This book looks at architecture history in reverse, so you can follow chains of precedents back through time to see how ideas can disrupt civilization's flow. "In an uneasy age, where holding the 'centre' seems frighteningly unlikely, this carefully reasoned book argues that our most salient architectural problem is the estrangement of modern buildings from those who see and occupy them. A challenging read, it both sprawls out over and mines deep into difficult writings. Yet it remains accessible due to lucid prose, the construction of chapters to both cogently stand alone and operate serially, and its convincing intertwining of architectural examples with philosophical arguments." - Michael Fazio, Emeritus Professor of Architecture, Mississippi State University, USA