Book Description
Millions of Americans keep bedside books of prayer and meditative reflectioncollections of daily passages to stimulate spiritual thought and advancement. The Intellectual Devotional is a secular version of the samea collection of 365 short lessons that will inspire and invigorate the reader every day of the year. Each daily digest of wisdom is drawn from one of seven fields of knowledge: history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, religion, fine arts, and music. Impress your friends by explaining Platos Cave Allegory, pepper your cocktail party conversation with opera terms, and unlock the mystery of how batteries work. Daily readings range from important passages in literature to basic principles of physics, from pivotal events in history to images of famous paintings with accompanying analysis. The books goal is to refresh knowledge weve forgotten, make new discoveries, and exercise modes of thinking that are ordinarily neglected once our school days are behind us. Offering an escape from the daily grind to contemplate higher things, The Intellectual Devotional is a great way to awaken in the morning or to revitalize ones mind before retiring in the evening.
Customer Reviews:
Great idea and information but have a magnifying glass handy.......2007-10-15
This is quite an interesting book that contains snippets of information about various subjects/people/history. This is designed to be used as [the name indicates]a daily devotional and includes the day and number, if you decide to read it chronologically. -"Each entry is drawn from a different field of knowledge: History, Literature, Visual Arts, Science, Music, Philosophy and religion. Read one passage a day and you will explore each subject once a week."-from the introduction.
Each 'passage' (subject) is one page long. Each subject is introduced by a brief paragraph stating why the particular person/subject is well known. What follows this is the meat of the whole subject, and while the information is excellent, the font is pretty small and therefore slightly hard to read. The main text and information appears like it's a footnote instead of main text. I feel sure that this was done to save on space, so that each devotional maintains a one page limit.
This will definately revive your mind and possibly leave you curious and wanting to explore certain subjects even more in depth. I wouldn't count on it completing your education as the sub-title boasts. I found myself skipping around to different subjects and the information was so interesting I couldn't help but read it out loud to my daughter. -"Hey! and listen to this!....." She found it interesting as well.
The Intellectual Devotional.......2007-10-07
Indispensable refresher survey of classical education in daily small bites! Good discipline for the lazy and/or elderly mind!
Excellent Work.......2007-10-04
I ordered between 10 and 15 copies of this work and have given several out to people close to me in life and others will get them for Christmas. It is in short enough parts to not loose the attention of the reader and provides all the "lessons" that we forgot since early education. I recommend the book for all teenagers and adults.
Awesome Idea!.......2007-10-04
I love this book! It takes the old principle of a bedside religious devotional and makes constructive use of it for the purpose of self betterment. The thing is, heck, I love reading these sort of topics to begin with and had fun going through these eclectic pieces on wide ranging subjects. As it covers people, places, events, concepts, forumlae, the sciences and even some popular culture, and takes it all on in segments that fit into the idea of a few spare moments reading, the mind can't help but retain at least some of what is there to see. I hope this is just part one in what will be a long series of these devotionals.
Great for Families to Frame Discussion and Learning.......2007-10-03
The Intellectual Devotional shares daily tidbits that will enhance your cultural literacy and introduce you to new things in a nugget-facts approach. Each day of the week has a different theme such as History on Mondays, Literature on Tuesdays, Visual Arts on Wednesdays, Science on Thursdays, Music on Fridays, Philosophy on Saturdays and Religion on Sundays.
When I saw this title I thought, "What a great conversation starter over breakfast with the family!" Seriously, breakfast is usually a no-conversation time or sitting in front of the TV watching morning news.
Why not be intentional and discuss Virginia Woolf or the Taj Mahal or Prime Numbers or Wagner's Ring Cycle?
I love that the topics are brief yet meaty and invite the reader into thinking about different sorts of topics rather than sticking with the usual stuff about the usual stuff.
This would make an excellent family gift or a great place for friends to continue their life long learning together.
Book Description
A new type of person is coming into incarnation right now, almost a Â`next stepÂ' as humanity progresses. These people are visionary and creative, progressive and independent. They carry new ways of thinking and feeling that hold great promise for the future.
You may be familiar with the concept of Â`Indigo children,Â' and never realized that there are also Indigo adults. Might you be one of them? Perhaps you have wondered why youÂ've often felt different?
