Martin Filler

I'm very much reviewing this based on my enjoyment; I can easily imagine someone picking this up and throwing it away within half an hour. It's a collection of essays, some of which kind of sort of touch on architecture, with others mostly biographical, and a few about the ridiculous nature of the architectural industry. But I loved it, because Filler is fierce in his criticism, and it's so damn refreshing to read someone who can write wonderful sentences and call out trash when he sees trash--not because the person who made it was a bad person (though many of them were), but because the thing itself is trash. Plus, I learned a bit about modern architects, if not modern architecture; it's far too allusive to teach you anything about the buildings or the theories. You do learn about Filler's preoccupations, though, and that's nice: basically, architects should aim to produce public buildings that serve a civic function, rather than a profit motive. Hear hear.… (meer)