▁Valley ▁north ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁ ▁The ▁community ▁moved ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁leaving ▁behind ▁the ▁" g host " ▁of ▁an ▁alternative ▁future ▁for ▁LA . ▁ ▁Davis ▁then ▁expl ores ▁intellect uals ' ▁compet ing ▁ideas ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁from ▁the ▁" sun sh ine " ▁promoted ▁by ▁real ▁estate ▁boost ers ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁to ▁the ▁" deb unk ers ," ▁the ▁m uck rak ing ▁journal ists ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁century , ▁to ▁the ▁" no ir " ▁writers ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁ex iles ▁fle eing ▁from ▁fasc ism ▁in ▁Europe , ▁and ▁finally ▁the ▁" s or cer ers ," ▁the ▁scient ists ▁at ▁Cal tech . ▁ ▁The ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁expl ores ▁how ▁different ▁groups ▁w ield ed ▁power ▁in ▁different ▁ways : ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁Protest ant ▁el ite , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Ch and ler ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁and ▁the ▁new ▁el ite ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁west side ; ▁the ▁surprising ly ▁powerful ▁home owner ▁groups , ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Police ▁Department > ▁He ▁covers ▁the ▁Irish ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁its ▁fr iction ▁with ▁the ▁numer ically ▁dominant ▁Lat ino ▁element . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁con cludes ▁at ▁what ▁Davis ▁calls ▁the ▁" j unk yard ▁of ▁dream s ," ▁the ▁former ▁steel ▁town ▁of ▁Font ana , ▁east ▁of ▁LA , ▁a ▁victim ▁of ▁de -