·
Frustrated and dissatisfied with the Â`normalÂ' world
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Not easily fitting in the system, and often feeling alone, separate, or not understood
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A pressing need to contribute to creating a better world
·
Unusual sensitivities
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A deep feeling, thinking, and introspective nature
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A powerful longing for Â`something moreÂ'
Indigo Adults helps you identity if you or your children are Indigos, and can help you understand more clearly your nature and purpose here on Earth.
The authors also put into perspective the bigger picture of the changing of an Age and its effect on our current world events.
(See Appendix for list of Indigo characteristics)
www.indigoadults.com
Customer Reviews:
indigo adults.......2007-10-08
Indigo adults is an exceptionally informative book. It is written by persons knowledgeable of the topic. The only bone I have to pick, and it is a very minor one, is the emphasis of the paradigm shift from an astrological perspective. This perspective is fine, but that we are in a transitional phase of paradigm shifting at present is understood by many religions and philosophies. That said, the authors do beg the readers pardon as they speak of this. As an indigo adult (in the name of inclusivity) i would just like it acknowledged there are other traditions with the same belief of our present day. This book is by far the best and most solid information on the indigos that I have read. This book makes solid points that are well supported as opposed to New Age Fluff. Thank you lovely authors!
Indigo Adults.......2007-09-13
The book was so interesting that I could not put it down. It answered so many questions and in a manner making it an "easy read". The book was passed on to the next reader with many markers and underlines. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
A waste of money and time........2007-09-06
I bought it and read it all. The author has good points and ideas. However, it's vague and not well written. The book is not worth the price and it's short too. I think the author should not write anymore or find another style that flows and is more factual. There are many odd thoughts that one may wonder if the writer is insane or takes something while writing. I think there are amny other gifted true writers out there. If you want information DO NOT get this book. You'll regret it. If you do you'll see for yourself.
Indigo - no answers.......2007-04-10
Interesting book with a few cool ideas but never arrives at any kind of conclusion like: where now and how do I deal with this gift accordingly. It's just a Indigo Groupie book that goes nowhere.
Finally know where I fit.......2007-01-09
Short concise, excellent read. There is quite a lot out there for Indigo Children, but I have found little specifically targeting the Indigo Adult. For those interested in the Indigo phenomena, or who believe themselves to be an Indigo Adult this is a must read book.
Book Description
The image of the church as a boat and tradition as an anchor is prevalent in Christian art. If we examine the biblical view of an anchor we are to cast our anchor into the future and pull the church forward. Postmodern pilgrims must strive to keep the past and the future in perpetual conversation so every generation will find a fresh expression of the Gospel that is anchored solidly to "the faith that was once for all delivered."
Customer Reviews:
Post-Modern Pilgrims.......2006-11-04
This is a very good book I like it very much.
I would like to know how can I get the recipt from the books that I boght this year.
Thanks
Pezini
Lacks depth, critical thinking.......2005-08-24
If you enjoy the average popular book on the shelf of your average Christian book store, like Purpose Driven Whatnot, you may enjoy this book. It is full of short anecdotes and cute stories, some mildly challenging and some entertaining.
If you are looking for a serious or critical discussion of post-modern thinking and how is does or does not jive with Christian thinking, look elsewhere.
Praise for Postmodernity Without the Critique.......2004-09-23
Post-modernity is all the rage. It used to be that great epochs of history would be named and categorized only after the fact. Now, we try to define and judge history as it happens. It is probably fitting that in our wired world of blogs that our era of history would come with its own running commentary. Leonard Sweet, self-proclaimed theologian and futurist, offers his own commentary. He speaks to the Church in non-technical language about post-modernity and its implications for ministry.
Generally, I like Leonard Sweet. He is creative and fresh--witnessing to the relevancy of the gospel rather than trying to make it relevant. I have read a few of his other books, and I am a regular subscriber to his website for preachers, www.preachingplus.com. Overall, I am pleased with his book, "Post-Modern Pilgrims." Suggesting that we must continue to keep the past and the future in conversation is sound advice. His exegesis of modern American culture rings true, and it that light, his acronym EPIC is helpful. (Congregations need to promote consciously the ways in which their ministries area Experiential, Participatory, Image-driven, and Connected.)
