Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier, is, as the subtitle indicates, a great way to feel good about being a city-dweller. The author, a Harvard professor of urban economics, leaves out all the technical language of his field and takes readers on a worldwide tour of cities that work and cities that don't, including a comparison of New York and Detroit--explaining why one has flourished after losing its manufacturing industry, and the other has not.
Glaeser also takes care to explain some of the less than obvious highlights of cities--how asphalt is good for the environment, how new high-rises can save historic buildings, and how urban poverty is a sign that the city is the best place for everyone to be. Triumph of the City explores cities from Singapore to Chicago, touches on topics from school reform to street-cleaning, and explains why suburbs are the popular choice, but cities are the wave of the future.
Submitted by Mary Lou @ Washington Park
