I'm reminded of another great L.A. read:
The Drive-In,
the Supermarket, and the Transformation of Commercial
Space in Los Angeles, 1914-1941 by Richard Longstreth.
Sounds dry, but it's not at all. Neither is Longstreth's
City
Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile,
and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950
All LAPL