Cities

In Cities, the acclaimed historian John Reader takes us on a journey of the city-from its earliest example in the Ancient Near East to today's teeming centers of compressed existence, such as Mumbai and Tokyo. Cities are home to half the planet's population and consume nearly three-quarters of its natural resources. For Reader, they are our most natural artifacts, the civic spirit of our collective ingenuity. He gives us the ecological and functional context of how cities evolved throughout human history-the connection between pottery making and childbirth in ancient Anatolia, plumbing and politics in ancient Rome, and revolution and street planning in nineteenth-century Paris. This illuminating study helps us to understand how urban centers thrive, decline, and rise again-and prepares us for the role cities will play in the future.;Intro; Half Title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Foreword; Acknowledgements; List of Illustrations and Picture Credits; 1 First Impressions; 2 How Did It Begin?; 3 Where Did It Begin?; 4 Common Threads; 5 War, Greece and Rome; 6 The Works of Giants Mouldereth Away; 7 In the Name of God and for Profit; 8 Prince's Capital and Merchants' City; 9 By What Complicated Wheels; 10 The City Found Wanting; 11 The Impact of Numbers; 12 Cities Built on Water; 13 Turn to the Sun; 14 Eternal Problems; 15 The Greatness of Princes; 16 Capturing the Horizon; 17 'The city here, complete' A "vastly entertaining" history of urban centers#8212;from the ancient world to today ( Time ). From the earliest example in the Ancient Near East to today's teeming centers of compressed existence, such as Mumbai and Tokyo, cities are home to half the planet's population and consume nearly three-quarters of its natural resources. They can be seen as natural cultural artifacts#8212;evidence of our civic spirit and collective ingenuity. This book gives us the ecological and functional context of how cities evolved throughout human history#8212;the connection between pottery making and childbirth in ancient Anatolia, plumbing and politics in ancient Rome, and revolution and street planning in nineteenth-century Paris. This illuminating study helps us to understand how urban centers thrive, decline, and rise again#8212;and prepares us for the role cities will play in the future. "A superb historical account of the places in which most of us either live or will live." #8212; Conde Nast Traveller Intro Half Title Title Copyright Contents Foreword Acknowledgements List of Illustrations and Picture Credits 1 First Impressions 2 How Did It Begin? 3 Where Did It Begin? 4 Common Threads 5 War, Greece and Rome 6 The Works of Giants Mouldereth Away 7 In the Name of God and for Profit 8 Prince's Capital and Merchants' City 9 By What Complicated Wheels 10 The City Found Wanting 11 The Impact of Numbers 12 Cities Built on Water 13 Turn to the Sun 14 Eternal Problems 15 The Greatness of Princes 16 Capturing the Horizon 17 'The city here, complete' 18 Accommodating Politics19 Visions and Opportunities 20 We Tread too Heavily Notes Bibliography Index