I was interested to read this because it's a classic work on urban development and because Mumford speaks to all my own prejudices about large cities, advocating decentralisation rather than agglomeration into ever-bigger megalopolises. It was written in 1938, and although I felt that it should be a must-read for anyone studying "the city", it should be as part of a more-up-to-date reading list - I found myself questioning Mumford's assumptions and wondering whether modern research, of which there is now a good deal, would bear out his conclusions. At the same time, I applaud his conviction that cities must offer a more humane environment for people and would suggest that there is still much for today's city planners to learn from him.

This book makes one think in detail about cities and how they grew into something that we take for granted so we don't even "see" them as what they are. It was an interesting read; the only comparable book I can think of was an examination of sewers and their effect on disease. Very interesting (at least I think so).