As populations around the world begin to increase exponentially, it is becoming clear that an influx of rapid urbanization is increasingly affecting global cities. Rural populations are decreasing as megacities and hypercities form. However, these different cities that are emerging are not very urbanized and lack serious levels of growth. Demographic fluctuations end up destroying the economic stability of less industrialized countries. Mike Davis, modern-day Marxist and author of “Planet of Slums,” vividly illustrates the great catastrophes with which humans are forced to live daily in the Third World. The world as we know it is changing very quickly. is deteriorating around us, and Davis explicitly summarizes the horrific events unfolding on the world stage. Davis begins by highlighting the negative effects of Third World urbanization (p. 14). Less developed countries lack the infrastructure and economic stability needed to house and support their growing populations. As a result, nations must seek help from various organizations and first world countries – in hopes of eliminating inner-city poverty. However, the acceleration of slum formation is becoming more and more widespread; in turn, a number of persistent social and economic problems erupt. Deconstructing the complicated histories of specific cities, Davis assesses the vestiges of Western colonialism. Racial segregation is prevalent in the Third World, to the extent that socially invented minorities are systematically pushed to the periphery of urban peripheries (p. 52). Systematic and forced rural migration adds to spatial zoning to the extent that the poorest populations have no choice but to settle on the outskirts of cities and live in some of the largest built-up slums (p .53).A...... middle of paper... ...lacks any type of resolution to the events that occur. All of these problems have become so deeply rooted that it seems there is no hope for these cities – or for our world itself. It would be interesting to see how individuals living in slums would interpret this book – based on their life situations. By recommending this book to slum dwellers, one might see if there is common ground on the foundations of what has caused such terrible living standards and conditions. In Planet of Slums, Davis links accelerating slums, environmental degradation, and economic instability to colonialism, as well as restructuring programs introduced by organizations seeking to aid the Third World. However, depending on which side of the world one is on, the deteriorating world may have foundations in something completely different..