reviews
Jul 29, 2011
Jim
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Jacobs makes a convincing case for the urban ecosystems that incubate intensive economic growth. She rightly moves the economic discussion from extensive growth (e.g., divisions of labor in pin making from Adam Smith) to intensive growth (the development of this new product called a "pin" from the existing industry of making the spines in wool carders). Perhaps the book's major fault is that it lacks insightful policy prescriptions like those found in "The Death and Life of Grea
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Oct 03, 2009
Jake
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 02, 2012
From Richard Florida, Author of "The Rise of the Creative Class"
http://www.fastcompany.com/1742367/richa...
"I have so many favorite books, but there are three people that really influenced me. The first and most important is Jane Jacobs and her book The Economy of Cities, which I think everyone who works in business has to read. What the farm and agricultural land was for our first great American economy, what the industrial company was to the great Industrial age, More...
http://www.fastcompany.com/1742367/richa...
"I have so many favorite books, but there are three people that really influenced me. The first and most important is Jane Jacobs and her book The Economy of Cities, which I think everyone who works in business has to read. What the farm and agricultural land was for our first great American economy, what the industrial company was to the great Industrial age, More...
Feb 13, 2009
Dave
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A little out of my areas of interest, this book turns the argument that cities arise out of rural areas on it's head. The author's argument is that the city needs must come first and the rural agricultural fringe arises from and benefits from the needs and production of the city. This leads to all sorts of corollaries that are too much to discuss here. The author also gets into what makes a city vibrant and growing. It is interesting reading and still relevant despite that the book was writte
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Oct 03, 2010
Heather Ann
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My first Jane Jacobs book, and what a book. It has reframed the way I think about cities, about rural regions, about poverty, and about economic development. I'll be pondering this and likely re-reading it.
The style and format of this book reminded me very much of Eric Hoffer's The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. More...
The style and format of this book reminded me very much of Eric Hoffer's The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. More...
Jan 22, 2008
Cate
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Jacobs begins this book countering the claims of accepted anthropology/archeology theory that cities are built on a rural economic base. Jacobs instead suggests that much of what is considered "rural work", and what rural economies have to offer, is in fact exported from cities to the hinterland. This is no small claim since practically everyone disagrees with her. She illustrates her thesis well with specific examples throughout history ranging from the ancient Turkish city Catal H
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Feb 25, 2010
FiveBooks
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Jane Jacob’s argument was that cities, which in the early days were just small trading and administrative posts, generated agriculture, not vice versa. Cities are where the ideas all come from, where all the wealth comes from. They are also much more environmentally friendly because you use much less energy if you live in the city than if you live out in the countryside. Read the full interview here: http://thebrowser.com/books/interviews/a...
Jan 04, 2011
Stephen
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A good read, with an interesting and persuasive argument, but tended to get too bogged down in case studies showing the same thing over and over again in a different way. The thesis was defended well enough half-way in and the rest of the book was just more of the same I felt.
Good arguments, not excellently written.
Good arguments, not excellently written.
Nov 28, 2008
Seth
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only in the first chapter, but extremely interesting so far. she is making a persuasive argument for why cities must have antedated permanently settled agrarian areas, which is important to how we understand overall processes of economic development.
Mar 03, 2009
Lindapiovesan
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I learned a lot about economics and how important cities are to a healthy economy. The book was published in 1984, but the ideas are still relevent now. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in economics/urban studies.
Dec 15, 2007
Steve
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This isn't as well known as her classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities, but perhaps it should be. I have always been curious if further scholarship since its writing in the late '60s proved her hypothesis that agriculture came after settlements. She makes a convincing argument, based on archaeology of the time, that at trading posts/meeting places de facto seed trials might occur as well as the domestication of animals. Another interesting idea covered in the book is the role of
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Jun 26, 2010
David
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Excellent Writer. I should have read this long ago. Reminded me of A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, but with patterns observed, not patterns imposed.
Jan 23, 2009
Brady
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More interesting insight to how cities evolve . . . this time from an economic point of view.
Mar 15, 2009
Ray
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Another great Jane Jaocbs book that is a must read for people interested in basic ideas of local economies.
Dec 17, 2009
Blanca
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After reading her best known book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, I really looked forward to reading what insights she had about municipal government.
It is difficult to get into and it's obvious that she isn't an economist. At this time, I will respectfully put this back on the shelf and I'll attempt again in the near future.
It is difficult to get into and it's obvious that she isn't an economist. At this time, I will respectfully put this back on the shelf and I'll attempt again in the near future.
Aug 02, 2007
Brandon
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i wasn't wowed by this. i'm not an economist however and have very little understanding of these things. supposedly revolutionary, but ultimately just a bunch of common sense to me. if you have to choose, read "death and life of great american cities" instead.
Aug 23, 2007
David
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Interesting look at the day to day of how cities create wealth among the population. I don't think that most of this was common sense, sometimes the very direct understanding is overlooked, this brought a lot of good things to light.
Dec 20, 2007
Steven
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More economics lessons from Jane Jacobs. Talks a lot about multiplier effects and specialization and the way cities generate new industries, and then sub-industries to support those industries, and so on and so forth.
Nov 10, 2010
Shannon
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excellent analysis of what makes cities tick, proposes pre-agricultural cities, where animal and seed domestication developed and was outsourced to the rural areas...
Dec 17, 2009
Edith
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This was probably the first Jane Jacobs book I ever read. She writes so eloquently that anyone can understand the economics that she speaks about.
Apr 04, 2008
Grant
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Another great book by Jacobs about the history of mordern urban centers. And a short read for such a big topic.
May 30, 2008
Alexis
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if you have any interest in what makes cities livable you must read this book.
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 10, 2012
