Unprecedented+Power+-+Jesse+Jones,+Capitalism+and+the+Common+Good

1000 Word Report

I want you to develop a topic for your 1000 word report around something related to ths recently published book about one of the major figures in the development of contemporary Houston.

//Fenberg, Steven. Unprecedented Power: Jesse Jones, Capitalism, and the Common Good. 2011. College Station: Texas A&M University Press.//

If you ever go into Houston, you're likely to run into a variety of buildings named Jones this and Jones that. There's a good reason for that, and the book goes into detail about why. Jesse Jones at one point was regarded as the second most powerful man in the United States. He was put in charge of the agency principally responsible for addressing the financial consequences of the Great Depression. This is in addition to many other things as well.

For our purposes he was the man responsibe for putting Houston on the map. At a critical moment in time, he made sure that growth that could have happened elsewhere, happened here. This included creating the Port of Houston and ensuring that oil and gas development would happen here and not Beaumont, or New Orleans or other places. Much of this involved establishing relationship between the city and the national government. The book does a great job of showing how economic development occurs, and the relationship that are necessary to make ti happen.

Over the course of the semester, I want you to get familar with the story the book tells and develop a topic around one of its themes. It can be anything as long as it is tied to some aspect of the book's general theme.

I'll help you along by asking occasional weekly written assignment questions about it.

Write at least 1000 words - you may go long if you wish, use at least 3 additional references and follow MLA formating.

And let me know if you have question. I'd like you to do a good job.