Looking for a good read? Here is a recommendation. I have an unusual approach to reviewing books. I review books I feel merit a review. Each review is an opportunity to recommend a book. If I do not think a book is worth reading, I find another book to review. You do not have to agree with everything every author has written (I do not), but the fiction I review is entertaining (and often thought-provoking) and the non-fiction contain ideas worth reading.
Book Review
The Four Pillars of Houston
Reviewed by Mark Lardas
December, 21, 2025
“The Rise of Houston as a Global City,” by Geoffrey Connor, Texas A&M University Press, December 2025, 384 pages, $42.50 (Hardcover), $29.95 (E-book)
In 1836, Houston was a raw, frontier town of muddy streets and hastily-assembled buildings. Today it is one of the world’s great cities, the fourth largest city in the United States, its second largest import/export port, and acclaimed as the energy capital of the world. The transformation was largely complete by 1990, when the sixteenth G7 summit was held in Houston.
“The Rise of Houston as a Global City,” by Geoffrey Connor explains the whys and hows of Houston’s growth into a world-class city by 1990.
Connor identifies the four pillars supporting Houston’s evolution: its port, its energy industry, its medical center, and its position as Space City. Each contributed in different ways to Houston, but in ways which reinforced Houston’s development.
Connor devotes a lengthy chapter to each. In them he explains why they were important, how each developed, what each contributed to the city, and how they interacted with each other. He shows how, as each pillar was added, it created synergies with the previous drivers of Houston’s economy.
The port came first, giving the city the reason for its existence, driving early growth. The energy industry appeared in the wake of Spindletop, as the 20th century started, filling Houston with oil money. Houston’s Medical Center appeared after World War II. It transformed Houston into a medical research powerhouse. Finally, with the appearance of the Manned Spacecraft Center (later the Johnson Space Center) in 1961, Houston cemented its reputation as a cutting-edge technology center.
He follows this with a fifth chapter highlighting Houston leaders behind its success. These start with William Marsh Rice and end with Oveta Culp Hobby. Then Conner includes sections on Houston socialites, international Houstonians, and the Consular Ball.
Some of those, like Rice, Jesse Jones, and William Clayton, were visionaries driving Houston industries. Others, like Ima Hogg, Hobby and the socialites, developed Houston’s cultural scene. The international Houstonians and traditions like the Consular Ball helped make it one of America’s most cosmopolitan cities.
The result is a remarkable book. All history seems inevitable in retrospect, but in “The Rise of Houston as a Global City” Connor shows Houston’s current status was not pre-ordained. It was the result of people, starting with its founders, the Allen Brothers, who saw an opportunity and developed it. He also shows how its leaders reinforced success, willingly embracing creative destruction when called for. This book is well worth reading.
Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City. His website is marklardas.com.