Sadly, there are ways in which the book fails to go far enough. For all the talk of keeping the past and future in conversation, it is clear that the future dominates the book. The subtitle of the book is "First Century Passion for the 21st Century World." I would have loved some of that "first century passion." There is no extended treatment of how the early church understood itself or its mission, or why this might matter to the future of the church.
Although I tend to accept some of Sweet's concerns of modernity, he could sharpen his analysis. For example, Sweet asks the question, "Why has praise music been such a pet hate in so many church circles (pg 143)?" His answer may surprise you. The fault lies in the scientific method. I still cannot fathom how praise music is antithetical to the scientific method. Elsewhere, he suggests that modernity was "word-based" but post-modernity is "image-driven" (pg 89). The evidence for this switch, Sweet argues, is the importance of metaphor. However, what is metaphor if not "word-based"? Throughout the book, Sweet rejects modernity, while embracing the technology it has wrought.
The new world in which we live means the gospel should be expressed in new ways. However, I do not see in Leonard Sweet how the gospel critiques post-modernity. Could our over-reliance on technology be hurting real relationships? Could the 17th Century Reformers be right about their concern with icons and imagery? Could an ever expanding desire for experiences be idolatrous? Leonard Sweet praises the potentials for ministry in this post-modern period, yet the Church needs a better roadmap to navigate the pitfalls.
Well written and consise..........2004-04-25
I had quite a lengthy debate about the book with a fellow seminary student, and I think that some of my comments from that back and forth will best illustrate what Sweet's book is about:
"We must remember Sweet's authorial intent here: "This book begins with chapters of cultural analysis devoted to what each of these words means in the acronym EPIC. The book ends with a more theoretical analysis of the social forces and intellectual figures fashioning this EPIC model" (Sweet, 30). He is not attempting to give us a systematic theology of how to approach the culture. He is giving a broad overview of the culture which we must engage: this is an introductory work to a much larger issue; by nature it is a survey..."
"Scripture is not commanding that we up and leave this culture and do everything the opposite that everyone else does: scipture admonishes us that while we're in the midst of this crooked and perverse nation, that we ought to not touch the unclean thing... in other words, be separate in that we do not participate in things that are evil: not just culture in general. Was Paul wicked for "...mak[ing] [him]self a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible" (I Cor. 9:19)? Paul continues by saying, "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings" (I Cor. 9:20-23). Would we be out of line saying, "To the Postmoderns I became as a Postmodern?" I do not think this to be the case. Yet Paul here was clearly conforming to these cultures. How could he justify that? The reason was that he wasn't doing things that were `unclean' in God's sight...just as there are many things in the culture that in and of themselves are not unclean, and the church can safely advocate those things, in books like Sweet's. Paul also uses culture to further the gospel in Acts 17:22-34, where he first assesses the culture (vs. 23) and then uses quotes from their own poets as an introduction to the gospel (vs. 28 - quote #1 is probably from Epimendes of Crete, and quote #2 is from Aratus's poem, "Phainomena")..."
What this book is really for is enabling us to understand better our culture so that we too can follow in the footsteps of Paul and "to the Jew be a Jew to the Greek be a Greek, and to the Post-modern be a post-modern." In this regard, the book is excellent.
EPIC...Experiential, Participatory, Image-Based, Connected.........2004-04-04
I really enjoyed this book. His EPIC paradigm is a very accurate assesment of where things are at these days, and actually provides some good handles for how to embrace postmodernity. I got sick of books on postmodernism a few years ago since they all seemed to say the same exact things, and few offered anything helpful. This happened shortly after I bought this book, so I had it on my shelf for a few years until I recenetly had a conversation with someone who mentioned it. Thought I'd give it a read and wished I had back when it came out. The book is built around Sweet's contension that today's culture is EPIC...Experiential, Participatory, Image-Based, and Connected. In terms of those observations, Sweet it out of the park. Even in most of his ideas he is right on. I'm not crazy about how a lot of "pomo" writing talks about "going back in history"...and making things more liturgical. I get some of it, but it's just not me. I'm not that emotional/contemplative of a guy to get it I guess. It actually seems like things aren't leaning that way too much anymore, which is cool to see. It just felt to me like a lot of people said, "hey postmodernism is a problem and we've got the solution", in their books, which turned me off. Sweet pretty much stays away from some of those temptations in this book and offers a practical, helpful, easy-to-read book! He also gives some great insights into why the younger generations act why they do, which is very insightful, and probably worth the price of the book. Definitely worth reading...
