The City: A Global History [CITY] - Softcover

Joel(Author) Kotkin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753820625 ISBN 13: 9780753820629

Publisher: Modern Library, 2006

Synopsis

Cities are mankind's greatest creation. They represent the most eloquent expression of our species' ingenuity, beliefs and ideals. From Babylon and Rome to London, New York and Tokyo, Joel Kotkin examines the evolution of urban life over the millennia in order to establish what made - and makes - a city great. Despite their infinite variety, all cities essentially serve three spiritual, political and economic. Kotkin follows the progression of the city from the early religious centres of Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and China, to the imperial centres of the Classical era, through the rise of the Islamic city and the European commercial capitals, ending with today's post-industrial suburban metropolis'. Today's cities face many problems, and they can only thrive if they remain sacred, safe and busy. This is as true for the developing world, where at least 600 million people now live in squatter cities' , as it is for the great global cities which face the challenges of shifting demographics, new technologies and the threat of terrorism.

About this title

About the Author

Joel Kotkin is an international Fellow at Pepperdine University School of Business in Los Angeles, and an authority on global economic and social issues. His books have been translated into several languages including Chinese, Japanese and Arabic. He is a contributing editor to The Los Angeles Times Opinion Section, The New Democrat and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. He lives in North Hollywood, California.

Review

"A rich global history" THE TIMES "Kotkin attempts a far-reaching look at the evolution of the urban landscape and aims to define what makes a city great." GLASGOW HERALD "It well serves to illustrate the background to one of the major problems of our time - and contains important lessons for those who will have to manage our cities in the future." FINANCIAL TIMES

Edition details

• Publisher: Modern Library
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0753820625
• ISBN 13: 9780753820629
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256