As more and more historians take the linguistic turn and abandon facts and figures for fashion and fiction, it is more than a little refreshing to encounter the work of someone such as Charles Jacobson. In Ties That Bind, Jacobson explores the history of the economic and political dilemmas surrounding urban public utilities, particularly water, electricity, and cable television. Unlike many historians, Jacobson has actually taken the time to learn, master, and ultimately integrate into his text the relevant economic literature.