Book Description
This is a research-based analysis of forces that are changing culture and how the church must change as well to fulfill its mission.
Customer Reviews:
Ring! Ring! Mr. Mainline Church, this is your wake-up call........2007-05-20
Unfortunately, since the book was written nearly ten years ago, "Mr. Mainline" has only read the book, done a book report on it, and forgotten about it.
Stupid people do such things. No wonder they're in the predicament they're in.
I have watched nearly everything the author predicted for my denomination to come true--and then some. The thing is: we have yet to begin to see the worst of it yet!
A first, second or even third reading of the book should prove to be helpful to anyone who loves their church enough to change for the better. If you're just going to "write a book report about it", then forget it.
Maybe there's some chairs that you can rearrange on the Titanic, instead.
Prophetic.......2006-08-12
"The church has a choice: to die as a result of its resistance to change or to die in order to live." That's the thesis of this book, which was a bombshell when it appeared in 1995. Though published by Zondervan, this book really is the work of the folks at Percept, the organization that many denominations and judicatories and local churches use to study demographic data for the purposes of reaching out effectively into the surrounding community.
"The church," argues Regele, "is moving rapidly toward a moment of decision, a defining moment. It is a moment of definition because, whether we like it or not, the church in American culture is being redefined. And our options are very limited." In fact, says Regele, there are only two basic options, reflected in the thesis above. We can die as a result of resistance to change, or we can die in order to live. The second option involves understanding the dynamics of change that are at work today in our culture, understanding the various facets of change, accepting that the traditional place of the institutional church in American society is crumbling, allowing our traditional forms and structures that are the foundation of the institutional church to die, wrestling to forge new ways to proclaim the Gospel in this changing world, and revisioning the church for the twenty-first century -- from the local congregation to the national denominational office (or beyond!).
The first part of the book is devoted to dynamics of both predictable and unpredictable cultural change. In the "predictable" category are generational dynamics and their effect on the church (based on the work of William Strauss and Neil Howe in books like Generations and The Fourth Turning); those generational dynamics are predictable because there are established historical patterns. In the "unpredictable" category are various forms of chaotic change that occur at watershed moments in human history. Regele argues that we stand at such a defining moment in which we are moving into a whole new period in human history. That discussion is reminiscent of Brian McLaren's analysis in A New Kind of Christian (which I read first, though it appeared later). Regele's analysis of historical epochs is slightly different than McLaren's, both they both share a conviction that we stand today at a critical juncture in human history, the likes of which have occured rarely in our collective history.
The second part of the book unpacks various focal points of change. Particularly helpful was Regele's analysis of how the church has, in this country, traditionally been tied to the dominant place of the traditional family and to the "Grand American Story," both of which are crumbling. To be effective in the new world, Regele argues, the church needs to free itself from those traditional associations, so that it can more effectively proclaim the gospel in a wholly different cultural environment.
The third part of the book articulates the defining moment more precisely. In the future, the church will be on the margins, not in the mainstream. We have to embrace "the inevitable death of what we have known, repenting of the recalcitrance that has tried to avoid it, and in faith accepting a redefinition of what it means to be the church in America." Our churches in the future will either be empty shells or revitalized centers of life -- depending on whether we do the necessary adaptive work. "If in faith we let our institutions go, out of the ash heap God will raise new institutions to serve a new day." After death . . . comes resurrection. That is, after all, the hope of the gospel. (Though I would suggest, based on my reading of Margaret Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science and other similar books, that the whole notion of "institution" needs to give way to an understanding of the church as "organism.")
Regele provides numerous appendices that offer detailed statistical and demographic analyses, which buttress the main claims the book makes. I found the charts showing the changing shape of the American family to be particularly helpful. We in the church tend to still want to focus on traditional families with a mom and a dad and 2.3 kids . . . but those sorts of living arrangements are becoming increasingly uncommon, as Regele's data shows.
All in all, this is an excellent book, still relevant (perhaps even more relevant!) now, eleven years after its publication. I wish I had read it long ago.
