This is a comprehensive recounting of Florence as a cultural center. It details the moral and ethical climate which gave rise to surplus income, which in turn led to "conspicuous consumption", which eventually gave us the rich cultural treasure which is Florence today. He includes lengthy discussions of the influence of the Medicis and others and goes into great detail about the organization of construction of the great edifices and the manner in which they were funded and planned. There is, for instance, a good deal of information about the manner in which "architects" were drawn from the ranks of masons, carpenters, and other craftsman, as well as an in-depth discussion of the impact of Alberti and the manner in which he wrote mainly for the persons most likely to commission great structures, rather than for those who would build them.
All in all, this is a very readable and informative book. ( )