America's Johannesburg: Industrialization and Racial Transformation in Birmingham.

While he briefly mentions Johannesburg, South Africa (and Birmingham, England), the book is not a comparative study, although Wilson points out the false equivalence of comparing Birmingham, Alabama, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Some readers could use a primer on Marxism before reading this book, although Wilson strives to make his theoretical arguments somewhat lucid to diverse audiences. Wilson positions Birmingham - not New York, Chicago, Detroit, or even Atlanta - as its focal point, exploring the connection between Alabama's slaveholding past and this modern-day city's industrialization. [Extracted from the article]