Comments on: Holiday Book Recommendations Open Thread

By: Wolf62

Wolf62 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:48:36 +0000

Figure 8 shows a repre' sentative scatter plot. ,

By: Matt Fleischer-Black

Matt Fleischer-Black — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 02:59:13 +0000

Toward the Livable City collects ruminations on many of the issues listed in the frame on the right.
(See table of contents here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1571312714/ref=sib_dp_bod_toc/104-8098343-3048700?ie=UTF8&p=S008#reader-link)

This Land: The Battle Over Sprawl in America by Anthony Flint offers some lively reporting about land use issues nationally, especially the success and failures of smart growth advocates. One good chapter examines emerging coalitions between anti-sprawl and anti-poverty advocates. In all, a clearly written sum-up of how suburban sprawl will haunt the U.S. for decadesâ€”more polite than Kunstler's Long Emergency, and more cautiously optimistic.
Here's my review for the Village Voice:
http://www.villagevoice.com/books/0651,fleischerblack,75316,10.html

By: Mitch

Mitch — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:03:54 +0000

I'm a fan of futurebird's livejournal, so I'm looking forward to reading "the Urban Naturalist." Can we pre-order?

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:38:44 +0000

I've just finished reading "How Cities Work" by Alex Marshall and really recommend it highly. It starts of as one of those "new Urbanism is a nice idea but misses the point" kind of essays, but really morphs into a highly entertaining and well written explanation of how transportation policy is the key dterminant of how our cities will look.

By: someguy

someguy — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:52:56 +0000

Oh, an awesome book for any city geek, or adults who used to read David Macauley ("The Way Things Work", "Underground") as a child, is "The Works: Anatomy of a City" by Kate Ascher (a VP at NYCEDC I believe). It exhaustively details how all of NYC's vital systems work, from the most mundane to the most critical. Really incredible level of research.

By: john

john — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:41:26 +0000

I'd like to recommend "Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places" by John Stilgoe.

More info here:

http://www.walkerbooks.com/books/catalog.php?key=6

By: mfs

mfs — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:16:55 +0000

I would also recommend Brian Hayes' "Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape". He seems to be a greenie from the waggish comments about automobiles and pro-bike comments, but the value of this book is its incredibly comprehensive explanation of how power plants, road engineering, railroads, and many many more things work. Best Hannukah present so far! see it here on amazon

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:02:44 +0000

Oh and you are right about the WTC being the last official installment of the Ken Burns series. I forgot they did that afterward. I was thinking of the one about the late 20th Century that was all filmed before 9/11. I can still see the pick-axes driving into the old beautiful marble Penn Station.

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:42:04 +0000

Someguy - sorry for the confusion and poor, rushed grammar. Those are three separate recommendations:

1. End of Suburbia
2. The Last episode of the Ken Burns PBS series on NYC
3. Contested Streets

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:41:31 +0000

For lovers of political theory:

The Politics of Social Ecology: Libertarian Municipalism, by Janet Biehl and Murray Bookchin. Montreal: Black Rose Books, 1997. 204 pp. $16.00. (Buy it here: http://www.blackrosebooks.net/catalog.htm)

Here's a description of "libertarian municipalism" if you're curious:

http://www.social-ecology.org/article.php?story=20031117110637888

By: someguy

someguy — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:33:39 +0000

Glenn - You sure End of Suburbia is a Ken Burns film? It doesn't appear that way. I thought the "Center of the World" World Trade Center episode was the 8th and final episode of the NYC PBS documentary.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:18:56 +0000

I suggest Jeremy Legget's The Empty Tank: Oil, Gas, Hot Air, and the Coming Global Financial Catastrophe. Its on Bill Clinton's reading list - why not add it to yours!

By: nobody in particular

nobody in particular — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:18:04 +0000

Contested Streets can be purchased here

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:05:59 +0000

For some of the sociological implications of the car culture and the privatization of all sectors of life, I highly recommend "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam. I wrote a brief review over at The Oil Drum. The book that really scared the crap out of me and got me involved in environmental issues in the first place was "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. And anyone that lives in a suburb, don't feel like there is nothing you can do: Read Superbia to find detailed descriptions of 31 ideas to create a more sustainable neighborhood. And in video format, I recommend "End of Suburbia", the last episode of Ken Burns documentary on NYC and the Transportation Alternatives movie Contested Streets.

By: Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:57:01 +0000

I'd recommend Jan Gehl and Lars Gemzoe's "Public Spaces Public Life" for the progressive urban planning geek in your life.

http://www.ribabookshops.com/site/viewtitle.asp?pid=4583

This book describes the remarkable qualitative improvements which have taken place in central Copenhagen over the past 34 years, and how they have been accomplished, and is a handbook on how to create human qualities in the city.