occured in many American cities; Detroit being a prime example. I do disagree with the author in his comment that Baltimore is more "extreme" than other major cities in it's past. Perhaps more research on other cities would disprove that statement. Having grown up in Detroit, lived in Milwaukee, Boston, and now Baltimore for quite a few years; I see many similarities.