Results of this kind of thinking.......2005-01-19
This book is now 8 years old, and we can see the 'fruit' of this kind of thinking in churches today. Many churches who have put into action the ideas in this book have turned into 'feel good' Christian social clubs. Don't talk about conviction of sin, the need for repentance and obedience to our Lord. Instead talk about mistakes and how we are basically all good people. So many churches, sadly, have become post-modern by clinging to the ways of the world, and THIS is destroying the church. I hope the authors of this book have the courage to now deal with the 'fruits' of their recommendations. Maybe a good follow-up to this book would be to deal with how the ideas put forth are now 'killing' the church, and how teaching the truth of Christ, the easy and the not so easy parts, are what people truly need in this dying world.
If you are serious about being the Church today..........2003-07-30
The message of this book is critical for the church today. The sooner we cease trying to get the world to see things our way and begin to bring the gospel to them, the better.
This is a book that should be revised every ten years or so as we move through the generational and cultural devlopments or our times. It will be enlightening to see how well the generational cycle plays out.
It is a book that has plenty of narrative (in the first and last parts) for those who are most helped by that. It also has plenty of statistical analysis for those who appreciate that.
The book would be worth having if it were only composed of part three. All worth meditation. Many modern Christians, including a couple of the reviewers here, are unaware of their own cultural conditioning. They think there is something sacred in the western, 19th-20th century institution and outlook that they call the church. They have a hard time seeing that that was a way of 'packaging' the gospel for a particular place and time in history. Disciples in the 21st century are responsible for taking the gospel to the worlds of the 21st century. Regele helps us to realize that this includes our neighbors as well as people around the world.
Read this book if you are serious about being an ambassador for Christ. Remember, an ambassador represents his kingdom to other kingdoms. He must make his message understood and attractive to others in order to serve his king.
Important Book.......2003-07-19
This is one of the most important books for church leaders written in the last few years. I have given away many copies, and I urge every pastor to read it. We are in a time of great social transition, and church leaders had better understand the nature of the changes around us. Mike Regele is not saying that a time is coming when there will be no people of God. What he is saying is that local churches that cannot adapt and penetrate their cultures will die. What would happen if 75% of America's churches would cease to exist in the next 50 years? Change in the culture around us is taking place at such a rapid rate that it could well happen. Thus, change in the church is not optional.
Book Description
Rejuvenate your life with these zesty Italian principles.
America's yearning for living life with passion and serenity is answered in simple, concrete steps and examples of how to adopt the Mediterranean dolce vita, or "sweet life."
Living La Dolce Vita will help you channel "the sweet life" through:
o The power of family
o The art of friendship
o The unabashed joy of romance
o Meals that nourish both body and soul
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely beautiful and life-changing.......2007-08-19
I couldn't believe how beautifully written this book is. Whether Italian or not we can all stand to learn the Italian art of living well. From relationships to a good dish of pasta Dr D'Agostino covers it all. This book will stay with me forever. Grazie mille!
Should please high schoolers........2006-12-05
Anyone older than that will be put off by this simplistic bit of fluff. The author has pieced together quotes and statistics from other sources and throws them around liberally. It has the feel of a high school writing project. The advice she gives reads like something out of an article in "Seventeen Magazine". For example, here are some of her tips for cultivating friends, Italian style:
1)Spend the time it takes to cultivate new friends.
2)Go beyond the superficial to create intimacy.
3)Practice giving and receiving affection.
4)Be willing to listen.
5)Show loyalty in your words and actions.
I bet you never would have thought of those things on your own, right?
Well, pay the $15.00 for this book and you can read 205 more pages full of equally valuable "Italian" advice.
Buy it for a teen, or better yet, save your money.
Much more than just a travel book. .......2006-09-12
I bought this book because I'm taking my first trip to Italy, and I wanted to soak up all the culture I could before I step off that plane. In addition to that, I learned why the Italian people have always seemed so well-adjusted to me. Their focus on time spent - daily - with family, friends and good conversation. They eat well, live well, and love with every ounce of their being. I learned so much more than why I wanted to visit Italy. Now I aspire to bring their attitude on living fully back with me.
A Surprisingly Rich Book.......2006-03-01
I purchased this book thinking it would be in the style of the popular French culture books (Entre Nous, A Year of Beauty, French Women Don't Get Fat), but this book goes to another level. It doesn't discuss fashion, decor or portion control. It's about family, friendship, the dignity of work, self-respect.
