A comprehensive new survey tracing the global history of urbanism and urban design from the industrial revolution to the present “An engaging read for urban planners and non-designer urbanists.

The extent and detail of Mumford’s geographical coverage of the topics are exceptional.”—Christopher Auffrey, Journal of Urban Affairs Written with an international perspective that encourages cross-cultural comparisons, leading architectural and urban historian Eric Mumford presents a compr...

“One of the most profound and illuminating studies of this century to have been published in recent decades.”—John Gray, New York Times Book Review “A powerful, and in many [ways] insightful, explanation as to why grandiose programs of social reform, not to mention revolution, so often end in tragedy. . . .

An important critique of visionary state planning.”—Robert Heilbroner, Lingua Franca Hailed as “a magisterial critique of top-down social planning” by the New York Times...

An accessible and contemporary introduction to the methods for determining cause and effect in the social sciences

The hidden costs of artificial intelligence—from natural resources and labor to privacy, equality, and freedom “This study argues that [artificial intelligence] is neither artificial nor particularly intelligent. . . .

A fascinating history of the data on which machine-learning systems are trained.”—New Yorker “A valuable corrective to much of the hype surrounding AI and a useful instruction manual for the future.”—John Thornhill, Financial Times “It’s a masterpiece, and ...

The fascinating story of the evolution of the country house in Britain, from its Roman precursors to the present