Carl H. Nightingale

Earthopolis, by Carl Nightingale, is a comprehensive and fascinating history of our planet with the emphasis on urbanization. Not simply the movement of rural people into cities beginning with the industrial revolution but the idea of more people (as well as ideas, money, and so much more) congregating into smaller areas over all of history.

At times Nightingale's writing can seem hyperbolic, which I sometimes found annoying. That said, with a topic this large and sweeping, hyperbole seems quite appropriate. If you don't let some of the grand statements he makes deter you, there is a lot here to learn and consider.

There is a strong prescriptive nature to the book, even in the sections that are mostly history. Yet the ideas and suggestions are largely abstract and broad, designed, I think, to get readers, some of whom might be policymakers, to start working on local and regional solutions while seeking more global cooperation on them.

I have to admit that my interest, and the way I read the book this time, was more about reading history than directing my activism. That said, I did learn some things that will affect my activism and I hope to reread this in six months or so with an eye toward something more than just reading history.

There are extensive notes which offer pointers for further reading, though I would have loved to have had a bibliography so I wouldn't have to look among the notes to find bibliographic entries.

Highly recommended for those interested in history, particularly urban history. Because Nightingale shows how many of our inequities have come about, this is also an excellent read for those interested in social justice issues.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)