Although I was raised in an Italian-American family, I didn't understand the richness of my familial inheritance until I read this book. But it's not only for those of Italian ethnicity; the values Ms. Mautner describes are the true core of "la dolce vita" and make the illusory fantasies of "Roman Holiday" seem shallow. And the sweet life is what we all strive for...committed families, solid friendships, "wealth beyond money" (to quote Ms. Mautner), an optimistic outlook.
I know I will reread this book several times over the years. I highly recommend it.
Balance and Beauty : No Passport Required.......2005-08-02
This tells you everything you always wanted to know about the art of family, friends, romance, nourishment, wealth, style, communication, spirituality and attitude Italian style. Treat others and yourself well. Take care of your physical needs. Dress for success and a public appearance. Create a sense of continuity in your life by wearing classics and living with classics. Cultivate forgiveness. The author holds a Ph.D. in psychology, so this book allows one to travel to Italy to increase one's emotional health as well.
Book Description
Exploring the "morphogenesis" of the city in Western civilization, this new edition contains updated material, a new introduction, and additional illustrations.
Amazon.com
Every golden age has been an urban age; throughout history, cities have provided a crucible for creativity. How do such belles époquescome about? Why should the creative flame burn so uniquely in cities and not in the countryside, and why does the creative and innovative spirit of one city inevitably yield to another? Cities in Civilization explores these issues and others related to the central role of cities, past and present, in the fostering of artistic, philosophical, scientific, and technological genius.
Peter Hall devoted 15 years of his life conceptualizing, researching, and writing Cities in Civilization. His extraordinary efforts are apparent in the analytical scope, historical depth, and sheer length of the book, which, including photographs and a bibliography, is well over 1,000 pages. Supporting his argument with ample reference to dates, historical figures, and citations of leading urban scholars, the book does not lend itself to casual, cover-to-cover reading. Despite the book's length, though, it remains easy to navigate through the case studies of individual cities. Hall systematically divides the text into five thematic chapters, further subdividing each chapter chronologically by city. The chapters explore themes of cultural creativity, technological and economic innovation, the urban fusion of art and technology, urban innovation, and the partnership of the private and public sector to promote urban development and regeneration.
Breaking from other leading scholars in the field, Hall does not consider the great city doomed. Instead, Cities in Civilization testifies to his confidence that cities of the 21st century, like the great cities of the past, will successfully work to solve their own problems and ameliorate their own ills. --Bertina Loeffler
Book Description
Ranging over 2,500 years,
Cities in Civilization is a tribute to the city as the birthplace of Western civilization. Drawing on the contributions of economists and geographers, of cultural, technological, and social historians, Sir Peter Hall examines twenty-one cities at their greatest moments. Hall describes the achievements of these golden ages and outlines the precise combinations of forces -- both universal and local -- that led to each city's belle epoque.
Hall identifies four distinct expressions of civic innovation: artistic growth, technological progress, the marriage of culture and technology, and solutions to evolving problems. Descriptions of Periclean Athens, Renaissance Florence, Elizabethan London, and nineteenth-century Vienna bring to life those seedbeds of artistic and intellectual creativity. Explorations of Manchester during the Industrial Revolution, of Henry Ford's Detroit, and of Palo Alto at the dawn of the computer age highlight centers of technological advances. Tales of the creation of Los Angeles' movie industry and the birth of the blues and rock 'n' roll in Memphis depict the marriage of culture and technology.
Finally, Hall celebrates cities that have been forced to solve problems created by their very size. With Imperial Rome came the apartment block and aqueduct; nineteenth-century London introduced policing, prisons, and sewers; twentieth-century New York developed the skyscraper; and Los Angeles became the first city without a center, a city ruled instead by the car. And in a fascinating conclusion, Hall speculates on urban creativity in the twenty-first century.
This penetrating study reveals not only the lives of cities but also the lives of the people who built them and created the civilizations within them. A decade in the making,
Cities in Civilization is the definitive account of the culture of cities.
Customer Reviews:
Very detailed and long!.......2007-01-16
This book was a textbook to me. It's a huge work with lots of details. You won't just read "This was a city in this region where these people lived and did this kind of work." You will read how the city got started, how it rose and fells, and the repercussions of what went on there. You will heard specific names and dates, and all kinds of complex information. Unless you are a history major, this book may seem very daunting, but if you want to know everything, here you go! Okay, it doesn't cover every single city ever, but it is a great companion to other books. If your interest is American history, then I also recommend Ronald Takaki's 'A Different Mirror."
