Too Good to Be True: Scottsdale and Privatization during the 1980s

Name: Too Good to Be True: Scottsdale and Privatization during the 1980s
Brand: Author's Republic
Availability: InStock
Author: Paul Redvers Brown
ISBN: 9798614428273

Author: Paul Redvers Brown

Narrator: Paul Redvers Brown

Unabridged: 11 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Author's Republic

Published: 01/02/2021

Categories: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Business, Business & Economics, Technology & Engineering, Environmental

Synopsis

This is the personal story of a very public project. In 1984, a respected Boston environmental engineering firm took on the industry’s biggest engineer-constructors to win the first municipal water treatment plant privatization project in the country. The City of Scottsdale, Arizona had embarked on the "untested" financing approach to take advantage of tax incentives that arrived with the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Because it was the first of its kind, and the water industry saw many more to come, this small project captured nationwide attention. As the City raced to build the treatment facilities needed to take long-awaited water supply from the Colorado River, a team of aggressive long shots took on the world of infrastructure development and finance. It’s a roller-coaster ride from big achievements to colossal blunders, seen through the eyes of an ambitious MBA, in way over his head. Ultimately, it's a cautionary tale for young professionals that there’s a lot to be gained by taking risks and even more to be learned from accepting defeat.

Reviews

Goodreads review by CELESTE

Paul Redvers Brown’s Too Good to be True, Scottsdale and Privatization in the 1980s brings all the drama and excitement of a mystery into this true story. Brown meticulously narrates not one but four stories by my count woven in this book. Set in an exuberant time of hubris and vision, the detailed......more

Goodreads review by James

Part Autobiography, Part Inspirational-Journey As the title suggests, Paul Redvers Brown’s ‘Too Good to Be True: Scottsdale and Privatization in the 1980s’ is a first-hand account of the construction of the country’s first ‘private’ water-treatment plant, a watershed moment for U.S. infrastructure. ‘T......more

Goodreads review by Aishwarya

I never expected to enjoy a non-fiction book about water treatment (of all things) so much! Brown brings this retelling of the development of the Scottsdale Water Treatment Plant to life, with rich detail and conversational writing. It almost felt like Dennis Parker, Patrick, Julie and Chris are cha......more

Goodreads review by Hannah

This book deserves a disclaimer on the front cover--because it truly is too good to be true. I really anticipated a bit of a dry read, but Parul Brown writes this story with such insight, such honesty, such intrigue. Brown goes above and beyond to write an accurate and sincere account of his experie......more