This is a history of 20th century Buffalo, New York, as told by Goldman ("a successful entrepreneur who has played a major role in revitalizing the cultural life of downtown Buffalo"). His central focus is on the industrial and other economic activities in the city as they have ebbed and flowed across the years and on the politics of urban planning, but other political and cultural issues important to the history of the city are discussed--for example, school desegregation and the role of the arts in the life of the community. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)