Hall's scholarship sustains this thousand pages.......2006-08-07
Hall's study of the rise and fall of cities may be thick, but his pages sparkle with insights that frequently seem applicable to one's neighborhood and sometimes even one's self. If the vastness of Hall intimidates, read the introductions and conclusions to each section first, as a way of showing yourself what's coming and why it matters. This technique can flesh out the importance of the fine details of his chapters. (Similarly, the separate "books" within this one can be read separately.)
For anyone with an interest in urban issues, Hall presents worlds within worlds. For instance, his study of Paris in 1905 shows brilliantly how Picasso's genius was more likely to flower there than anywhere else at the time, and his industrial storytelling shows why Glasgow was uniquely poised to move the shipping of the world from sail to steam. This is a vast book, but it weaves so many threads together that it has to be. One reading, even of so large a book, will not be enough.
Golden numbing.......2005-08-30
Just because Sir Peter is one of the world's three most tiresome polymaths doesn't mean that we should read this book. Other than that I loved it.
Wonderfully researched, flowing prose.......2002-10-28
Peter Hall's magnum opus is essential for any armchair urban historian... His writing flows with an almost breezy style, making the book compusively readable. The scope is impressive, and Hall delivers in his monumental task, the wide breadth of knowledge being nothing short of remarkable. Even after reading it, I use the book often for reference in my studies; it was well worth adding to my collection.
The Jacques Barzun of the city.......2002-04-01
This book reminds me very much of Jacques Barzun's FROM DAWN TO DECADENCE both in size and scope. Barzun looked at 500 years of Western cultural life and Sir Peter Hall has much the same interests, although he goes back some 2500 years and is more narrowly focused on urban culture. The title CITIES IN CIVILIZATION could be the other way around as Hall is interested in the Golden Ages that seem to have been a feature of all the great cities in history. "The Renaissance" he says "was an urban phenomenon; so was every great burst of creativity in human history." Hall then is seeking the civilization in cities.
Two other books that this one could be (should be, has been) compared with are THE CULTURE OF CITIES and THE CITY IN HISTORY, both by Lewis Mumford. Hall knows this and quickly dispatches the comparisons. "I do not at all share the Mumfordian view that the great city is doomed." Fair enough but his work remains valuable to urban historians and Hall's comment that "Mumford was fundamentally a brilliant polemical journalist, not a scholar" is uncalled for and irrelevant. I'm glad Hall got his academic tetchiness out of the way early and didn't bring it up again, because being subjected to such jibes and digs over the course of the 1000 pages of this book would have been unpleasant. And Hall doesn't need to resort to that anyway.
This book is a detailed, well researched exploration of the unique nature of the city as "a crucible of creativity". The first section of the book looks at artistic creativity - the most recognizable type of Golden Age and most closely associated with the foundation cities of Western civilization - Athens, Vienna, Florence, Paris, London and Berlin. Other themes are innovation and its technological and economic manifestation in urban settings. Here we visit Manchester, Glasgow, Detroit, San Francisco (more accurately Palo Alto and "Silicon Valley") and Tokyo. Hall then looks at two cities - Memphis and Los Angeles that he says offer a mix of artistic, technological, and economic exuberance. He is referring to the music and film industries. In his final section he acknowledges the emergence of regional urban areas and global cities and while recognizing the challenges they pose, he is not daunted and remains optimistic about the future of urban life. His coming Golden Age of a new urban order faces three challenges. That of transport technology and sustainable urbanism, an unequal urban world (the megacities of the Third World) and the threats to economic, family, and civic life.
If persons with interest in any aspect of urbanism don't find some mention of their pet subject in this vast sweep of urban life over the last two millennia, it's simply because they haven't waded through. And that's the only caveat about Hall's work. In the best traditions of old English learning this book is dense and it's not written in the snappiest of prose either. Cities are a testament to the slow processes of humanity. You'll have to rely on one of those tendencies - patience - when working your way through this book. In the end it's well worth it.
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Global History and Geography: The Growth of Civilizations
Henry Brun
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