The City: A Global History (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
"Cities compress and unleash the creative urges of humanity. ... [T]hree critical factors have determined the overall health of cities -- the sacredness of place, the ability to provide security and project power, and last, the animating role of commerce. Where these factors are present, urban culture flourishes. When these elements weaken, cities dissipate and eventually recede out of history." (xx-xxi)"The great Persian king Cyrus, Herodotus tells us, described the typical Greek agora as 'a meeting place in the middle of their city where they gather together, swear oaths, and deceive each other.'" (22)"China's cities simply did not exercise the influence over the hinterland common in classical Europe or in the Islamic world. ... China remained half as urbanized as Western Europe, the Mediterranean, or, for that matter, Japan from the first millennium until the present day." (53)"This process of successive enfeeblement is not unique to Asian of Islamic societies. Aristocratic classes in Europe also often grew weaker after generations in power. Yet in contrast with the East, Europe's rising urban merchant and artisan classes provided a vital alternative capable of invigorating the urban economy and often forcing changes in regime." (60)"'The suburban house is the idealization of every immigrant's dream -- the vassal's dream of his own castle. Europeans who come here are delighted by our suburbs. Not to live in an apartment! It is a universal aspiration to own your own home.'" (quoting Edgardo Contini, 122)"'Cairo,' commented one late-nineteenth-century observer, 'is like a cracked vase whose two parts can never be put together.'" (130)
If you're looking for a good starting point for Cities 101 - an introduction to urban centres - Kotkin's The City is a pretty decent choice. The City surveys the development of urban centres over the ages and across various geographies and cultural milieux; the classical cities in Europe e.g. the Greek city states and Rome, the cities in ancient China and those during the Islamic golden ages, European cities during the Renaissance, cities during the Industrial Age and modern day metropolises in the developed and developing worlds. Kotkin's book also discusses the evolution of the roles of cities over the ages, from their origins as sacred centres (e.g. in Mesopotamia) and/or centres of political/imperial power (e.g. in ancient China and Egypt) to purely commercial centres (e.g. in Phoenicia, Venice or modern day NY). It also talks about the shift towards "urban deconcentration", where the focus is no longer on the central urban core, but on having multiple centres of activity within the city (e.g. in LA) and the growth of the suburbs. At 160 pages, The City isn't an in depth examination of cities, but it is a compact read that you can easily dip into during those small pockets of time that come up throughout the day.
What do You think about The City: A Global History (2006)?
The author writes plainly, a style I enjoy. He does, however, write with a noticeable bias, preferring all things Roman and American. The topic proves too massive for the 150 page pamphlet. In an effort to give some kind of perspective to an otherwise poorly written book, the author writes an introduction and conclusion - mostly personal opinions - about what he thinks the book conveys. These prove to be the most interesting part of the book. The other 130 pages are just descriptions of cities.Reason to read: Facts. Introduction/Conclusion. Recommendation: Go to your local bookstore and enjoy the 20 good pages over a cup of coffee. They can use the traffic.
—Luke
Sacredness of PlaceSecurityCommerceThese are the pillars Kotkin identifies as makers or breakers of cities. Remove one and Pantheon crumbles. Allow one to outstrip the others and the same happens. Rather than using the pages to convince the reader, however, Kotkin tracks the notable urban developments on the planet throughout history, within an unimposed framework. Perhaps this is why the book, which covers so much, is so short. It is also why I enjoyed it - In some ways I think the compartmentalized chapters are a courteous gesture in that they inform the reader about what she might look for if the topic of cities inspires further inquiry, without harping. A suggested readings section is also included to this end.A great historical summary of everything city.
—Khalil James
This book was recommended to me by one of my professors in college. I finally got around to reading it and was severely disappointed. The preface and the final chapter are good. The middle is fairly dull. I think the problem for me was the lack of depth. he tries to cram the history of cities from Babylon to modern New York into 160 pages which leaves no space to really explain what he is trying to get at. I think the book could have been so much more enriching with a more thorough discussion of the subject.
—Brad Cramer
