Overview

A unique memoir charting the modern political history of Los Angeles as told by one of its most consequential elected leaders. An activist with political skills can take on powerful special interests, and a balkanized governance structure, and make government work. An eye-opening, behind-the-scenes account of how government really works

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Reviews

“Zev’s Los Angeles is a compelling history of our city’s last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders. Zev Yaroslavsky’s career in public service spanned Los Angeles’ emergence as a global city and some of its most trying times. His personal story is essential to understanding where our city is today, and where L.A. and the nation's cities are headed in the future. A must read for anyone curious about leadership and governing in changing and challenging times.”  — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass “In his upcoming memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky takes readers on an uplifting and inspiring journey of personal faith, public service, and the shaping of Los Angeles. The son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, his story is a quintessentially American one. From modest beginnings, Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark through his work on expanding health care, implementing innovative housing programs, and growing our city’s public transportation network. Zev gives readers an inside look into the life of one of the most empathic and effective leaders I’ve known, as well as insight into the challenges he overcame along the way. This memoir is for any reader looking for inspiration about their own ability to effect change in their community.” — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) “Zev’s Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power, the autobiography of, well, Zev, revisits the period in which Los Angeles became what we know today: big and complex, multiracial, exciting, divided and far deeper than what meets the eye. Zev Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark on L.A. over decades on the City Council and the Board of Supervisors, and his thoughtful reflections earn his memoir an honored place in the history he helped make and now helps to understand. … Aided by former Los Angeles Times writer Josh Getlin, Yaroslavsky manages the dual tales of his own life and the broader L.A. story. The result is satisfying at every level: a solid history, an insightful analysis of power and a sincere reflection on a life of service.” — Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times “In Yaroslavsky’s book… you surely learn a lot about local politics… But there’s another set of lessons embedded in this memoir, about what it looks like to animate one’s values and honor one’s heritage while engaged in the deeply transactional and often cynical day-to-day of politics. … The long arc of his career combines idealism, ethical behavior — in four decades, not a whiff of  scandal — and service to the greater good, the community. … That is to say, Yaroslasvky, who retired in 2014, left the city far better than he found it. God knows there’s still a lot left for a new generation of politicians to do. They have a fine example to follow.” — Rob Eshman, The Forward “Los Angeles can be harder to understand than most big cities. … Move to Boston or New York, and those cities will teach you how to be a Bostonian or a New Yorker. Move to Los Angeles, and the metropolis will more or less lie there, unfurled and opaque, awaiting instructions. … The place doesn’t tend to define its people. The people, in the aggregate, define the place. How that works is the subject of a new book by Zev Yaroslavsky, who has been a Los Angeles civic leader for the last five decades. … The book… is billed as a political memoir, but it is also a history of the people and policies that have shaped the city.” — Shawn Hubler, New York Times (California Today) “Yaroslavsky—former City Councilman, now retired from the County Board of Supervisors—has written, with Josh Getlin, an account of his years in government that will impress the most jaded critic. … Yaroslavsky writes that he intended his book to be ‘a history as much as a memoir,’ and the result is a studied account, written with an evident eye on posterity. … Yaroslavsky has provided an engrossing account of a tumultuous era and the often-subterranean battles that have shaped the city of Los Angeles. He may even give the reader a new appreciation for the work of a politician.” — Kathleen Hayes, The Jewish Journal “Zev's Los Angeles is a peerless guide to the history, politics, and culture of the City of Angels. No one knows L.A. better. And no one conveys it in precisely this way—spellbinding, unvarnished, and yet elegant. It reads as if Zev were doing what he does best--holding court with that mix of photographic recall, a penchant for the piquant, the unmistakable no-nonsense style, and the staggering command of policy. This book is, at once, the story of one man's undying commitment to his city, a brilliant and revealing biography of LA, and a first-class primer on how to forge good governance at the local level. It should be of interest to all who are interested in how a city works—and how it should work.” — David Myers, Distinguished Professor and Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, University of California, Los Angeles “Politicians often avoid risk until they are forced to do the right thing. Not Zev. With little political upside, he aggressively stood up for all civil rights, stared down LAPD bullies, and championed women’s rights. Throughout his 40-year career, he wielded political power not for himself, but to right wrongs. He passionately lived up to his oath of office—to faithfully protect and defend the Constitution. He has earned my respect and my friendship.” — Connie Rice, Civil Rights Lawyer, Author of Power Concedes Nothing “Zev Yaroslavsky will be remembered as one of L.A.’s most consequential public officials. He played a central role in nearly every major public policy from his upset 1975 council election in 1975 to his retirement as a county supervisor in 2014. This remarkable political autobiography offers one person’s journey through L.A.’s modern history. With acute perceptions, deep feeling, and detailed insider recollections of the key players and dramas, Yaroslavsky takes the reader from his family roots in the Russia empire to the swirling multiethnic and radical politics of Boyle Heights, to his efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry, to navigating the changing L.A. political scene through massive crises. In so doing, Yaroslavsky links his own story to the larger L.A. narrative. The book stands as an invaluable resource for students of public service in troubled times, and for those who hope to understand this complicated, ever-hopeful, and diverse region.” — Raphael J. Sonenshein, Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles  “In this compelling memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky chronicles Los Angeles’ evolution into one of the world’s great cultural capitals and his role in that transformation. From Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, to the L.A. Opera, to the region’s museums and more—his influence in expanding L.A.’s cultural footprint is a remarkable legacy. I have been privileged to share many of the challenges and exciting moments in that history.” — James Conlon, Music Director, Los Angeles Opera, International Conductor “At a time of highly polarized, partisan politics, Zev Yaroslavsky’s memoir offers an insightful and very personal view of an era when Los Angeles leaders came together to tackle the most difficult issues facing the region, from police accountability and preserving green space, to protecting the region’s fragile safety net and expanding accessibility to the arts. Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power is required reading for students of leadership and government, and aspiring policymakers on what it takes to be an effective, issue-oriented leader.” — Miguel Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation “[This] book is an informative recollection that anyone familiar with the local political scene for the past fifty years will find fascinating reading that reminds [readers] of the evolution of [the] city and takes [them] behind the scenes in City Hall, the County Hall of Administration and other seats of power. In Yaroslavsky’s case, he consistently used his increasing power for the public good.”  — John Welborne, Larchmont Chronicle “Political memoirs generally fall into at least one of two categories, boasting or tattling—the first motivated by vanity, the second by revenge. Zev’s Los Angeles, subtitled ‘From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power,’ falls into a third category: teaching, motivated instead by the desire to impart knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Also, maybe ‘inspiring,’ as in encouraging young people to consider politics and elective office as an admirable and productive career choice.”  — Joel Bellman, The Canyon Chronicle

