The City: A Global History (Modern Library Chronicles)
By:
Joel Kotkin
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Average Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Description:
If humankind can be said to have a single greatest creation, it would be those places that represent the most eloquent expression of our species’s ingenuity, beliefs, and ideals: the city. In this authoritative and engagingly written account, the acclaimed urbanist and bestselling author examines the evolution of urban life over the millennia and, in doing so, attempts to answer the age-old question: What makes a city great?
Despite their infinite variety, all cities essentially serve three purposes: spiritual, political, and economic. Kotkin follows the progression of the city from the early religious centers of Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China to the imperial centers of the Classical era, through the rise of the Islamic city and the European commercial capitals, ending with today’s post-industrial suburban metropolis.
Despite widespread optimistic claims that cities are “back in style,” Kotkin warns that whatever their form, cities can thrive only if they remain sacred, safe, and busy–and this is true for both the increasingly urbanized developing world and the often self-possessed “global cities” of the West and East Asia.
Looking at cities in the twenty-first century, Kotkin discusses the effects of developments such as shifting demographics and emerging technologies. He also considers the effects of terrorism–how the religious and cultural struggles of the present pose the greatest challenge to the urban future.
Truly global in scope, The City is a timely narrative that will place Kotkin in the company of Lewis Mumford, Jane Jacobs, and other preeminent urban scholars.
From the Hardcover edition.
Publisher: Modern Library
Release Date: 2006-10-10
Customer Review: 3 out of 5
Doesn't know what it wants to be. - A more appropriate title for this book would be The City Through History, A Brief Synopsis. I would also downplay the central thesis to more of a whimsy on the authors part as it is never sufficiently developed and carried through to the end. I also did not find the thesis to be very descriptive of the city I live currently in or see living in in the next 50 years. Why would an author even try to present a 'Global History' of cities in 170 pages and then on top of that try to bolt on some grand scheme for how cities develop and operate?
What the book does offer is a very fast and readable sprint through 8-10 thousand years of urban history from Jericho to Los Angeles, mostly deferring details and finer arguments to other authors. If one takes the book as a brief introduction on the subject then it is capable of that especially given the many references and suggested reading chapter and these ultimately are the most valuable part of the book.
Customer Review: 1 out of 5
superficial - absurdly short given the subject. the thesis--that above all cities need religion or some sort of binding moral order, defense, and free-flowing commerce--is a bit odd. waste of money overall. read mumford or braudel instead.
Customer Review: 4 out of 5
fascinating read - I enjoyed this book and have recommended it to friends interested in urban and societal history. I particularly appreciated his truly global approach as opposed to the euro-american-centric approach we're all familiar with already. I enjoyed learning something new with each page and found it very readable and easy to understand. I found it fascinating.
Customer Review: 4 out of 5
Great introduction to the history of cities - In this short book, Kotkin explores two central points: 1) that the urban experience is universal, transcending space, culture and time; and 2) that what characterizes successful cities has remained unchanged from the earliest times, namely the creation of sacred space, the provision of basic security, and the hosting of commercial markets. He then provides a vast and rapid sweep through millennia of urban history.
As the author clearly states, this text was intended as an introductory guide rather than an analysis, and he very much succeeds in setting readers on the footpath of further study. While it is true that every subject is handled on a superficial level, what Kotkin chose to discuss was well-distilled and demonstrates his vast knowledge of the field. He supplies readers with a chronology and, more importantly, a suggested reading list. Anyone interested in approaching urban history should begin with this book.
Customer Review: 4 out of 5
Must read before the new geography. - I really enjoyed this as a historical approach to urbanism, but the book "the new geography" should be read after. I obviously read them in reverse.
I was really excited as a commercial real estate agent at the way the new geography played out the way we will live and work in the near future.
The City prefaces the road we have taken to get where we are and the future of the city is going to be incredible dynamic and everchanging.
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