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

Lewis Mumford is an underappreciated intellectual monster (and I mean that in a good way). This book explains the development of the city as we in the Western World know it, including the paleolithic and neolithic mythologies that led to the current patriarchy, and its emphasis upon the overpowering of the feminine and the matriarchy. To dislike this book, I think, is to miss its point - it is not a feminist reading, but it may be a liberal reading of urban history. Personally, I found very few biases in his reasoning; he reasons clearly, and thoughtfully, and is not given to simple liberalities for the sake of it. He is not a knee-jerk liberal, and is not a cuddly-wuddly "let's all get along" liberal, either. Rather, he is a moderate, espousing a philosophy that takes frequent sojourns into liberalism. At the very least, this book is very much worth reading. Mumford's work must come back into vogue, if we are to learn to evolve as a culture. His evolutionarily and ecologically-sound perspectives are, ironically, unheard of in an era that desperately needs workable ideas that embrace both such perspectives.

This is the definitive study of communities as a whole -- from the prehistoric societies like Catal Huyuk, to the Greek poleis, to the metropoleis of today. Accurately worded and incredibly well-written, this book inquires into the very function of cities in human civilization, their influence on local life, etc. Bound to prove an awesome source of general data as well as the specifics, this book is a major work and is a certain must-have.

This is more than a look at the development of the urban organization. It's an examination of society as a whole. This is one of the few books that actually covers all intresting areas of human social developmen, i.e political science, religion, sociology, anthropology, economics, etc. The book more than tells the story of the cities development, it explains why today's society functions in the way it does.

This is the classic look at the history of world cities. Beginning with prehistoric man, Lewis Mumford weaves the tale of the beginnings of cities as places of protection and commerce. The book, published decades ago, remains today the best written and most comprehensive on the subject. For another look at cities, may I suggest Jane Jacobs' _The Death and Life of Great American Cities_ as well. Buy them and read them as a pair; you will almost an expert on the subject.