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Tag Archives: architecture
The Architecture of Happiness
The Architecture of Happiness © 2006 Alain de Botton 280 pages I never thought much about the meaning of architecture until attending a lecture by James Howard Kunstler, given at my university in autumn 2008, entitled “Peak Oil and the … Continue reading
Mirrors of the Unseen
Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran © 2006 Jason Elliot 432 pages Readers uninterested in the origins and history of Islamic art, metaphysics, or pigeons, should skip to the next chapter, here. In the late nineties, before Afghanistan was … Continue reading
A Burglar’s Guide to the City
A Burglar’s Guide to the City© 2016 Geoff Manaugh304 pages There’s really no resisting a title like that, is there? Mind, it’s not accurate; this isn’t a guide to how burglars read architecture, a catalog of vulnerabilities that homeowners and … Continue reading
Infrastructure: A Field Guide
Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape© 1999, 2014 Brian Hayes544 pages Here at last is a book for those of us who constantly gaze out the car window at the fixtures on utility poles, or drums mounted in … Continue reading
American Independence Wrapup & On the Horizon
Well, gentle readers, July’s halfway marks the conclusion of my American Independence series, at least for another year. What ground did I cover this year? Revolutionary Summer, Joseph Ellis; a history of the summer of 1776, in which the States … Continue reading
The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead© 1943 Ayn Rand753 pages “Howard Roark laughed.” This epic novel opens with the roar of its main character, leading the reader to wonder what is to come. Is he laughing in triumph? In fatalistic glee, like a … Continue reading
Beautiful Genius
After leaving the Castillo, I began exploring the streets of a city which had come alive. Already, the wide sea-front avenue and the narrow alleys of the ‘old town’ proper were filled with the smell of food, from grilled fish … Continue reading
The Road Taken
The Road Taken: The History and Future of America’s Infrastructure336 pages© 2016 Henry Petroski What, exactly, is The Road Taken? Its title declares it a history, which is mostly true. It does have a bounty of historic sketches on the … Continue reading
Civilisation: A Personal View
Civilisation: A Personal View© 1959 Sir Kenneth Clark359 pages We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion — … Continue reading
Religion for Atheists
Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion© 2012 Alain de Botton320 pages What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Alain de Botton, architecture, art, irreligion, philosophy, praxis, religion
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