The City in History: Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects

A survey of the roles that urban gatherings have played in Human history. We have enjoyed the city, and of course found great dissatisfaction with it. Mumford's survey gets frequent reprints, and is full of insights. I am sure the 19 year old me was a little out of his depths with these work, but mightily impressed with it.

Lewis Mumford's The City in History is neither a history nor is it about a delight for all things urbans. Granted, the time he was writing saw many urban fabrics and structures become too big and fractured. But it does have some good criticism and benefits. His bibliography is worth a serious glance. But his citations are lacking even though he casually references sources. He writes unapologetically from a western perspective knowing that his exposure is limited. His writing style could use some editing. But after all is said and done, this guy is a bit of a futurist. Replace some of the late 50's tech with todays and his speculation is either true, or we are accelerating towards his vision. Graphic references could have been selected show more better to understand the city in time rather than just as a means of criticism. The book did inform me and reinforced some of my concepts. But I just wish he spent some of his words on what makes people need, want and enjoy the city from a positive viewpoint. show less

This book is both dystopian an disturbing. As a history it is more a catalogue of mistakes and processes gone wrong than a simple history. The book is erudite and scholarly but hardly optimistic.

The only kind of urban center that gets the faintest nod of praise is the medieval village and its very few modern successors. The modern city is pictured as a vast growth that through technology is crushing the human spirit. Only Rotterdam escapes complete disdain.

For all the pessimism of the book it contains many important ideas that mankind will be forced to consider. How the computer and the cellphone would have effected his ideas I don't know and I think he is flat wrong in his perception of space exploration and the reasons for show more it.

Nevertheless the book is well worth reading with many ideas and problems that must be considered by the human race. Take a few hours or days to check it out. show less

Redundantly dry but informative.

No doubt considered the classic history of the city. Too subjective and rather dated for my tastes. Dense, bleak.

Middle Ages Chapters 17-24

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