Zev's Los Angeles is a compelling history of our city's last half century, as conveyed through the life of one of our most impactful leaders. Zev Yaroslavsky's career in public service spanned Los Angeles' emergence as a global city and some of its most trying times. His personal story is essential to understanding where our city is today, and where L.A. and the nation's cities are headed in the future. A must read for anyone curious about leadership and governing in changing and challenging times. - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass In his upcoming memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky takes readers on an uplifting and inspiring journey of personal faith, public service, and the shaping of Los Angeles. The son of Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, his story is a quintessentially American one. From modest beginnings, Yaroslavsky left a lasting mark through his work on expanding health care, implementing innovative housing programs, and growing our city's public transportation network. Zev gives readers an inside look into the life of one of the most empathic and effective leaders I've known, as well as insight into the challenges he overcame along the way. This memoir is for any reader looking for inspiration about their own ability to effect change in their community. - U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) Zev's Los Angeles is a peerless guide to the history, politics, and culture of the City of Angels. No one knows LA better. And no one conveys it in precisely this way-spellbinding, unvarnished, and yet elegant. It reads as if Zev were doing what he does best--holding court with that mix of photographic recall, a penchant for the piquant, the unmistakable no-nonsense style, and the staggering command of policy. This book is, at once, the story of one man's undying commitment to his city, a brilliant and revealing biography of LA, and a first-class primer on how to forge good governance at the local level. It should be of interest to all who are interested in how a city works-and how it should work. - David Myers, Distinguished Professor and Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, University of California, Los Angeles Politicians often avoid risk until they are forced to do the right thing. Not Zev. With little political upside, he aggressively stood up for all civil rights, stared down LAPD bullies, and championed women's rights. Throughout his 40-year career, he wielded political power not for himself, but to right wrongs. He passionately lived up to his oath of office-to faithfully protect and defend the Constitution. He has earned my respect and my friendship. - Connie Rice, Civil Rights Lawyer, Author of Power Concedes Nothing Zev Yaroslavsky will be remembered as one of LA's most consequential public officials. He played a central role in nearly every major public policy from his upset 1975 council election in 1975 to his retirement as a county supervisor in 2014. This remarkable political autobiography offers one person's journey through LA's modern history. With acute perceptions, deep feeling, and detailed insider recollections of the key players and dramas, Yaroslavsky takes the reader from his family roots in the Russia empire to the swirling multiethnic and radical politics of Boyle Heights, to his efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry, to navigating the changing LA political scene through massive crises. In so doing, Yaroslavsky links his own story to the larger LA narrative. The book stands as an invaluable resource for students of public service in troubled times, and for those who hope to understand this complicated, ever-hopeful, and diverse region. - Raphael J. Sonenshein, Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles In this compelling memoir, Zev Yaroslavsky chronicles Los Angeles' evolution into one of the world's great cultural capitals and his role in that transformation. From Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, to the L.A. Opera, to the region's museums and more-his influence in expanding L.A.'s cultural footprint is a remarkable legacy. I have been privileged to share many of the challenges and exciting moments in that history. - James Conlon, Music Director, Los Angeles Opera, International Conductor At a time of highly polarized, partisan politics, Zev Yaroslavsky's memoir offers an insightful and very personal view of an era when Los Angeles leaders came together to tackle the most difficult issues facing the region, from police accountability and preserving green space, to protecting the region's fragile safety net and expanding accessibility to the arts. Zev's Los Angeles: From Boyle Heights to the Halls of Power is required reading for students of leadership and government, and aspiring policymakers on what it takes to be an effective, issue-oriented leader. - Miguel Santana, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation

Author Information

In a Los Angeles political career spanning four decades (City Council 1975-1994, County Board of Supervisors 1994-2014), Zev Yaroslavsky played a central role in shaping America’s largest metropolis. Health care, transportation, arts and culture, the environment, and fiscal policy were his domain. He received an MA in History and a BA in Economics and History, both from UCLA, where he currently teaches Public Policy and History. A career journalist, Josh Getlin covered politics in Los Angeles and Washington, DC for the Los Angeles Times and was the paper’s New York Bureau Chief from 2001-2008. He received an MS from the Columbia University School of Journalism and a BA in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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