The Great Books Thread

[tobyjug]

"The God Delusion" - Richard Dawkins. Very funny.

40 plus years ago read a crumbling copy of U.S. Grant's book that was on my grandfather's shelf. All remember is that writing styles have changed over time. I guess it was a best seller in its day. The reason I think fondly of it is that U.S. was terminally ill and totally broke when he wrote it. I think the sales paid off his debts and set up his family.

[kennedy]

The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton

An interesting read less concerned with formal archi-speak and more of the emotional connection regular people have with the architecture around them.

Why Architecture Matters by Paul Goldberger

More of an academic investigation into the importance of architecture in society, basically explaining "why architecture matters" beyond the provision of shelter.

Both are great reads, and can be bought in paperback at most bookstores. Or, if you're cool, hip, and technical, they can likely be found for Kindle or iPad.

[GW2500]

Thanks, I might give it a read. Of-course I average a book every 1.5 years so, it might take me a while.

[Beton Brut]

William Styron reads from his first novel, Lie Down in Darkness.

[Lurker]

http://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Park...3940072&sr=8-1

Book Description

Publication Date: June 21, 2011
One of APA's most popular and influential books is finally in PAPE, with a new preface from the author on how thinking about parking has changed since this book was first published. In this no-holds-barred treatise, Shoup argues that free parking has contributed to auto dependence, rapid urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Planners mandate free parking to alleviate congestion but end up distorting transportation choices, debasing urban design, damaging the economy, and degrading the environment. Ubiquitous free parking helps explain why our cities sprawl on a scale fit more for cars than for people, and why American motor vehicles now consume one-eighth of the world's total oil production. But it doesn't have to be this way. Shoup proposes new ways for cities to regulate parking - namely, charge fair market prices for curb parking, use the resulting revenue to pay for services in the neighborhoods that generate it, and remove zoning requirements for off-street parking. Such measures, according to the Yale-trained economist and UCLA planning professor, will make parking easier and driving less necessary. Join the swelling ranks of Shoupistas by picking up this book today. You'll never look at a parking spot the same way again.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Lurker

http://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Park...3940072&sr=8-1

Book Description

Publication Date: June 21, 2011
One of APA's most popular and influential books is finally in PAPE, with a new preface from the author on how thinking about parking has changed since this book was first published. In this no-holds-barred treatise, Shoup argues that free parking has contributed to auto dependence, rapid urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Planners mandate free parking to alleviate congestion but end up distorting transportation choices, debasing urban design, damaging the economy, and degrading the environment. Ubiquitous free parking helps explain why our cities sprawl on a scale fit more for cars than for people, and why American motor vehicles now consume one-eighth of the world's total oil production. But it doesn't have to be this way. Shoup proposes new ways for cities to regulate parking - namely, charge fair market prices for curb parking, use the resulting revenue to pay for services in the neighborhoods that generate it, and remove zoning requirements for off-street parking. Such measures, according to the Yale-trained economist and UCLA planning professor, will make parking easier and driving less necessary. Join the swelling ranks of Shoupistas by picking up this book today. You'll never look at a parking spot the same way again.

Thanks for posting this. I just got the Smart Growth Manual which I believe has a subchapter entitled the same as this book and was unaware an entire work was published on the matter. I agree with some of the statements made in the synopsis--mandating minimum off street parking makes no sense and fuels some strange design outcomes. The way I see it, if a developer thinks parking is necessary for their units, whether commercial suites or residential spaces, they will add them to the proposal, but if not they won't be included. Mandating them then makes no sense, other than to alleviate the neighbors who are concerned that they will have to compete for fewer on street spaces--but why they should be ensured that won't be the case has never made sense to me. Instead of demand generating parking spaces, parking requirements are influencing demand (by lessening it for intown structures where parking is scarce and expensive).

A good book I also just got and look forward to skimming is Ed Glaser's Triumph of the City.