17 November 2011 | cities, Reviewing | Post a comment
“I seek in this book to celebrate Chungking Mansions in its extraordinary and largely harmonious cultural diversity. It is an amazing place, one that should be lauded in Hong Kong and the world over.”
My review of Gordon Mathews' fascinating book Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong is in this week's TLS. You can read it online here.
I’m the author of four books. The most recent is City: A Guidebook for the Urban Age. Before that I wrote a cultural history of science and superweapons called Doomsday Men, a biography of Einstein, and a study of science and literature. More
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Today, for the first time in history more than half the population of the planet live in cities. Two hundred years ago, just three per cent were city dwellers, but by 2050, 75 per cent will be urbanites. City is the ultimate guidebook for our urban age, taking the reader on a journey through the past, present and future of the world's cities. Illustrated throughout and with essays on everything from Ellis Island and Eco-cities, to Street Food and Tahrir Square, this is a fascinating celebration of our greatest creation – the city. More