The Architecture of Happiness
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4.6 • 8 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
From one of our greatest voices in modern philosophy, author of The Course of Love and The School of Life, this book explores the fascinating hidden links between the buildings we live in and our long-term wellbeing.
'Engaging and intelligent . . . Full of splendid ideas, happily and beautifully expressed' Independent
What makes a house truly beautiful? Why are many new houses so ugly? Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures - and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved?
To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will change the way you look at your home.
'Alain de Botton takes big, complex subjects and writes about them with thoughtful and deceptive innocence' Observer
'Clever, provocative and fresh as a daisy' Literary Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With this entertaining and stimulating book, de Botton (How Proust Can Change Your Life) examines the ways architecture speaks to us, evoking associations that, if we are alive to them, can put us in touch with our true selves and influence how we conduct our lives. Because of this, he contends, it's the architect's task to design buildings that contribute to happiness by embodying ennobling values. While he makes no claim to be able to define true beauty in architecture, he suggests some of the virtues a building should have (illustrated by pictures on almost every spread): order combined with complexity; balance between contrasting elements; elegance that appears effortless; a coherent relationship among the parts; and self-knowledge, which entails an understanding of human psychology, something that architects all too often overlook. To underscore his argument, de Botton includes many apt examples of buildings that either incorporate or ignore these qualities, discussing them in ways that make obvious their virtues or failings. The strength of his book is that it encourages us to open our eyes and really look at the buildings in which we live and work. A three-part series of the same title will air on PBS this fall.
Customer Reviews
Profoundly Articulate & Poignant
With out a doubt one of my favourite books about architecture. I’d love Botton to write a new version, with more recent precedents, but other than that, this book lies a strong foundation for ethical thinking about the making of architecture and how such making is tied deeply to our psyche.