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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
What a slog! This was a pain to get through. Sennett clearly tried to include everything but the kitchen sink without really giving us anything to take away from all this….zzzz
informative
slow-paced
An interesting read that considers the different components of a city, from its people to architecture to philosophy.
Thought-provoking global perspectives that clearly drive the author's academic principles.
Thought-provoking global perspectives that clearly drive the author's academic principles.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
This book is packed with theory, references and anecdotes, the main idea being that a city should be “open” rather than “closed”, from a systems perspective. Throughout the book, the author compellingly devises a vision for the open city in the 21st century. However, the discussion is sometimes very digressive, and the author quotes almost anything he thinks could be relevant. While this was impressive and introduced me to a lot of interesting thinking I had never heard of before, it also didn’t make it easier to follow, as the sometimes had to try very hard to tie philosophical and personal stories together. At the same time, I missed references to contemporary sociological theory and literature - much of this book is based on 19th century socio-philosophy - and more practical takeaway for city planners or social workers. While I do not think this is a bad book - many individual sections were amazingly thought-provoking - , I just didn’t enjoy reading it that much and the total picture left more for me to be desired than I expected.
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
Struggled to understand his conclusion although that may be due to my lazy reading then his writing. Sort of meandering but i dont really mind that
I'd like to believe Richard Sennett has written better books than this one. Or, at least, more focused ones. This feels like a sampler of a lifetime of theory and practice in numerous walks of architecture and urban theory. But unless these fields are completely new to the reader, the book's everything and the kitchen sink approach feels too insubstantial.
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced