growing, growing, grown

[lauralh]

I just finished The Economy of Cities, which is totally awesome if just a bit dated. Even the dated parts are awesome because you see what could have been done 30 years ago and still could be. Anyway the basic premise is that agriculture arose from cities, not the other way around, which actually makes so much sense that you wonder if you ever even knew how the other way round worked. And from there she lays out wonderful paths from which the gathering of people in a central place led to trade, manufacturing, and banking. And mass production and government. And why those last two things are bad in excess (Detroit anyone?). John, this one's for you.

Comments

cities? I LOVE those

[perich.livejournal.com]

I'm on it.

[fritz-da-kat.livejournal.com]

Seems to go against Jared Diamond's premise in "Guns, Germs..."

[herbaliser.livejournal.com]

in some ways. but in other ways it supplements it, and anyway it was written in 1970 like i said.

[mindme.livejournal.com]

Edge Cities is another great (albeit dated) book about cities.

[faustin.livejournal.com]

actually I've written on this subject, and took this conclusion for granted --- network effects, generally at the intersections of trade routes, gave rise to most technical and social innovation, including agriculture (and there had to be local markets for anything more complex than a garden)

I'd never heard of this book, though.

And I hope to god she didn't write on the economics of cities without a lucid explanation of the main principle of their origin and growth -- network effects.

[fritz-da-kat.livejournal.com]

You were right about the food!

[herbaliser.livejournal.com]

http://herbaliser.livejournal.com/1286406.html?thread=6356742#t6356742

[mercyorbemoaned.livejournal.com]

Catal Huyuk represent!