Palen provides a good overview of the history of the suburbs. He describes the characteristics of the early suburbs, why and how they developed, and continues to detail suburbia up to today. He also includs the problems associated with the suburbs, confronts widespread myths related to suburban life, and introduces the new development trends seen across the U.S. If you are looking for a more detailed book on this topic, see Crabgrass Fontier by Kenneth T. Jackson (Oxford University Press), although the two parallel one another.